Clary POV
Hate is a strong word. Fifteen year old Clary Fray agreed. That is why, as she sat next to her best friend Simon Lewis, she repeated a statement that she had been sure of since eighth grade.
"I hate Jace Wayland," Clary said, rolling her eyes. "He's such an—"
"Egotistical, narcissistic asshat," Simon finished for her. "I know, Clare."
Clary ran her hands through her orange hair, scowling. "I just—ugh! Did I tell you what he said to his girlfriend this morning?
Simon sighed in exasperation, opening his locker. "A few times too many."
Clary rolled her eyes again as she opened her locker, which was beside Simon's. "I don't even know the girl, but I know that she does not deserve to be treated like that!"
"Talking about me, are we?"
Clary exhaled slowly, and then slowly spun to meet her archenemy, Jace Wayland. "Wayland. What a pleasure."
He leant against his locker lazily, a few strands of golden hair falling in his eyes. The corners of his lips turned up, amusement twinkling in his cursed golden eyes.
Clary turned back to her locker before she smacked him. She dumped her books in her locker, scowling. Her attraction to Jace was a major component to her hate for him. He was completely and utterly beautiful on the outside, but the inside was a completely different story.
Once, he and Clary had been friends. Until—
Clary shivered, and banished the thought from her mind. She was afraid that if she thought it, she would look guilty and somebody would find out.
"Pleasure?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Sounds like fun to me. Unfortunately, I'm all booked out."
Clary slammed her locker shut. The metallic crash echoed through the hallway, as all eyes turned to them.
"What a travesty." She deadpanned. "Now—"
"Actually, I lied." Jace interrupted her. "All the books have been burned. I'm free for the next week."
Clary tilted her head, confused. "What?"
Simon stepped in from behind her. "Don't mess with her, Wayland."
Jace paid no attention whatsoever to Simon, and continued to gaze at Clary.
"As I said, I'm free. I guess what I'm trying to say is," he paused, leaning down. "I got a blank—"
Clary spoke before he continued to sing Taylor Swift. "Er, no. I see the way you treat other girls, and—"
Jace smirked. "I'll pick you up at eight, then."
Simon stepped into the space between them, which Clary realised with surprise, was kind of small. "There is no way in hell she would go out with you!" Simon yelled, his face redder than a tomato. Brown hair fell in his eyes, spit flying from his lips.
Clary looked between Simon in confusion, her brain trying to catch up with what was happening. "Okay Simon, let's go." She took his hand and dragged him through the hallway. The rest of the twelfth graders stared at them in silence.
"There's nothing to look at!" Clary yelled, stomping off. Inside, she seethed. She hated Jace Wayland, right? So why on earth had she hesitated to say no?

Jace POV

Jace scowled. Why couldn't Clary Fray see that she needed to go out with him? Just one measly date?
He stormed out of the hallway, the opposite way to what Clary and Rat-face had taken. His phone sat like a tonne of steel in his pocket.
He had already memorized the text he'd received a half hour ago:

Would you rather:
Take Clary Fray on a date, or reveal what actually happened in eighth grade?
—M

Jace scowled just thinking about it. Who was M? They obviously wanted to lower his reputation by dating a freak. But how did they know about…that?
"What's up?"
Jace spun, to see his adoptive brother Alec.
Jace pursed his lips. Should he tell Alec about the text? No, he thought, he'll overreact. All I need to do is go on a date with Clary, and this will be all over.
"Nothing," he said. "I'm fine."
Alec frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Anyway, isn't it time to go home?"
Alec tilted his head and frowned at the same time. "We still have lunch and two classes left, Jace."
Jace blinked. "Oh, that's right. Okay, let's go then."
Alec's brows knitted together. "Are you sure you're all right, Jace?"
"Sure."

When they reached their lunch table, Izzy and Kaelie were already there.
"Jacey." Kaelie was sitting on the bench, one long leg crossed over the other. "You're here." She batted her lashes. Izzy shifted further away from her, nose scrunched up.
"And now I wish I wasn't." Jace muttered.
"What did you say? You want me?" Kaelie lips parted in what, Jace assumed, was intended to be seductive.
"No, I really don't." Jace said loudly, exasperated. Maybe, he reasoned, if he spoke loudly enough, she would finally get the message. "Just leave. I have no interest in you whatsoever." His voice sounded almost pleading.
Kaelie pouted. "I am the hottest woman in this school! Is there someone better than me?" Her voice was sickly sweet. Jace was used to a screeching, satanic-like creature when he rejected her, not this.
"You, Kaelie, have a plethora of flaws. Now, here's something I don't say often: please. Leave."
Kaelie slunk off, pretending to cry.
Jace collapsed on the bench. He was exhausted. How many bad things could happen in a day?

