quick as lightning

1. In which the twins are 18

"Hey mom, do you think Dot and I could hang out for a bit? I'm not really in the mood for coffee." The woman thought over it for a minute, looking more hesitant than usual.

Piper was already texting Dot exactly where to meet her, she was an adult now after all, she could make her own decisions. Her phone had finished updating minutes ago when the stylist had checked them out, as if sensing her irritation.

"Uh sure, just make sure you're home in time for dinner. I want to sit down and talk to you and Clary about something importaint." Piper barely looked up from her phone, walking the opposite way down the street.

"Yeah yeah, dinner, gotcha." Jocelyn grabbed her daughter back, wrapping her into a tight hug. Piper chuckled and after a moment returned the hug, "Relax mom, It'll only be like an hour or so."

"I know, but still, you're growing up. You're still my baby girl." Finally her mother let her go and after one more odd look Piper was off.

for some reason the air seemed different, more breathable. Piper had her earbuds in while she walked towards the subway, she'd be meeting Dot outside their favorite thrift store. The woman was a genius when it came to good finds.

With all the crowds Piper accidently bumped into a blonde man, knocking something from his pocket.

"sorry, Mr. Brightside always distracts me." Piper appologized, picking up what he had dropped. He looked at her in confusion, for some reason she had been getting that look a lot today. He had dropped a crystal pen looking thing, some kind of fancy crystal sitting in its butt. "Cool pen."

He took it cautiously, eyeing her with a sort of distrust. "Thanks." He pocketed it and tilted his head slightly at her. "Do I know you?"

This made her chuckle, he stood out like a sore thumb from everyone else. All black, rebel warrior vibes, she defiently would have remembered him if she'd ever met him. "I don't think so, why?"

"Nothing, nevermind." He brushed her off, vanishing into the crowd of everyone else. Piper took a moment to process what had happened before brushing it off, stranger things had happened before. Plugging back into her music the red head continued down the stairs to the subwaystation.

—-

Clary and Piper stood in their own halves of the room, their divider was the bathroom, which they also shared. Piper's makeup mirror was on the wall across from Clary's so as we sat at the tables Piper could see her in the reflection and she could see her.

Currently Piper was curling my hair, which took awhile due to its length. After it was all curled she did my makeup.

"Bold or light?" Clary's eyes met mine in the mirror. "I'm going light."

"Well I'm going Bold." Piper replied before doing sharp dark Smokey eyes and then applying mascara. After she was done, she painted red to her lips before walking to the closet.

A simple black dress fit the bill, long enough to appease her mother—form fitting enough to please herself. The jacket over the top helped hide the thin straps and v cut.

"I'm heading downstairs, by the way, Mom left a present on your bed." Clary called, heading down the staircase while Piper picked up the black box. It looked elegant, like something you'd see in a Gucci store or something.

Inside was a silver chain with a mark, it resembled a diamond with two lines exiting the top like wings. In the center of the silver figure a ruby glinted. She walked into the bathroom, pulling her hair to the side before clasping the necklace around my neck, it fell in the center of her sternum. It practically matched the silver bracelet made up of other symbols. Piper had worn it since mom gave it to her on her seventh birthday.

It was the earliest memory Piper could find of her.

"Piper are you all right?" Clary called up. The uncomfortable sinking feeling shattering at the pull of reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Piper called walking downstairs forcing a smile onto my face.

Simon knocked on the door and Clary opened it with a smile. "Wow you look beautiful." Simon almost drooled over Clary before Piper walked up, leaning in the doorway. "Hey Piper." Was all the tall girl got.

Third wheeling.. on her birthday.. yay!

"I'll get a cab." She sighed, letting the two talk as she walked down the stairs. "Hey Piper, happy birthday, you look amazing." she mocked him with a deep voice.

Clary always seemed to get the attention when they met people, it was something you got used to being the 'bothersome' twin.

"I heard that!" Simon Shouted after her And she gave him the finger.