Cabin on the Lake
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
TWO SHOT (possible three shot?)
It was all Isabelle's fault they were spending the last night without the worry of college in the emergency room, just to be clear. Jace and Clary had no say in what happened. Technically, sure, but realistically, what did she expect to happen?
. . .
The sun beat down persistently on Clary's face, not giving her already reddened cheeks a chance to cool down. She shouldered her bag and glanced at Simon. "Look, I promised my mom I'd go on vacation with her." Simon's mouth opened to protest. "It's a done deal, Si. See if Maia will hang out."
Simon groaned and waved his hand for a taxi. "She's working overtime all weekend." The taxi whistled right by them. Clary sighed impatiently and whistled for a taxi.
"Isabelle?"
Simon barked a sharp laugh. "Yes, right around the time I want to compete with your brother."
Clary dropped her hand as a yellow cab pulled over. "Right. You know they haven't even fucked yet. You still have a chance."
He shook his head as Clary climbed into the cab. Simon leaned over the open door. "Think Eric wants to go to the beach with me?" He and her met eyes and instantly burst into laughter. Simon stood and waved her off. "Have fun in the woods. I hope a tick bites your ass!"
The cabbie pulled away and Clary flung her hand out the window to flip him off. She glanced at her phone as the cab weaved in and out of traffic. She had two messages. One was from her mother, informing her that she and Luke had arrived at Clary and Jonathan's apartment. A feeling of ironic endearment filled her heart. It was her mother's way of saying, "We're here so please don't bring a random fuck buddy home!"
The other message was from Jonathan. He was rushing her home so they could leave as quickly as possible. He never was a huge fan of Luke. Of course, he grew up six years or so without Luke whereas Clary knew him as her father.
The cab jerked to a stop suddenly. Looking up, she saw a man running across the street, narrowly escaping becoming a pancake multiple times. "Asshole!" her driver shouted. The man paused in the crossway. He looked at the cabbie and sent him a dazzling smile that was completely and utterly familiar to Clary.
"Next time, hit him." Clary groaned, falling back into her seat. It was one thing for Jace to have followed her to the same college. It was another to be disrupting the beginning of her break.
She got out of the cab in front of her apartment and paid him. In that time, Jonathan had already managed to come outside and hurry Clary. "We have plenty of time, Jon! The ride is only three hours!"
Jonathan groaned and stopped her outside of their apartment. "Mom keeps wanting to see your art shit."
"So?"
"So your latest one-nighter still hasn't left!" Jon growled. "The dude refuses to leave without getting your number. This one was smart enough to realize the fake number I gave him was for the dean. You sure can pick 'em."
Clary bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair. She deliberated for a second before coming to her senses. "Okay. Ask Luke to help you with my bags. I'll deal with Mom."
Jonathan was still fuming. "This is getting ridiculous, Clary. Don't you give a shit that half the guys on campus have fucked you?"
Clary rolled her eyes. "What I give a shit about is having fun. This isn't fun," she motioned between the two of them. Jonathan muttered a curse under his breath and stormed upstairs. Clary followed him.
"Mom! Luke!" Clary went around hugging them. They began to gush about her appearance or latest paintings, but Clary cut them off. "I'm almost ready. Luke, Jon needs help with my bags. They're in the hall." He nodded and walked with Jon to get them. "Mom," she whispered, "can you go out and buy me some tampons? Please?"
Jocelyn Fray looked expectantly at her daughter. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh really? You mean to tell me you don't have a single tampon?" Clary clasped her hands together in a pleading motion. Jocelyn held her hands up in defeat. "Fine. Next time, I want to meet him whether or not he's a keeper. Intimidate him a bit." She smirked triumphantly and exited the apartment.
Clary paled. Her mother was all-knowing. Hurrying to her room, she threw open the door. "What the fuck Sebastian? I said out by ten! It's three in the afternoon!"
He looked at her lovingly, which made Clary need to puke. "We've known each other since high school. Don't you owe me more than a night?"
