The Hidden World

Chapter 2: Family Issues

“Hum. Thanks! That’s… hum… nice of you” I couldn’t form a single coherent sentence. I was so mesmerize by this gorgeous boy that my mind was slow. I stood there like an idiot starring at him like he was a vision.

“So, are you planning to tell me your name some time?” He asked with a playful smile.

Go on stupid, answer him. I order myself when my mouth refused to speak. “Oh! Right. Let’s see… ” What was my name? I knew it started with a C… Or maybe… I tried to look away from this vision of a boy to clear my head and save some dignity, if I had any at this point. “My name is Clarissa Fray, but everyone call me Clary”

“Very nice to meet you Clarissa” He said this with a tone that made me feel nervous, but I couldn’t tell what was so bad about it. “So, shall we go to class?” He started walking, not checking if I was following him. Maybe it was because he knew I would follow, even if he didn’t tell me to.

“What’s your first class?” He asked me. It seem to me I spend an eternity to look at my schedule, trying to decipher the words in order to understand what was written in it

“Humm…” I was starting to hate that word, or maybe it just annoyed me that I’ve used it too many times already. “Literature 1 in classroom 7” I answer at last. At least you didn’t use the hum again. I thought reproaching myself.

“Great!” Said Jace, distracting me from my thoughts. “That’s my class too!” He seemed really excited by this, like he was hoping to be with me more time and just had his wish granted.

It turned out we had the same classes, so he sat by me all day. At lunch he introduced me to his brother Alec. He was the complete opposite of Jace, his hair was dark instead of gold and his eyes were blue, but he seems to have a hidden force he didn’t like to share.  I meant to ask Jace why they were so different, but I didn’t want to seem rude or something.

After school, Jace offered to walk me home and, since I didn’t want to go by bus (It was so depressing) I accepted.

“So,” Jace said after a while. “Tell me, how did you end up here?”

“Well, my mother likes to move out a lot, so every few years we move to a new city.” I answer, hopping he wouldn’t notice I didn’t like it much.

“That sounds like fun!” He smiled at me, and I knew he had noticed.

“Actually, it’s not. I have already been in five different schools and I’m not even a senior. Plus, I’m too shy to talk to anyone, so when I actually start to talk to someone, we are moving out again. It’s difficult to have friend with this kind of life.”

“Wow! Don’t take it on me, girl!” He said sarcastically. “So what does your father say about it?”

“Hum…” We had reached a topic I didn’t like to talk about. “My father is dead, actually… So…” I didn’t know what else to say. It didn’t seem like there was something to say, really.

“What happened to him?” Jace seemed truly sorry about my lost, but for some reason he was reluctant to say the actual words, or at least that’s the impression I got.

“Car accident. I wasn’t even born, yet.” I didn’t want to give him too many details, in hopes he’d drop the subject.

“I understand how you feel.” He said with some seriousness in his voice. “My father’s dead too. He was murdered. I was nine.”

“Oh Jace, I’m so sorry” I didn’t knew what else to say.

“Don’t be” He said lightly. “I’m ok now.” He said it in a tone that made me think he was done talking about it, so I said the first thing that came in my mind to change the topic.

“So, is that why Alec and you look so different?” As soon as it was out of my mouth, I regretted having said it.

Jace looked surprise, perhaps because he didn’t expect me to realize about the differences quit this soon, or ask him about it so suddenly.

“So you realized. Yes, that’s the reason precisely. More to it, Alec is not my real brother. After my father was killed, his parents adopted me into their home and we became very close. He’s the only friend I had.” He was thoughtful for a moment after adding “Well, asides from Isabelle. She’s Alec’s sister.” He explained.

“So, they are the only friends you’ve got? Don’t you have friends at school?” I was surprised, I thought he’d be like the super popular guy, but then, when we were at school, it was as if people were afraid of him, well, boys mostly. The girls stared at him drooling.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t want to have other friends. I’m happy with just Alec and Izzy.” I couldn’t understand that, but, if I was honest, I didn’t like the attention that much, so I guess I understand him.

We were at my house now. “This is where I live” I said shyly. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow”

I expected him to say goodbye and live. Instead he kissed me in the cheek and said “Already looking forward to see you tomorrow Clary” And then he turn and started walking the way we’ve come, leaving me starring after him, stunned by what he’d done.