Herondale High

Chapter 59- A Day We'll Never Forget (Part 4)

Jace's P.O.V.

I always hear stories about people who knew they were going to die and what happened. People that say they looked their attempted killer in the eye and stared them down while they waited for death to come. Others that say they saw God or a bright light or even their lives flash before their eyes but none of that happened with me. When I saw Amanda pull out the gun, I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come. I wondered if it would hurt or if it would kill me instantly and when I heard the shot, I thought maybe my body was numb. Maybe that was why no pain had come. I wondered what people would think. How bad does that sound? What could have been my last thought was Will people think I'm a coward for just waiting for the shot to come. They wouldn't. I don't know what they would've thought but I wasn't gonna find out anytime soon.

I didn't open my eyes until I heard Clary scream the only words that made me wish the bullet had hit me. "Josette!" My eyes shot open and I saw Josette and for some reason, I thought about the first time I had met her. I remembered her sitting at a table in a sweater and jeans. She looked so normal it shocked me that this girl, the one who looked just like another kid, someone Alec might hang out with, was trying to steal my birthright.

That same girl, dressed in a sweater and jeans, lay crumbled on the ground in front of me with a red stain spreading across it as the blood-soaked into it and for some reason, my brain thought, Josette's gonna be pissed Amanda stained her sweater. I later found out it was because my brain went into shock from seeing my sister dying after taking a bullet for me but it wasn't until I heard Alec yell, "What did you do?" that I snapped out of my shock. It was like some instinct I didn't know I had caused me to drop out on my seat onto my knees to put pressure on the wound. Amanda pointed the gun at Alec and screamed for him to stay back before turning it to me.

"Get up. Get away from her."

"Amanda if I stop putting pressure on the wound she'll die."

"Good, she deserves it. The bullet was meant for you but it's a good thing, I guess, because you and I can leave and start over together." I give her a 'you're kidding, right' look. "We can start over or I can kill all your friends starting with the closest thing you have to family. Alexander and Isabelle."

I put my hands up as I stand. "No, I'll come with you." We start to walk towards the door as she points the gun at my hand. By the angel, I wish I knew how psychotic she was before I got involved with her.

As we walk slowly towards the door, she starts talking. "I know you're a little upset Jace, but Josette was necessary collateral damage, we can't have one of your whores trying to ruin our relationship and she's the only one with the balls to try."

I go to say something in response but someone beats me to it. "You're right, you know. I can't just let you take Jace." Amanda spins around quickly but that's exactly what Josette wants as she somehow manages to take the gun out of Amanda's hands and into her own before hitting Amanda in the head hard enough to knock her out before finishing. "And by the way, I'm not his whore, I'm his sister you psycho bitch!" She spits out with venom I've never heard her speak to anyone else with before.

She seems to lose whatever adrenaline allowed her to overpower Amanda and passes out. Before she can hit the floor, I catch her. Jake, Zach, and Magnus rush over to me and take over caring for her, seeming to know what to do. I just sit on the ground with my sister's head on my lap, stroking her hair, praying to anyone that will listen that my sister won't die saving me. I hear whispers around me asking questions about if she's my sister and if anyone knew but I tune them out. I vaguely hear Izzy yell that we are brother and sister and to get away from us and leave the cafeteria.

I space out for a while, still stroking her hair and praying she'll be okay, when I see Clary's stepfather waving his hand in front of my face. He says something about shock and I see some paramedics put Josette on a stretcher while Luke and Clary lead me out to a separate ambulance. I hear the paramedics ask if there is someone at the school that should be going with her and then I hear Luke say, "Oh My God, I know her. Her dads just died. They were good people, this seems like something one of them would do. They would be proud. I don't think they had any other family though. I can go."

This seems to snap me out of whatever I was in and I cut in. "No, I'll go with her and she does have family. I'm her brother. I have to be there when she wakes up. She can't think I've abandoned her again! She can't!." I'm yelling but I can't stop. They have to let me go with her, they have to.

"It's okay son, you can go. Clary why don't you come as well, just so I can make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine Luke but I want to go. Can I stay with Josie and Jace?" Clary asks.

"Both of you will only be able to go so far but I'll see what I can do. Let's go." We pile into the ambulance and I immediately grab Josette's hand. I don't know if she can hear me but I keep telling her I'm here for her. I keep saying it until a nurse takes her gurney and rushes her to surgery while I'm left in the waiting room with Clary and once the police get done questioning the people at school, Alec, Izzy, Magnus, Jake, Zach, and Jake's brother Eddie. All I can think about while we wait is how bad of a brother I've been. How I didn't want people at the school to know we were related, but the thing that always pops into my mind is the thought that she didn't even think twice before taking a bullet for me and even after taking a bullet, with what could've been her last action, she saved me one last time.