Author's Note
Thanks Intoxic for reviewing.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Cassandra Clare whom I named one of my characters after. I made up the rest of the characters.
School Projects and Bullies
Katarina Charlotte Lightwood sits in her Art class doodling while she waits for the bell to ring. It's the first day of her sophomore year and her art teacher is one of the new teachers at their high school. Normally in their school, you know all the teachers and what to expect but because the teacher is new, no one knows how to act.
"Good morning, class!" A tall, slim woman walks into the classroom. She has fiery red hair, pasty skin, and emerald green eyes. Kitty's jaw dropped open.
"Aunt Clary," she whispers in disbelief. Clarissa Adele Herondale gives her niece a knowing look before turning to the class.
"I am Mrs. Herondale and I am your new art teacher," Clary announces. "To get to know each other, I want to do a special project. We will draw family portraits, but not like what a normal family portrait is. I will explain after roll call. Emma Angelo?" The list goes on until Clary gets to her niece. "Katarina Lightwood?"
"Here!" Kitty raises her hand. "I prefer Kitty." Clary pretends to make a note, but Kitty knows her aunt won't need it. Finally, roll call is over and Clary moves over to a covered easel.
"This is my example of your first project. Because this is Art II and still lifes were covered in your Art I class, this isn't going to be a graded project. Instead, it will be a way for me to see where you're at and what I need to go over." Clary lifts the cover off her easel and everyone cranes their neck to see.
The first obvious thing was the bird in the middle of the page. The next thing Kitty notices is the star shaped mark at the top in the middle with a pair of faerie wings. There is also a paint brush, a sword, a music note, a book, a horse, and a dress.
"This is my family portrait," Clary says. "The bird in the middle is a heron. My last name is Herondale, my husband's surname and the heron is his family's symbol. The star-shaped mark is a birthmark that my husband has and all his ancestors have had since the late 1800's. My maiden name is Fairchild and the faerie wings are my family's symbol. The two signs show our united family. The paint brush symbolizes me since I love to paint. My husband is a martial arts instructor and the sword symbolizes him. The horse represents my oldest son who loves to ride; the music note represents my oldest daughter who loves to sing and play piano; the book is for my second son who loves readings; and the dress is for my youngest daughter who is a fashionista. Each symbol represents my family."
Clary walks over to her desk and pulls out a photograph. She then walks over to the projector and turns it on. Walking over to the wall, she turns off the light switch and then pulls down the screen. She then places the photograph on the projector. It shows a tall man with golden hair and eyes. He had his arms wrapped around Clary. There is a teenage boy that looks just like the man, a teenage girl who looks like Clary, another boy that looks like the man but with Clary's eyes, and a girl that looks like Clary but with the man's eyes.
"This is my family, an actual portrait. This is me and my husband Jace," Clary points to the tall man. "That is my oldest son Stephen who is seventeen, a senior. My oldest daughter is Céline and she is fifteen, a sophomore like you. You may know her. Next is Will who is thirteen, and finally Lottie who is eleven. The project is simple. You draw your family in objects that represent them. We will share in two weeks and after showing the object portrait you will show an actual photograph of your family. You may begin."
When Kitty got home after her first day of school, she walked to her room, slammed the door and flung herself on her bed yelling into her pillow. That is how her brother found her an hour later. Kitty had dried tears on her cheeks and her twin used a Kleenex to wipe them away.
"What's wrong Kitty?" Max asks softly. He rubs his hand up and down his sister's back slowly as she takes deep breaths.
"Aunt Clary is the new art teacher. I have her for Art II," Kitty answers.
"And that's a problem because..."
"Her stupid project!" Kitty yells. "We have to draw a family portrait with objects that represent each member of our family. And do you know who is in my class?"
"No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me," Max replies, not liking where this is going.
"Dale Remmings," Kitty spits out. Dale Remmings was a boy that none of the Lightwood kids liked. Dale was a bully, but not just any bully. He was homophobic and he beat up any of the kids in the Gay-Straight Alliance Club that their school started. He also has an older sister that cyberbullies Cassie.
"Kitty," Max says softly. "You can't let him scare you. If you refuse to do the project, Aunt Clary will tell Father and Papa. And if Aunt Clary tells them, they'll think you're ashamed of them."
