"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about joining."
Tessa huffed annoyedly, as she turned around in her seat to look at Will. It was the next day, and Tessa had barely gotten any sleep the night before. She still couldn't believe they had asked her to join their gang.
"Yes, and stop asking me that. It's annoying." Tessa muttered.
Will shook his head. "You don't want to join, trust me."
She scoffed. "Trust you? Really?"
Will rolled his eyes, annoyed. "I'm trying to give you advice. This kind of stuff - it isn't for people like you."
"Oh really? And what I am like?" Tessa challenged.
"A goody-two shoes. You're too nice and shy for this kind of stuff. You'd never survive." He sounded annoyed.
Tessa only huffed, and remained silent, secretly knowing that he was right. She was too much of a goody to do this kind of stuff. And getting a tattoo? That sounded like a very painful experience that she didn't want to have to face. But there was something about it that pulled her to it. Maybe it was the badness of it, the not knowing what to expect.
"And you're too innocent." Will finished.
"I get it." Tessa muttered, rolling her eyes.
Will only studied her, his blue eyes searching her grey ones, and she felt herself turning red. Even though she hated him, when he looked at her she felt as if he was running his finger tips along her skin. Tessa only turned back to her work, and ignored him. She worked hard all the way up until lunch, and then found herself sitting in cafeteria with everyone, except for Will. Tessa had no idea where he was.
"Have you been thinking about it?" Clary asked.
"Yeah, a lot." Tessa replied. "But I'm still not sure."
"You have two more days, don't worry about it." Isabelle spoke.
"Will's totally against me joining." Tessa muttered.
Cecily scoffed. "That's just how he is. Don't worry about him. You can make decisions for yourself."
Tessa only sighed, and they started to talk about something else. She decided to go back up to her desk early, and she said goodbye to all of them. Tessa walked to the elevator and pressed the button. She walked in and just before it was about to close, Will slipped inside. The doors closed behind him, and they both stood there silently.
Tessa made a sound. "You smell of smoke."
"Congratulations, you have a sense of smell." He rolled his eyes, annoyed.
Tessa was about to say something, when the elevator made a weird sound and stopped moving.
Will swore. "It stopped working."
"How long do you think we'll be stuck in here for?" Tessa asked nervously. She got claustrophobic.
Will shrugged carelessly. "Whenever those idiot maintenance people figure out what's wrong with it. It could take awhile."
"Great." Tessa muttered. "Of course I'd have to be stuck in here with you."
Will glared at her fiercely, while sitting down. "Trust me, you're not the first person I'd pick either."
Tessa only huffed and begrudgingly sat down beside him. She was thankful that the lights were still on. The last thing she wanted to do was be stuck in the dark with Will. Tessa pulled out her phone, to see that there was a text from Jem.
Jem Carstairs: They're offering an earlier flight to New York so I'm going to take it. I'll be there in a week now :)
Tessa's eyes lit up.
Tessa Gray: Yes!! Can't wait.
Jem Carstairs: I love you.
Tessa Gray: Love you too.
"Who's Jem?" Will asked, reading Tessa's texts.
She glared at him. "Stop reading my texts. And he's my boyfriend."
"Oh, I thought you'd been lying about having a boyfriend." Will spoke casually.
Tessa only rolled her eyes at him.
"You know if you joined, you couldn't tell him." He said.
Tessa frowned. She hadn't even thought of what would happen between her and Jem if she joined the gang.
"Didn't think of that did you?" Will laughed dryly.
"You're such an asshole." She spat.
"Tell something I don't know, princess." Will rolled his eyes, looking bored.
Tessa sighed tiredly. "I'm so tired of fighting with you. Why can't you just stop being rude to me?"
Will didn't say anything, and Tessa turned to look at him.
"Why don't you like me?" She asked seriously.
"Because you act like you're so perfect!" Will exclaimed suddenly. "You're so smart and nice and you have everything! Your life is perfect."
"Are you kidding me?" Tessa said, disbelievingly. "You know nothing about my life."
"I don't have to, I can just tell." He spoke bitterly. "You--"
"My aunt has cancer." Tessa heard herself say. "My brother got up and left to London and left me here to take care of our aunt. I never knew my parents. I was bullied in high school. So no, my life isn't perfect and I don't have everything."
She turned to look at Will, angrily, to see that his cheeks were flushed, and for once he didn't seem to know what to say. He was silent for a few seconds.
"What? You have no more insults for me?" Tessa asked, angrily.
Will sighed. "Fine, I don't know anything about your life. I -- I shouldn't have said all of that."
Her eyes widened. "Did you just apologize?"
"No." He snapped, but it was too late, Tessa was already grinning with victory.
"I can't believe I told you all of that." Tessa's grin faded. "I never talk about that."
"I won't tell anyone." Will grumbled.
"Thanks." Tessa mumbled.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, until the elevator finally started to move again. Thank god that's over, Tessa thought to herself.
* * *
"She's going to say yes." Clary said.
Will sat in headquarters with everyone else, that evening.
"I hope not." He said.
"Why the hell are you so against her?" Simon raised an eyebrow.
Will scowled, and looked away from Simon. Deep down inside of him, he knew that he didn't want her to join because - God, he couldn't even say it - he would worry about her. Somehow, he didn't want to tarnish her good reputation. Tessa had everything going for her, and he didn't want her to ruin it. Not that he would ever actually admit it.
"I don't like her." Will shrugged, lying.
"Well, you'll have to learn to." Cecily piped up. "I agree with Clary, she'll join."
"Do you guys think we're making a mistake?" Gabriel asked hesitantly. "She doesn't seem very gutsy."
"That's because she's never been given the chance." Isabelle spoke up. "She'll be the bravest one out of any of us. Just wait."
Will only looked away from Isabelle, and took a sip of his beer. She won't join, he told himself. She won't.