The Best Friend

8

I woke up when we arrived back at the Institute, but Alec still carried me the rest of the way up to my room. He put me down in the doorway of my room before walking to his. I closed my door and changed into comfier clothes before getting into bed and quickly falling asleep. And the nightmares came as usual.

I was in the greenhouse yet again, and the same thing happened as last time. The midnight flowers bloomed, and from their light, I saw Jace kissing Clary. It broke my heart as I turned and ran from the scene, but this time I faced no vampires. Instead, I saw Madame Dorothea's apartment with Alec lying on the ground motionless. I yelled his name and tried to get to him, but was shoved into a wall. I then opened my eyes to find myself in the library, slouched up against a bookcase. I looked over and saw Jace was lying bloody, but not motionless, on the ground. And like all my nightmares, the vision of my parents lying bloody and dead on the ground appeared.

I could hear myself screaming, and I couldn't tell whether it was just in the dream or not. I tried waking myself up, but I couldn't. The vision stayed as I screamed. And no one came to wake me.

Eventually, I sat up in bed, sweaty and shaky, with tears streaming down my face. I wondered where Jace was and why, for the first time, he didn't come running when I screamed. I slid out of bed, still shaking, and trying to wipe the sweat and tears from my face. But as I wiped away the old tears, new ones rolled down my cheeks.

I opened my door and quickly ran to Jace's room before knocking on his door. He didn't answer, so I opened the door to see the room was empty. I then raced to Alec's room, which was also empty. I then saw Church slowly walking down the hall, so I asked him to lead me to Jace. He started of slow, but with a light kick from me, he was walking faster. He stopped at the stairs that led up to the greenhouse and my stomach dropped. I started climbing the stairs, afraid of seeing what I was sure to see if my visions were true. I neared the top of the stairs and walked over to the door leading to the greenhouse.

I slipped in quietly and silently made my way across the greenhouse to where the midnight flowers were. They hadn't lit yet, meaning it was before midnight. I heard Jace telling her about the story of his hawk, before he started telling her about my nightmares. I stood there, shocked and hurt. I couldn't believe he'd tell her. That was my story to tell if I even wanted it to be told, which I didn't. He knows I don't want everyone knowing. Alec and Izzy found out two years after I moved in there, because their rooms are few halls away from ours. But then I heard the chime of a bell from a church down the street and knew it was midnight. As if that had been their cue, the flowers opened, illuminating the greenhouse. And there, by the broken stairs that led nowhere, was Jace and Clary kissing.

I bit my lip in hopes if holding in more tears and sobs that wanted to escape. But it didn't work very well. The sprinkler system then turned on, which Jace had apparently forgot about, and they broke apart laughing. I turned and ran from them, not caring if I made sound anymore. I took the long way back to my room, thinking Clary and Jace might take the shorter way back to his. And I didn't want them to see me crying.

But sadly, I forgot Clary's room was along the long route to mine. And yet again, there they were kissing in front of her door. But her door suddenly opened to reveal Simon. Him, Jace, and Clary all said a few words before Jace stormed off leaving Clary to go in and talk to Simon. But not even a minute later, Simon stormed out too and Clary closed her door.

Once Simon was out of sight, I made a sprint for my room. But as I passed Jace's, I listened closely and heard what sounded like him putting a rune on himself. Most likely the one for a broken heart. I let out a short laugh and shook my head. He thought he had a broken heart. The sounds stopped, meaning he had probably heard me, but I didn't care. I walked the rest of the way to my room and heard his door opening as I closed mine and locked it. I picked up my stele from where it sat on my desk and began drawing the rune for a broken heart on the side of my hip.

"Ali?" Jace said as he knocked.

"What Jace?" I said as I cursed myself for my shaky voice.

"I just wanted to talk, but what's wrong?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady but failing.

"I can hear it in your voice." He said as he tried the door, but it was locked. "Just let me in."

"It was just another nightmare. I'm fine."

"Why didn't you come get me? I didn't hear you scream."

"I woke up screaming, and when you didn't come, I went to your room but it was empty."

"Ali, I'm sorry. I was with Clary and-"

"Of course you were."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're always with her."

"That's not-"

"Yes, it is." I said. "We're suppose to be a team, you know."

"Ali-"

"Don't. Just go."

He went silent, but I didn't hear his retreating footsteps. I sat there in silence waiting for him to go away so I could go find Alec. Eventually, I heard him walk away and close his door. I then ran down the hall looking for Alec. I found him alone in the library and ran to him. He was a bit surprised when I just ran up and threw my arms around him, but he still wrapped his arms around me.

"What?" Alec asked. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to tell you somethings that I've never told anyone." I said as he pulled away and looked at me. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise." He whispered.

"The first thing is about my nightmares." I said quietly. "I don't think they're only dreams."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I think they're visions." I said. "The ones I remember have come true before."

"Which ones?" He said.

"Only two recently." I answered. "I saw us in Hotel Dumort with the vampires, and..."

"And what?" He asked after I trailed off.

"I saw Jace and Clary... in the greenhouse... kissing."

"Why would you see that?" Alec asked, but I stayed silent as he worked it out himself. "You're in love with-"

"Yes, I am." I cut him off, not wanting it to be said out loud. "And I saw it happen a little while ago."

"Why are you suddenly telling me about all this?" He asked.

"Because I had another vision and I'm afraid it's going to happen." I said.

"What was it?" He asked.

"I saw you in Madame Dorothea's apartment. And you were lying motionless on the ground." I said as my vision blurred from more tears beginning to fall.

He looked at me in confusion, probably trying to figure out what could happen or why he would end up there. He pulled me in for another hug to comfort me as I cried.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." I said. "I already lost my parents and I'm losing Jace to Clary. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. You and Izzy are the closest thing I have to family left."

"You won't lose me." He said. "I'll always be here for you."

We stayed like that for a while until he walked me back to my room. He offered to sleep on the floor next to me in case I had anymore nightmares, but I could see he needed rest and I knew he wasn't going to get any sleep on the floor. He turned off the lights before walking out, leaving me to think about how to save him.