Jace couldn't really bring himself to care that September was over. After all, what did October really have to offer him anyway? Clary still wasn't calling him, and life still sucked. Jace's only way of combating this had been to join every club this university had to offer. In doing so, Jace had met quite a few new and interesting people, which had helped distract him for a while, but it was never enough. Even if his busy schedule meant there were moments when he didn't think of Clary, every night he came home and remembered.

The book club had turned out to just feel like more homework. On top of his actual essays and reading for classes, Jace found himself told to read entire novels in the space of two weeks. The first novel they did Jace barely managed to finish, and by the time he was given a second one, Jace gave up on Book Club entirely. Clearly he wasn't a reader. Though he had stuck it out with the book club longer than the Chess Club. Jace hadn't lasted more than three meetings trying to play the ancient and boring strategy game. His self-esteem could only take losing to first year academic scholarship kids so many times. The origami club was easy, but not interesting enough to keep his mind off Clary. Jace would sit there folding paper with the rest of them, while his mind wondered. Jace couldn't bake and had no inclination to try, and he hadn't even tried to join the bake sale fundraising club.

Despite his lack of enjoyment, wrestling at least was something he was good at. Jace found himself working far harder at the sport now than he had before. Jace also found himself working out more often. Jace tried to turn his mind off as he lifted weights and used the machines.

"I'm thinking you should put in a bedroom," a voice to his left spoke. Jace assumed they weren't talked to him and ignored the sound as he kept lifting his lower legs to moves the weights in the machine up and down.

"I'm thinking the kitchen could go there," the voice continued. "Not sure how often you'll want guests, but there might be space for a dining room here."

No one was responding to the voice so Jace turned to see a women looked at him. She was wearing work out clothes and had clearly built up a sweat before she'd started using the weight machine beside him.

"And obviously what's left you can keep for your home gym," she said. Jace was sure she was talking to him now, but he had no idea why.

"What?" Jace asked her.

"Well, you live here right?" she replied.

"Ummm," Jace added.

"I'm only here a few times a week, but I walk past this hallway every day to geography class, and you are always here," she continued. "Therefore, I have concluded that you live here."

"I don't," Jace said lamely.

"A two word response!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Uh, sorry," Jace mumbled. "You caught me off guard."

"Not used to girls at the gym, huh?" she asked.

"Not used to people talking to me," Jace replied.

"Let me get this straight," she said, stopping her work out to count on her fingers. "You look like a jerk-hunk, but you are actually the shy nerd type? Is that even possible?"

"No to both of those," Jace replied, laughing a little which felt very strange. "I've just been a bit of a mess lately, and my friends are sick of me."

"Well everyone's entitled to be a mess sometimes," she continued. "I'm sure you have a good reason for it."

"My girlfriend's in Paris," Jace explained. "And will be until June."

"Ha!" she said. "At least I was right about one thing. No one that hot is single."

"Oh whatever," Jace scoffed.

"Modest men with six-packs are hard to find," she smiled.

"Hey," Jace objected. "I'm wearing a shirt."

"Oh please!" she remarked. "All that ab work and you don't have one. As if."

"You are very observant, aren't you?" Jace said, narrowing his eyes are her.

"Is it my fault your worth observing?" she added, grinning. Jace just rolled his eyes, and decided his work out was over for the day. Standing up to wipe down his machine, Jace turned and walked away.

What was he going to do now?

He supposed he could always go home, but the idea in no way appealed to him. If he was being really honest with himself, Jace knew where he wanted to go, but it was embarrassing. Then again maybe it was important, when waiting to see the love of your life again, to find small things to look forward to. This could be one of those things. Making up his mind as he left the showers, Jace headed to Alec's. It was a short walk, but a cool one. Autumn was fast approaching, and with it colder air and fallen leaves.

Jace approached the door, but rather than knock he just walked. Once you've lived somewhere, it feels strange to knock, or maybe he just wanted to see if it would annoy Alec.

"Oh Jace," Alec said as noticed Jace. "I didn't expect to see you."

"I'm not here to see you," Jace explained. "I'm here to snuggle your adorable fuzzy annoyingly perfect cats."

Alec laughed at this. He was at the table working on his laptop, but motioned to the couch where Chairmen was sleeping.

"Hello annoying addictive animal," Jace told the cat, before he pounced, burrowing his face in the feline's fur.

