AN: This is a super long chapter, so I just got to say one quick thing. I just found out that Bat's last name is Velasquez which is why I decided to make him Mexican cus I got to represent my community. I tried to look up what his nationality was but I don't think that it's ever specified. So in case you're confused by the Spanish he uses, he is Puro Mexicano.

Disclaimer: In this chapter I reference alcohol and drugs and also sex a lot more frequent than I did last chapter. If that makes you feel uncomfortable or if you're a youngling and you don't want to read about that, let me know, and I'll edit out more of the adult content and make another version of this that is more PG. Enjoy!

Blame it on the Alcohol

12:00 P.M.- Noon- Day After the Party

Clary opened her eyes and the first thing she noticed was that she was freezing. There was a blanket wrapped around her, but it wasn't doing much. The next thing she realized was that she was sprawled on the bathroom floor.

What the hell was she doing sleeping in the bathroom?

Clary stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Her makeup and hair were completely ruined and her dress was wrinkled everywhere. The next thing she noticed which should have been the first thing is that she was dizzy, super dizzy. She was barely standing right now and her hand was gripping the sink hard. Clary considered going outside. Even though a part of her was afraid she would humiliate herself if people saw her like this, she really didn't care.

When she went outside, there was no one. Clary wasn't sure what she had expected. The sun was already out and the party must have ended hours ago. Did she think that people were going to stay and help clean the mess? Clary probably would've done that after making a mess in someone's house. Guilt would have overridden her and she would have offered help.

She heard a groan coming from the living room and she attempted to walk towards it without falling instantly on her face. Her head was spinning and it didn't help that her feet were not following orders. Then whoever groaned spoke and Clary instantly knew who it was.

"I am never touching alcohol again." That was Simon.

"Me neither. Alcohol sucks." That was Maureen.

"High school parties suck." That was Bat.

"What are you guys doing here? What time is it?" Clary said stepping into the room noticing that everyone has been awake for much longer than she has because they were gathered around the living room holding cups of coffee and ice packs to their faces. They were also the only three people in the room.

"Clary?" Simon turned around and he smiled amused at her, "You look like shit."

"Thanks Simon. Your words are super encouraging, asshole." Clary said plopping down on the couch next to Simon and Maureen.

"Yeah well after last night, you're going to need a bit of encouragement." Simon said still smiling amused.

"Oh shit. What happened? What did I do?" Clary asked frantically.

"Not much, but you might want to call Sebastian."

"What? Why?."

"I don't remember much of it, but I think that you called him an asshole for never asking you out on a date."

"No, Simon, you're lying. Please tell me you're lying."

"Nope, poor Verlac, you crushed his heart." Jace said from behind them.

Clary cursed Jace under her breath. He was wearing a completely different outfit, and he didn't look anything like the four of them did. His hair was ruffled, but it didn't look messy. He didn't even look like if he had gotten drunk last night.

"What an asshole." she thought to herself.

Clary didn't realize she said it outloud until Simon cleared his throat and whispered in Clary's ear, "Maybe don't tell him that. You seriously don't remember what happened last night?"

"I can't remember anything." Clary said and realized that it was true. She remembered everything before the party but everything afterwards was just a black hole. Everytime she tried to think about it, she gets sucked in and comes up with nothing.

"Well isn't that just too bad, Clarissa." Clary turned back to Jace, and she was surprised that he looked angry. He was also calling her Clarissa in front of people which wasn't a good sign either.

"Jace I-

"Don't worry about it Clarissa. You know me, always just causing trouble in other people's lives. We all know that you hate it when I do that."

What the serious freak? Jace was angry at her and Clary didn't even know why. Clary opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.

"I am going out with Verlac, so you should probably call him up and explain yourself before I get there and cause your life more problems."

"Explain myself? Jace-" but he was already gone.

"Simon what the hell happened? Tell me everything."

"Well I don't know. What's the last thing you remember."

What did she remember? She and Jace had argued and then she went to Simon's house…

3:45 P.M.- Day of the Party

"So you guys are actually going to be living together?" It was Izzy who spoke. Clary looked over at Izzy's features carefully scanning her facial expression and body language. Izzy had white skin that was paler than Clary's. Her hair was long, straight, and black. She currently had it loose around her shoulders, and it looked really pretty. She didn't look jealous, envious, or upset that Jace was going to be living with her and Clary felt relieved.

"Yeah I told you guys that my mom and Luke were getting married and Jace is living with Luke, so we're living together."

"Don't sound too sad, Clary. I am sure you can still screw him without it being weird."

"Izzy!" Clary had told them about her dream because she wanted to vent, and she just needed at least one person to tell her that the dreams mean nothing. They aren't her brains way of telling her that she liked Jace or her body's way of telling her that she wanted Jace. That it was just a really random dream and they would go away. Of course Isabelle was not planning on being helpful at all.

"What? You're the one having Jace sex dreams. You really want them to go away? Go and experience the real thing. I've talked to Kaelie, and she wasn't disappointed."

"Izzy! I don't want to experience the real thing. He's not my type. I am into Sebastian." Clary said embarrassed that she felt the need to defend her feelings to anyone.

"Really? Let's see about that. Sebastian is tall, muscular, blonde, white. That sounds real familiar to another white, blonde, tall male that we know." Izzy said looking at her nails with boredom.

"Sebastian isn't Jace."

"Obviously. If Sebastian was Jace, you'd be having sex dreams with him and not Jace."

