Unknown: CLary? its jon.

Unknown: Im just cheking to see if oyu have this muber

Clary smiled slightly, her brother absolutely sucked at spelling and grammar. He was pathetic in anything English. She changed the name to his and sent a reply back to him quickly before turning back to her drawing. She wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to continue working on her art project, but she wasn't quite feeling like it so she tilted her head for her phone.

Just a blank screen faced her.

She opened it and swiped around mindlessly, before going to the app store and downloading a few games. She just played them for a while, before her mind turned back to J. He never asked about her current or past situation at all, and she didn't plan on telling him. She exited the app she was on and decided to text J to see if he could talk. She wasn't sure if he was in the same timezone. So she sent a quick text.

C: Are you on?

Not really expecting a reply, she gently sent her phone on her lap, for a silent second she looked at it. It technically wasn't silent as Magnus was talking to Isabelle and Simon and Maia were conversing quite well about video games. Then a ping happened and she jumped, her friends(?) whipped around and looked at her.

"Clary?" It was Magnus' voice, there was some concern about it. She blinked at looked at him.

"Whoops sorry, didn't expect my brother to text me back so quickly." She lied effortlessly, it was almost an autoresponse. Magnus' raised an eyebrow at her and turned back to Izzy who had already brushed it off. Simon and Maia tried to get her into their conversation which was that Simon had a band, who albeit a really bad name.

"Really? Midnight burrito?" She half-heartedly asked before putting more effort in looking incredulously at him, Simon shrugged.

"Still deciding between that or Dangerous stain," Maia started talking to him about other names that could actually be decent. Clary's heart really wasn't in it and her attention drifted to her phone. She picked it right up to see a message that made her heart pick the slightest bit up.

J: Yeah? I'm in class, so could this wait?

She gave the tiniest of nod and replied back to him.

C: Alright

"Does anyone want to hang out at my house?" Isabelle asked, looking at them hopefully, "like today after school, my brothers aren't going to be home and Aline and Helen are out."

"Who's your brothers?" Maia asked, half-heartedly.

"Um, Alec, Jace and a little guy named Max." The girl answered looking right at Magnus, who for a split second seemed a bit dreamy-eyed.

"I'll come I guess," Simon said, Maia and Magnus seconded his answer. All three looked at Clary, who shook her head. It was the first day of school and she really didn't want to deal with more people.

"Sorry, I got a job to do at five and.." Clary unconsciously ran her fingers through her auburn hair which was less messy than usual.

"Just talk to your overprotective brother, and tell him Magnus is herrrreeee." He drawled out the last word. "Plus we'll get you home before five."

"Okay.." She said a bit meekly, feeling the subtle powers of peer pressure, not that it wasn't bad, maybe getting outside more often is a good thing. Plus there was a chance that she could see Max and uh Jace, but mostly Max.

Clare: This girl invited me to hang out after school, don't worry I'm with Magnus. If I'm not home by 5 call me.

"There message sent," Magnus said triumphantly, Izzy beamed. Her phone pinged again, with its annoying little sound, Clary should probably change that before she chucked it out the window.

JON: sure ig but be carefull, make sure they're aren't any boys.

JON: ALso make sure you change my name okay?

Clare: Done.

Clary didn't feel any need to reassure Jon that there was not boys when there were, plus he should expect there to a boy seeing as she just said Magnus was coming. The bell rang again for what seemed like the twentieth time that day and Clary pulled her self to her locker to shrove her binders that she didn't need at all. She closed it as quietly as she could, before getting pushed away by the rush of students trying to exit the school as fast as they could. She let herself be pushed until she came to a staircase where she pushed herself away and climbed it to Tessa's class.

"Hey, Tessa?" She poked her head in the classroom where Tessa was chatting with Miss Collins, err her name is Sophie.

"Yeah? Do you want me to drive you home?" She looked away from Sophie.

"It's okay, I'm going to hang out with some people so you don't have to." Clary waved before scurrying off.