Clary shoved him towards the fire escape, tucking his shirt into his jeans. "The last person I owe anything to from high school can go fuck himself in hell. You? I owe nothing to. Leave."
"Can I have your-?"
"No!" Clary grabbed his phone from his pocket and tossed it onto the fire escape. He followed after with a moping expression, and she locked her window.
That was how it was done most mornings, honestly.
. . .
The Frays used to visit their cabin on the lake when they were little with another family – the Lightwoods. Many fun memories accompanied Clary here. Even after what happened between Jace and her, she could manage to look back at this place with more or less happiness. Whenever they came here, everyone was at peace. Nothing ever went wrong. Nobody fought. Nobody argued. Everyone drank and had fun.
Clary imagined this trip to be quite boring without them here, but she would never have come with the Lightwoods, or one in particular. He wasn't even technically a Lightwood, in her defense. Still, she agreed to come with her mother. It would offer many great views to sketch and possibly paint.
Throughout the three-hour ride to the cabin, she envisioned a peaceful week.
Oh how wrong she was.
They arrived at the cabin to meet three other cars. Clary recognized two of them clearly. Jace Wayland had once again managed to ruin her good times.
"What are they doing here?" Clary unbuckled her seatbelt and lunged forward, nearly falling. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving. Jocelyn glanced guiltily at Clary.
"You know it wouldn't be a vacation at the cabin without them, Clare," she reached out to comb through her daughter's hair. Clary jerked back and tore through the door before they'd come to a complete stop.
"Not a fucking chance!" Clary gasped for air, pulling it in yet not gaining the relief of oxygen in her lungs. Her hands scratched at her throat as she stared at the house.
"Clary, breathe!" Jocelyn came running to her side. Clary shoved her away and scrambled farther from the car, farther from the house.
"I – I can't…you know what – what…" Clary trailed off as she realized what a scene she was making. Luke and Jonathan were watching her, calmly, as if this weren't something new. It wasn't. Clary closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Let me leave. I'll take one of their cars. He owes me more than that."
Jocelyn came closer to her again, and this time she had no energy to run away. "Oh, honey, it's going to be okay. You broke up, but you can both be mature adults about this."
Clary swallowed down a watermelon. Broke up. Yeah, you could say that. She met eyes with Jonathan. He clenched his jaw and looked at his feet. So he knew about this. That was even more shocking considering he nearly put Jace in the hospital back in high school. They'd ended their friendship over Clary. Jace hadn't managed to have a conversation with either of the Fray's since the night so long ago that she'd never forget.
With a shaking frame, Clary detached herself from her mother and nodded. "Fine. But nobody gets to say a word about my booze."
Jocelyn's face fell, but she hid it. "Okay. Now let's go inside."
Clary should have seen this coming. The cabin was much too large and lonely for just four people. Dragging her suitcase in one hand, Clary had her vodka in the other. Before walking through the door, she took a large swig.
She could do this. It would be just like the classes she shared with Jace. Only now it was a house. And they had nothing else to do than be social with each other. Fuck.
The cabin smelled of fresh air, just like she remembered. In the living room, she could hear Jace laughing. Her throat closed up, and she wasn't prepared for the onslaught of memories from her high school days.
Hot hands. Wet lips. No clothes. Laughter, so much laughter.
"Clary Fray! I've missed your delicate face around my house, missy!" Maryse Lightwood tottered in her large heels and encased Clary in a hug. Clary numbly hugged her back. Over the woman's shoulder, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, and Jace had gathered to greet them. Robert and Max had already pushed past Clary to help them with their bags.
As per usual when he was around, Clary's eyes bounced straight to Jace. He was staring at her without shame, pleading silently. The gold set a fire in her stomach, one she wished would stop erupting. She closed her eyes and stepped away from Maryse.
"I've missed your cooking," Clary mumbled with chagrin. She glanced once more at the college students awaiting on her next more. With a slow lift of the hand, she waved her vodka at them and smiled weakly.
Isabelle came to her rescue. She joined her side and took hold of one of her bags. "Follow me," she insisted. Clary knew her way around the cabin.