"Izzy, can you please stop saying Jace and sex in the same sentence?" Simon talked this time finally looking up from Fortnite. Clary thanked him silently for getting her to stop.

"Simon-" Izzy started

"No Izzy, seriously. If you say it too much then I'll start having sex dreams about Jace too."

Izzy laughed and Clary glared at Simon.

"You're both literally the worst friends ever. I don't want Jace in anyway! He is annoying in every aspect of the word. He calls me Clarissa even though he knows I hate it. He pretends to be this perfect guy in front of Luke and Jocelyn even though he clearly isn't. He knows no boundaries! I told him a million times to not throw the party, and he could care less. I told him to get off my bed, and he practically laughs in my face-

"Wait. Stop right there. He was on your bed?" Clary wasn't sure if the question came from Simon or Izzy, but it didn't matter because she had right walked- more like sprinted- right into that one.

Clary turned red, and she hoped her attempt to change the subject would work, "He was just trying to annoy me. Sebastian called and he wouldn't even let me answer the phone. Until finally he did, and Sebastian said that-

"No, go back. Jace stopped you from answering the phone? How?" It was Izzy this time and she was staring at Clary as if she already knew the answer.

"He just held it away from me. Izzy, you don't have to make everything about sex. Not all of us choose to live our lives screwing everything that walks. The rest of us like to actually be smart about our bodies." Clary said and regretted it instantly after seeing Izzy's face.

"I am not careless, Clary. I have fun. I allow myself to enjoy things in life. Like sex. I am not screwing everything that walks and even if I was, it wouldn't be any of your business." Izzy said and Clary mentally kicked herself for saying such an idiotic thing.

"I know Izzy I am sorry. And you're right. He pinned me against the bed. That's how he kept me away from the phone." Clary said hoping Izzy would forgive her for her slut shaming if she revealed information about Jace.

"You should really be smarter about your body Clary." Izzy said and Clary flinched from hearing the way Izzy said her name.

"Guys don't do this." Simon said facing away from his computer screen, "Clary, Izzy is just joking with you. If you're getting so offended by her saying that you like Jace, then maybe you don't hate Jace as much as you would like to. Izzy, Clary only feels that way about sex because of her mom's past and you know it."

Both girls looked at each other and there was a long silence that no one broke not even Simon until after a few minutes Izzy sighed.

"So tell me about Sebastian then. He called, right? What did he tell you?" Izzy was so obviously forcing the words to leave her mouth and Clary smiled because she put in the effort.

"Well, he kind of hinted how he wants to kind of make our thing official."

"Really? That doesn't sound like Sebastian?" Simon said and Clary was surprised that he said anything at all. When it came to Sebastian, Simon was always indifferent which was better than Izzy's outright hatred of him.

"Well he's changing. I told him that if he wanted anything to happen between us than he would have to act fast."

"You gave Sebastian Verlac an ultimatum?" Izzy said shocked.

"Not really. I didn't give him a time period, but if he doesn't ask me out soon, then I am just going to ghost him and pretend like he never existed."

"As you should, but I don't believe it." Izzy said and she was staring at Clary cautiously.

"You don't believe that I'll ignore him for not asking me out or you don't believe that he actually wants to ask me out?"

"Clary, listen, I love you. I really do, but Sebastian is a huge player. He is the definition of a womanizer. The man is incapable of sticking to one girl and actually staying loyal to her. Once again ask Kaelie."

"Kaelie dramatizes everything that happens to her."

"Well I believe her about Sebastian. I bet if we got his phone right now we would see the name of at least three more girls that he regularly talks to. I bet if I texted him right now, he would answer back in a heartbeat with something flirty."

"Don't be ridiculous." Clary said, but there was a small part of her that believed Izzy.

"Clary, Sebastian isn't the dating type. He talks to girls. He flirts with girls. He might even go on dates and have sex with girls, but he does not commit to them."

"We aren't even dating, and I am not going to go out with him until he shows me that he is committed." Clary said and she was glad that her words were the truth.

Izzy studied her for a bit until she sighed and raised her hands in surrender, "Ok fine so tell us more about this party."

4:32 P.M.- Day of the Party

"Wait, so we're actually being invited to a party being thrown by Jace Herondale? Like the same Jace Herondale that dated Izzy, calls Simon a rat, and calls the rest of us your band of rejects? That's the Jace Herondale you're talking about?!" Maia was the only one not excited about this party. Izzy was already used to going to parties, so she didn't really care. Maia also went to parties, but she didn't like hanging out with Jace's friends and for perfectly good reason.

After Clary had explained the party situation with Izzy and Simon, they invited the rest of the gang to Simon's house: Maia, Bat, Magnus, Maureen, Eric and the two other band members that Clary did not remember at all. Most of them were on Simon's bed except for Maia who was standing along with Clary looking extremely impatient at everyone for even considering this party.

"You can bring Jordan if you want. Plus we don't have to talk with them, but the party is happening at my house, so I kind of have to be there." Clary said staring at Maia hoping she would change her mind.

"Jordan and I broke up two days ago." Maia said not looking even a little inch of sad.

"What? Why?" Clary said because she had no idea about this.

"He kept on saying that he wanted me to do something different with my hair, and I got annoyed." Maia said and Clary knew what she was talking about. Maia was a black girl who always had her hair in a corn rose. It was simply how she liked her hair, but she often got comments telling her-

"He said that my hair made me look ghetto. So, I sent him a text that next day telling him that I wouldn't want him to be seen with a girl who looked ghetto and told him he should find himself a white girl if that was what he needed."

