Innocence Corrupts

Soggy Cereal

Simon sat at the kitchen table wallowing into his cheerios. It had been weeks now that Clary had looked at Jace as if he was the only person in the world for her. Simon had thought about maybe trying to make her jealous but after seeing them together at bowling he knew it was hopeless. Clary was lost to him and he had never even told her he loved her. Loved her for the last ten years no less. Everyone else seemed to know though. In fact the people Simon had just met at bowling yesterday had figured him out in an instant... so why didn't Clary know? Maybe Clary didn't want to see it which just confirmed what Simon already knew. She didn't return his feelings.

Simon scooped up a spoonful of soggy cheerios and put them back in the bowl miserably, marveling at how he had managed to put so much misery into such a simple action.

"Simon," his mother, Elaine said from the kitchen. "I can feel the storm clouds from here. Stop it."

"Sorry mom," Simon said drearily. A moment later she came into the dining room probably because he hadn't managed to put any happiness into his voice. His mother sighed as she looked him over.

"I always told you that Clary would break your heart," Elaine said with her hands on her hips. "I just wish I had been wrong."

"Me too," Simon said his gaze still fixed on the ever liquefying cheerios.

"What about that girl you drove home after bowling?" Elaine asked.

"Izzy?" Simon said.

"Yes her."

"She's Alec's sister."

"So?" Elaine said. "Why don't you spend some time with her and stop thinking about Clary?"

"Doesn't really work like that," Simon said. He knew he would be thinking about Clary even if he was with Isabelle.

"Well you need to do something besides mope into your soggy cereal," Elaine snapped. "Go outside and hang out with your friends."

"My friends are Clary," Simon said with a sigh. "I usually just hang out with her."

"Then make some new friends," Elaine suggested.

"Simon make new friends! Shocking!" Of course it was his sister. Rebecca, or Becky, had entered the room with a sketch pad in her hand. His sister was brilliant as far as Simon was concerned.

After his father died and his mother sank into depression Becky had been there for him. Simon had many happy memories of Becky making his lunches and helping him with elementary math homework. Elaine had snapped out of it eventually and Becky had transitioned smoothly back into just his big sister rather than a surrogate mother but Simon would never forget what she did for him. Rebecca was graduating this year and Simon was going to miss her terribly when she went off to art school in September.

"I could make new friends if I wanted," Simon said defiantly to his sister.

"Well there was that one girl who took a fancy to you at school if I recall," Becky said. "Maia I believe her name was."

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked with a sigh. His sister must be teasing him.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice!" Becky said. "She stares at you in the hall. And I saw her watching your locker once like she was hoping you'd show up there."

"Are you serious?" Simon asked. He remembered Maia. She was his age and they had a few classes together but aside from that he hadn't noticed much about her.

"You are clueless," Becky said shaking her head. "Why don't you ask her out?"

"I was her partner in Chem once," Simon said. "But she barely spoke to me."