She hurried to the front of the school where Izzy was waiting with Magnus and Simon. They paused at the sight of her and added her to the conversation until Maia also hurried out as well, seemingly breathless and slightly flushed. Izzy ushered them into her car which though Clary didn't really know her cars that well knew but this was a freaking expensive car. Izzy drove around a bit, every so often they would go through a series of bumps before they stopped into the front of a large church-like house, it was surrounded by less expensive but at the same time expensive houses. The neighbourhood was large and stacked.

When they entered the house, albeit it a bit too cautiously, it was massive, all very modern but at the same time very cold seeming, it didn't really seem like home, until they go to the basement which was decked up with stuff including artwork that was made by someone way younger than Izzy.

"JUst leave your bags at down here, I'll go make some food," Izzy rushed off, more excited than usual, Magnus slowly stood up and followed her up the stairs. Clary and the rest after a few seconds of silence also stood up and made their way to the kitchen that Izzy was working on.

Kitchens there were three kitchens in the entire house, the trio made their way to two of them before finding themselves at the third of which Izzy was trying to make food at. Magnus was trying to get a slab of meat that yet to be out of the package away from her. In the corner was something strange being blended with a bullet blender so, Simon rushed ahead and stopped it.

"YOU CANNOT COOK!" Magnus yelled finally swiping the meat away from her, before ducking as a pan swung above him. Clary has the distant memory of doing something similar to Jon that also involved a frying pan.

"I was just trying to cook meat, geez." Izzy pouted, waving the

Maia who was one her phone doing something rush, suddenly shot her hand in the air. "I ordered pizza!" She yelped before grabbing Simon's arm and dragging him back down to the basement. She also tried to grab Clary's but she moved away from it and instead just followed them down. Izzy came down later with Magnus and several different brands of pop. Clary poured herself a cup full of Sprite and sat right down next to Maia.

"How did you know Izzy couldn't cook?"

"Duh, her brother texted me telling me to prevent her from cooking by all means." He held up his phone with the large crack in the center.

"And where did he get your number?" Izzy smirked slightly. "You were the one who gave him that note!" She grinned and hit him in the arm. Simon and Maia looked confused, so Magnus explained to them about the note. Clary just sat down, tracing squiggly designs on her thigh, she took a sip of the Sprite, feeling the unfamiliar carbonation and sheer amount of sugar.

"So is your brother gay or-?" Magnus drawled out, looking at Izzy with a slightly hopeful expression.

"Yeah, he's into guys." Izzy conformed, before adding. "And single,"

Maia awkwardly raised her hand as Magnus grinned, making him and Izzy turn to her. "The pizza should arrive in about five minutes and who's paying?"

"Me of course, it is my house." She stood up and dug into the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out two twenties and handed it to Clary. "Hope you and Maia don't mind getting the pizza." After two quick shakes of the head from the two said people, the doorbell rang. Damn even the bell sounded expensive, it was a clear chime sound going up some pitches.

Clary pushed herself to her feet and she and Maia went upstairs to open the front door to get the pizza. Maia opened the door and instead of pizza waiting for them, a tall golden boy stood in front of them.

"Clary?"

Jace left school quite late, he went out with Alec to where he worked at a self-defense facility. The place wasn't that big, it actually reminded him of the training facility at home, just with fewer things. There was a lot of mirrors and the place was covered with mats. Alec and Jace stepped into the locker room and Jace placed his bag on one of the benches to look at his phone. Something hit the ground, which he deduced it to be something Alec probably dropped before he stood up and stepped out the room. Alec came back several minutes later wearing a black tank top and black leggings with his regular combat boots. Though Jace had burst out laughing when he took off his boots and stepped onto the mat.

They were white socks with blue spots on them. They were, he dare say cute.

"Now I know why you barely walk around the house in socks." Alec glared at him. "Are all your socks like those?"

"No," Alec rolled his eyes, ignoring the fact that the white socks were the brightest part of his entire outfit and therefore stood out the most with the rest. "I got a few students that are coming later so you need to leave."