Clary looked over at Bat, and she couldn't help but smile because his brown eyes did a double take at Maia at hearing her talk about the breakup.

"Idiota." was all he said before he pretended to look at his brown hands fascinated.

"Exactly." Maia said and for a second Clary thought that she forgot completely about the party until she said, "I am definitely not going to that party now. Jordan is probably going to be there, and I really don't need to see him anymore than at school."

"Maia, please. I'll do anything, but I need all of you guys at this party."

"Why?" It was Eric who spoke and Clary was shocked considering his reaction to Clary inviting him had been him screaming, "Yes!" at the top of his lungs.

"Because I don't know these people anymore than any of you, and I don't want to leave Jace alone in that house. I need to be there to supervise, but if I am by myself-

"Then you'll have no choice but to confront Sebastian about whatever is going on between you guys, and you won't have any of us to hide behind." Magnus suggested raising an eyebrow at Clary.

"What? No!"

"Biscuit, last time you had the chance to confront Sebastian, you literally ran behind me so that I could hide you." Magnus said and Clary went completely red.

"That's different. When we saw him, my hair looked really messy." Clary said and she now understood why Bat was staring at his hands instead of the people in the room.

"Clary, I can do your hair if that's the real issue."

"I thought you guys wanted to go to this party." Clary said defensively.

"We do." Magnus said, "Of course we do. What we don't want is to be used as human shields by a tiny red headed girl."

"I won't hide from him. Not today." Clary said determined to actually confront Sebastian.

"Good. It's about time Izzy and Maia stopped being the only girls willing to break a few eggs." Clary smiled at Magnus and then turned to look at Maia.

"Maia, I will personally break Jordan's eggs if he even gets close to you at this party, but will you pretty please come with me?"

She rolled her eyes at me, but there was a trace of a smile on her face as she said, "What time is this stupid party?"


6:45 P.M.- Day of the Party

"You said the party started at 6:30." Simon stood there with Maureen, Eric, and the rest of his band mates in front of Clary's house.

"Yeah but everyone knows that parties don't actually start at the time they are supposed to start. You have to always be late."

"Yeah and it's 6:45."

"Simon, you aren't supposed to be here until like 7:30."

"Actually, I would recommend not coming until 8 o'clock just to ensure that you aren't the first person to arrive. The first person has to help set up and if they didn't bring anything they have to help clean up too." Jace said from behind her.

"What were we supposed to bring? Clary didn't say it was BYOB."

"Because Clary doesn't know what BYOB means." Jace said.

"Yes I do." Clary said defensively, but it was a lie. She thought BYOB was just an edgy way to spell Bob.

"It means Bring Your Own Beer." Magnus said walking in ignoring everyone in the room but Clary. His eyes were scanning her frustrated, obviously, with her choice of clothes, hair, and makeup.

"Clary, next time, tell your friends to come at least two hours late because this is really ridiculous." Jace said looking as if he regretted this entire situation.

"I am not here because I don't understand the way that parties work. I am here to help Clary understand the way a person should look like when at a party."

"I think she looks fine." Simon said slinging an arm around her.

"Thank you Simon."

"But can you fix her eyebrows? They look a little too close." Simon said poking the space in between her eyebrows with disgust.

Clary immediately pushed his arm off of her, "Simon, get out and come back in an hour! Magnus, there is nothing wrong with the way I look! Jace, stop laughing! And Maureen, I really like your dress." Clary said and the sophomore, black girl looked at her smiling.

"Thanks. It's a hand me down."

"You still look super cute." Clary said completely forgetting why she had been upset.

"I'll let you borrow it whenever you want."

"Really? Thanks, but I wouldn't do the dress justice not the way you do."

"Ahem." All three boys said at once snapping Mauren and Clary from their talk.

"From now on, Maureen is the only one allowed to speak to me. That includes fashion advice." Clary said looking accusingly at Magnus.

"Fine then, she can join us as we fix you," Magnus grabbed hold of Clary's arm and Maureen arm, "but we are fixing you." Then he looked at Maureen. "Ok seriously that dress is simply exquisite."

8:11 P.M. Day of Party

Magnus had tweaked her eyebrows like Simon had asked, and even though she had been mad at him, she wasn't as mad as he had been when he took an hour to do her eye makeup. Clary kept on opening and closing her eye at the wrong times, so Magnus had to re-apply eye liner and mascara at least over five times because Clary would smudge it.

Now Clary was wearing a dark green dress that was her mom's and it made her look older than 17. It was a strapless dress that was tight around her boobs and chest area, but underneath it was all flowy, and Clary really liked it. It met her mid thigh, but Clary was short, so she still felt comfortable with the length. Her hair was in her natural curls, but Magnus had used a clip to grab the front part of her hair so that it met in the back. Only one small, rebellious strand of hair stayed in the front, but it looked intentioned, so Magnus had left it like that.

Clary came walking down the stairs and she was definitely glad Magnus had come and "fixed" her. Sebastian hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her, and Clary was enjoying every second of it.

"You look good Clarissa." Clary looked away from Sebastian to see Jace on her right who had also changed since last time she saw him. He was wearing a black button up and dark jeans. He wasn't wearing anything fancy, but he looked good. The shirt showed that he was muscular but not too muscular.

"You look like you're going to a funeral." Clary responded bitter because he kept on going back and forth from calling her Clary to Clarissa.

