Life As Clarissa Morgenstern

Chapter Twenty-six

Clary's POV

I left for Harvard two weeks later. So that I could get settled into the apartment my dad got me. He didn't want me to be on campus, where bad things can happen.

Its been two months since I left New York and so far, I haven't made any friends. It's hard when everyone is older than you.

Now, I've been sitting at a picnic table outside, eating my lunch.

"Hey." A group sat down at my table. Four guys, three girls. "You started here a little late, didn't you?" A guy asked me.

"Yeah. I got early enrollment. I'm only seventeen." I took another bite of my ham sandwich.

"Wow. Got a prodigy on our hands?"

"Not so much. I'm just really smart."

"Sorry, we didn't even introduce ourselves before interrogating you." Another guy laughed. "I'm Ryan."

"Jackson."

"Nicole."

"Alice."

"Samantha, but I go by Sam."

"Garret."

"Gavin."

"I'm Clary." I spoke.

"So, did your parents move out here with you?" Ryan asked.

"No, my dad and older brother stayed in New York. My dad has a business to run and my brother is still in school."

"What about your mom?" Nicole asked.

"Uh, she's not in the picture."

"But she'd like to be." I turned around at lightning speed. Fuck.

"You get the fuck away from me, Jocelyn." I stood up and threw away my trash.

"Clarissa, please. Just give me a chance." She begged.

"No, fuck you!" I yelled. "You come here, when there's nobody around to protect me?! That's a new low, even for you." I could feel the tears falling, but I didn't care.

"Clarissa-"

"Don't call me that! Stay the hell away from me, or I call the cops to get another restraining order against you. Dad may not be here, but I've learned to take care of myself. I'm not the same weak little girl that you liked to push around. I swear to God, if you ever come near me again, you'll regret it."

"You're still my daughter!"

"No! I'm not! You lost that right a long time ago! Did you know that he held me for two miserable fucking years?"

"Yes."

"Did you know where he was keeping me?"

She averted her eyes before answering. A tell-tale sign that she was lying. "Of course not."

"Liar. Stay the hell away from me." I grabbed my bag and walked away. I'm still in physical therapy for my leg, so I can't run.

"Clary, wait up!" I turned and found that the group was following me. "Was that your mom?"

"Yep." I kept walking.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked.

"No. I need to go call my dad, so I'll you guys around."

I kept speed walking until my leg started to hurt and decided to sit down on a bench. The tears started falling again and I leaned over with my hands covering my face.

"Clary?" Nicole and Sam sat down on either side of me, with Alice kneeling in front of me. "Can we do anything?" Alice asked.

"No, but thanks. I really just wanna go home, so since I'm done with classes, I might do just that." I wiped my tears away with the sleeves of my sweater.

"Can we join you? It seems like you could use the company." Sam laughed, making the rest of us do the same.

"Sure. Are the guys coming too?"

"Yeah, but they'll meet us at your place in a bit. They needed to make an beer run."

"Okay, let's go then."

I led them to my car and drove the four blocks to my apartment. As soon as we stepped inside, everyone's jaws dropped, making me laugh.

"I told you, my dad owns a business. He's got a lot of money and he wanted me to enjoy myself here." I explained, amusement in my voice.

"What kind of business?" Sam asked.

"Law firm."

"Goddamn."

I laughed at that and went to put my stuff in the bedroom. The girls followed and I changed clothes in the bathroom as they explored the penthouse.

I changed into sweats and a t-shirt before heading for the kitchen. "Your place is amazing!" Nicole squealed.

"You remind me of a friend from New York. Izzy. She gets excited easily and squeals like that, too."

"I think I'd like her."

"She'd like you, too."

"So, I have to ask, did you leave a boy back home?" Alice asked. "Sorry, I saw a picture of you and a super hot guy in your room."

"Yeah, actually. Jace. He was safe space." I spoke. "I ended it with him before I came here. Didn't think long distance would work and I wanted to start fresh. A new chapter in my life."

"Well, it sounds like you did what was best for you and that's the best thing you can do for yourself."

Suddenly, the door opened and all the guys flooded in. "Holy shit, this place is fancy!" Ryan yelled out before they all dropped the beer on the table and went to look around.

"So, what's your story?" Alice asked me. "You seem like you've had a rough life."

"I have and I'm not quite ready to tell my entire life story to a group of people I just met." I said as I put the beer and other types of alcohol into the fridge.

"Girls, quit snooping on Clary. She has a right to privacy." Jackson spoke as him and the boys walked into the kitchen.

Just then, my computer starting ringing. My dad trying to facetime me, I assume.

"Let me take this real quick." I said as I sat at the table and answered the call.

"Hey, princess. How's your day going?" Dad asked.

"Well, I had a visitor today. Jocelyn came to campus and found me. I told her off."

"Shit. I'm so sorry. I'll take care of her, you just focus on school and having fun. Have you made any friends yet?"

"Yeah, actually. They're here right now, so can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Have fun, princess. Love you."

"Love you too." I hung up and turned back to my new friends. "Sorry about that. My dad is super protective and likes to check up on me. I send him my class schedule every week so he knows when he can call me."

"That's so sweet. It must be hard for him to have you so far away."

"Yeah, but we're adjusting to it. We're really close, so it's a big adjustment for the both of us."

"I can understand that." Gavin said. "My little sister and I are really close, so it was hard to move here, being so far away from her."

"It is hard."

I miss my family......