Max didn't need his glasses too badly when he played sport; which was good because he hated wearing them altogether. He said that when he didn't have them on things just seemed a little blurred. Like looking through plastic sheet.

Even so, he was still scoring more goals than me in our one-on-one match. How did a kid who spent so much time sat with comics get so good at this? My late night before wasn't helping, but I'd be lying if I said that was the whole cause.

I'd been finding since leaving school that I was slowly growing less and less active. This was a problem.

Sporting and a healthy level of physical activity had always been a big part of my life alongside my grades. It was what I did in my social time. Running field with the guys at school and constantly competing with Jace.

Not to say my life wasn't busy enough; it was. That's how I got so long without realising that I was slipping out of shape. The penny had dropped when I was out of breath from the flights of stairs leading up to the apartment Kyle and I shared. I just so happened to walk in breathing heavily while my roommate contentedly did chin-ups in his doorway.

After I took a moment to appreciate the fact that Kyle was indeed 'hot like whoa' - as Clary had once put it - I recalled that I used to be able to do that, too.

"Time out." I panted, sitting down on the grass. Max grinned and ran off to get the ball.

"You really don't run anymore, do you?" He said when he got back.

Kids have the most innocent way of kicking you when you're down. I shook my head and leant backwards onto my elbows. The closer to laying down the better.

"Not really." I sighed. "I haven't fit it in."

Max sat down in front of me with the ball on his lap. Even with the sunlight shining in my eyes I could see the frown playing on the edges of his mouth. He seemed almost reluctant to speak all of a sudden. "You're real busy now, huh?"

Well, didn't I just feel like the worst big-brother ever? Way to be absent, Alec.

"I can still make time to hang out with you." I told him, seriously.

When he didn't react I used my foot to nudge him in a ticklish spot on the side. He stifled a laugh; now 'far too grown up' to giggle. I nudged again.

"Quit it!" He half-whined, half-chuckled. He gave my leg a shove and I smirked.

"Well, you quit with the sulking." I retorted. He stuck out his tongue at me, I pulled a face back. I didn't mind looking weird in public if it helped to cheer Max up. An odd look from a passer-by meant very little to me in comparison. Family first.

"Not my fault you don't come over." He complained and threw the ball at me. I only just deflected it before it hit me in the face, but I couldn't catch it. It rolled about a foot away and neither of us made any move to go get it.

"Okay, I get it; I've been missing-in-action." I groaned. Look who decided to get a teenage attitude since I last saw him. "I'll fix it."

"You better." Max grinned. Then we got up for round two of the game.

It was all I could do not to fall asleep at the wheel when I was dropping Max home. He kept up a steady chatter about school and every gripe and tiff he had with Izzy or our parents; so that helped. I wanted to listen to everything and commit it to memory. You know; ask him about things later so he knew I remembered and didn't just nod along when he spoke.

I won't lie to you, though, it could be hard.

Max was hopping out of the car before I even switched the engine off, which wasn't all too charming. I took of my seatbelt and followed him across the lawn, he left the door wide open. Was anybody shutting doors these days?

I didn't walk right in, but it seemed dumb to stand on the porch when it wasn't even closed. I knocked and went inside at the same time, hoping that was a socially acceptable middle ground.

"Alec!" Isabelle called shrilly down the stairs, and slid full-speed down the banister. She practically tumbled off and into me; I had to grip her by the shoulders to keep her from bowling me over. "I need to talk to you."

I closed my eyes and summoned my patience. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is about Magnus?"

"Kyle said you didn't come home last night." She jabbed me in the chest with her finger to punctuate the statement. Great, now she had him in on her tracking scheme. I would have told her whatever she wanted to know if she just asked me. Whatever happened to asking me? "Don't waste any time, do you?"

That made me mad. I looked around to make sure that Max had run off; I could hear him in the kitchen telling Mother I was here. I was sure to keep my voice low enough they couldn't listen in.

"I didn't sleep with him, if that's what you're getting at." I hissed at her.

"What were you doing there at all?" Said Izzy quietly in a tone which was equally angered.

I rolled my eyes and started to take my shoes off. My Mother turns into a dragon-lady when you get mud on her rugs. Izzy seemed to be seething, so I took my time rolling up the hem of my jeans too, just to be safe.

When I stood up again her look was pure heat.

"Visiting." I said.

"Visiting?" Isabelle repeated. She couldn't have made it any more clear that she didn't believe me if she'd asked to check my fingers weren't crossed.

"Yes, Izzy. And I visited him before the announcement, too, so I don't know what your problem is now." I snapped. It wasn't as if I dropped everything and jumped his bones just because Camille had tweeted a green light.

They could take the railings off the Brooklyn Bridge but I wouldn't then go jump off it.

"You're going too fast." Izzy professed. She stubbornly folded her arms. I half expected her to stamp her foot on the floor, too. Or hold her breath until I vowed to spend the next year Magnus-free.

This is my baby sister talking; the one who went through guys like packs of bubble-gum before she started to date her current boyfriend Simon.

"We've been through this…" I groaned. Sometimes I felt like I was a disk stuck on repeat, and wished the people around me would skip to a different track. "If I never see him, we'll never work it out."

"Maybe you shouldn't-"

"Oh don't start that!" I interrupted. "I didn't even sleep there; Izzy! I just went home in the morning-"

Behind us, in the arch that leading to the living room, Mother cleared her throat. She was eyeing the two of us up the same way she did when we were children squabbling over who should clean up a mess we'd both made. Except she'd never heard this kind of argument in our childhoods.

"Alexander, it's good to see you." She said pointedly, directing her stern look to Izzy. That look meant back off. I felt myself calming; though knowing I'd probably revealed a little more than I should was mortifying. Angel knew how much of that my Mother had overheard.

"It's good to see you too." I said as I simmered. "Sorry about the yelling."

"Are you staying for dinner?" Mother asked, keeping the subject off my love-life, wisely. She probably saw where I was coming from, what with my Father's determination to earn her forgiveness as of late.

"I'm not sure I should stay." I kept my eyes on Isabelle. I didn't want to fight with my sister. I thought she was going to stop with all the complaining and fussing. If she wasn't, though, I wasn't about to let it happen in front of the rest of the family. We'd had enough rocks on the path as it was.

Mother insisted I stick around all the same. I felt sorrier for Max than anybody throughout the awkwardness of the meal; he probably had no idea what was going on. What was he supposed to think after I was just that day telling him I'd visit more?

On my way out the door I got the chance to talk to him one-on-one again; to assure him I wasn't going to avoid the house, and that Izzy and I would be fine again soon.

"You can call me any time you like, you know." I reminded him. Mother had recently consented to him getting a mobile phone, which he was very proud of. It was actually fairly up-to-date, considering what our parents are like. He must have done some major sucking up for it.

"I will." He grinned. "Just make sure you can run faster next time."

Thank you for reading! Opinions on the last chapter were divided, but I hope that this one was enjoyed. Another should be coming soon, 'October'.