"Now don't be rude Clary remember what your mom said." Now he was calling her Clary which probably meant someone was in hearing distance.

"Yeah I am pretty sure my mom didn't want you to be throwing parties at her house, so let's just say we're even."

"Clary, Luke told me what your mom used to do in high school, and she would be proud of this party." Now Jace came around her so that he was directly in front of her. "She'd be proud of you too, like I said, you look- fine." Clary rolled her eyes at that.

"My mom is not the same person she used to be and you don't know a thing about her."

Jace ignored her and instead he reached behind her and took the clip from her hair. When he saw Clary's expression, he laughed and said, "Sorry I was channeling my inner Magnus, and I simply couldn't resist." Jace stepped closer to her or at least Clary thought he did as he reached to grab her curls placing a lock of hair behind her ear and letting the other one free to cover her ear. "Besides, I think I like your hair like this. It matches your personality wild, unpredictable, stubborn." He said the last word and was still holding onto a piece of her hair.

Clary almost expected to hear an alarm blazing waking her up from another one of her dreams with Jace, but this was real. Jace was actually doing this. "Jace, are you high or something?"

He laughed again, "No, Clary, not yet. But hey if you're interested, we can go hotbox my car later on."

"Ok, two things. One. I have no idea what "hotboxing" is and what it has to do with getting high. Two. You're not the guy that I am interested in spending my time with at this party." Clary said and Jace's smirk only grew.

"Right, I forgot all about Verlac. If you want, I can call him over." Jace said and turned around ready to motion at him before Clary caught his arm forcing Jace to look back at her.

"You are not going to do anything. If Sebastian wants to speak to me, then he can come to me. I am not going to make myself look desperate enough to chase after him over and over again."

"Stubborn really is a good look on you." Jace said and walked away from her leaving Clary to stare after him in shock.

What the hell was that?

She looked up at Sebastian and saw him staring at her. He didn't look happy, but Clary was still avoiding him. If he wanted to talk, he had to initiate the conversation. Right now she was with Maureen and Simon talking about Fortnite. Well Clary wasn't talking about it much because she didn't play it, but it was fun hearing them argue over what skin was better.

"Simon if you actually think that Renegade Raider is the best skin, then you're a huge idiot."

"Listen, Maureen, I get that you're an underclassmen which is why I forgive your ignorance, but Renegade Raider is-

"Please tell me they aren't talking about Fortnite." Clary turned around to see Izzy and Maia staring at Simon and Maureen in disgust.

"It's funny. They get into such intense arguments about it." Clary said going back to what they were saying.

"You haven't even won a single game without Eric's help, so your opinion doesn't even matter!"

"Clary this is also a way of using your friends as shields from Sebastian." Izzy said and Maia nodded her head in agreement

"What? That's not true."

"Have you even talked to him yet?" Maia asked.

"If he wants to talk, he can come up to me." Clary said wishing they would've never brought it up.

"Clary you're not even giving him the chance to come up to you. By being with Simon, you're basically saying that you'd rather be with nerds rather than with a hot guy." Izzy said shaking her head in disappointment at Clary.

"I thought that you didn't want me talking to him?"

"I don't, but you're not going to find out if he wants to date you if you don't talk with him."

"What happened to you confronting him?" Maia asked raising an eyebrow.

"Confrontations are dangerous." Clary said and turned back to Maureen and Simon who were no longer fighting and were now paying attention to the conversation going on between the three girls.

"Clary, you look hot af right now. You have no reason to be scared of any sort of confrontation." It was one of Simon's band members that Clary didn't remember.

"Umm thanks." She said awkwardly and looked over at Sebastian to see him walking over to get a drink from the kitchen.

"Now, is your time. Go talk to him." Maia and Izzy nudged her on and didn't stop until she was in the kitchen with Sebastian.

They weren't alone. Some people were hovered around the table laughing and clicking their drinks together. Jace and Alec along with Kaelie and Aline were the only ones that she recognized, but they all seemed friendly enough or maybe they were just drunk. Sebastian passed by them and got a red cup filling it with vodka and coke. Clary wasn't going to drink, but she couldn't just walk over to the alcoholic drinks without at least pouring something into the cup.

She reached for a red cup and pretended to accidentally bump into Sebastian in the process.

"Oh sorry. " She said and he grinned at her.

"It's ok Clary. Here let me help you out." He reached and got a red cup. "What're you drinking?"

Clary racked her brain for something intelligent to say and she responded, "Straight Vodka."

"Are you sure Clary? You don't really seem like the drinking type."

"What? Really? I drink all the time." Clary said and Sebastian chuckled as he filled her cup with vodka and ice.

"Cheers." he said holding his cup to Clary's. They touched their cups and Clary hesitantly drank from the vodka. It was Smirnoff and it had a flavor to it, so it couldn't be that bad.

When she drank from it, she didn't stop drinking until she saw him stop. Clary managed to finish her cup, and she resisted really hard the urge to cough in Sebastian's face. Instead she laughed- coughed and turn to look at Sebastian who was smiling at her clearly seeing right through her act.

"Alright Ms. I drink all the time. I would take it easy." Sebastian said taking the cup away from her.

"That's not fair. Your cup had coke in it."

"Yeah because I am driving and I am only allowed to be drunk for the first hour of the party."

"Sebastian Verlac are you taking responsibility? Consider me surprised." Clary said stepping closer to Sebastian so that their knees were touching.

