Chasing Reality.

3 - "That guy?"

In retrospect, Clary didn't have many conversations with Valerie - that's if you rule out lab partners, student council, classmates, the usual daily stuff. There were no sleepovers, no shopping sprees, no restroom conventions, but here, right now, they were bond sisters.

Clary could definitely relate, to the anger and resentment, to the guilt and shame, to the pain and fear. The only difference was, Clary had dropped all of it-kinda all-at the lake at church camp that summer. Sure, it reared it's ugly head sometimes but, the shoulder of Christ was always available to cry on.

But to Clary, it seems that Valerie had no shoulder to cry on, even if she did, it wasn't Christ. Clary felt a twinge of pity for Valerie and spent a lot of her special time alone thinking about her. So much of her time that Milo startled her so badly she almost fell off her seat if not for trusty Diego who steadied her.

"Geez! What did you do that for?!" Clary barked once she regained her bearings? "You almost killed me!"

Milo propped up next to her on the wall and took a leaning position on the wall with his arms crossed, followed by a still laughing Almira - who made no attempt to stop the oncoming assault on Clary - who took a seat on Clary's right. "Relax bambino, I didn't think you were that lost in thought." He said still sniggering.

"Didn't think she was that lost in thought? She's almost always lost in thought, Milo." Diego came to the rescue, shushing Clary's reply before it came out of her mouth.

"I was just having some fun, that meeting was so boring. Besides Clary understands, right Clary?" Milo said, leaning off the wall. Standing tall, he was a man to be reckoned with, rising to six feet nine, he looms over a lot of people, with his hard gaze aimed at you, you would pray to just disappear. And that gaze existed for Diego at the moment, even if he was asking clary a question.

"Don't you dare use the meeting as an excuse for scaring a girl half to death-"

"Um, Diego, I'm not really that -" Clary tried to cut in, but Diego was still going on and on about how what Milo did was childish.

It wasn't that this group of friends didn't get along, they did, most of the time. The problem was that they had petty fights all the time. So even after a long train ride together to the breathtaking countryside of Tuscany, they still had a fresh argument going on.

The gang departed once they arrived in Florence, each person headed for their haven, knowing fully well that they would be put together again tomorrow.

***

Dante watched the lazy lure of the leaves, he watched so intently that he thought he was flowing with the breeze too. The class he was tutoring were busy with the activity he gave them. He'd probably give them more time, he thought. He had ordered a special kind of paint for Clary, assuming she would still be able to be painted.

Dante took his time and drifted into his thoughts, it was no wonder he didn't notice the gang arrive from the Institute until they were right in front of him.

"Good Morning Mr Dee." Diego greeted cheerfully. "We made it in one piece."

"Yes, I noticed, Diego." He answered after giving off a subtle groan. He was not getting any younger, time was fast approaching when he would retreat to the confines of his country house but now was not the time. He chased those thoughts away as he got up from his seat. "Are they all assembled?"

"Yes, Mr Dee," Diego answered.

"Alright, then, let's go." Dante rose with a grunt and walked back to the Institute, with Diego not far behind.

His office brought back memories, lots of them, but one stood out most, his memories of Clary and her first months there. How far she had gone, with motivation, space and the right company, she flourished. He was so proud of her, so proud he ordered something special for her.