Finding where I fit

Chapter 8: Paints and Piano

A week later, Jace was reclined on the sofa, watching a movie, when Alec pointed the remote at the TV, to turn it off, and put the chair leg down. "What the hell Alec? I was watching that!" Alec tilted his head and rolled his eyes at Jace as Magnus came into the living room, on crutches. "Magnus' dad felt sorry for him being stuck in his house, so he's staying here for a couple of nights." Magnus manoeuvred around the sofa and Alec took his crutches. He placed them down by the side of the chair. Jace looked at the cast on Magnus' leg. "You guys were really lucky there. I mean, your Dad got out without a scratch and you only broke your leg. Did they let you choose the colour of your cast? I probably would have gone for red or blue over purple, but you do you bro." Alec groaned at Jace. He always went into question mode when Magnus came around. "Seriously Jace?"

"What?! I'm allowed to talk to him Alec, he isn't yours, you know? Alec and Magnus glanced at each other and Jace wondered if he had missed something. "Oh! Oh! Can I sign your cast??" Magnus looked over at him boredly, far too tired to be dealing with this. "No, your hand writing is horrific Jace." Alec groaned again. "Oh my god Jace, for a ten year old, I really would have thought that you would have learned to shut up by now." Jace got up and gathered his stuff up. "Whatever. And don't put me down for my age, you're only just 14."

Jace jumped over the arm of the chair, which he'd been told not to do on numerous occasions. He had a gymnastics competition coming up, and he knew it wound Alec up to be using it as an excuse to jump and flip over everything. "Mom said that we could go to the hobby shop. I presume you're not coming?" Alec waved him off, as he turned the TV over to 'America's Next Top Model.' Jace stared at the screen. It was Magnus' favourite programme, but Jace enjoyed it too and had been caught watching it on occasions. He suspected that he liked it for different reasons to Magnus though. Alec caught Jace's eye sight on the screen and interrupted before he decided to stick about. "Bye, Jace!"

Maryse came out of the kitchen, with her keys in her hand. "You ready to go?" Jace nodded.

"Yes let's go. Everyone else is staying here apparently, so its just us." Izzy came round the corner and leaned against the door frame. "I'm coming with you guys." Jace cheered mockingly and ruffled her hair as they went out of the door. They both shouted "SHOTGUN!" as they raced to get in the front seat.

***

Jace sat with his arms crossed from the back seat, they were nearly at the shop and he was getting bored of Izzy's music choices. "Why does Izzy get to go in the front on the way there? She never comes with us and she only wants to come to tease me and watch me play the piano, she'll put me off." Maryse smiled as she indicated the next turn.

"She has nothing to tease you about Jace. Your piano playing is exceptional for your age. And there's plenty for her to do to. They have painting supplies..." Izzy shook her head. "sports equipment..." She shook it again. "Cooking stuff maybe?" Jace shouted from the back seat as Izzy grinned and clapped her hands. "Absolutely not Mom!! Please don't let Izzy back in the kitchen again! I had to trap what she made last time, under a bowl!" Izzy groaned.

"Jace! For the last time, it didn't move from the plate!

"It blinked at me! I didn't sleep for a week! There's science classes in school that could have used it!"

Maryse pulled into the parking slot and grimaced slightly. "Maybe there's something else we could find for you to do Iz..."

***

Maryse had some grocery shopping to do, so she told Izzy and Jace to meet up with her later. They were probably the worst combination of two siblings to leave in a cluttered shop together.

Izzy's eyes lit up as Jace held the door open. The store was huge and had everything you could imagine. Art and craft equipment covered a corner, sports supplies, musical instruments. "Alec said that Mom put in an order for new arrows, for his compound bow. So don't forget to pick them up before we go." Jace nodded as he made his way to the back of the shop.

"Alec's lucky. He can go the the leisure centre and do archery when he likes, but I can't practise my gymnastics unless I'm in the garden or play piano unless I'm here." Izzy tunelessly pressed a few of the keys and turned to look around. Jace sat down at the piano and cracked along his knuckles. The owner of the shop liked him playing, so he let him play all afternoon if he wanted.

Izzy looked around the store as the sound of Jace's music filled the room. She wished that she could play piano like Jace, or shoot arrows like Alec. The art and crafts section caught her eye. There were jewellery making kits up on the wall. She rushed around the corner and bumped into another girl who was carrying a canvas. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! Let me help you!" Izzy picked up some of the paints she had dropped and handed them back to her. The girl looked behind Izzy. "Is that your brother playing piano? That's amazing!" Izzy smiled. Despite all their sibling rivalry, she was proud of Jace's talent, even if it did more to his already large ego. "Yes, it is. Nice to meet you, I'm Isabelle. And you are?" The girl opened her mouth to answer as Maryse came through the front door.

"Hey Izzy. Where's Jace? Sorry but we're going to have to go back. Your father just called. He said that Magnus' leg is hurting him but he doesn't want to go home, so we're going to pick up some different painkillers on the way back and see how it goes." Maryse went to the till to pick up her order as she noticed the girl standing next to Izzy. The girl's phone beeped and she pulled it from her pocket.

"Oh my stepdad is outside so I have to go." She smiled sweetly. "It was nice to meet you Izzy, maybe I'll see you again sometime." The girl walked over to the till as Izzy waved and took Maryse to the back of the store to find Jace. Maryse looked over her shoulder. "What a nice girl! Pretty too. I'd always wished that I'd had red hair when I was younger."

***

Jace sulked from the front seat of the car. "Izzy! I always tell you that if you see a pretty girl our age, you come and tell me right away!" Maryse and Izzy both rolled their eyes. Maryse spoke.

"I love your self confidence Jace, but you are far too young to be trying to pick up girls. You're going to get pepper sprayed or something, eventually!" Izzy chuckled from the back. Maryse continued. "My God, I am not looking forward to your teenage years if you're going to be bringing different girls to meet us every night."

Izzy grinned from the back. "Hey, you never know Mom, maybe he'll fall in love with the first girl he meets and that'll be it-"

Jace laughed with mocking offence. "OH PLEASE! I am NOT Alec!"

Maryse looked at Jace with confusion as she smiled. "What do you mean Jace? Does Alec have a girlfriend?!" She grinned "I never thought I'd see the day." Jace turned to face the window as he felt his face going red. "No Mom, he doesn't. And I never said that he did."