"Clary Fray are you flirting with me? Consider me pleasantly surprised." Sebastian said and he put his arm on the bottom of Clary's back bringing her closer to his body. Clary's heart was beating fast with excitement. He was going to kiss her. He had to.

"Hey, Verlac come play with us!" Clary turned around abruptly to see Jace holding a red cup up to Sebastian.

"Nah man. I got to drive after this."

"Don't worry Verlac, we'll sober you up after you lose." Jace said and Clary could hear the challenge in his voice.

Now, the group that had been in the kitchen was in the living room sitting in a circle on the floor around bottles of beer and a bottle of looked as if he wanted to say yes, but something was stopping him. Then someone in the crowd of people began to chant, "Verlac! Verlac! Verlac!" and more people joined in until almost everyone was doing it. Sebastian smirked and walked over to the circle. Clary realized that he was planning on saying yes the entire time, but he wanted people to cheer him into doing it. He still had his arm on Clary's back and he had her sit right next to him. Clary looked at Jace curiously wondering why he had invited Sebastian to play, but he wasn't looking at her.

"What're we playing?" Clary whispered to Sebastian.

"Never have I ever." he whispered back.

Clary looked at the circle hoping to see any of her friends, but they were all behind her laughing and joking around amongst themselves. Her eyes scanned each of them hoping one of them would join her in the game, hoping all of them would, but Izzy was the only one that saw her.

What? Izzy mouthed at her.

Come here. Clary mouthed back.

No.

Please.

Why?

Because.

Because… what?

Clary rolled her eyes and took out her phone.

I don't want to play alone.

You're not alone Verlac is sitting right next to you.

But I want my friends to play with me Clary looked up from her phone to Izzy with pleading eyes and Izzy sighed and started saying something to the group. They looked at Clary as if they only just remembered that there was more people at this party. Maia, Izzy, and Magnus walked confident together as they came to join them, but Simon, Bat, Maureen, and the other guys walked in a huddle as slow and awkward as possible.

"Hey Herondale, mind if a few extra players join?" Izzy said looking as bored and disinterested with the game as she did with her nails.

"Sure, Izzy. If you guys can find a spot, you're in." Jace said and he motioned to the completely closed circle. No one besides Clary was actually moving to make space and even Clary was having a hard time doing that with Sebastian's hand on her back. Izzy only smirked at Jace and took her place on the lap of Meliorn- a senior.

Maia sat next to Clary- which surprised her because Clary had barely managed to make any room. Magnus went up to Alec and said, "Move over sis unless you want me to sit on your lap too." Alec scooted a little to the left giving Magnus enough room to sit down.

Clary saw the rest of her friends hovering over the circle awkwardly and didn't see anyone else willing to scoot over or be sat on, so Clary stood up and motioned for them to come sit. Sebastian looked at her eyes wide, but she ignored him and everyone else for that matter because she wasn't going to allow her friends to be excluded. They all sat awkwardly down around Clary's spot and Clary sat closer to Maia this time. Now there was a weird bump in the circle, but Clary couldn't care less if their perfect party was being disrupted. It was her house; she could do whatever she felt like doing.

"Alrighty then." Jace said once again not looking at Clary. "You guys know how this game works. If you've done it, you take a drink. If you finish your beer, you go onto tequila." He looked around the circle until he saw the person he wanted to start, "Izzy, you're first."

"Never have I ever… had enjoyable sex with someone in this room." Izzy said smiling with no kindness at Jace. Magnus reached for a beer first and he took a small sip from it then more people reached for a beer: Kaelie, Jace, Alec, Aline, Helen, and lastly Sebastian. Clary didn't look directly at him, but she saw him from the corner of her eye.

"Raphael you're next."

The game continued and it seemed that it was the same people who were drinking and the questions were always focused on three things: sex, drugs, or alcohol. The only ones who hadn't even had to reach for a beer so far were Clary, Simon, Bat, Maureen, Eric, and the other two. Maia and Izzy got a beer when someone asked about giving or getting a blowjob, but everyone else of Clary's friends remained motionless only laughing and pointing people out when it was their own friends. The room wasn't as tense as before though now that everyone was drinking. Some people had actually decided to stop playing because they had been drinking so much. Now the only ones left were Izzy, Jace, Jordan, Alec, Magnus, Maia, Clary, Sebastian Maureen, Bat, and Simon. The other three were people Clary didn't really recognize. The ones who had left were still watching, but they were being responsible and not doing any of the drinking.

It was Jace's turn and this time he looked right at her as he asked his question: "Never have I ever gotten 100% attendance during my 3 years of high school." Clary froze. She always got 100% attendance. She hated ditching and only ever did it once, but the next day went and apologized, so she was forgiven and kept her perfect attendance. That's when Clary realized: all of her friends were all 100% attendance students. Not just Clary.

They all awkwardly reached for a beer and drank out of it with caution. Clary didn't like the taste of the vodka from before and this time hadn't been any different. Beer tasted disgusting and it must've showed in her face because Izzy, Maia, and Magnus were all laughing their asses off. Jace was chuckling and she could see Sebastian smiling too. Great. They have found their weakness.

"You're hilarious Jace." Clary said still tasting the beer in her mouth.

"What? I just thought that you and your friends looked a little bored. I was just trying to help you out."

The next person and everyone else who now said a sentence decided to follow under Jace's footsteps asking questions that would only affect the ones who were in honor roll, who had seen all of the StarWars movies, who stayed in on Fridays and Saturdays to finish homework. Clary was taking small sips, but she knew that she was already too far gone to stay sober.