"But Dale scares me so much Max."
"I know Kitty. Believe me, I know," Max pulls his sister onto his lap and hugs her. "But you can't let him know that."
"You're right," Kitty whispers. "Thanks, Max."
"No problem," Max kisses her forehead. "Now, what are you planning on doing for the project?"
"I don't know," Kitty says frustrated. "I need objects that represent each person in our family. Any ideas?"
"Well," Max states thoughtfully. "For Father you can make a bow and arrow. He loves archery. Papa, maybe a sparkly shirt? For fashion and glitter?" The twins spend the rest of the night planning what object best represents their family.
Three weeks later it is time to present their portraits. Dale was the first to go and he showed a painting of ballet shows and money signs. His parents were business owners and his sister danced. He had added a football because that was the sport he played.
"Kitty?" Clary calls. "Why don't you go next?" Kitty walks up to the front of the room with her covered painting and sets it on the easel. She takes a deep breath before throwing off the cover. The background of her painting is rainbows. In the middle is a dark blue shirt with sparkles and a bow and arrow. There's a mixing bowl and spoon in the top left corner, two books in the top right, a soccer ball and football in the bottom left, and a light pink dress in the bottom right.
"This is my family portrait," Kitty begins. "The rainbows in the background represent my family. I have two dads who adopted all of us. The dark blue shirt with the sparkles represents my papa who loves the color blue because it reminds him of Father's eyes and is obsessed with glitter and sparkles. My father loves archery so I drew a bow and arrow. In the top left is a mixing bowl and spoon because my older sister loves to cook. The two books in the top right represent my twin and I because we love to read. My younger siblings who are twins love sports, my sister plays soccer and my brother football, so that's those symbols. And the final one is for my youngest sister who loves fashion."
Kitty then walks over to the projector and places her family photo down. It was taken in Paris when they'd gone on a family vacation to Europe. You could see the Eiffel Tower in the background and everyone was smiling. Magnus and Alec had their arms around each other and Max and Kitty stood on either side of them. Cassie stood in between and Artemis, Apollo, and Magnolia stood in front.
"This is my family. My parents are Magnus and Alec. My older sister Cassie, my twin brother Max, the other twins Artemis and Apollo, and the youngest Magnolia. This was taken on my parents' wedding anniversary last year in Paris where we'd gone on a family vacation."
"Thank you for sharing Kitty," Clary claps as she walks up to her niece. The rest of class goes smoothly, but Kitty can feel someone glaring at her. She doesn't need to look to know that it is Dale and when the bell rings she darts out of class. Unfortunately, Dale is able to follow her. He catches up to her easily and shoves her against the locker.
"What was that?" He demands.
"What was what?" Kitty asks, glaring at him.
"Your family picture. Your parents are-"
"I would watch what you say Mr. Remmings," a cold voice interrupts. Kitty and Dale turn to see Clary looking at them. "Would you like to finish your sentence?"
"Her parents are fags," Dale spits out.
"Office Mr. Remmings, now," Clary orders.
"But Mrs. Herondale," Dale gets cut off.
"Now! I will be there in a minute." Dale storms off, grumbling under his breath and Clary turns to Kitty.
"Are you okay?" She asks.
"Yes Aunt Clary," Kitty responds. "Just a little upset. He had no right to say that!"
"I know Kitty, but some people are close minded like that," Clary tries to reassure her niece. "You grandfather was like that."
"Grandfather Robert? Father's dad?" Kitty asks.
"He is one," Clary says slowly. "But I think you need to talk to your papa about his parents. Don't let other people's opinions drag you down. Your fathers are good parents, Kitty. Freewheeling bisexual warlock and gay Shadowhunter or not, they are good parents."
"Thanks Aunt Clary," Kitty smiles up at her. "Can you please not tell my parents about this? I don't want them to feel bad."
"You'll need to talk to them eventually, but I won't tell them yet. Now I have to go," Clary says, standing up. "I have an unruly bully to deal with." Kitty watched her go with a single thought in her mind: I have the greatest family.
Author's Note
I hope you liked this. Review please!
Ave atque vale,
Malec's Daughter