Jace shrugged and walked out of the building before walking towards the bus. Usually, Izzy or Alec drove him home but since Alec had a job and Izzy brought over friends, he was stuck taking the bus. He sat down near the back and stuck an earbud to listen to music, a nudge made him look up to a pretty girl with round glasses perched up on her nose, cutely.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked quietly, he looked around to see the bus half full and shrugged, she sat down next to him and fidgeted next to him for several stops until she stood up and left the bus. He turned his head and recognized the street which was close to his house. He stuck his hand into the front pocket of his bag to realize that he didn't have it.

"Shit," He mumbled, before realizing that it was probably the thing that hit the ground in the locker room. He prayed that Izzy was home before standing up. Something hit the ground and he looked down to see a neatly folded piece of paper, he unfolded it to see a number, before folding it back in half and grabbed his bag. He placed it in the trash can located next to the bus stop when he got off.

Continuing the walk to the house, he completely forgot to call her prior so he just rang the obnoxiously loud and dramatic bell. Less than five minutes later the door opened, he had expected to see his tall dark-haired sister, instead, he came to a short redhead and a slightly taller darker toned girl. He locked eyes with the familiar redhead.

"Clary?"

She ducked her head and looked at her friend. "Maia, that's Izzy's brother Jace." Her friend furrowed her eyes slightly and let Jace enter his house before he immediately went upstairs to his room. On the way up the stairs, he heard Maia ask Clary.

"They don't look like siblings."

His heart panged slightly before he simply brushed it off, and continued to his room.

After Jace had gone up the stairs, Maia leaned over to her. "They don't look like siblings."

She shook her head. "No, they don't."

Maia and she were about to go back downstairs until the bell rang again, so they had to open it again and the pizza was finally here. Clary picked up the two boxes of pizza along with the breadsticks and carried them downstairs. Magnus was painting Isabelle's nails black, they both looked up at her.

"Great," Isabelle cough Izzy gestured to the small table in the corner. "You can place it there." She said, and Clary hesitantly slid the box over on the table before returning. Maia was sitting next to Magnus when she turned back.

"What took you so long?" Magnus asked twisting the cap on the nail polish.

"Your blond brother came back and knocked instead of the pizza," Maia mumbled placing the change next to Izzy before standing up to grab a slice. Clary stood back up again and went for the breadsticks, revelling in the taste of the soft salty bread. It has been a while since Jon bought pizza and even longer since she had it prior to that one time he did.

"Jace? He's back already?" Izzy started fanning the ground as her fingers dry, looking quite mourningly at the pizza box. Clary peeled a bit of her breadstick and held it towards her, where she bit into the piece greedily. "Hmm, delicious."

Once her nails were dried, Izzy went for a slice with tons of toppings, there were sausages and olives falling onto the napkin she held underneath. Magnus picked at the toppings on his pizza with his long dark blue nails, eating the toppings until there was just the naked slice before he started to bite into the pizza. Maia, calmly just folded her pizza in half hotdog style and shoved it into her mouth. Simon had set down his phone and grabbed a pepperoni and started eating it, with normal sized bites. Eventually, the smell of the pizza caused Jace to come down for a brief while to grab three slices of the pizza, stacking them on top of one another before disappearing, leaving the lid of the box wide open. It perved Clare to the point she walked over them setting her breadstick down and folded the box back, not before she swiped a slice of pizza with pepperoni.

They all calmed ate the pizza without talking with was awkward, but it seemed like Maia, nor Magnus really cared. Izzy seemed to care a bit, seeming to open her mouth before closing it again and continuing to finish her pizza. Once they did finish the pizza Izzy clapped her hands.

"Okay let's talk!" She smiled. "I don't have many girlfriends except Aline and Helen."

"Oh, I guess we're friends," Maia mumbled, trying to finish her 6th slice. "You did buy us pizza."

"What do you want to talk about?" Simon asked looking nervous.

"Jordon-!" Izzy was cut off by Maia's protest.

"Tell him nope!" She grumbled tossing the crust of the pizza into her mouth.

"What do you have against him?" She argued, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows, that matched the rest of her perfect face.

"I don't date, let alone guys like him," Maia crossed her arms, after wiping the leftover pizza grease one her crumpled napkin.