"So fluffy," Jace mumbled as he got in some much needed kitty snuggles. Chairmen didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea, but he put up with Jace's attention all the same.

"Meow."

Jace looked up to see Catsby walking over to them. Jace picked up the older cat more gently before sitting on the couch and placing Catsby on his lap. Jace scratched behind the cats ears until he was purring. No sooner was Catsby purring then Chairmen jumping up to try and get in on the action. Moments later Jace found himself pinned on the couch with two fuzzy cats sleeping in his lap.

"Uh," Jace said turning to Alec. "Do you mind if I watch tv? Since I can't get up."

"Oh, and I suppose you want me to pass you the remote as well," Alec chuckled as he got up and did just that.

"Thanks," Jace smiled when Alec gave him control of the television.

"Those cats do worm their way into your heart don't they?" Alec said grinning.

"Don't remind me," Jace said, but he was absently stroking one of them as he spoke. His other hand was browsing through netflix. After about ten minutes of this, Jace still wasn't sure what to watch, and instead asked Alec was he was going.

"I should be looking for a job," Alec explained. "But instead I'm doing my homework."

"My friend you are doing it wrong," Jace laughed.

"Doing what wrong?" Alec asked, concerned.

"Procrastination," Jace chuckled. "Doing work to avoid work is just silly."

"Oh hush," Alec objected. "At least I didn't come all the way over here to snuggle some cats."

"Says the guy who has cats," Jace objected. "Or at least married into cats. Speaking of, where's that husband of yours?"

"At work," Alec sighed.

"So he found a job?" Jace asked.

"Yeah like right away," Alec whined. "Everyone wanted to hire him."

"Don't sound too happy about it," Jace laughed at Alec's grumpy tone.

"It's just a little annoying," Alec sighed. "It's like I'm his useless extra now."

"And doesn't that help you to understand how Magnus felt at the start?" Jace asked. "Why he fought you so hard about you paying for everything?"

"No," Alec replied, but Jace knew he was lying to make himself feel better.

"You can't fool me," Jace laughed.

"Urg!" Alec groaned. "Why is stupid life trying to make me see things stupid differently!?"

"Life did nothing," Jace chuckled. "It's your parents you have to blame."

"Stupid parents," Alec grumbled.

"Oh yes how hard it must be to have two wealthy, loving and devoted parents," Jace said his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What a chore this must be for you."

"Oh shut up!" Alec snapped, throwing a pillow at his best friend.

"Job's aren't that hard Alec," Jace assured him. "What you really need is a network connection."

"I've had an interview at one of the companies my parents own," Alec sighed. "And though they didn't say it, I'm pretty sure my 'network connection' was why they didn't hire me."

"Not that kind of connection," Jace sighed. "No one wants a entry level employee with a direct line to their bosses boss. That's just nerve wrecking."

"What kind of connection are you talking about then?" Alec asked.

"Like a friend or something," Jace said.

"Do you know anyone who would hire me?" Alec asked.

"Unless you want to be a mechanic in my hometown or work a labour job at the docks, I'm not your guy," Jace replied. "Where is Magnus working?"

"Data entry job downtown," Alec replied. "But they don't hire the spouses or partners of employees, plus I'm so not qualified for that."

"You almost have a Bachelor's in Business though," Jace reminded him. "You could try entry office level stuff."

"Those all say they want at least a years experience working in an office," Alec whined. "In fact, they seem to care more about the experience than the education."

"Sorry bud," Jace shrugged. "I'm out of ideas. You wanna watch a movie?"

"I suppose," Alec sighed as he got up to sit next to Jace on the couch. Chairmen quickly abandoned Jace to sleep on Alec, but at least Jace got to keep one of the kitties.

They ended up watching an old Marvel movie, since none of the newest ones were on Netflix yet. When the movie ended, Alec turned away presumably to check his phone because a second later he was freaking out.

"Oh wow!" Alec exclaimed.

"What?" Jace asked.

"Maia," Alec explained. "She just texted that she'd try and get me an interview with her boss."

"See, that's the kind of network connection I was talking about," Jace replied. "Where does she work?"

"At a locally owned grocery store," Alec explained.

"No connection to your parents then," Jace said. "Perfect."

"Oh, I owe her dinner," Alec said.

"Save that for your first paycheck," Jace laughed. "If you get the job that is."

