Will threw another dart at the dartboard, hitting the wall next to it. "Your aim sucks, Will," Gabriel smirked as he hit the
cue ball at the purple number nine. He was versing Gideon, his twin, though he was losing horribly.
"Says the boy who's losing every pool match," Will scoffed.
"You're the one who has five darts stuck in the wall," Gabriel said, rolling his eyes.
"Both of you, shut up and let me win this," Gideon said, leaning over the pool table. Will and Gabriel simultaneously rolled their eyes.
"You all are giving me a headache, you know," Jem said as he turned the page in his book.
"I'm not done with you Jem. Why in the Angel's name would you side with that girl?" Will asked, glaring sharply at his best friend. Jem only chuckled lightly and continued reading.
"It's called being fair, Will. You should try it sometimes," Jem said, keeping his eyes on the pages.
Will scowled before returning to his darts. Once again, he missed, hitting the wall next to the board.
Will retrieved the darts from the wall and angrily, punched the wall, leaving a hole in it. "Will, you realize this is school property right?" Jem asked, looking up from his book. His
legs were crossed as he looked up at Will, amused.
Yes, they were in the school, a lounge specially reserved for them. There was a bar, a flat screen, couches – it was all decked out. The power of the Shadowhunters – and the
absolute joke of a principal was so easy to manipulate.
One threat, and an entire lounge – probably bigger than little Tessa's entire house – was given to the Shadowhunters. It was often their hangout, where no one dared to enter
without permission.
"Whatever. You know Freed would never do anything even if we burn the Institute down," Will said. He plopped onto the leather couch, putting his feet on Jem's lap who was sitting
on the other end of the couch. Will kicked Jem's book aside, lying down and putting his hands behind his head, supporting it.
"You know, you aren't that nice, William," Jem said, looking at Will.
"But you're still here," Will shrugged, smiling at his best friend.
"I treat you way too nice, don't I?" Jem laughed.
"That's a fact right there," Gabriel chuckled. "Everybody treats Prince Will way too nicely."
"That's why we have Theresa Gray – isn't it?" Gideon said, eyes still on the cue ball.
Will snarled at her name. "Feisty one, isn't she?" Gabriel said. "Think I should go for her, Will?"
Will was up in a flash. "You shut up," he growled.
"No, Gabe," Gideon drawled. "I got dibs." Then Will ran to Gabriel and Gideon, aiming to punch them both. But the Lightwood brothers were ready. They ducked out of reach and
high fived each other. "A little too slow, Will," Gideon laughed.
"Oh come on, Gideon," Jem said, standing up at last.
"Thank you, James," Will sighed. "Someone who is mature and wise."
"I called dibs before you did," Jem barked, laughing and ducking out of Will's reach.
"You absolute…" Will started.
"Don't swear, Will. Not in a church," Gabriel winked. The Institute was an old church, it was true, but playing that card on Will was just low. And the three Shadowhunters ran
around in the lounge, ducking the swearing and dangerous William Herondale.
Will chased his best friends with upraised fists, swearing in several languages at them – English, Welsh, French, Spanish – all languages his uncle forced him to learn. "I will kill you
all," Will swore.
"It's not good to talk about murder in a church, Will," Gabriel said sarcastically. Will lunged at them while they laughed, still running around.
Finally, all four Shadowhunters fell onto the couch in a heap – the Lightwood brothers on the side and Will and Jem squashed in the middle.
"That Gray girl needs to be punished. Think we can get our fan girls to do something?" Will asked.
"Fan girls? More like fanged girls. Yesterday, one tried to tear my clothes off. With her teeth," Gabriel scowled. Will barked out laughter, but a frown quickly settled in his features.
"She needs to know the order around this school. Who does she think she is?" Will said, crossing his arms.
"William, don't," Jem warned. "It's going to end badly. You know that." Will ignored Jem, thinking of ways to get her back.
"Hey, she's in my English Lit class…" Will pondered. "Gabriel, think you can hook me up with some glue? And feathers?"
"Oh, grow up, Will," Jem said, shoving a pillow in Will's face. "Glue and feathers? Can you be more of a five year old?"
"Fine. Gabriel, think you can hook me up with gasoline and fire?" Will asked sarcastically. Jem elbowed Will's ribs as hard as he could. "Ow! James, stop it!"
"You're really stupid, you know that William?" Jem asked, standing up before slamming another pillow in his face.
"Why in the name of the Angel are you so defensive? You weren't like this when we got Fredrick expelled," Will said, throwing the couch pillow across the room.
Jem sighed heavily. "It was wrong and it was a horrible mistake. And his name wasn't Fredrick, William. It was Felix, and you know that."
"Whatever, James," Will said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "My point is that you didn't care when Finn got expelled, but why do you care when this girl does?"
"It's Felix," Jem said, turning around to get a drink from the bar. He poured himself a glass of water and chugged it down. Will walked closer to his friend.