"You should like, explain this to us," Magnus added, speaking for him, Simon, and Clary. "And give us all the de-"

"Jordan reminds me too much of someone." Maia cut off. "That's all I'm saying,"

"Jordan totally likes you!" Izzy argued. "I've never seen him so invested in someone."

"You're saying he's not that invested in his past girlfriends?" Maia raised her eyebrows. Haha! Clary has found another who can't raise their eyebrows!

"No! He's only had like-"

"Isabelle, stop." Maia held her hand up, and she fell silent, looking crestfallen. Magnus leaned over to Clary and mumbled something along the lines of 'awkward'. Maia stood up and walked towards the stairs. "I'm going to use the washroom."

"I thought I told you guys to call me Izzy," She mumbled quietly to that only she could hear, at least if it wasn't complete silence.

"I'm sorry," Maia said climbing up the stairs.

"I'm not sure if this is a good time, cause I'm not sure, but I got to get home soon," Magnus said, when Maia came back, Clary awkward nodded her head in agreement.

Izzy nodded looking crestfallen as she stood up and walked towards the stairs. "Just let me start my car." She mumbled slowly prodding the first step with her foot before pushing forward.

Clary turned to see Maia already picking up her bag from the ground and slinging over her shoulder, Magnus quickly followed and Clary hurried to do the same.

"Let's go, guys," Maia awkwardly, they quickly went up the stairs. Izzy was talking to Jace briefly before she noticed them.

"Common," she waved at them hefting her bag onto one shoulder. She got into her car and quickly the three of them squished into the back. "Where to?" She asked, Maia and Magnus, rattles off the general locations of where to go when Izzy glanced at her, she mumbled Magnus' name.

"Anyone want to change the radio?" She glanced back at them as she pulled the car out, in her hand held her phone. Magnus who quickly swiped it before placing on a random song, it was one of the songs you'd hear on the radio anyways. The song softly played on the radio.

Breathe you in like a cigarette

Feel so good though it's dangerous

Don't wanna remember but I can't forget

The taste you left burning on my lips

Clary tuned out the music as the view out her window continued to change, she lightly rested her head against the glass, feeling the vibrations. By the time the second song ended, Izzy stopped in front of the bookstore and Magnus and she got off before she continued to drive off.

"I have a feeling it's going to be an awkward ride to drop Maia," Magnus mumbled as they watched the car turn the corner. He turned to her and shifted his head slightly before stepping towards her and putting a hand on the small of her back. He gently pushed upwards, looking at her.

"You got to stop hunching your shoulders, it makes you look even shorter than you are."

Clary dumped her bag and jacket on the ground and flopped onto her surprisingly comfy bed. She has been so used to basically sleeping on a yoga mat that the mattress always freaked her out. She sat up and immediately realized she had been hunching her shoulders, Magnus was right. She rolled them ignoring the strangely satisfying cracks.

She pulled her bag towards the bed, being too lazy to pull it onto the bed she just leaned over and pulled the necessities for homework.

She briefly worked on the math, grumbling at its difficulty. No matter how many times Jon tried to explain she would not understand. She switched to her other homework working on it until she heard the familiar jingle of Jon's obnoxious keys.

"Hey Clare?" He poked his head into her room. "I got dinner," she noticed the white bag that dangled from his hand with a stack of white styrofoam.

They ate Thailand style curry for dinner. Clary has already kind of eaten at Isabelle's so she was just mainly trying to please Jon who had been very passionate about eating as a family in the past. She was scooping up the rice with a fork while Jon was trying to 'appreciate' the cuisine by eating with chopstick, succeeding more or less. Loose rice was scattered around his plate. She looked up from her plate to fine Jon staring at her.

She swallowed, "What?" He looked completely panicked that she asked him, looking a bit like he expected her to ask just not so soon. He slowly set down his chopstick, and took a slowly breath.

"It's just that now that your brown hair is fading more," He started, looking completely lost on where he was going with that.

"That's why you were staring?" She looked at him not believing it. He started to nod before stopping letting out a sign in resignation. He then seemed to like mentally motivate himself.

"And I might have enrolled you into a self defence class and found a tutor for you." He said really rushed, it took her several second to understand what he said.