The woods were on the right and left and the lake was directly behind the cabin. A tire swing was still functional to use, but the slide would skin you alive. The upstairs were the rooms. The middle floor consisted of a set or rooms that wrapped around the center spiral wooden staircase. The kitchen and dinner table were one room. The living room was another, and it had a staircase that led to the basement. A bathroom and study were the remaining rooms. The basement was where they all used to hang out during their high school years. It had a huge couch in front of a fireplace, perfect for cuddling under the cold nights. There was a pool table and a sliding glass door that led to the patio. On the patio was their hot tub. After that, it led to the lake.
Isabelle stopped Clary at the top of the stairs. She smirked. "You look like shit." Once again, Clary shook the vodka in her hand. Isabelle's eyes softened slightly. "Right. Um, so you know how we normally room together?"
Clary almost dropped her bottle. "Don't you fucking stick me with him, Iz. I can't do it."
Isabelle bit her lip. "Well, I figured one of you could take the couch. Please? Jonathan and I really want to share a room."
Clary felt the betrayal weave around her heart. Did nobody care about her feelings anymore? Did everyone suddenly forget just what happened in her senior year of high school? Didn't they care? It wasn't something anyone could forget. Clearly, they just didn't give a damn. They wanted what they wanted, as usual. That was a common thing among Lightwoods, clearly.
"Whatever," Clary huffed. "Why can't I room with Max?"
"He's already with you. He was going to sleep on a cot, but if Jace or you choose the couch, he could take the second bed," Isabelle explained. Clary looked at her one last time.
"Fuck you," she pushed past her friend and into her room. Isabelle walked back downstairs.
Jace's and Max's things were already thrown on the beds. Clary set her bags against the wall and fell back on a bed. She needed a break from her emotions. They were attacking her with full force now. Another swig of her vodka forced her to sit up, coughing. She stared at the opposite wall for a few minutes as her mind forced her to replay her past. Her eyes settled on the duffle bag splayed open on one bed. It was Jace's. She inched closer, peeking inside. His wallet sat splayed open.
The first thing she spotted was a grey-whiteish image in the slot where his ID should have been, but before she could make out what it was, a hand snatched the bag away. Clary gasped and turned around. Jace was glaring harshly at her. "You're a sneaky slut, aren't you?"
Clary hated hearing his voice. It made her knees melt no matter what he said. After the first year, she'd gotten past the anger. All that was left was hurt, but hurt allowed her to still feel lust. Anger, at least, could block her desire. "What's the picture?"
Jace crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows. "You're speaking to me now?"
Clary sighed. "I'm taking the couch."
"Fuck no, that's a comfy ass couch," Jace argued. Clary narrowed her eyes. He only said that because she claimed it as her own first. Jace would take whatever was hers when he could. He did that to her heart in high school, and her happy outlook on life.
"I said," she hissed, jabbing a finger against his chest. "I am taking the couch."
Jace's eyes searched her hardened ones for truth. They stood off for a full minute, neither willing to back down. Finally, Jace caved. He always did when it came to Clary.
"Fine."
"Fuck off."
"Gladly," Jace fell back on the bed. "We're going for a late night swim when your parents are asleep."
Clary snorted but didn't turn her back from him. "Still sneaking around?"
"Old habits die hard, right sweetheart?" Jace spoke chillingly. Clary's blood ran cold. She clenched her fists and had trouble swallowing.
"Right."
. . .
Jonathan and Isabelle came downstairs first. They sat on the other end of the couch from which Clary was stretching out on. They were talking quietly to themselves for a bit. Clary's head wouldn't stop spinning. "You guys hate me, am I right? Is that why you're putting me through this?"
Jonathan sighed. He didn't speak for a second, but when he did he didn't hold back. "We're tired of your shit, Clare. You need to grow up and be an adult. Face your problems. It's really fucking tiring bouncing between you and Jace when we all live on the same street."
Clary shot straight up. Her fists were clenched again. "You're hanging out with him? Seriously, Jon? Don't you remember who k-?"
