Tessa's POV:
The flames in Will's eyes remind me of my Aunt-stubborn and feisty, especially when it came to Nate and I. She was never one to lose her temper with us, but rather to others whom were mean to us.
When I was six, one girl, Maia, whispered something about another girl, whom was new to the school, saying that she came from a poor family and warned me not to hang out with her. I wasn't popular at all, but that struck home. Regardless of what was going through my head, I informed the teacher and got in trouble for being a 'tattle-tale'. My aunt didn't have any of that.
Hence, we moved to a new school where I met Clary, who led me to Simon, who led me to Isabelle, who led me to Alec, who led me to Jace, who led me to Magnus. At the time, getting in trouble for being a tattle-tale was horrible. My stomach dropped, danced, and did little flips all over the place as I waited for my Aunt's response. Of course, it also happened to be the best choice of my entire life.
I was never alone after meeting Isabelle and Clary. Many people tried to throw our friendship into ruins because of jealousy, but it never worked. We fought, I'm not even going to try to deny it, but in the end, we weren't complete without each other and we worked all the kinks out.
"I'd run… like, right now," Jem hints to Gabriel, bringing me back to the moment. Gabriel darted for the door, no longer caring for how it looked. I wasn't staring at Will, hopefully, but the flame in his eyes is haunting, reminding me of the one person I felt the most utter respect for, and who respected me. The one who taught me that respect is earned and most of my other life lessons.
The one that was my mother, since she and my father left the earth too soon. I pray they are still watching me among the other stars. Hopefully they are all proud of me.
"Will, let's be smart," Jem states, trying to reason with the unreasonable. I knew this wasn't going last. Gabriel was smart. He got out of there quicker than lightning. Which, I suppose, is saying that he was traveling at an impossible speed for humans on foot, but there is no time for specifics.
Cecily looks at me with wide blue eyes, strikingly similar to those of Will. The only difference these were filled with fear rather than flames. Go I mouth to her. She nods, and runs quick as a whip away and back to our room.
I think of following her, but I feel inclined to stay, I feel glued to the floor. It was Will. He wasn't going to hurt me, he wasn't going to let Jessamine hurt me either.
What even gave me this idea? Will has been nothing but cruel to me, to Cecily, to Gabriel, to everyone, except, perhaps Jem. But I have no idea what's going on there.
Jessamine begins to circle me. I swear she's thinking about eating me, black darkness clouds her chocolate brown eyes. Jealousy?
How could anyone be anything close to jealous of me? I'm Tessa Gray, the plainest person you'll ever meet. With Jessamine's long blonde hair, deep chocolate eyes and fair tanned skin, was there anything she could possibly be jealous of me about?
"Miss Gray, we meet again, do we not?" Jessamine asks carefully, as if I wouldn't understand. As if I couldn't understand the common English. I bit back the mouthful of retorts I wish to speak, many of them rude and inappropriate for the time being.
"I do believe so, unless this is all a dream. Would it not be fascinating that I dreamt up this whole encounter, or even better, your whole character. Maybe I read it from a book somewhere," I tell her, trying my best to sound as kind as possible. Even though, the words were far from kind.
Her confused face said it all. She didn't understand insults of high intelligence. Not that it was meant to confuse her, I had intended for her to understand it.
I turn to go, and happily find no one tries to stop me. Thank the Angel.
Jessamine is staring completely dumbfoundedly after me, Will is still pacing around the outskirts of the dance floor and Jem is trying to reassure him, patting his back.
I don't run, but rather I fast walk back to the dorm. Cecily was there, already asleep in her pajamas. I drop the keys in our closet, hidden behind my shelf of books.
I stare at the wall covered with books, the only part of my home that was actually portable. Plopping down on the bed, I take out my computer and check Skype. I have one video message from Clary.
