RNIATM: chapter three

Right Now Is All That Matters: chapter three. 

Isabelle:

“Alec, hurry up,” Isabelle called up the steps, pulling her hair into a ponytail. She leaned against the wall.

“Coming,” came Alec’s answer a moment later. “One sec.” A few minutes later he came running down the steps, holding a notebook.

“What’s that for?” Izzy nodded toward the notebook. Alec glanced at it and replied, “Gift ideas and stuff.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Really, Alec? Come on.” She grabbed her brother’s arm and pulled him over to the door and dragged him outside and down the Institute steps.

“Remind me why I’m going along with this again?” Alec sighed.

“Because you asked me to come,” Isabelle replied brightly walking faster. “And swe hae to get you a Christmas present for Magnus.” She eyed him warily. “And some new clothes.”

“No!” Alec objected instantly. .

“Yes!” she grinned.

Alec groaned.

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Magnus:

“Hey, Clary?” Magnus asked as he entered the kitchen. “Could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?” She looked up curiously from her sketchbook at the kitchen table.

“Do you think you could go shopping with me to find Alec a present?”

“Yes!” Clary said, beginning to get excited. “And you can help me buy Jace a present.”

“Deal.” Magnus grinned.

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Jace:

Jace gritted his teeth as Simon laughed even harder.

“Are you- are you actually asking for my help?” he crowed.

“Shut up,” snapped Jace. “i am not. I simply- simply said that if you want to tag along while I find a present for Clary, you could.”

Simon grinned. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.” Simon frowned. “Okay, that was a completely unintentional TFIOS reference.”

“TFIOS?” Jacee was confused.

Simon waved his hand. “Nothing. Nerd stuff. John Green.”

“John Green?”

Simon sighed dramatically. “When do we go?”

“Now.”

“Now?” Simon echoed, surprised.

“Now.”

“I’m eating!”

“Oh well.” Jace scowled.

“No.” Simon sat back. “You want my help, you let me eat my food.”

He raised an eyebrow. There was a long pause.

“Fine,” Jace snapped, and stalked out of the room.

Simon grinned to himself, silently celebrating his victory.

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Alec:

Alec was a bit worried.  He needed a Christmas gift for, well, everyone. And he didn't have any. That was basically the only reason he asked Isabelle to help him. 

"Hello, earth to Alec??" Someone waved a hand in his face. 

"Huh?" He looked up. Izzy stood in front of him, looking annoyed. 

"Did you even hear what I just said?" she demanded. 

"Uh, no," Alec said sheepishly. "Sorry, Iz."

Scowling, she showed him a brown T-shirt that said Dungeons and Dragons with a picture of the game and a blue shirt that said I BLOGGED YOUR MOM on it. "Do you think Simon would like these?" she asked. 

Alec rolled his eyes. "Definitely. He's a major nerd."

Isabelle smiled a bit. "So are you!" She poked him. 

"Yeah, but I don't go around quoting D&D all the time or Star Wars," Alec pointed out. 

Isabelle fake gasped. "You called it D&D!" she cried. "Simon's rubbing off on you!"

Alec grinned. "Whatever," was his answer. 

He wasn't as happy inside, though. He still hadn't found Magnus the perfect gift. 

Clary:

"Now, biscuit, where exactly are we going?" Magnus inquired as they made there way through the streets. 

"Well, I was thinking Target for now," she answered. 

"Sounds good. But"- Magnus wrinkled his nose- "the clothes aren't as good there as they are at, say, the Gap."

Clary laughed. "I like Target," she said. "Besides, who says your fashion tastes are even good enough for Gap?" she teased. 

Magnus gasped loudly. At first she thought he was joking, but she looked up at him and realized he was actually offended. 

"I'm sorry," she said, half giggling. "I was only teasing you."

"I realize that," he answered, sounding miffed. 

She touched his arm. "Magnus, come on, you know I was just kidding." She paused, trying to think of something to say. "Besides, your fashion tastes are so spectacular, if you even looked at Gap the whole store would disintegrate into ruins."

Magnus was clearly suppressing a smile. "Yes, I do suppose you are right," he said finally as they turned a corner. "My taste in fashion is spectacular." He smirked. "And Magnus-ificant."

Clary laughed. "Clever," she appreciatively. 

"I know." Magnus hastened his pace, hips swaying as he glanced back at her and grinned. 

Jace:

Jace had no idea where Simon was. Last he remembered, Rat Boy was browsing among a rack of nerd shirts. He had left him there to go find something actually worth looking at. What did Isabelle see in him, anyway?

He had grabbed some paint brushes (the package said they ranged from fine tipped to widespread, although Jace had no idea what that meant and was unsure why you'd need that many brushes in one pack), a pack full of one hundred colored pencils, several sketchbooks, and a cheap on-clearance poster of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night for Clary, but he wanted something even better. 

Something more worthy of his beautiful girlfriend. Something perfect. Jace smirked. Like himself. 

He walked through the store, trying to find Simon, but that was a bit difficult, seeing as the store didn't just have a label hanging over an aisle saying NERD STUFF HERE. 

He planned on finding Simon, going to Taki's to eat (he was starving) and cleverly finding a way to rope Simon into helping him find the right gift without letting him into th fact that he was begging for help. 

Not paying any attention to where he was going, Jace tripped over a box and landed on the ground, sprawled all over the place. "Ouch," he mumbled. 

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" a voice that sounded way to familiar said. 

He looked up to a very pretty tall girl with red hair, a slim figure , and a store uniform. She had freckles all over her face and was looking very energetic, her frizzy hair pulled into a loose ponytail. 

"Oh!" She looked very surprised and smiled, holding out her hand. "Hi!"

Jace sucked in a breath. Oh, by the Angel, he thought  desperately as he stared up into her gorgeous blue eyes. 

"Ari." The word came out in a whisper. "Hey."