"Wo shi yi ge xi gua," Tessa said.
"You realize you just said that you were a watermelon right?" Jem laughed. Tessa shoved Jem playfully.
"It's not my fault I was born in America and not in China, alright?" Tessa huffed.
Jem raised his hands, as if he were surrendering. "But don't they have Chinese classes in America?" Sophie asked.
They were sitting around a wooden, circular table in the library, laughing at Tessa's horrible use of Mandarin, not that Sophie was any better though. It was mandatory to take a
language for university – so Jem was tutoring them on Mandarin.
"Sophie shi yi ge xi gua," Tessa smirked.
Sophie frowned. "Wait… Did you just…" Jem nodded, confirming Sophie's suspicions. "You can't call your best friend a watermelon, Tessa!" Sophie shouted.
"Miss Collins!" Mrs. Bird said, appearing out of nowhere. "You are in a library! Please be quiet!" Mrs. Bird was the school's librarian – thin and almost grayskinned. Mrs. Bird
actually did look like a bird, which had made Tessa laugh when Jem pointed it out.
"It was Jem, Mrs. Bird," Sophie blamed. Jem scoffed but then put on a charming smile.
"Mrs. Bird, please. I hope you can forgive us, as you are the most forgiving teacher in the Institute. It is no wonder you have been working here for so long. In all your thirty years
you truly were amazing," Jem said earnestly. Mrs. Bird blushed a fiery red.
"Yes, well, Mr. Carstairs," Mrs. Bird said, straightening and pushing up her glasses. "You all are forgiven." She turned on her heel and disappeared behind a bookshelf.
And then all three students bursted into laughter again. "Thirty years? She looked like she was sixty!" Tessa gasped out in laughter.
"That was laying it on so thick! I can't believe she didn't see through that, you suck up!" Sophie said, slapping her knee. Jem grinned.
"I learned it all from you," Jem winked.
It had taken some time for Sophie to warm up to Jem, but now they were going strong with their friendship. But truthfully, it was Tessa who put them together and now they were a
trio of friends.
"Halloween is coming up," Sophie stated, looking up from her Biology homework. Sophie laced her fingers together as she stared at her two friends expectantly.
But neither Jem nor Tessa looked up from their Mandarin homework. Sophie snapped her fingers. "Hello?" she asked.
Tessa kept her head down but Jem looked up. "I don't do Halloween," Jem said stiffly.
"Why not? It's the day to scare people," Sophie protested.
"Personal reasons," Jem said, with the same distant tone.
Sophie immediately backed out of the uncharted territory immediately. "Tessa?" Sophie asked.
"I've never been trickortreating, or went to a Halloween dance… I've never even dressed up," Tessa admitted, slightly ashamed. Jem and Sophie's mouths dropped open.
"That's it!" Sophie decided. "We're going trickortreating."
"But isn't that for little kids?" Jem asked.
"I have some friends in my neighbourhood. Every year we would dress up, go trickortreating with some family friends to the houses we know of course, in our neighbourhood,
then we would have a bonfire. It's really fun, trust me," Sophie promised.
Jem and Tessa shared an indiscreet look. "Alright," Tessa said. "I don't want to miss anything in my childhood."
"Only this time, Sophie. Just for you," Jem said.
Sophie clapped her hands. "Great. Now, Jem. What the heck does the human body react to when…"
…
"Where in the Angel is Jem?" Gabriel asked, groaning as he checked his phone for the time. He flopped onto the long leather couch, feet on his fraternal twin brother.
"He's been distant lately, Gabe," Gideon reasoned. "He always gets like this when Halloween arrives."
"But he's never been late to one of these meetings before," Gabriel protested.
William rubbed his temples, elbows resting on the bar. He spun around on the bar stool absentmindedly as he waited for James, who was an hour late. A week from Halloween, the
Shadowhunters would meet together for a Halloween prank. It was to be expected that all Shadowhunters came – even if they were having personal problems. That was how big
prank night was. It was to plan a prank at the Halloween dance.
But for the past month or so, Jem had been so distant. He rarely came to the Shadowhunter lounge anymore – and when he did, it was to get his things. During class, he didn't talk
to Will and barely spoke to Gideon or Gabriel. When he did, it was cold and distant, like he was holding a grudge.
Will still hated Tessa, and was still angry at her. Having Jem leave only added fuel to the fire. Will treated people even more roughly lately – even crueler. Even meaner.
But still, Will expected Jem to come to the Shadowhunter meetings. But he didn't. He never did anymore. Will rarely saw Jem anymore, which completely sucked.
He had lost his confidant, his best friend, his brother – and for what, Will didn't know. But for the times Will did see Jem, he seemed so much brighter… happier… Whoever was making Jem feel so happy was making Will feel jealous. For the past three years, Will had never seen Jem so cheerful.
Was it because of Will…? No. It can't be.
"We'll continue without James, then," Will decided.
"But Jem was always the brain, William," Gideon sighed. "It was always his ideas that worked."
"We don't need James," Will said, but even his voice sounded weak to him. Will sighed. "Halloween prank is cancelled," Will sighed dejectedly.