"What? What about my job?" She asked. She stopped eating and set down her metal fork on her plate unlike Jon, who's chopsticks were half off the table.

"Just take less shifts at Taki's, I already talked to Luke." Jon said, "I will deal with rent, the rent is already super cheap. Just take the classes." Jon told her, Clary who has nothing else to say just nodded.

"Great your self-defence class are like after school Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 7 pm." Jon smiled, childlike clapping his hands. He stopped clapping after his elbow caught one of the disposable chopsticks and flung it into the air. "They're two hours classes and start Monday. Your tutoring is an at school program with like tech nerds." He said as he bent down to pick up the fallen utensil. He blew on it for a few seconds before continuing with his curry.

"So when's the tutoring?" She asked looking at him, he seemed to miss a crucial bit.

"Oh yeah, it's with meeee!" He said gleely, before stopping from Clary's glare. "And my super smart friend Kyle who goes to your school."

"When" Clary said again emphasizing the short word and extending the word to five syllables.

"Tuesday every week after school for two hours."

After dinner, Clary made Jon clean up his rice mess and they both went to sleep. Clary looked at her reflections in the bathroom mirror, her Auburn hair was fading going back this her redder fire hair. She tugged on her sleeve to show her faint, white and raised scars on her shoulder.

She washed her face and her whole damaged body.

After stepping out of the bathroom she noticed her phone was on with a text box on her notifications.

J: hey how's it going?

It brought a small smiled as she reaches over and opened her phone.

C: Eh.

J: School?

C: school

C: I want to kill some of the watchers

What the heck why did she type watchers. She flushed slightly trying to fix her mistake.

C: Teachers*

T: honestly same. There's this girl I used to date and she wants to get back together. She starting to try really hard in the recent few days.

C: what's her name?

J: seealie

J: sealy

J: seely

Clary raised her eyebrows at that, that girl has three different names?

J: it's Seelie

She sent a quick reply before changing into her pyjamas and crawling into bed and tucking the blanket under her chin.

C: Ahh

There were a few pings that told her J still wanted to talk

J: I don't know if I offended or something

Clary raised both eyebrows as she looked at the message he has just sent.

J: is it weird I'm telling my soulmate about my dating life?

C: No

She sighed maybe it was kind of weird that he's talking about that, but she sure as hell didn't want to tell him that it was strange and a bit boastful. Seeing as she didn't even know him from their limited conversations she couldn't really judge him.

C: okay a bit

He sent a text back almost immediately, making her wonder.

C: What timezone are you in?

J: it's EDT if you wanted to know I live in New York

Her eyebrows shot upward, he's in the same state as her? Surprise surprise.

A loud clunk made her jolt up, her door knob slowly creaked open to show a bit of platinum blonde hair. He brother stuck his head inside her room.

"Night Clare," He said his smile tipping downwards a bit. "Are you still on your phone? Come on you know it rots your eyes, go to sleep Clare."

"Already," She set her phone on the table and slipped back into bed. "Night Jon," Jon gave a nodded and hooked his pointed finger on the light switch, flicking it off.

"Night Clare." He gently closed the door.

Clare stayed in her spot for a few more seconds until Jon's steps retreated into the door to his room. Not wanting to leave this J person she moved her pulls from under the blanket and slowly set it on the ground. She got out and slipped her hand around her phone and pulled it back.

C: I live in New York too.

C: Hey I got to go to bed now so good night."

Feeling accomplished she set her phone back down and plugged it and promptly fell asleep after throwing the blanket back on her.

So yeah I know I suck. I haven't had the time to write and recently if I do it's me procrastinating. I'm still surprised that there are so many people that still follow this story and read this so thank you.

I would say I'm slowly stockpiling these chapters ahead of time but I'm totally not. So it might be a while before I update again. There are a few people that asked me to speed up the story a bit and get Clary and Jace closer and yes I like to take this story slowly. It's going to take a while, I'm just trying to show some progress with Clary and her environment first.

Song: Addicted by Shaun Frank

Words: 4,500 ish Date: Sunday July 14, 2018 Beta: MIA