In the Eyes

One

One

*~*~*~*

Two Years Later

"Okay, that's it. I am no longer allowing you to watch horror movies." I declared as I sat across from my friend Simon, both of us waiting for our friend Clary in a local coffee shop. "You have a problem."

"I do not!" Simon argued, though we both knew that I was right. He had always had a thing for movies, especially horror ones.

"Well, I guess denial isn't just a river in Egypt." I hummed as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Give me the professors' names and I will end them." I followed Simon's gaze to see Clary walking over to us, sitting down next to me at the table with a defeated look on her face. "You know, with- with a scathing e-mail to the Dean."

"Don't bother." Clary sighed as she handed him an envelope. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her, knowing that this upset act she was giving was just that-- an act. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she was excited. After living with her for the past couple of years it had become easy to distinguish her different moods, something that Simon still struggled with from time to time.

"What? Sad face? Really?" Simon asked Clary after he'd looked over the letter. I quickly snatched it from his hands, scanning over it to see that it was from the art school Clary had applied to, she'd gotten accepted into the advanced program. "Well played, well played."

"Thank you." Clary smiled as she and Simon did their special handshake. "You know, it's weird. They kind of liked my assigned work, but they flipped out over the drawings for our graphic novel."

"Which you have yet to let me read." I looked between the two.

"All with time, grasshopper." Simon gave me a small nod, only earning an eye roll from me.

"This day will go down in history as the greatest eighteenth birthday I ever had." Clary declared as the waitress brought us the fresh round of lattes that Simon had ordered, taking Simon and I's empty cups.

"Well, one, you only have one eighteenth birthday," I pointed out. "Two, we're celebrating tonight."

"Yes, thank you, Cici, with Maureen, after our show." Simon backed me up, making it clear that Clary wasn't going to get out of this, even if her mom is overprotective.

"So... what's the deal with you and Maureen?" Clary raised a ginger brow at Simon while I only smirked.

"What deal? No deal. We sing together." Simon played dumb as he glanced away from us. I could only scoff at his words, knowing that they were lies. I knew for a fact that Maureen had a crush on Simon, she had for awhile.

"You seriously don't know she's been crushing on you this whole time?" Clary asked in disbelief.

"What? No. No." Simon shook his head.

"Simon, how can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?" Clary laughed. I couldn't help but smile as I glanced between the two, feeling as though this were the pot calling the kettle black, knowing that Simon had feelings for Clary but she was oblivious to them.

"I guarantee you I'm not the only smart, perceptive person to make that mistake." Simon said, practically calling her out. Clary only ignored him as she began to look around in front of her, as if confused.

"That's a lattee." I told her, pointing at her coffee.

"But I could have sworn I had a biscotti." Clary frowned. I glanced at her sketch book, seeing the drawing of the biscotti on the page, causing me to purse my lips together. I tried to shake it off, trying to convince myself that it was no more than a coincidence.