Distractions

Eighteen: Nobody Knows What's Happening

Clary's P.O.V.:

Clary stood beside Luke in the Infirmary, watching over her mom. She smiled sadly down at the woman.

"She looks so peaceful now. I wish I knew how to reach her," she murmured.

"It's gonna be fine." She looked away from Luke doubtfully. "I'm sorry, Clary. We should've told you all this before—"

"Luke, we can hash all that out when we wake Mom up. The important thing now is that we have her back."

Alec stepped into the room. Clary hadn't realized he was there. "I'm looking for Lydia. Have you seen her?" He gestured to the two of them. "I don't mean to interrupt or anything."

"No, stay a minute," offered Clary.

"I gotta get back to the station. Call me if anything happens." Luke told her. "Call me if you get word from Everest too."

She nodded and the men switched places.

"So, how is she?" Alec asked awkwardly.

Clary sighed. "The same, I guess." She was going to say more, was going to thank Alec, but he spoke again.

"How's—how's Everest? I haven't seen her since she ran out of the Institute yesterday." He looked away towards the floor and fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve.

Clary gave him a calculating look, trying to figure out if he was concerned for her twin because he was her friend or because of another reason. "I don't really know. She hasn't responded to my texts in three days, or something like that, and she didn't say anything to me when she ran out of the Institute."

Alec seemed to wilt. "Oh."

"Why do you care so much about Everest?" she asked, looking up at him curiously.

He froze and resembled a fish out of water for a few long moments. Finally, he shrugged. His phone chimed, breaking the awkward silence. "Magnus needs to speak to me. He might have some information about how to wake your mother up or stop Valentine. It's important."

Clary hummed in agreement and stared back down at her mom as Alec left.

"What is going on between Alec, Magnus, and Everest?" she whispered. She shook her head, chuckling lightly as she answered her own question. "It's a mess is what it is. Everest likes both of them and I'm pretty sure they like her and each other."

She gave her mom's hand one more squeeze. "I don't know what's going to happen with them, but I hope you're there to see it and that you accept it, Mom."

...

Third Person P.O.V.:

Everest leaned against the stone wall of the Institute and breathed deeply. "I can do this. I can do this." She stood up straight and saw Magnus Portal into the courtyard. She ducked back into her alcove. "I can't do this."

"Cupcake?"

She jumped, her eyes darting to the man whose eclectic blue eyeliner that was enviously even. "Hi," she said dumbly, trying to control the unnervingly fast beating of her heart.

"What're you doing out here?"

He peered at her curiously, taking in every detail of her appearance. She was wearing olive green pants, a black Ramones t-shirt, a pair of white tennis shoes, and a black bomber jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of her neck now, revealing a silver stud in her right ear and a silver snake ear cuff in her left. A rabbit jumped from a bush and her head swiveled, causing purple strands to fall from the ponytail. Everest reached up to brush them behind her ear, and the silver rings on her hand sparkled in the sun. His gaze caught on one in particular that looked like a snake coiled around her finger.