Middle School of Bones - A Mortal Instruments Story

Chapter 12

Whatever Taki's was, I was starving, so Simon and I tagged along. Max wanted to come too, but Isabelle shooed him. 

"No sixth graders."

"I'm telling mom!" Max cried. Alec groaned.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Jace said. We followed him back up the elevator and started walking.

"How far is it?" I asked.

"Only a few minutes," Isabelle told me.

I'd never heard of a place called Taki's, but I was sure I knew all the interesting places around the school. It confused me even more when the three stopped in front of a gas station. The large sign in front read thirty dollars a gallon, and the windows looked so filthy, they almost blended in with the concrete walls.

"Uh we're eating at a gas station?" I asked.

Jace laughed. "That's the glamour. Look past it."

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I tried to see what the others were looking at. I squinted, imagining the building peeling away, like layers of paint. The image flickered, and I caught a glimpse of a bright red sign with the word Taki's Diner. I focused on it until the gas station completely faded away.

"I can see it!" 

Jace grinned. Alec and Isabelle had gone inside, and I motioned for Simon to follow, making sure he didn't bump into anything. As soon as we entered the building, Simon jumped back.

"No way!" He stuck his head outside and back in. "This is awesome!"

Izzy and Alec had already slid into a booth. Jace was sitting next Alec, and I sat next to him since I was the smallest. Simon took the last spot next to Isabelle.

"Can I get you guys something to drink?" A waitress popped over to our table. There was something slightly off about her, and I realized a second later that her ears were pointed and her eyes were lavender.

"I want a mango and strawberry smoothie," Isabelle said. She glanced at Simon. "He'll take one too."

Alec and I both ordered coffee. I asked for mine black to sound edgy.

Jace leaned back in his seat. "I'll have my regular."

The waitress glanced over her notebook. "The apple juice or the Berry Faerie Milkshake?"

Jace coughed loudly. "What? I don't- I don't drink berry milkshakes." 

The waitress smirked and left to get our drinks. Once she was gone, I asked, "What's a Berry Faerie Milkshake?"

Jace shuddered. "Avoid the faerie food. Trust me."

Simon flipped his menu over. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Isabelle said. "If you're okay with running around the street naked with antlers growing from your head."

"I was in sixth grade! How was I supposed to know?" Jace argued. 

"I don't know," Alec said. "Maybe the fact that you needed to show an ID to order it? I still can't believe the waiter thought you were an eighth grader."

"By the Angel, did they really?" Isabelle laughed.

The waitress arrived and dropped off the drinks. I ordered a normal-sounding plate of coconut pancakes from the Human side of the menu. 

"So..." I decided to change the topic to something more relevant. "Could one of you explain how someone's brother is going to dig around in my head? I'm guessing they're not a brain surgeon?"

Jace snorted. "The Silent Brothers. They're basically the Shadowhunteriest of the Shadowhunters. They can do a bunch of stuff we can't. If your mom somehow blocked your memories, they'll be able to undo it."

"Ooh can they look in my head too?" Simon asked. "I lost the stylus for my iPad, and I've been looking for it for weeks."

I caught a glimpse of the people in the booth next to ours. One of them was small, almost my size, with dark skin and white hair. When they opened their mouth to talk, they had two rows of pointed teeth. The person sitting across from them was completely green.

"Who are they?" I whispered. Jace looked over.

"Warlocks."

"Wherelocks?" Simon asked. He turned around. "Oh, Therelocks."

Alec sipped his iced coffee.  "I wouldn't talk to them if I were you," he said. "Warlocks aren't really known for associating with Shadowhunters."

I wondered if there was anyone who did want to associate with Shadowhunters.

The waitress appeared and handed out the food, ending our conversation. It felt like my first real meal in forever, so I focused on swallowing down some tasty pancakes.