"Maia!" Clary screamed and everyone stared at her surprised as she whispered very loudly, "Maia, do you like my hair? Magnus did it. It looks good doesn't it? He says that I should show my natural curls more often. And Jace liked it too he even said that my hair was like my personality

Magnus looked at her with pity before yelling out, "Never have I ever kissed a girl."

Clary didn't really pay attention to who had taken a drink because Maia began to pat Clary's head and she whispered, "Yes Clary I do like your hair."

The next person she didn't know, but she hated them more than she has ever hated anyone. "Never have I ever kissed Verlac." Everyone in this room knew that she had kissed Sebastian because their first kiss had been very public and literally in everyone's faces. It hadn't been the most romantic moment Clary has ever had, but it happened. The only one who hadn't seen it was Jace, but she had already told him, so she wasn't sure why she had looked to him first before picking up the bottle of Tequila.

"Easy there Clary, you can't just drink straight out of the bottle." Maia said holding a cup to her.

Clary filled it half way figuring she'll probably be taking more than one sip. Tequila was way worse than beer. The taste of it burned her, and she was left gagging for a good minute. Now she was leaning on Maia as the next questions kept coming. Never have I ever gone to Comic Con. Never have I ever passed an AP exam. Clary was starting to think that these people were all just incredibly boring and stupid.

Now it was her turn, but she was tired of this stupid game, "Never have I ever played such a pointless game. You guys actually have fun doing this? Watching people embarrass themselves. I mean seriously so what I have been in honor roll, so what I get perfect attendance, so what I kissed Sebastian Verlac. It wasn't even that great. It was a stupid dare, and he wasn't even into it. He is just the asshole that flirts with me but refuses to ask me out on a stupid date." she heard Jace chuckle and immediately turned to him, "Speaking of assholes that flirt, you have been a pain in my ass since day one. All you do is- is infiltrate my life and initiate all of these unnecessary problems. Literally everything you do has been to make my life ten times more dramatic than usual. I seriously don't get why I even try with you. So yup drink up guys if your life has in some way been ruined by an annoying white guy." Clary said and took a sip. "Twice, if they were blonde." Clary said and took another drink finishing her cup of tequila.

12:16- Day after party

"But that can't possibly be why he is mad?" Clary said in disbelief. Simon had spent ten minutes explaining everything, but he hadn't been doing a very good job since he hadn't really been paying much attention, so Maureen cut in and she had practically absorbed everything that had been going on in the room.

"I mean maybe something else happened and I missed it, but I really doubt it." Maureen said and she no longer looked as tired as before. Coffee really does work some miracles.

"You should just ask him." it was Bat who was not being healed by the coffee like Maureen. He was still rubbing his forehead with the ice pack.

"Oh shit, that reminds me. Bat, you might want to miss school for a few days or months." Maureen said to him with eyes wide.

"What? Why?" Bat looked as surprised as Clary. He probably didn't remember what had happened last night either.

"Well let's just say that you confronted Jordan, and you made some promises about what you were planning on doing the next time you saw him if he kept bothering Maia." Bat's eyes went wide as Maureen explained what he did. Simon was laughing the entire time and Clary looked more closely at Bat. She's been friends with Bat since middle school, wait scratch that. She's been friendly with Bat since middle school, but they weren't really "friends". Clary was friends with Simon and Maia. Bat also happened to be friends with Simon and Maia. That was really the only reasons they hung out.

Clary hadn't really noticed his features much before. She knew he was latino and he always reminded her of Simon because they both were scrawny and tall, but he was actually more muscular than Clary had realized before. He had brown skin, but it was a different shade than Maia's or Maureen's. His hair was short and curly but not curly like Clary's. His curls were more defined and a lot smaller than Clary's. She had originally thought that his hair was black, but his hair was simply a very dark shade of brown. One thing that she had always known since day one of knowing him was his crush on Maia. She saw the way that he looked at her and how he always sticked by her side, and at first she thought that it was obvious, but Maia never seemed to notice.

"Wait, wait. You're going too fast." Bat was no longer holding the ice pack to his head. He was running his hands through his hair, and looking more panicked than Clary has ever seen him, "Just start from the beginning and don't skip over any details."

Maureen looked annoyed that she had to be the one to explain this to them, but she still continued, "Fine. Look, after we played Never have I ever and Clary did her whole speech thing, Izzy-

9:30 P.M- Day of party

"Ok! This game is officially getting boring. I am out. Clary, lets go to the bathroom." Izzy went up to Clary and grabbed hold of her elbow and picked her up from the floor with no problem at all. "Maia, Magnus a little help here."

When Bat heard Maia's name, his head popped up immediately and his eyes found her almost instantly, but she was already leaving to help Izzy with a drunken Clary. Bat was tempted to go follow her, but he wasn't needed in that situation, and in his current state, he wasn't sure that he could have been able to walk without someone holding him upright.

"Guys, I think this is our cue to leave." Simon whispered as everyone else in the circle stared at them expectantly.

"This was a bad idea anyways." Bat said and stood up, but he felt dizzy the second his feet were flat on the floor and he saw someone offer him a hand, and he took it not paying attention to who it was.

"Hey dude, you should take it easy. Wouldn't want you tripping or something." Unfortunately, Bat knew that voice. It was Jordan Kyle. Great. Fucking perfect.

