Chapter 1 - Welcome to the University of Pittsburgh

Author's notes: I wasn't expecting such a response to this story, honestly! Five reviews in an hour. *head spinning* Apparently, there are a lot more Climon shippers out there than I realized, haha! This chapter is my thanks to you guys, but note that this isn't normal for me, as I'm a student myself. Also the song used in this chapter is Best Day of my Life by American Authors. I own no characters or music in this story! I just own the mistakes. XD

Pittsburgh. Steel City. And the intersection of three rivers. Different than Manhattan, but still having the same inner-city feel. It was a place of new beginnings, new things to explore and see, and, most importantly for me, a new life.

My mom, Jocelyn Fray, was both thrilled and terrified for me, simply because I'd be more than a six hour drive away from New York City. Luke, a father figure in my life and a friend of my mother's (who I secretly thought he wanted to be more than just a friend), was less worried. I wasn't the type to start a fight, no matter how much the other person deserved it. Still, I had two cans of mace shoved somewhere in my belonging, my own form of surrender to them both. And I'll admit, I had the briefest thought of squirting them in Jace's eyes when I was presented with them. Simon fell out of his computer chair laughing when I told him that.

"Clary, are you sure we're going the right way?" My mother asked me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked up, seeing her red-brown hair flying in the breeze as we drove along Route 22, just on the outskirts of the city. "We still have a bit to go, Mom. We'll be going through the Squirrel Hill tunnel shortly, from there we'll get off at exit 73B to Bates Street, take a right onto Boulevard of the Allies, where we'll take another right onto Panthar Hollow Road, another right onto Schenley Drive, left onto Tech Street, and then another left onto Margaret Morrison Street." I told her honestly, knowing the directions in case any sort of GPS-related mishaps occurred. That's all my mother would need. She was a wonderful woman, very protective and ready for a fight at any circumstance, especially when all the shit with Jace was going on. It was only through my refusal for her to get involved did she stop. But, for some reason, she wasn't herself, very high strung and edgy.

Directly in front of me, I heard Luke chuckle and couldn't help a small smile of my own, turning my attention back to the window and the passing scenery. It was too early for me to begin a coffee shop hunt, being as we were still a few miles away from the school, so looking for my life force, as both Luke and Simon referred to it, would have to wait a bit. Speaking of my best friend, my thoughts wandered back to him, wondering idly once more just where he was going to college. When we spoke about the subject, he'd just tell me that he got accepted, and that he'd be leaving at the end of the month, like me. I laughed and said simply that most everyone would be leaving at the end of the month, so it didn't give me much to go on. Knowing Simon as well as I knew him, he laughed and changed the subject, simply his own way to saying without words that he'd tell me when he was ready.

The outside world was replaced by darkness and dim lighting, making me start a bit before relaxing. We were only driving through the tunnel, getting closer and closer to my destination. The anticipation was both relaxing and frightening, and to take my mind off of the thoughts of the new school, if only for a moment, I pulled my iPod from my purse and put the earbuds in, setting it to shuffle. I felt my face break into a grin when I heard American Authors start playing. Best Day of My Life. Well, if that wasn't not fitting, I don't know what is. I felt myself flush a bit when Luke turned around in his seat, signaling that I actually said that out loud.

I had a dream so big and loud

I jumped so high, I touched the clouds

Forgetting my natural shyness when it came to dancing and singing, even around people who knew me my entire life, I started dancing in the back seat, not even caring about the seatbelt or anyone in other cars that might be staring at me. This song just described how I was feeling right now. Just so upbeat and positive, and there was no way I could express it other than doing what I was doing right now.

Oblivious to time and much of anything else right now, I failed to notice much of anything, including coming out of the tunnel, the exit, or even what Luke and my mom were conversing about after Luke showed her his phone for some odd reason.

"This is gonna be, this is gonna be, this has gotta be

The best day of my life

Everything is lookin' up, everybody up now

This is gonna be the best day of my life

My li-i-i-i-i-ife!"

