Love You With A Burning Passion

Sometimes You Just Have To Speak

Part Two- Isabelle

Sometimes You Just Have To Speak

 

Isabelle saw Simon occasionally on the street. They didn’t really speak much except for saying Hi to each other. Sometimes  Isabelle wants him to stop being so oblivious and just sweep her off her feet, but then she scolds herself for thinking like that. In reality Isabelle can’t even date Simon. The Clave won’t allow it, but that’s not what’s holding her back. She’s scared. She won’t admit it, but she is. She’s so scared of how he makes her feel.

Maybe because without her even knowing it, she let Simon in. Over the past few weeks slowly, but surely, she was getting to know him more. Of course he was doing most of the talking. She would just sit there and watch him. Occasionally she’d give some half-hearted comment to make it look like she wasn’t paying attention. Oh, but she totally was. She kind of hopes that he could tell that she was, but his body posture and eyes gave it away that he doesn’t know. He believes she isn’t paying attention. Sometimes being near Simon was just too much for her to handle. He’s so funny. Not, that she would ever admit that to him.

It was half past twelve and here she was sitting on a park bench, waiting for Simon to meet up with her. He actually doesn’t know he is meeting her. He thinks he is meeting Clary. Which he was more than happy to say yes to. Isabelle was looking down at the ground, fiddling with the sleeves of her long sweater dress. It was a dark grey swirling pattern sewed through out. It was one of her favorites when it came to be winter.

The park was abnormally empty at this time of the day. Footsteps started to draw near. They weren’t fast pace, so Isabelle knew it wasn’t a runner. Also the footsteps were too light to be human. It was Simon.

“Hey. Where’s Clary?” Simon asked. Isabelle stood up, brushed herself off, and then turned to face him.

“She said she couldn’t make it.” Isabelle lied to him.

“Oh.” Was his response. Simon shifted and shoved his hands in the font pockets of his jeans. Isabelle waited, staring at him with one brow raised. He cleared his throat. “Umm. Do you, uhh. Want to umm, walk” He motioned in front of them, to the well worn path of the runners. Isabelle didn’t respond, she just started walking. Behind her she heard Simon sigh a breath of relief. As if he was so nervous that she wouldn’t like his suggestion.

Since he couldn’t see her, she rolled her eyes at him. He was so stupid, if she didn’t want to hang out with him she wouldn’t have showed up. Within a few strides Simon was walking beside her.

“How come you’ve been ignoring me?” Simon asked her. Isabelle gave him a side look. Sure she was aware that she was ignoring him, but she didn’t think that he knew. She didn’t know that he noticed.

“What do you mean? We say hi everytime we pass each other. I’ve asked you how you were doing on a few occasions.” Isabelle told him innocently.

Simon sighed heavily, and ran  his finger through his hair. “That’s not what I meant Isabelle.”

This time Isabelle stopped walking, and pulled him so he was standing in front of her. He wasn’t scared, just off. Something was off with him. His Mark of Cain was was still glittering on his forehead, she could see it through his hair that fell perfectly down onto his eyes, without completely covering them.

“Then what do you mean Simon?” Isabelle asked him sharply.

Simon made a wild gesture with his hands, anger was evident on his face. “I mean you are avoiding me. I know, because everytime I try to ask you if you want to hang out you always make up an excuse. ‘Clary’s not here, Jace needs me to do this pointless thing that I really don’t want to do but don’t want to hang out with you either.’” Simon told her angrily. His eyes were fierce with frustration in them.

Isabelle took a step back, away from him. Simon noticed and calmed down. “I. . . Simon, I’m sorry. I just. Why does it matter to you?” Isabelle’s voice went from being soft and kind to angry and guarded.

Simon took another deep breath, Isabelle had battled a lot of vampires before, but she couldn’t hurt Simon. The Mark would kill her. “I care a lot about you Izzy. I always have. Clary and I are just friends. I. . . I know that in the past I may have said somethings involving Clary that may have lead you to think I care about her more than I care about you, but that isn’t true. Izzy I really care about you a lot. And sometimes you don’t even care! I mean one second you act like you might like me then the next you seem to hate me!” Simon poured his heart out to her.

This time Isabelle had no response, not because she hated him, but because she was speechless.

“I watched my brothers give their hearts away and think. Don’t you know better. Hearts are breakable. And  even when you heal you’re never what you were before.”(Copyright to Cassandra Clare.)  Isabelle told him.

“Maybe you’re better. I know I am.” (Copyright to Cassandra Clare), Simon responded to Isabelle, he took a step forward. Countering the one she took backwards.

“Clary? You mean Clary.” (Copyright Cassandra Clare), Isabelle asked him.

“Yes, because for the longest of times, I thought I was in love with her. But then I met you and I realized that I have just been fooling myself. You were the one who told me to get over Clary, because she’s with Jace.” There was some slight bitterness in his voice towards the end.

“I did? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too. I just.” Isabelle started.

Simon held up his hand and shook his head. “No, it’s okay. You were kind of really drunk that night.”

Isabelle couldn’t help but laugh at her own stupidity. Simon smiled at her.

“You know if you would stop acting so cold and if you would smile a lot more. It would make things between us a lot easier. That way every time we met we won’t be arguing with each other.” Simon said.

Isabelle could have denied him, or got mad with him, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “What if I like it this way? What if I like things difficult?”

“Well, then I don’t believe you. I think you just need to go get some hot chocolate with me.” Simon told her.

Isabelle laughed at him, “You don’t even drink hot chocolate.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t ask you to go and get some with me.” Simon responded to her.

Together the two of them headed towards the Sweet Shop down the street from the Institute. As they walked under the canopy of trees to get out of the park, Simon reached for Isabelle’s hand. Isabelle let him hold her hand, despite that they were very cold. Isabelle grinned to herself, because for once he didn’t run away. He stayed with her.