"I don't need your help, dude." Bat said and yanked his hand away from Jordan and forced himself to not fall right then and there.

"You don't got to be rude man. I was just trying to be nice."

"Well don't." Bat said and some part of him knew that he should have just said thanks and walked away. Hell, if it wasn't for the alcohol that is probably what he would've done, but right now, he didn't care because Maia deserved better.

Jordan looked as if he was about to respond when Simon interrupted the both of them. "C'mon Bat. Let's just go back to where we were before." Simon grabbed him and practically dragged him away.

"What were you thinking?" Eric said from the corner where they had all been gathered before. "You looked ready to punch him. Jordan Kyle. You were going to punch Jordan Kyle."

"I wasn't going to punch him, but he deserves it. Pinche estupido. He's an idiot. What kind of a person is stupid enough to let someone like Maia go?"

"I thought you'd be happy considering you're in love with her and all." Maureen said and looked at him as if he was the idiot.

"What? I am not 'in love' with Maia. Sure, she is beautiful and really smart and one of the strongest people I have ever met. I love her like a friend because she really is an amazing friend, and she is so trustworthy and honest, but I'm not 'in love'. That's ridiculous. So ridiculous. How could you even think that, Maureen? Me and Maia, dating? That is the most- it is just so beyond- it's- it's- it's ridiculous! Ok! Ridiculous." Bat forced his mouth shut knowing that no good words were going to come out at this point.

"We got it Bat. You're definitely not in love with Maia. And everything about her is ridiculous." Simon said an amused expression on his face.

"Not everything about her is ridiculous." Bat said defensively, "Just the idea that I am in love with her. That- that's the only ridiculous part." Bat once again shut his mouth in the hopes he would actually stop talking.

"Ok can everyone stop saying ridiculous. My head is starting to hurt from it." Maureen said and she actually did look like her head hurt.

"Where are the other ones? Without them, we have no protection from the sharks." Simon said looking at the group of teenagers in the living room who seemed to have once again forgotten that they were even there to begin with. Bat saw that Jordan wasn't there with the rest of them anymore.

"They're probably still with Clary." Bat said, "We should go find them. I'd rather stand around drunk with Clary than these people."

"Clary's room it is." Simon said.

"They aren't going to be in Clary's room. They went to the bathroom." Maureen said.

"I thought that they were going to their art room." Eric said.

"Why would they go to the art room?" Mauren asked.

"Because Clary likes art."

"That is the stupidest thing you have ever-

"Let's just split up. Whoever finds them gets the rest." Bat said just wanting to get away from here. He began walking and realized that Maureen was following him while the other ones went off in their own direction.

Bat didn't really know this place that well, so it was a good thing that Maureen was here with him. He figured that out of all of them, Maureen was probably the only one functioning better. None of them had ever really gotten drunk before and it was noticeable in the way they were walking or leaning against the wall and the way they talked, but Maureen was keeping most of it under control.

"C'mon bathroom is this way." Maureen said and they were walking down a hallway when they passed a room and Bat heard yelling from inside.

"Damn it Jordan! For the millionth time, we are over." That was Maia, it had to be.

"Listen Maia, please just listen."

"No, I am done listening to you. Or looking at you, as a matter of fact. Now let me go." That was Bat's cue. He went running into the room not paying attention to Maureen's outstretched hand or her warnings.

"Let go of her, Jordan!" Bat yelled and both Jordan and Maia looked surprised to see him there. Jordan was holding her arm, but Maia wasn't paying attention to Jordan. She was looking at Bat with an expression he couldn't really read. Relief? Fear? Like if he was a complete lunatic?

"Bat, what are you doing?" Maia whisper screamed to him.

"I heard your yelling and wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Well I am fine, and I can handle myself. Thanks."

"I know you can handle yourself," Bat said and at the sight of her he was able to control his words a bit more, but Jordan's presence made him want to start screaming every Spanish bad word he knew.

"Velasquez, just get out of here. This doesn't have anything to do with you." Jordan said sounding annoyed that Bat had interrupted whatever crap speech he had been ready to give her.

"Why don't you both get out of here? I am not really in the mood for either of you at this point."

"Really? That isn't what you told me last week. You were practically begging me to go to your place and-

"Jordan, shut up!" now Maia ripped her hand away from Jordan's grasp and Bat no longer felt that Spanish cuss words would be enough. He stumbled his way over to Jordan and punched him right in the jaw. Bat had to take a moment to hold his hand and to make sure he wasn't going to trip over his own feet before he practically threw himself on Jordan.

Bat grabbed Jordan's shirt and he tried his best to not slur his words, "If you even get near her or me, then I will kick your ass. Stay the hell away from her."

"Bat! Let him go, you idiot." It was Maia, and Bat listened letting go of Jordan and he turned away stumbling towards Maureen who looked like she was trying to hold in a laugh.

They all walked out of the room besides Jordan who had looked as shocked as Bat felt. He hadn't been planning on doing that, but his brain wasn't really doing a good job of keeping Bat in control.

"Bat, what the hell was that?" Maia asked grabbing Bat's arm forcing him to look at her. She looked pissed, but Bat didn't care because she looked pretty. He decided to tell her that hoping it would calm her down.

"Maia you look pretty when you're mad." Bat said and Maia's face told him that she did not like that at all.

"Bat's not himself right now." Maureen said no longer holding her laugh. Bat was drunk, but he could tell that Maureen wasn't in control of herself anymore either. She was stumbling and holding the wall very careful to not fall.

