Marisol and Jon: A Love Story in Scenes
Marisol stared at him, her gaze clear and cold. "They told me," she said, "that I was going to fight."
She had been taking fencing classes since she could walk, as it turned out. She cut him off at the knees and left him literally in the dust, stumbling as a tiny, swordy whirlwind came at him across the practice grounds, and falling.
"Went a little too easy on her," Jon said, passing by and helping Simon up. "The dregs won't learn if they're not taught, you know."
His voice was kind; his glance at Marisol was not.
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I'll teach you some lessons down in the training grounds," Jon snapped. "I could challenge you to a duel. Watch your mouth."
"That's not a bad idea," remarked Marisol.
"Oh, hey now," said Beatriz. "Duels with fourteen-year-olds are a bad idea."
Everyone looked with scorn upon Beatriz, the voice of reason.
Marisol sniffed. "Not a duel. A challenge. If the elites beat us in a challenge, then they get to speak out first in class for a week. If we beat them, then they hold their tongues."
"I'll do it, and you'll be sorry you ever suggested it, mundie. What's the challenge?" Jon asked. "Staff, sword, bow, dagger work, a horse race, a boxing match? I'm ready!"
Marisol smiled sweetly. "Baseball."
Simon had the feeling Marisol was going to be a terrifying, tiny expert on baseball, the same was she was at fencing. He also had the feeling the elite stream was in for a surprise.
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"Amazing," said the girl. "I mean that. I'm going to explain all of modern medicine to you."
"Please don't do that, Marisol," said Jon. "I did not feel good after you explained appendectomies. I couldn't eat."
Marisol made a face at her plate. "So what you're saying is, I did you a huge favor."
I like to eat," said Jon sadly.
"Right," said Marisol. "So, I don't explain modern medicine to you, and then a medical emergency occurs to me. I could be solved with the application of a little first aid, but you don't know that, and so I die. I die at your feet. Is that what you want, Jon?"
"No," said Jon. "What's first aid? Is there a...second aid?"
"I can't believe you're going to let me die when my death could so easily be avoided, if you had just listened," Marisol went on mercilessly.
"Okay, okay! I'll listen."
"Great. Get me some juice, because I'll be talking for a while. I'm still very hurt that you even considered letting me die," Marisol added as Jon scrambled up and made for the side of the room where the unappetizing food and potentially poisonous drinks were laid out. "I thought Shadowhunters had a mandate to protect mundanes!" Marisol shouted after him. "Not orange juice. I want apple juice!"
"Would you believe," said Catarina, appearing at Magnus's elbow, "that the Cartwright kid was the biggest bully in the Academy?"
"Seems like he met a bigger bully," Magnus murmured.
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"What do you think it will be like?" Marisol Garza asked now, nestled beneath Jon Cartwright's beefy arm and looking like she was almost happy to be there. "The ceremony, I mean. What do you thin we'll have to do?"
(A bit later)
Marisol whacked Jon's shoulder. "Shut up, idiot," she said. But she said it rather too lovingly for Simon's taste.
(A bit later)
Jon took her hand, and Simon expected her to slap him, but instead she squeezed tight. "It's from Sunil," she said in a tight, angry voice. She passed the note to Simon. "I guess he 'considered his options.'"
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Julie Beauvale and Beatriz Mendoza, their parabatai runes glimmering on their forearms. Marisol Garza, wearing white in memory of Jon Cartwright.
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Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to capture their love story in one post because it was one of my favorite parts of Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy ♥️
