Inside of Me ━ Isabelle Lightwood

VIII. PARTY ANIMAL

Sleep had never been Isaac's friend. He blamed his adoptive father and the countless nights he was plagued by fear so that he couldn't even close his eyes. And then, finally when his father died, he thought he could sleep. The person who haunted him was dead, and Isaac believed that sleep would rejoin him easily. Yet, he was wrong.

Nightmares came during the night and decided to take place of fear. Maybe he no longer feared reality, but he had begun to fear his dreams. Monster. He could see the people he cared about dearly looking at him in disgust and calling him a monster, and it only became worse once Allison died.

Then, it wasn't just monster. He could see Allison in his dreams, looking at him in anger, the same plunge in her stomach and blood seeping through her clothing – just like the day she had died. "You could have saved me," she said calmly yet angry at him, "if only you were better...if you were stronger."

And tonight was no different. Isaac laid awake, in an unusual bed in a terrain that he wasn't used to, trying to find sleep when none came. He let out a huge breath as he continued to stare up at the ceiling, which was hidden by the moonlight but perfectly clear to him because of his heightened senses.

It was also because of that, that he heard shouting across the Institute from none other than Simon Lewis himself. From hearing his voice, Isaac let out a large groan because it was late, he hadn't slept, and really he did not want to deal with a whiney teenage boy who was helplessly pinning for him best friend. Really, Isaac didn't hate him, just thought that his presence was never needed and they were much better with him inside his house and living a mundane life. It would bring him much more joy that having to deal with him day after day. Isaac didn't know how Clary could stand him, but never voiced his opinion is case of hurting his relationship with the redhead. Because he held their friendship close to him, and didn't know what he would do if it were tarnished.

"Simon," he heard Clary say as he walked into the room in which Simon was fleeing from, "what are you doing?"

The mundane turned back to his best friend for a second, "I already told Isabelle, they can't keep me prisoner here."

"Prisoner? Wait, what...Simon!" she called after him again, "Where are you going?"

Isaac knew what it was like to be kept a prisoner. Locked in a house that you can't leave with a father you can never outrun. A tyrant, keeping you locked in so that he could always harm when the stress became too much. But Simon was hardly a prisoner, he was a guest who didn't have manners.

"I'm going home, Clary," Simon finally stopped, "And if you haven't already completely drunk their Kool-Aid, then you're coming with me."

"You know I can't," Clary said sadly, and Isaac could tell that she was thinking about her mother. Both knew that she would do anything to turn back the clock and go back to the life she once had, but that life was gone now, and she can't go back.

"Yes, you can, it's..." Simon trailed off, lowering his voice and looking intensely into Clary's eyes, "It's not safe here."

The elevator dinged and their attention went to Jace, who was standing near it with his arms crossed, "In fact, this is the safest place she could possibly be."

"You don't get to talk to me, Captain America," Simon pointed angrily at the blonde Shadowhunter.

"Considering I'm the guy with the weapons, I get to say what I want."

"Jace," Isaac warned, "don't. And Clary, just let Simon leave. It's what he wants, he'll come back soon, either way."

"Okay, come at me, bro!" Simon screamed, ignoring Isaac because he truly thought he would never return to the Institute.