Chapter 12 - You Don't Get to Touch Her

Author's Notes: AlessandraBlue, this one's for you! I own nothing, save for the story, Dahlia, and Amanda. This chapter is written entirely in Simon's point of view!

Dahlia and I must've looked up at the exact same time, hearing Amanda scream loudly...just before I saw her slap Clary across the face. She started saying something to her, hissing it lowly, but I couldn't hear it. I didn't care, because she could've been screaming it at the top of her lungs and I still wouldn't have heard one single word it.

Because she slapped my best friend. She slapped the girl I've known for all my life. She slapped the girl I was in love with. And I swore after Jace that I wouldn't let that happen again.

"Hey!" Dahlia and I said it at the same time, making her look over at the both of us, though her gaze was fixed more on me...mainly because I don't think she was expecting me to say something.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" I said to her, as Dahlia hung back...mainly to let me have the floor this time. And, for it, I was grateful.

"She got in my face!" Amanda protested, looking at me with outrage that I was defending my best friend. As if it would be so much of a stretch.

"And?" I asked her simply, wanting more than just THAT reason to justify slapping my best friend, who was holding a hand to her face. "Did she hit you first? Strike in some way physically?"

She shifted a bit on her feet, toeing the floor with one of her sandals. "No, she didn't. But, she-"

"I don't want to hear it." I cut her off immediately, because I really didn't want to hear anything she had to say. She wasn't defending herself, Clary didn't hit her first, therefore, she did nothing to warrant being slapped.

"But, Simon-"

Apparently, she didn't get the hint. "No! He said he doesn't want to hear what comes out of your mouth!"

Thankfully, Dahlia did.

I could feel a headache brewing, and it was entirely Amanda's fault. "I don't care what she said to make you fly off the handle and SLAP her. She didn't deserve it. She didn't hit you first. She didn't threaten bodily harm. She probably didn't even take a step toward you to let you think that!"

"Simon, you don't-"

Dahlia cut her off this time around. "If you DARE to finish that sentence, I swear to god, I'll slap you myself."

I had to count to about twenty before I could actually speak. Mainly because if I didn't, I think I would've borrowed Dahlia's potty mouth page and called this girl every name I could think of. "Don't tell me I don't know that. Don't tell me that I don't know her." I pointed at Clary, watching me with something akin to pride. "I know her as well as I know myself. I know her favorite food, and the little ways she likes it made. I know the parts of horror movies that freak her out and send her flying through the ceiling, no matter how many times they're redone. I know her tickle spots. I know that she likes three marshmallows in her hot chocolate. I know that, for reasons I'll never comprehend, she dips her French fries into her milkshake, no matter where we are or how late it is." Dimly, I heard Dahlia snort, and the distinct whack of a purse making contact with skin...followed by a groan of pain from Clary's roommate. So, I had to say this one for her benefit. After all, I warned her. "I also know she's deadly with a purse, which I know I've said already."

"So, you know her. Big deal! You were with me for the majority of this past week, because you were upset with her!" Amanda rebutted all of this, acting as if I didn't just say one word of any of it.

"That doesn't matter!" I told her right back, just as forcefully. "I don't care how upset I might be with her. I don't care if I haven't spoken to her in a week. That doesn't give you the right to slap her across the face with no self-defense provocation and then act like she's the one who made you do it. She's still my best friend, and I still love her."

"But, what if someone else loves you?" Amanda asked me, sounding dead serious.

What?

"How the hell can you love him? You've known him for less than three weeks!" Dahlia spoke up, looking just as gobsmacked as I felt.

"And that doesn't change the fact that he was with ME this entire past week, and not her!" Amanda practically snarled, pointing between herself and Clary to help make her point clearer.

"And it also doesn't change that he was with you because he couldn't...or wouldn't...be with me." Clary spoke up, giving a well-timed sentence, as well. That's my girl.

Amanda seethed, stepping toward Clary as if she was going to slap her again, only this time, I'm the one who stopped her. Mainly because if I left her to Dahlia, she probably would've decked her. "It doesn't matter. He was still with me. Not you! You didn't have him! I did!"

She making acting as if I gave my virginity to her or something...she really was. "'Manda...nothing happened."

And now she whirled on me, her green eyes wide. "No. Simon, something did happen! We made a connection. And I think it could be more powerful than the one you have with Clary, if we let it. It already is with me, because I do love you. I wasn't kidding when I said that!"

I couldn't respond to that. Really, I couldn't. I mean, what could I say to that?

"Are you going to say something?" She asked me, and she still looked deliriously happy. Like she fully believed that I was going to say I loved her, too. "Simon. Say you love me back."

I didn't want to do this. I really didn't. But...it couldn't be avoided... "I'm sorry."

Almost instantly, she looked like she was going to start crying. "No...please don't..."

"Amanda, I'm sorry, but I don't feel that way-"

"Simon, don't say that!"

I had to say it. Because it was the truth, and anything else would be a lie. "But, I love Clary."

"Nooo!" Clearly, it wasn't what Amanda wanted to hear.

Dahlia looked flabbergasted, and she honestly looked how I felt. Shocked, freaked out, kinda disgusted, too. "Let's get out of here."

Clary didn't need anymore invitation than that, she wordlessly followed. And I did the same, a hand on the small of her back to help get her away from this faster.

At least until I felt a hand roughly grab mine, and pull. "Simon, wait. I'm sorry! Please! Simon, we can work this out, because I want us to be okay..." I didn't look back. I didn't acknowledge she was even speaking. I mean, the gall she had to slap Clary and then act like it was her fault. And then tell me she loved me, as if it would get me to stay with her...or even side with her over my best friend. Yes, we hung out this past week, but it wasn't long. We went for Chinese once. I hung out at the coffee shop when she got off a shift once. We talked about horror movies and assignments for class. Nothing all that interesting or important. It wasn't like I knew her all that well. Not like Clary. I just pulled my hand from hers and kept walking, ignoring anything else she had to say.