Hey guys, this is my first fanfic (I hope that doesn't put any of you guys off reading this :/)

Anyways literally everything belongs to queen Cassie.

We're just sad kids, who put all of our hope in the fact that putting our headphones in makes us feel like we're not alone.

But does everyone else feel this alone?

Alec stared at himself in the mirror. He was wearing all black, of course, he won't be seen dead in anything else. His black beanie pushed his raven black hair over his shockingly blue eyes. He wore a long sleeved shirt and lose fitting jeans tucked into his doc martins, and had his white headphone firmly jammed into his ears to block out the rest of the world.

Alec had been staring at himself for sometime, trying to find one thing, just one, which he could truly say he like about himself, but yet again he came up with nothing. Sick of having his reflection staring back at him he quickly hurried out the door of his crappy apartment and rushed out of his dingy apartment block, on to the street.

He walked for sometime before he finally reached the bookshop where he worked. Garroway Books was a small bookshop hidden between big commercial shops. Alec loved it, he loved the smell of the books, both old and new. He loved the way that the books could let him get lost in a world of his own, where nothing to touch him, nothing could worry him. He had being going their since he was a kid and had got a job their about three years ago, after luke , the owner, had suggested it. Luke had said that Alec spent most of his time there anyways and he would have to earn money some how, after what happened.

Alec shuddered remembering that night and the nights leading up to it. No you dont want to think about that, not now, save it for after work when your alone, you cant let luke down. Not after all that his has done for you and all that he continues to do for you. your not that level of selfish alec.

Alec opened the old rustic door of the bookshop and hear the familiar sound of the small bell above the door ring, announcing his presence. Then he switched the sign that said 'closed' to 'open'. After he had turned around from doing that he was met face to face with a short red haired girl with brilliant green eyes, Clary. Clary was pretty and a lovely girl, who Alec was very fond of but that was it. Alec remembered back to a time when he had tried to convince himself that he was in love with Clary, or at least in like. He had tired so hard to try to love her but he couldn't. He couldn't love any girl in that way. And it's not like Clary had ever been interested in Alec in that way anyway but she was the only girl Alec was close to except for his sister Izzy. God how he missed her.

"So Alec how have you been?" Clary said very seriously, her eyes scanning his face for any trace of anxiety or hurt or distress or just about anything really.

"I'm fine Clary" Alec replied walking towards the back room where all the employees left there stuff.

Clary tagged along behind him. "Anything different with you then, Alec?"

Alec sighed loudly, "No Clary, i'm fine, now come on we get paid to work, not gossip"

"Ugh I suppose your right" she replied, "but look" she said as they walked back out on to the shop floor, "its not like its exactly busy out here, and its not like its going to be busy today, i man look at the weather, no one is going to want to go outside in that"

Alec looked out the window, what Clary had said was true, the weather was awful, it was blowing a gale outside and it was tipping it down. Funny, Alec had barely noticed it when he was walking here.

"Okay fine, you have a point" Alec said, "I'll compromise, we can work and talk, we need to do our November reading recommendations anyway"

"yay" Clary squealed.

And with that they started writing down there choices for the shops November reading recommendations. Clary talked on and on about her mum's and Luke's relationship but Alec didn't mind. In fact he quite liked hearing about the relationship. It was sweet Luke and Jocelyn had liked each other forever but had always been scared that the other didn't feel the same way but now FINALLY they were going to get married. During Clary's rambles about the wedding they some how managed to come up with there recommendations, they had narrowed it down to five each.

Clary's List:

The Lie Tree - Frances Hardinge

Salt to the Sea - Ruta Septeys

The kite runner - Hosseini Khaled

We were liars -

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

Alec groaned when he saw the last choice, "come on Clary you have put that in our recommendations so many times! Its not even a good book"

Clary gasped and faked being offened before responding, "oh come on Alec, we both you have read the whole saga... multiple times"

It was true Alec had read them many times, even though he knew they were awful. "Okay fine you got me" he said giving her a playful shuve. "so whats on your list then oh book wizard" said Clary jokingly.

Alec's List:

You get so alone at times that it just makes sense - Charles Bukowski

Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

Jill - Philip Larkin

Brighton Rock - Graham Greene

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

"God Alec those are the most depressing books I've ever read! I swear not one of them has a happy ending"

"Clary, I'm sorry to break it to you but life doesn't always have a happy ending" said Alec whilst neatly stacking his choices on the counter.

"Exactly" she replied "That's why people need books. Books can distract them from the burdens of reality, even if it is only for a short amount of time"

"yes, but it just leaves them all the more disappointed when they come back to reality" said Alec as he leaded on the counter casting his eyes around the empty book shop.

"Hey what's wrong?" said Clary with concern

Shit Alec whats wrong with you?! Your not meant to say your feelings it just makes her worry about you and treat you differently.

"Oh nothing, sorry to be depressing I'm just tired a guess. Its been a long week"

Lies. Absolute lies. Your tiredness has nothing to do with the week, it has something more to do with the fact that you slept on your bathroom floor last night after you passed out.

"yeah, tell me about it" said clary with a small chuckle. "Anyways I'm going to go and sort out stock in the back room, if you could just sort out stuff on the shop floor that would be great. Just give me a shout if some customers come in, although i think its highly unlikely" And with that she wandered off to the back room and left Alec leading against the counter.

For the rest of the morning Alec busied himself with tidying up the shop and doing odd jobs here and there, just waiting for someone to come in. And eventually he did...

The door was opened and the bell gave a small ring as a gust of cold air blue into the shop accompanied by a tall man with black hair styled to perfection (Alec wondered how it hadn't been ruined by all the wind and rain) and the most amazing green eyes Alec had ever seen.

The man walked confidently up to the counter and stopped in front of it.

Whoop Whoop I actually finished a chapter! Let me know if you want me to do parts of the story from Magnus's point of view as well! Tell me what you think :)Also I have read all the books in both clary and alecs list and I recommend them all!