"Why do you care now?" Will whispered.
"Because I feel guilty!" Jem shouted, shoving Will away. Will was shocked. "You drove me to my breaking point, Will. You are my brother, and I love you, but there are things I
cannot stand for. People fear my name when they speak it in the hallways. It's like I'm freaking Voldemort."
"As they should, James!" Will retorted. "We're the Shadowhunters. We're better than them."
Jem shook his head as Gabriel and Gideon watched in silence. "Will, just stop. You are not like this. What happened to you? My brother? The one that was kind? I've had enough of
watching you destroy yourself for the past three years." Jem shoved Will as hard as he could, causing Will to stumble back. "Three years, William!" Jem shouted.
"James… James, I'm sorry," Will apologized, looking at his feet. Jem exhaled.
"You know what I hate about you, William?" Jem asked.
"What?" Will said, looking back up.
"I can never hate you for long."
Will pulled Jem into a hug, calming his racing heart. "You guys are like bipolar teenage girls in their time of month, you know?" Gabriel said.
"I know," Will laughed. Jem clapped Will's back before pouring another glass of water to drink.
Then a light bulb went off in Will's head. "By the Angel," Will breathed.
"What?" Gideon asked.
"I know why Tessa is so… wenchlike to me," Will said, supplying wenchlike for another stronger word he wanted to use. But he was on shaky ground with Jem, so he didn't dare
call Tessa anything else. Will started laughing. Why didn't he figure it out before? It was so obvious. Will face palmed himself for not thinking of it sooner.
"Why? Humour us, William," Gabriel said, reclining on the couch and propping his feet on his brother's lap.
"Because she likes me."
And Jem spat out his water, spit and water flying everywhere. Gideon was laughing and clutching his stomach while Gabriel fell off the couch laughing and was punching the floor.
"Will, stop!" Gabriel laughed. "I can't take it anymore. Ah, you really are funny, aren't you?" he laughed.
"I'm being serious," Will said.
Everyone froze. "I knew you were dumb but I didn't think you were crazy!" Gabriel said, throwing a pillow at Will.
But the gears were turning in Will's head as he thought about this more and more. "I mean, come on! All girls want my attention right?"
Jem rolled his eyes. "Ego alert much?" Jem said, taking a sip of his water.
Will continued as if Jem hadn't said a thing. "And every girl tries to get my attention by latching themselves onto me! But Tessa is clever. Oh that wench," Will smirked.
"What?" Gideon asked.
"She's trying to get my attention by being mean to me!" Will said, snapping his fingers. He waited for the applause to greet him for his genius thought, but nope. Instead, he got a
pillow to the face.
"You're loony, William," Gabriel said.
"Think about it! She has my attention now! Don't you see?" Will pressed.
"Well… it's possible…" Gideon started.
"Gideon stop. I don't want you catching his freaking disease as well," Gabriel said.
Will sat down in an armchair and leaned forward. "I have no idea what you smoked, William, but it's time to stop," Jem said slowly.
"I'm not insane, James," Will said, straightening. "I'm serious. Tessa is like this because she wants my attention.
Gabriel walked over to Will and slapped him hard across the face. "Wake up, Herondale!" Gabriel shouted in his ear. Will scowled and shoved him back onto the couch.
"I am fully capable of hearing you. No need to yell it into my beautiful ear," Will said.
"Will… are you sure?" Jem asked.
"It makes sense doesn't it? Doesn't the saying go: Two plus two equals five?" Will asked.
Gideon, Gabriel and Jem simultaneously face palmed. "And he's an English Literature major? And he gets good grades in the school? What has this world come to?" Gabriel asked.
Will growled and threw yet another pillow at him, which he dodged.
"Please, let's do some work now please. Freaking Miss Ervine wants me to write a full report on statistics and stocks," Gideon said, rubbing his temples. "We can talk about this
farce of an idea
"First day and you got homework? Sucks to be you," Will smirked.
"I have work to do, too, Will," Jem said, standing up.
"Aw, come on! Not you too!" Will whined.
"Have to write a song for class. Extra credit for Mr. Roland," Jem said.
"You have enough credits to graduate right now, Jem," Will said, rolling his eyes.
"But extra credit is good – just in case if I decide to go to Oxford or whatever," Jem shrugged. Gideon already had his bag slung on his shoulder.
"Me too. Cecily and I are meeting to do our painting together," Gabriel said.
"You better not try anything on my sister," Will said, narrowing his eyes. Gabriel smirked.
"No promises," he winked, but before Will could smack him, his three friends left the lounge to go to work.
Will picked up a dart from the coffee table in front of him. He was once again alone with his thoughts. With one fluid motion, he released the dart from his hand – hitting the exact
center of the board. Will smirked. I know your plan now, Tess. You aren't fooling anybody. And Will enjoyed the moment of him being right – as always – and watched the empty
air, chuckling to himself, for Will was right.
Or so he thought.