Aline Penhallow was gay.
Apparently.
Was it odd that she was only just discovering this? She was eighteen. Shouldn't she have known earlier?
Oh well. Not much she could do about it now. If kissing Jace Wayland - or whatever he was calling himself now - didn't do it for her, nothing would. Jace was the best Shadowhunter of their generation, and arguably the hottest one too.
Well, second hottest. Alec was more her type - minus the whole being a boy thing. Aline wasn't really into blonds.
However, as much of a relief it was to make sense of everything, there was more than one cause for celebration. Namely, the fact that Valentine and Sebastian were both dead and the Mortal War was finally over thanks to the alliance between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders.
The party was in full-swing and going great. Aline had just excused herself from a conversation with Clary and Isabelle to get a drink.
"Oh by the Angel, I love your dress," someone effused from behind her.
Aline turned around and locked eyes with a pair of captivating blue-green orbs. She had to blink a few times to remember where she was.
"Thank you," she finally said, involuntarily looking the girl up and down. She was tall and lithe and her blonde hair fell in loose ringlets past her shoulders. She was almost otherworldly in her beauty.
The girl smiled. "Helen Blackthorn. You are?"
"Aline Penhallow."
"Are you from Idris, Aline?"
She nodded, blushing for some unknown reason.
"That's so cool. I'm from Los Angeles. I saw you talking to Isabelle Lightwood. Do you know their family?"
Aline said, "Yes, very well actually. Our families are close."
Before she knew it, she was caught up in conversation with Helen, talking and laughing more than she ever had with somebody before. Helen was very encouraging and quite the attentive listener, always making Aline feel like she had her full attention.
Aline was telling Helen a story about this demon she'd killed after it took a chunk out of her brand new patent-leather boots when Helen lit up and said, "One time I dated this girl who-"
"What?" Aline hadn't meant to interrupt, but she was just so surprised.
Helen tilted her head in confusion.
"You're gay?"
"Bisexual," she corrected. "Is that a problem?" Her eyes hardened and her smile faded a touch.
Aline shook her head. "No, not at all. I am too. Not bisexual, I mean, I'm not straight. I'm a lesbian."
"Huh," was all Helen said in response to that. "Anyway..." she picked up from where she left out with ease.
Hours later, when the party was dying down and Aline was somehow still finding things to talk about with Helen, Helen glanced around and frowned. "Well I suppose I should get going. I promised my family that I would be back after the party."
"Oh. Okay."
"Hopefully I'll see you another time, Aline. I had fun tonight."
"Me too."
Helen was walking away when Aline called after her. "Wait!" Helen spun around, curious. "Do you want to go to dinner with me tomorrow?"
Helen smiled. "I'd love to. Where should we meet?"
"By the Gard?"
"Sounds like a plan. Six o'clock?"
"Perfect," Aline agreed.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Aline muttered to herself. "Tomorrow."
She needed to find Magnus Bane.
She woke up bright and early to begin her mission: Find Magnus Bane and convince him to make a Portal for her so she could take Helen to this restaurant she loved in France.
It didn't take her long to find him. He was downstairs having breakfast with Alec, the only one who had managed to wake up earlier than her.
They both looked rather sleep-deprived, meaning Aline couldn't help but tease her friend.
"I didn't see you come home last night, Alec. Sleep well?"
Alec flushed and muttered, "Shut up," from behind the rim of his coffee mug.
Magnus snickered and draped an arm around Alec's shoulders.
It dawned on her that neither of them knew she was gay, much less that she was taking a girl out for a date. She decided to fix that.
"When did you first realize that you were gay?" She blurted out instead.
Alec blinked. "Um, I think I was about twelve. Why?"
"Because I only just realized it a week or so ago."
"Oh. That's...um...great?"
Aline rolled her eyes. "Anyway, do you know Helen Blackthorn?" She waited for him to nod before continuing. "I'm taking her to dinner tonight and I want to take her to this restaurant outside of Idris, but I doubt the people at the Gard will be thrilled about us using the Portal there. So, Magnus, I was wondering if you'd do me a favor and make a Portal for us at about six o'clock tonight?"
Magnus grinned. "Sure. I love helping Nephilim disappoint their parents."
Whereas Alec rolled his eyes, Aline flinched.
"I'm sorry," Magnus said almost immediately afterward. "That was tactless of me."
"My parents aren't disappointed in me," she said, her chin lifting. "I've already told them and they completely support me."
Alec scowled. "That makes one of us."
Magnus looked at Alec with such an apologetic, vulnerable expression that Aline felt like she was intruding. She cleared her throat. "So six o'clock tonight?"
Magnus nodded. "Of course. You can send a fire message when you're ready to come back."
"Thank you, Magnus. You too, Alec."
Later that night after dinner was over and they were walking along the Seine River, holding hands, Helen stopped walking suddenly, pausing underneath a lamp.
As Helen cupped her cheek and pressed their lips together, Aline had only one thought:
Maybe she was into blondes after all.