Clary POV
"Are you sure you need that much?"
Clary frowned, and turned her gaze to the offender slowly. It was Sebastian Verlac, the boy who had been relentlessly going after Clary for years.
"If you really want me to like you," Clary said slowly, rolling her eyes. "You would be nicer."
They were standing in the line next to the bench of lunch in the cafeteria.
Sebastian glanced at Clary's bowl of spaghetti. "My future girlfriend cannot be overweight," He said.
Clary snorted. "I guess I'll eat as much as I possibly can then," She muttered.
"Look, here's a salad you could have," Sebastian said, pointing to a bowl of limp lettuce leaves and mushy tomato.
Clary scowled. "You really shouldn't be worrying about the size of my lunch. If I were you, I would worry about the size of your ego."
She tipped her spaghetti over his head. Admittedly, watching the red sauce and pasta slide down Sebastian's shocked face was immensely satisfying. She even blew him a kiss.
"Verlac. Stop tormenting the girl."
It took all of Clary's willpower to disguise her own shock. Without even turning to see who had spoken, she could tell that it was Jace Wayland.
"Bitch!" Sebastian screamed. Clary laughed. Why did Sebastian so honestly believe that she would fall in love with him?
"Egomaniac," Jace replied.
Clary frowned, turning to him. "That's kind of hypocritical."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Watch out—"
Something cold slid down Clary's back. Her hair was wet. A lettuce leaf fell to the ground. Sebastian had dumped the bowl of salad on her.
Jace smirked. "That's what you get for implying that I'm an egomaniac."
Clary scowled, pushing a slice of mushy tomato off her shoulder. "You are." She spun around to Sebastian, who was also smirking. His white hair was stained red, as well as his white shirt.
"So, are you going to ask me again?" said Clary.
Sebastian rolled his eyes.
"I'm never going to love you, you know." She said.
Sebastian scowled. "Oh, you will. Don't worry." He spun on his heel and stalked off with as much dignity as one could have with spaghetti sliding down ones back.
"Oh Clary, what have you done now?"
It was Jon, Clary's brother, walking towards them with Simon.
Jace turned to face him at the same she did. "She was standing up for herself against Verlac."
"What the hell are you doing here, Wayland?" Simon said. His voice was boiling with hatred.
"Well, rat-face," Jace responded, "I was helping Clary."
Clary gazed at him in confusion. Help her? Since when had Jace gone out of his way to help her?
"I've got to admit, I'm impressed."
Clary spun to see Isabelle Lightwood, a.k.a the most beautiful girl in the grade.
It took Clary a moment to realise that Isabelle was talking to her. A few more to realise that her words weren't sarcastic. "You know," she said, "I'm impressed with myself too."
Isabelle smiled. "Next time though, try to avoid the accessories."
Clary laughed. "Next time? Let's hope not."
Simon, Jon and Jace were frowning at them. The two hadn't exchanged words since that fateful night in eighth grade, and now they were laughing like they were best friends. It just didn't make sense to them.
"Okay, I need to go clean up," Clary said, scrunching her nose up as she flicked a chunk of tomato off her shoulder.
"I'll come with you," Isabelle said. "I'm in need of some girl time."
And just like that, they were friends again.

"Hey Clary, change of plans."
Jocelyn called out to Clary as she began to thump up the stairs after school.
Clary frowned. "For what?" She stepped back down the steps and into the kitchen.
Jocelyn pursed her lips. "Simon and his mum got into a fight, and he's grounded. Which means that she's not allowing Simon to have you stay over for the three weeks while your father and I are away."
Clary's eyes widened. "Where am I mean to stay, then?"
"Well, I organized for an old friend of mine, Maryse Lightwood, to look after you. She has children your age, so that'll be fun for you."
Clary blinked. "Are you serious?" She blinked some more.
Her mother frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I cannot possibly stay with the Lightwoods!" She yelled. "Alec and Isabelle are fine, but Jace is a completely different story. I could stay at Maia's!"
"Maia lives in a Chinese takeout with feral middle aged men."
Clary rolled her eyes. "I could just stay in the house by myself. I'm turning sixteen in a month!"
Jocelyn's gaze hardened. "You will be staying with the Lightwoods, and that's final."