"Oh right," Alec sighed, leaning back against the coach, looking much less excited than he had a moment ago. "No money till paycheck. This going to take some getting used to."

"Better late than never," Jace laughed. "Welcome to what everyone else has been doing their whole lives."

"Urg," Alec whined. "Sounds exhausting."

"It's called middle class my friend," Jace laughed. "And it is."

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"I think that's your phone, Jace."

"No it's yours," Jace argued. "No one calls me."

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Alec held up his silence cell phone.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Surprised and very curious, Jace reached forward for his ringing phone, dislodging the happy cat on his lap in the process. His heart stopped when he saw the caller ID. Unable to speak, Jace turned his phone to face Alec.

"Well, answer it idiot!" Alec snapped.

"Um, er, right," Jace said fumbling with the phone until he could press the green button.

"Hello," Jace said, still not sure who's voice would reply despite the called ID.

"Hey," Clary's voice was like music to his ears. "Is this a good time?"

"Of course!" Jace replied, sure he would have given this answer no matter what he'd been doing.

"How are you?" Clary asked.

"Screw me," Jace laughed. "How's Paris?"

"Beautiful," she said. "But I'd never want to live here. It's so dirty."

"Well, it is the city of love," Jace answered, trying not to think about it even as he said it.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. Not that kind of dirty," she said, laughed. "Like polluted dirty. Some parts are worse than others, but the air is nothing like I'm used to."

"Are you at least having fun?" Jace asked. Alec got up and headed back to his laptop, presumably returning to his homework or maybe procrastinating homework by looking up the company Maia worked for.

"Oh yes," Clary exclaimed. "The exchange program is amazing. I'm learning all about different art styles, and then we take trips to museums to see the original pieces that started those styles. It's unreal. And the architecture! They have this unique mix of old and new buildings like you'd never find in Canada. I've been painting them."

"That's great," Jace smiled. "What else have you been doing?"

"Classes mostly," Clary continued. "But I've been trying to sightsee with Riley as much as I can on the weekends."

"You mentioned Riley in a text," Jace replied. "Who is she?"

"He's the only other Canadian in the program," Clary explained. "Though he's from the western provinces."

"Urg Clary," Jace groaned. "Can't you just like for once make a female friend? For the sake of my sanity?"

But Clary was giggling. "Don't worry," she laughed. "Riley won't fall for me. Promise."

"Ha!" Jace scoffed. "You don't exactly have a great track record with befriending guys who don't like you."

"Riley's gay," Clary chuckled. "And he's in a long distance relationship just like us. Riley left his boyfriend, Ben, back home."

"Oh," Jace said awkwardly. "Um. I guess that's good then."

"You're cute when you're jealous," Clary laughed.

"Hey!" Jace scoffed, the phone on his ear warm from the tight grip of his hand. "I'm allowed to be a little jealous."

"You have nothing to worry about," Clary told him.

"Doesn't mean I'm not still jealous of the guy," Jace grumbled. "Gay or not, he gets to hug you."

"I know what you mean," Clary sighed. "It's why I haven't called."

"I'll take your voice over nothing any day of the week," Jace assured her. "Just don't not call me okay?"

"Okay," Clary's voice was soft, but honest.

Hey guys! Don't have much to say today except that I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please leave me a review and tell me what you think. :)

Sneak Peek Chapter 131

"That would be great. Thanks," Maia replied. His eyes hadn't left the computer once while he'd been talking, but now he turned to face her. He saw joy in her eyes, but even as he looked it vanished, being replaced with something else he couldn't identify. Then she turned away from him.

"You are quite the mystery Maia Roberts," Jordan smiled at her, ignoring the computer for the moment.

"How so?" Maia asked, once again looking at him.

"Say one thing," Jordan replied. "Do another. Act one way, then change again." He paused then, voicing what he hadn't expected to say, but had nevertheless been wondering for a while. "Sometimes it makes me wonder what it was we had in the first place?"

"Dammit," Maia grumbled. "I hate it when Simon's right."

"What?" Jordan asked, turning.

"He said you were thinking stuff like that," Maia muttered, looking down as if embarrassed. "But listen, it's not like that. Don't think like that, okay?"

"Ah making as much sense as usual, I see," Jordan smiled. He turned back to his task. Computers made far more sense than women, that was for sure.