Shadowhunters: Like You Never Knew Them

Chapter Five Final Part of What If Jocelyn Never Left?

"You need to go higher," she called with a cheerful laugh. "If you can't go higher, Max, I win." She heard a loud sigh from above the tree and then a grumble.

"That's not fair," Max called from above, though he wasn't in distress about the fact that: "I had to wait for you to reach the top of the tree for twenty minutes, I've made it to the half of it in five." Valentina rolled her eyes.

"But I'm a girl," she said. "Of course you need to wait for me to conquer my fear." At that, Max looked down at her.

"You're," he said kindly and slowly. "Afraid of heights...?" Valentina scoffed at the ground. Oh... "I, uh-whoa!" Valentina looked up just in time to hear the crack of what she thought-of what she prayed-was a branch and a figure fall before he feet in a wrak crouch. "Ow, ow, ow! Ankle-burn!"

"Max!" She kneeled before him and checked his arms and legs and his face. "Did you break anything-? I heard a crunch..."

"I'm okay, Val," he smiled. When she looked at Max, she saw a little boy-just like her, but he was a year older. Him nine and she eight. He had very big glasses that hid big brown, curious eyes and you could see that he always seemed to be smiling a little. If you payed close atention. He was a kindred spirit.

Val was the opposite.

You couldn't really tell if Val was just fed with coffee or if she was naturally like that. Her wild red hair was in bug waves around her, frizzy and free. Her big green eyes, that ran in the family, were always full if mischief and curiousness. She had a few handful of freckles in her body and a slim figure. Like her mom, Jocelyn; and big sister, Clary.

"You fell," Val said, feeling her heart in her throat. Max sat back on his hands.

"You don't say," to say that Val and Max were not friends was punishable by death. If it wasn't Max, it was Val. And if not Val, you'd see Max. It was quite entertaining, for most of those who didn't have to deal with both of them.

"We should go to your place, I bet you are just as hungry as me." Val smiled and Max jumped up to walk with her. After a few minutes of silence, the people around them began to hurry past them. In a rush to a meeting? In a rush for late lunch? Maybe meet with some loved one? Val imagined to be on their place. To live their lives. But, somehow, she couldn't find a life well enough for her than to be with her family.

"Valentina?"

"Maxwell?" He smiled a little.

"I ... um, I fell on purpose," Val slolwy stopped walking and faced him, squinting as the sun shone on her face. "Sorry."

"Why'd you just decide to fall off a thirty foot tree?" Well, wen you put it like that. It sounds deadly, ugh!

"I thought that if I let you win, your fear would stay away for good. And, if I didn't decide to fall for you, your fear, you would think that anyone could face the fear of heights and you wouldn't feel like what you acomplished was important." It was maybe the first time Valentina had heard Max say so much. He usually stayed in his room and read some, she didn't know what they called ... What had Clary said-oh! Comics and Mangas. Yes. Those. She smiled slowly at her friend and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh!"

"You are the bestest friend ever, Max." She said into his chest. He smiled and hugged her back.

"We can almost be-"

Parabatai?

Said a voice behind them. They both turned to see that they wandered near the infirmary building, where few Silent Brothers went to get-whatever they had to.