Hey Tessa. It's unbelievable you've been gone for two days now. It still doesn't feel real. In the mornings, I still expect to see you by your locker so we can go to Calc together. Alec even misses you, even though he said he would be the strongest. None of us are doing good at staying strong like we promised you. We're sorry we aren't staying strong. Just, no one here feels the same without you, it never will. You were the light of our group, the person that made everything worth doing. Difficulties are happening already, even the teachers aren't happy with you leaving, you know you were always their favorite. I know you're busy and everything, and maybe you even like it there. But please come home soon and stay for awhile, or, even better, come home forever, you can live with me. I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind, you've always been her favorite of my friends. Well, anyways, it's late. I was supposed to go to bed, like, thirty minutes ago. Goodnight Tessa. Please come back.
I couldn't move.
What had I done?
Closing my computer, I lay in bed, mind too overrun with thoughts to catch a wink of sleep. Though I was way beyond tired.
I finally found sleep at three in the morning, only four hours before breakfast and three hours before waking time.
The beeping of my alarm triggered an immediate groan from me. I hadn't gotten enough sleep.
Cecily rolled over in her bed and bounced out, still cheerful from the night before.
"I call the bathroom," she called, obnoxiously loud. I sat up in my bed, stretching, muscles still sore from the day before.
I walked into the closet and pulled out my uniform, changing quickly, and I switch immediately with Cecily.
I brush my hair, pulling it back into a ponytail before walking out of the bathroom and heading downstairs to breakfast, Cecily trailing a bit ahead of me, waiting as I lock the door.
"Gabriel was so sweet as we danced. He complimented my outfit and he was a amazing dancer!" Cecily informed me, sounding so happy and dazed, forgetting all about her brother. Now, why can't I do that?
I felt happy for her, that wasn't fake, but I did have this tug at my heart. This is what Clary and Isabelle would be saying to me usually. Not Cecily. I'm not even supposed to know Cecily.
I am supposed to be with Clary and Isabelle, telling them how lucky they are to have Jace and Simon, and them trying to find me 'the perfect guy'. I've never been kissed, never dated anyone. The closest thing I've done to that was hang out with a guy once and awhile and report back to Clary and Isabelle whether I thought I could be with said guy or not.
Needless to say, none of them were right for me.
We reach the dining hall and I select french toast to eat. The only thing on my mind being one more week and six more days. I repeated that in my head as I took my seat next to Cecily.
We eat our meals, her chatting about her romantic twenty minutes of dancing with Gabriel before Will intervened. Sometime along, Sophie came and sat down.
"Hey," we greeted. She then proceeded to talk about her night. Which was full of dancing just like Cecily's. Only, she got the other Lightwood brother, Gideon.
"Tessa, how was your night?" Sophie asks me, curiously.
"It was fine, I didn't do much," was my only response. They both had prodigious nights, I was content with hearing about them.
"Is that so?" Cecily asks me, raising her eyebrows.
I look at her questioningly. "What do you mean 'is that so'?"
She and Sophie shared a look. One that basically translated to 'Is she serious?'.
"We saw you dancing with Jem," Sophie informs me. So that's what they were talking about. It was nothing, he was only trying to be kind. Or maybe he was only suspicious of me. Either way, nothing happened.
Well, if nothing happened, why did my cheeks begin to boil as soon as they asked me?
"It was nothing," I tell them nonchalantly, brushing it off, though I remember every twirl he sent me through, every single thought. And they weren't about him. They were about the one Cecily calls her brother, a monster.
They both giggle, as if I'd said the most hilarious thing. "Nothing?!" Cecily exclaimed. "That could not have been nothing. Jem is one of the kindest people I've ever met. He knew my brother a few weeks before he changed, but Jem has stuck with him ever since. I don't know why, though, poor Jem has to deal with Jessamine. Anyways, he hasn't shown any preference in anyone, like, ever. That can't be 'nothing'!"
I'm taken aback. Will used to be different?
Of course, I hear all about Jem, and the only thing I pull out from that was something about Will. What is wrong with me?
Sophie and Cecily are staring at me, eagerly, hungry for information on my dancing with Jem. But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to know what Will used to be like, back in the day.
"He probably only wanted to be kind," was all I said. What more was there to say. Nothing did happen.
Nothing at all.