"Everyone is expecting a prank though, Will. It's Shadowhunter tradition," Gabriel interrupted.
"We don't have a prank, Gabriel," Will said coldly. "It doesn't matter. But do we all agree that James is out of the Shadowhunters?"
Silence met Will as they all registered his words. "Are you insane, William? The four of us started Shadowhunters. Jem was always the peacemaker. We wouldn't survive without
him," Gideon protested.
Will glared at the older boy. "Jem isn't here anymore. I guess that means the Shadowhunters are over."
With that, Will grabbed his jacket and set off to find another poor innocent soul to take his anger upon.
"Let's go stop him from killing someone, Gabe," Gideon sighed and the two twin brothers followed the angry Will, hurrying to stop his rage.
…
Tessa checked the music room, the library, checked his locker and even waited outside the boys' bathroom – but she couldn't find Jem. Had he already went home? School had left
off fifteen minutes before, and Tessa was looking for Jem. Jem had promised to teach her more Mandarin every Monday and Friday after school – and it was Friday.
Finally, she decided to check Jem's secret balcony. Gathering her books in her hands, she walked slowly to Jem's balcony – her messenger bag slapping against her thigh every time
she moved. The steady rhythm calmed Tessa's heart rate. Every Monday and Friday, it was always Jem who found Tessa first – but now Jem wasn't there, and Tessa was worried.
Tessa hiked up the stairs and she was almost at the clear, glass doors to the balcony when she heard the voices. Tessa peeked through to see two boys, arguing intensely.
"James! You've been leaving us," an accusing voice said. William Herondale.
"And for good reason!" Jem shouted back.
"Like what?" William retorted.
"You made others torture an innocent girl. Don't even pretend, William," Jem said solemnly.
"Oh. So it all goes back to Tessa, doesn't it, James?" William asked bitingly.
"Not only her, William! What about Felix? Or Kelly? Or Evan?" Jem shouted. "I'm tired of your ways, William. When Ella died, you changed. What would Ella want? You to destroy
yourself along with other people?" Jem yelled.
Then a shout came. Will had punched Jem. "Now you're physically hurting me too," Jem said, wiping the blood from his mouth. "What difference does it make, huh, Will? You've
already been hurting not only me, but so many others, emotionally already. Already used to it, eh?" Jem asked harshly. Never had Tessa seen Jem so cold. So angry.
Will was breathing hard and his eyes were glassy with tears, and they held rage. If a fight broke out on the balcony, someone would get hurt. And possibly even fall off the
Institute. They were on the third floor. A fatal fall.
Tessa immediately rushed outside. The winds were surprisingly fierce today, which made Tessa only more uneasy. "Stop!" Tessa shouted, standing in between Jem and Will. The
rage and anger were rolling off them was so obvious.
"Tessa, get out of the way," Jem said between his teeth.
"Leave, little girl. It's none of your business," Will said coldly.
"You both are complete idiots!" Tessa hollered, making everybody freeze. "You're fighting on a balcony. You know how dangerous that is? Not only that, but aren't you two suppose
to be best friends? Best friends don't fight like this," Tessa protested. "Get your act together and freaking calm down before you even talk!"
"So you showed her our hiding place too, did you Jem?" Will said harshly. Tessa froze. It was their hiding place. "What else did you tell her, huh, Jem? Did you tell her that it was
because of you that your parents died?"
Then Jem fell to the floor, eyes wide and mouth gaping. He collapsed onto his butt, and Jem looked absolutely stricken.
"What the heck did you do?" Tessa demanded.
"I didn't do anything," Will sneered, but Tessa thought she saw a flash of regret in his eyes. "I'm leaving. If you want to be sane and normal, come back and maybe then I'll accept
your apology."
Will stalked away but Tessa grabbed his arm before he could leave. Smack. Tessa's hand went flying across Will's face, successfully leaving a bright red mark on his cheek. "How
dare you?" Tessa demanded. "You bring up a topic that you knew Jem was sensitive about," Tessa said, eying Jem that had his head buried in his arms. "You torture other people
and Jem leaves you because he doesn't want to be a part of that anymore. How is that unexpected? I'm only surprised he didn't do it sooner. And you demand an apology from him?
How insane are you? Do you have any redeeming qualities, William? You are the one that should be apologizing to him."
William was silent as he fully took in the redcheeked, grayeyed girl, as if he was just seeing her. Tessa didn't know what Will was thinking, but she was afraid maybe Will was
going to hit her too. Tessa was breathing hard as she refused to flinch at his gaze.
"I…" Will said, looking down. He seemed to be at a loss for words. "What have I done?" Will asked quietly, more to himself than Tessa or Jem. "I… I need to go," Will said, pulling
out of Tessa's grip and walking away.
Tessa stared at Will's retreating figure blankly. An image was burned into Tessa's mind.
The defeat in Will's features. The slumped posture. And his eyes… His blue eyes that spoke legions. It was like he was reliving his past and felt… bad. Tessa had never seen William
Herondale so vulnerable and she wondered…
Did he have human feelings as well? Was he feeling guilt? Was there perhaps… another side to William Herondale?