"I remember, Clary! But it was years ago. It's over now. He's not doing any better coping than you are," Jonathan growled. Clary stared at him with shock. She fell back on the couch and groaned. Why was she even surprised at this point?
Clary dug out her bottle of vodka. She took two swigs before Isabelle saw it. "Oh! Gimmie!" After taking two more swigs, Clary tossed her the bottle.
Magnus, Alec, and Jace came down at last. Clary felt bad they weren't bringing Max, but then again she still thought of him as the nine-year-old boy who enjoyed comics. Swimming even in her underwear with him at night was more than pedophilic.
"Alright bitches, drink up!" Isabelle shouted, passing around Clary's bottle without her permission. Clary flipped her off when the bottle finally got passed back to her. She took another couple swigs until she was officially drunk.
Now she could smile. "Let's do this!" she hollered.
"Yes! She's back, ladies and gents!" Magnus celebrated with a coy smile. Clary sent him a wink and walked outside, leading the group.
"Jace!" Clary called out, turning around to find him. She was surprised to see that he was right by her side. With a smile, she said, "Last one in the lake takes the bed."
With a squeal, she shoved against his chest and went running for the lake. Jace, taken by surprise, started out slow, but he caught up with the drunken girl quickly. He was the first to plunge into the icy lake. Clary stopped suddenly by the edge, nearly falling in.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Jace called back.
Clary looked at him with a sly smirk. "First one in without their clothes on!"
She stripped herself of her shirt and shorts, flinging them on the ground. Then, she flung herself over the edge into the cold water. Everyone followed after her, and Jace threw his wet clothes on shore. She grinned cheekily at him. "I win!"
Jace laughed. "You changed the rules."
She shrugged and spun around in the water. "We can share it then, Mr. Rule-Follower."
"I think we know Jace is the opposite from a rule follower," Alec swam near them. "Today he claimed he was late for a surgery and skipped the whole fucking line to get his coffee."
Jace smirked. "Except one of the girls in line recognized me and chased me down. Almost got hit."
"I know. I told my cab driver to keep going. He didn't listen," Clary giggled.
Jace scoffed, looking at her incredulously. Jonathan and Isabelle swam to them next. Everyone was shivering. "That's messed up, Red. Messed up," Jace laughed.
Suddenly, even the alcohol in her system couldn't keep the smile on her face. "What did you just call me?" Clary splashed Jace to get his attention, not that she needed it. He was always focused on her. Jace blinked. "You don't get to call me 'Red' anymore, asshole." Clary shoved against him before swimming away. The water splashed her face and hid her tears from the rest of the group.
As she ran back to the patio, a painful memory jolted through her body.
They were back in high school. Clary was assigned as Jace's partner in health. They had to take care of a fake baby like it was their own. Clary had been very nervous to do this with Jace Wayland. He was her brother's best friend and she worried what Jonathan would do when he found out. Jace calmed her nerves swiftly, though.
"Forget about Jon. We're gonna raise a fucking awesome baby," Jace grinned. "First, let's name him."
Clary smiled. "It's a girl, genius."
Jace peered carefully at Clary. "Good point. We'll call her 'Red.'"
"Why Red?"
"I hope she takes after her mommy's pretty little face and gets the red curls with it." Jace lightly flicked Clary's chin up. "Naw, I think Red suits you better since you blush so damn easily."
Clary shoved his shoulder. "I do not!"
"One compliment is all it takes," Jace noted. He licked his lips in a suggestive way, scrounging up and down her body with his eyes. "Or even just the mere idea of hooking up, huh? I like you, Red. We're gonna be good together."
Clary sucked in a sharp breath of air as she woke from the memory. Her cheeks were wet with tears. With her back pressed against the wood, she let her head fall into her hands.
We're gonna be good together.
Why did he have to woo her? They had known each other for years before then. Clary never knew why, in that one health class, he decided to hit on her. After that, there wasn't much stopping the two. Jonathan was the only thing, but Jace and him worked it out with ease. Jace proposed that with him by her side, no real jerks could touch Clary and the idea of a loser knocking her up and abandoning her would be impossible.