I flopped against the seat, my red hair tickling my face as it blew all over, an exuberant grin painted on my face that I wouldn't be wiping off anytime soon. I was faintly aware of Luke laughing loudly, my mother's quiet chuckling joining along with him.

"When was the last time you saw her do that?" Luke asked her, making her chuckle more and shake her head.

"Hey, I still dance from time to time!" I protested honestly, taking my earbuds out and missing the next song that was on as a result. I punctuated the protest by giving his seat a kick, due to my short height, it wasn't too uncomfortable, either.

"You haven't done that in public like that since around the time Simon moved." My mom spoke up, though she had an affectionate smile on her face. Like it was something she missed.

I mentally recounted the last time I danced just to dance. There were countless times I did it in my room, usually after a bolster from Simon on my confidence or just a good talk with him in general, but doing it in public like I just did... I honestly couldn't remember, save for when he and I danced to a Ke$ha song in the middle of a Walmart once. Ever since then, it was like I didn't really want to do much like that in public, for fear of giving Jace more ammunition against me in the halls of school.

I ended up going on a stroll down memory lane once more, only to look up in time to see my mother looking a bit sheepish about something. "Is something wrong?" I asked her, making her look in the rearview mirror at me.

"Nothing at all." She responded quickly, a bit too quickly, always a tell when she was lying about something. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you just answered me quickly, like you usually do when you're hiding something." I informed her in return, seeing the college looming through the windshield. It was even bigger than I thought, holy crap.

Her eyes flicked to Luke for a split second, and she got a bit of a frantic look in them. My mother, as protective as she was, couldn't hide a surprise to save her life. Especially when it was one that was beneficial to me. The day I got my acceptance letter, she nearly threw it in my face the moment I walked in the door.

"Guess." Luke told me simply, nearly making me groan out loud. I hated it when they did this.

"So, there IS something you're not telling me?" I wanted them to at least admit that. I was stubborn like that.

"Yes." Luke answered my question simply, though he had a beaming grin on his face. "Now guess."

Oh, for the love of... "You got me a car?" I asked them immediately. A car was one of the things I wanted before I moved out here. Maybe they'll surprise me...

"Nope."

Then again, maybe not. "My own apartment?" I tried again, pointing out which side of Margaret Morrison my mom was supposed to take.

"You have to dorm this year, hon. Try again." My mom's tone of voice told me she was getting ready to explode.

Of course I do... "Underwear from Victoria's Secret?" I tried innocently, getting an appalled "Clarissa!" from my mother in response. Full name. She was really upset I wasn't taking this seriously. "Well, I don't know! You guys said the two biggest things I've wanted for a while now!"

"Not the biggest..." Luke said simply, not looking behind me himself this time.

Okay, now I was seriously getting confused. "What in the heck are you guy-?" I started to ask them both, but didn't finish, thanks to a knock on my window.

I never got the chance to finish. But, then I didn't need to. The way I hopped out of the car and nearly tackled him to the ground, a feat given our height difference.

"Simon!"

Because, standing there, his arms as tight around me as mine were around him, was my best friend. The one who I asked where he was going and he wouldn't tell me. The one who would set up something like this behind my back in order to surprise me. The one who I'd throttle into next week for doing such a thing, because he knows how I am with surprises.

But, for right now, my best friend who I haven't seen in two years is standing here, hugging me so hard I think breathing's becoming an issue, but I don't care because I feel the ground vanish under my feet as I'm lifted off the ground. Holy crap, he's stronger than i remember!

"What are you DOING here?!" I yell at him happily, unable to keep the happy smile off my face, staring into his eyes behind his black glasses.

Thankfully, his happiness matches mine, a grin on his face I doubt he'd wipe off, either. "I'm going to school here!" And before I can respond with the death threat he knows is coming, I get swept up in another squeezing hug, twirled around happily on the sidewalk.

And I'm so happy right now, I don't even care about everyone watching us.