The next day was a Saturday, which meant that it was time for Clary's parents to leave, and Clary to go to the Lightwoods. She'd packed the night before—throwing items into her bags with such force that it was a miracle they weren't broken.
Jocelyn pulled into the Lightwoods driveway, and Clary got out without a word. She dumped her bags on the cement without a word, then looked up at the house. It was old, and pretty big. Okay, very big. Very big.
Clary scowled. The fact that their house was so big annoyed her for some unknown reason.
"Bye darling!" Her mother called. "Have a good time!"
Clary didn't respond, but swung her duffel bag over her shoulder and wheeled her suitcase behind her as she walked up to the front door. She raised her hand to knock, but then door swung open before she had the chance.
"Clary!" It was Isabelle, eyes alight with excitement.
"Isabelle," Clary said, far less enthusiastically.
Isabelle frowned. "Call me Izzy."
"I—" Clary stopped herself. "Okay. It's good to see you, Izzy."
Izzy grinned. "Likewise."
"How much coffee have you had this morning?"
Izzy frowned a little. "Probably more than is healthy." She took Clary's suitcase and lead her inside. "Your room is this way."
Her house looked old inside too. There was a thick green carpet, and dark mahogany walls. The yellow light came from a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.
"There's the living room, kitchen…" Izzy pointed out various rooms as they walked through the house. "…my room, Alec's and yours and Jace's are over here."
"Cool," said Clary. Why does my room have to be even remotely near to Jace's? She was seething, but didn't show it.
She and Izzy dumped her bags on her bed, and they began to unpack her things together.

Jace POV
Three weeks. Three weeks to charm Clary Fray. Three weeks to become her boyfriend. Three weeks to completely destroy his reputation.
Jace scowled, and watched as Clary stomped up to the front door, and was greeted by Izzy. She was a pretty girl, he had to admit to himself. With her long orange locks, milky white skin and emerald eyes, she was almost beautiful.
Almost.
But she despised Jace. With a burning, fully justified hatred. He was a heartbreaker, he knew. And he tried, he really did, to love all of those girls. He just…couldn't.
And it wasn't like Clary was without her flaws—take eighth grade! But then again, Jace had been a part of that himself. Still.
He scowled again, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Maryse was away for the day—which meant that Jace must not let Izzy enter the kitchen under any circumstances. She could cause a disaster by just leaning on the bench.
Jace heard a series of thumps as he bit into an apple. Izzy burst into the kitchen, Clary not far behind.
"No, I'm not hungry!" She was saying. "Izzy! No, I'm fine! I don't—" She saw Jace, and scowled.
Izzy bounded past the Jace and flung open the fridge. "We have—"
A jug wobbled.
"IZZY NO!" Both Jace and Clary yelled at the same time, and pulled her out of the way. The jug smashed on the tiles.
Clary pulled Izzy out of the kitchen and into the hallway while Jace began to pick up the ceramic shards.
"Jesus, Iz," he called out. "You gotta be more careful."
Izzy frowned at him from the doorway, while Clary walked back into the kitchen. "Where do you guys keep the mop?"
"In the cupboard in the corner," Jace said.
Clary picked up the mop and began to soak up the lemonade that had been in the jug.
"I'm going to go watch a movie," Izzy said. "I'll be in the living room."
This left Clary and Jace alone. Clary continued to mop silently, while Jace scooped up the pieces and tipped them into the garbage.
After a couple of minutes, there was no evidence of what had happened.
Just as they were about to walk out of the kitchen, Jace placed his hand on Clary's shoulder for a brief second to stop her. And before she could throw an insult at him, he spoke.
"Trust me when I say that while you're here, do not let Izzy into the kitchen under any circumstances."
Clary closed her mouth, then the corner of her lips twitched. Jace wasn't sure whether she meant to scowl or smile.
"I won't."

It was lunch time. Alec had already made and eaten a PB&J, while Jace was making a cheese sandwich for himself.
"Ok Izzy, what would you like for lunch?" Jace could hear Clary saying from the hallway.
"I'll make a ham and cheese—"
"No, you won't," Clary said, stopping Izzy just as she was about to enter the kitchen. "Um…you've already done so much for me, I'll make it for you. How about you go to the living room, far, far away from the kitchen, and continue with Bachelor in Paradise? I'll be quick."
Izzy narrowed her eyes at Clary, but walked away to the living room.
Clary relaxed, and then moved next to Jace behind the bench.
He pushed the cheese, bread and butter towards her. "The ham is in the fridge."
There was a few moments of silence, where Clary chewed her lip. "Thanks," she said.
Jace blinked. That was the second time that day that she hadn't responded rudely. Maybe he did have a chance after all.
Just then, her phone began to ring. She fished it from the pocket of her jeans, and held it up to her ear with her shoulder.
"Hey, Si."
Jace frowned. Another one of Clary's flaws: she was very unperceptive. How was it that everybody except for her knew that Simon was helplessly in love with her? Jace knew better than most—after all, they had been friends all those years ago.
He walked out of the kitchen, deep in thought. Three weeks. That was it. Normally, he would accept that without a second thought. But with Clary, things were completely different. In fact, the whole situation was completely different.
Who was M? What did they want? Why?
And most of all, how could he get Clary Fray to go on a date with him in three weeks?

Okay, favourite, follow and review if you liked it, and thanks for reading!
- Delta