Heh. That worked out well.
Feet padded their way towards her. Clary stared at her hands numbly. She wished she could throw on a happy face, but her mind was poisoned with the memory. "Isabelle, this is a shitty vacation. I need some guys to fuck! It's boring as hell…" Clary found that her mouth still worked hand in hand with the vodka. She groaned and rubbed her face further into her knees.
"Well, there's always me." Jace's husky voice made Clary jump. She looked up with her middle finger raised high.
"Fuck off."
Jace settled in the space next to her without asking. "It seems like something you've been doing recently. Just curious, would you even be able to get a rough estimate of how many guys you've fucked since me?"
"You have no right to be judging me. Go away, Jace." Clary growled, staring at her hands with the defiant urge to not let his comments bother her. He didn't know how much they always hurt. They hurt more than anyone else's.
Jace didn't speak for a while. He produced the bottle of vodka again, taking a swig and offering it to Clary. Reluctantly, she took it. With a sigh, he said, "I get it. I don't mean to sound judgmental. I'm not."
Clary scoffed and looked at him sourly. Moonlight danced across his lips, illuminating the droplets of water still clinging to his skin. "Then why does it sound like it?"
Jace chuckled mirthlessly. "Flirting, I suppose."
The comment didn't truly surprise Clary. Jace made it clear a while back that he was still in love with her. She never believed him. That was only six months after it all happened, and she was still angry with him. Now, she debated the possibility that he was being truthful. Who would still be in love with her, though? She slept with any guy she saw. She had mediocre grades. Her art skills were top notch, but Jace didn't care about art much. She hadn't spoken to him in four years, from senior year of high school to college.
Her eyes ran up and down him. He was more attractive even from when they were dating. Jace had a glint in his eye that always made Clary's heart beat a little faster. His words, no matter how harsh, were always familiar. They should have been. They spent three years of their lives together. Anything he said to her now reminded her of the good times. But looking at him reminded her of the one night she needed him and he wasn't there.
She couldn't go on like this. Turning to face him directly, Clary spoke. "You want to fuck me? Sure, we can fuck. Then after, you'll call me. And I won't answer. Then you'll show up at my door, holding candies because I think flowers are pointless. Jonathan might let you in. He might give you false encouraging words because you're the only damn person he's ever thought was worthy of my shitty presence. You'll hang out without worry like old times. You'll think, 'huh, things might go back to normal.' Except, they won't. Because then I'll open my bedroom door and force another one of my random one-night stands to leave the apartment. You'll watch me at my best work and wonder why it's not you. Want to know why it's not you?" She took a breath and finished her onslaught of words. "It's not you because if I have to be in your company for more than an hour, I remember one thing – the one night night I needed you, and you weren't there."
Clary stood up and took another swig of vodka. "Move on."
She tossed him the bottle and began walking inside. Her emotions were on a high. She prayed it worked. She had no other idea how to make it work. Clary couldn't handle wanting him and having to refuse him so many times.
She began closing the door behind her when Jace spoke. "I'll move on when you move on, Red."
Clary spun around and slammed the door shut. She ran into the bathroom and let the tears fall freely. Leaning over the sink, her stomach began to churn. Clary hoped she'd throw up. Anything to distract her mind of Jace. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't recognize the girl before her. Wet hair, sunken in eyes and cheeks, painfully thin chest that exposed her ribs, running makeup, hair in tangles, and eyes of no light.
A/N: Hey Clace lovers! I am working my way back to Lonesome Wanderers. First I need to finish a mini story in the Percy Jackson fandom (aye Solangelo fans). Anyways, this is a two shot I got around to finishing. I really really like this one. It's inspired by the movie Bachelorette it's weird but good. Anyways…I will update this if we can get six reviews? You guys are always good with reviews here because you know I love your feedback, yeah? Tell me where you think this is going and WHY DID CLACE BREAK UP IN HIGH SCHOOL?