The Shadowhunters

Friendzoned

Tessa and Will had fallen asleep around seven­thirty at night, yet they woke up late. You'd be surprised at how hard it is

to wake up when you're comfortable.

Tessa blushed when she got up, the golden sun streaming through the attic window after a long night of rain. Will was rubbing his eyes, slight disoriented when he woke, but he had

enough sense to look out the window. "It's around noon, Tess," Will said.

"How do you know?" Tessa asked, going on her tip­toes to see out the window if there was some magical clock outside.

"You see the shadows? There's barely any shade, meaning the angle of the sun is probably around its highest," Will said, as easy as if he were talking about the weather. Which he

was, actually.

"How do you know all this?" Tessa had to ask.

"Survival skills? Natural instinct?" Will shrugged. "All part of being a Shadowhunter."

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "So you have to be good at fighting, have some insane natural instincts and super smart to be in the Shadowhunters?"

"You think I'm super smart?" Will winked. It was all he got from Tessa's question. Tessa sighed. "You don't have to be super smart, Tess. I mean, look at Gabriel." Will chuckled at

his own joke.

"Well," Tessa finally sighed. "We should go bang on the door and…"

Will raised a suggestive eyebrow. "No! Stop!" Tessa immediately shouted. "What are you thinking?!"

"What am I thinking?" Will asked. "What are you thinking?!"

"You know what. Whatever. Okay let's just knock and shout for the janitors on the closet door," Tessa said. She got down from the attic first, followed by Will, who shut the

entrance to the attic behind him.

They began calling for the janitors, banging their fists on the door and making as much noise as they could – though it didn't really seem to help. "You know, Tess," Will said, sliding

down the closet door and pulling his knees to his chest, " Before, I was going to get you. By pranks, expulsion, whatever I could do."

Tessa didn't really know what to feel. "And you're telling me this… why?" Tessa said.

"Well, I just want you to know I feel different now," Will said simply. "And I hate the dark. I can't see in the dark at all. I have night blindness and I hate not seeing you."

The little audience in Tessa's head went: Aw. But Tessa herself was feeling a bit strange. Will … but what about Jem? After all, Jem was the one who was kinder, smarter – the one

who comforted Tessa. Jem would always be good for Tessa and to Tessa.

But then there was Will, who was fiery, unpredictable, untameable and wild. It was Will who made her feel exhilarated, made her feel things that Jem could never. Spending a night

in a dingy attic with books and a boy was definitely not Tessa. The Tessa everyone knew would never have done that, but Will brought out a different side in Tessa. More confident.

Bolder.

But then… Jem. Like a band aid, or a crutch, he would always be there. It's unfair to Jem that Tessa took him for granted, but Jem was a loyal, unwavering person.

And Tessa was downright confused. Thinking about it a little more, she decided.

Definitely Jem. It would always be Jem. He made her feel safe, warm and welcome. Safe…