"One, two three. One, two, three. One, two, three." The waltz teacher directed and beamed as the teens twirled around in the room in a struggling waltz but a waltz all the same—that was until the red head tumbled over her partner's feet, again, and tumbled them both to the ground. She gritted her teeth.
Clary looked up at the teacher and worried that the woman was going to grit her teeth out. Jace snickered silently beside her and she elbowed him in the ribs as he helped her up, again. Across the room Alec and Isabelle both stopped dancing gracefully (grrrrrr) and turned to stare at her, both trying obviously to keep their grins at bay. She threw them a glare.
The teacher cleared her throat and Clary felt herself flush from ear to ear.
"By this time schedule, you'll never be able to properly waltz by Thursday's ball." The teacher snapped and Clary looked down, she didn't even want to go to the ball in the first place! But of course she had to.
"Let's try a switch of partners," the teacher sighed and Clary found herself in Alec's arms, she made sure to keep an equal space between them as they waltzed, and found she was even worse at this then she could even imagine. Especially when her boot heel slammed onto Alec's foot. Her head snapped up as Alec cringed.
"I—I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, but Alec composed himself just as Isabelle and Jace stopped waltzing and stared at them.
"Let's try this again," Alec sighed. Clary nodded, her gaze on the ground. At least it was until Alec wrapped and arm around her waist and yanked her upper torso against his. With a startled gasp she looked up at him, but he was already leaning to her ear.
"Now, follow me." His breath was cool on her damp skin and she allowed him to shift their positions so that his arm was on her lower waist and her hand on her shoulder, and they were moving. Clary copied his movements exactly and soon enough they were gliding across the smooth floor.
"You dance pretty well for a guy," she muttered and he did something she'd never expected. He threw his head back and laughed, across the room Jace and Isabelle both froze and stared at him as if he had lost his mind. Clary grinned, liking the rare sound of Alec's laugter since Max had been killed. Her heart hurt just remembering him, but Alec had grown up with him, he was suffering so much worse. God bless you, Alec. She thought silently as she watched him smile.
Alec smiled again and Clary gratefully spun with him as he circled his arm over her forehead, and came right back inot him. With a smile she allowed him to glide her around the room with the gradual spin, let him lead, because she knew he needed it as much as she did.