After

2: Alexa

I stood outside the New York Institute, with my parents and Max, and my mother knocked on the door. Aunt Tessa and uncle Jem were here as well. The door was opened by aunt Clary, and my parents immediately embraced her. Aunt Clary then hugged me, and then uncle Jace.

"Hello, Lex." He said, and purposely ruffled my hair.

"Uncle Jace." I whined.

He smirked. "Sorry, love."

I just chuckled, and walked over to say hello to aunt Tessa and uncle Jem. I remembered the first time uncle Jem had met me, he had called called me Cecily. I didn't know then, that he had been talking about Will Herondale's sister. After our hellos, Max and I walked downstairs to say hello to Scarlett and everyone else.

"Lex!" Scarlett exclaimed, and hugged me.

I smiled, and hugged her tightly. "Scarlett."

Scarlett was my Parabatai, and I loved her to pieces. I said my hellos to Austin, Logan, Charlotte, and Will and sat down beside Scarlett.

"What? You're not going to hug me Lex?" Logan teased.

I rolled my eyes humorously, but stood up and hugged him. He smelled of cologne, and it actually smelled really good. I went back and took my seat beside Scarlett.

"How have you two been?" Charlotte asked Max and I.

"Good. How about you guys?" Max replied.

"Good." Charlotte replied.

"Where's Paris?" I asked Scarlett.

"She's taking a nap." She responded.

"She's so cute." I gushed.

Everyone else chuckled. About half an hour later, aunt Clary called us to dinner. We all walked upstairs, and took our seats in the dining room. I sat beside Scarlett, and Logan, and across from my mother.

"So Tessa, how was Idris?" Aunt Clary asked casually.

"Quite hectic." Se replied.

She then went on to explain everything with the Clave and the Accords.

"I also went to go see the Fairchild, Herondale, and Lightwood mausoleum." She said, and her grin faded a bit.

"How was it?" My mother murmured sadly.

"Hard." Tessa admitted. "I saw James, Lucie, and Will. It was also quite hard seeing Charlotte, and Henry, and Matthew."

Matthew.

My heart stuttered, and I felt numb. I had seen him yesterday, and my hand flew up to the necklace around my neck, that he gotten me. He's dead, I thought. His name hung in the air, and everyone looked at me. I felt my eyes blur. No, please not here, I thought. I looked up to see Tessa looking at me sadly.

"Um, excuse me." I mumbled.

I stood up, and walked to the doors of the Institute. I threw myself down on the front steps, and hugged myself. I felt the first tear run down my cheek. By the Angel, it hurt. It hurt so bad. I had been holding it in all day, but I couldn't anymore. I heard someone walk outside of the Institute, and take a seat beside me. To my surprise, it was aunt Tessa.