"Are you guys drunk? I thought Clary was the only lightweight."

"I am not a lightweight. I am just short." Clary came out of the bathroom along with Magnus and Izzy.

"Clary! We've been looking for you!" Maureen said completely awestruck as if she just appeared from thin air.

"Well you found me." Clary slurred out and walked to Maureen but tripped over her own feet before she reached there.

Magnus caught her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Alright that is it. This is the last time we take any of you to a party." Magnus said then motioned toward Maia and Izzy, "One of you grab Maureen and the other one grab Bat before they drop. We'll go to Clary's room until they sober up and we can take them home."

"But I am already home, Magnus." Clary said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh shush now, Biscuit." Magnus said and they all walked to Clary's room.

12:23 P.M.- Next Day

"Wait but how did I end up in the bathroom?" Clary said still confused about this entire thing.

"I don't know. I don't remember much after that." Maureen said not very happy about that.

"What the- I actually punched Jordan Kyle? As in football player, star quarterback, beloved by everyone and anyone, Jordan Kyle?"

"I don't think you really cared about any of that at the time." Maureen said looking at Bat with sympathy.

"Oh shit. I am dead. That's it. I am dead."

"Bat, we won't let Jordan do anything to you. I got your back." Simon said putting an arm on Bat's shoulder.

Clary saw Bat look at Simon then at Simon's hand on his shoulder and his face went from worried to panicked.

"Jordan probably knows that you were drunk. He probably won't even care about what happened. It isn't like we hang out with them everyday. The next time you see him, he'll have forgotten all about it." Clary said trying to reassure Bat, but she couldn't stop thinking about Jace. He was actually angry at her. Something else had to have happened between them. There was no way that he was just angry because of what she had said when she was drunk. She always talked to him like that. She has probably said worse things to him so why the hell was he so upset. And, why did she care? So what he hated her now? He was the one who started it with calling her Clarissa and by just being so annoying-

"Thanks Clary. You have a point." Bat said ripping her away from her thoughts. There was a silence that stretched throughout them. It wasn't awkward, but they were all just so tired that they didn't have the energy to talk.

"We should probably get going." Maureen said, "I told my parents that I slept over at your house by accident, but they aren't too happy with me."

"Yeah, same." Simon said standing up.

"My mom threatened to send me back to Mexico if I didn't come home right away, so yeah me too." Bat said joining Simon and Maureen.

"Clary get some rest. You still looked pretty tired."

"Yeah I will, but text me still when you guys get home." Clary said standing up to give them all a hug.

Once they left, she went to her room and the second she sat down on the bed, she fell asleep.

1:46 A.M. After the Party

"Alright well I am leaving." Magnus said looking down at his phone. He had been texting someone this entire time, but he refused to tell Clary who, and she had bugged him about it for a while.

The only ones left right now were in Clary's room and that was Izzy and Magnus. Simon, Maureen, and Bat had gone into the guest room because they all wanted to sleep. Maia had left almost immediately after Bat fell asleep. She had been acting weird, but no one asked her because they all knew Maia. She would tell them when she felt like it.

Jace had walked in a few minutes ago telling them that everyone had left from his friends. He also explained that tomorrow there was going to be some sort of game so he was going to sleep already.

"Yeah I should probably leave too." Izzy said standing up from the bed.

"Wait but then I'll be alone." Clary said knowing that she was definitely not going to fall asleep with the energy she had.

"No, you won't. You'll have Simon, Maureen, and Bat all next door." Magnus said and he stood up from the bed too.

"Don't forget about Jace." Izzy said and she leaned in to give Clary a kiss on the forehead, "Drink some water and try to sleep, please. I'll text you when I get home, but promise me you'll try and sleep."

"Yeah, mom, I promise."

"Hey, I am just being a good friend." Izzy said and she left with Magnus.

Great. Now, she was alone. She took out her sketch book, but her head wasn't focused enough to draw. She wasn't as drunk as she had been, but she definitely didn't feel sober. Clary decided to follow Izzy's advice and drink some water except that the kitchen was downstairs and Clary really didn't want to move.

"Jace!" no response. "Jace!" this time she didn't stop saying his name until he did respond.

"What?!"

"I need your help!"

"What?! Clary go to sleep!"

"I can't! Please Jace I need your help!" Clary said the last part with more of a whimper.

There was a long pause when no one screamed anything, but Clary smiled when she heard footsteps.

"What is it, Clarissa?" Jace said walking into her room looking mad. He was wearing pajama bottoms, but he decided to not wear a shirt. His hair was disheveled and he did look as if he just woke up, but Clary was drunk and wide awake.

"I need water."

"What? You woke me up, so I could get you water?"

"Yes?"

He shot daggers at her with his eyes and abruptly turned around. Clary wasn't sure if he would actually do it until a few seconds later he came back holding a glass of water. He brought it to her and sat down on the bed with her. Clary sat up against the frame with her legs in front of her partly covered by her dress and partly covered by the blanket. Jace sat shoulder to shoulder with her copying her position covering half of his legs with the blanket.

"You're a really annoying drunk, you know that?"

"You're the one that wanted to throw the party." Clary said taking small sips from the water.

"It wasn't that bad. Admit it, you had fun."

"You mean besides the whole calling Sebastian an asshole thing?"

"That was the fun part." Jace said smirking down at her.

"Sure for you, but what am I going to do. He definitely won't talk to me now."

"I am not sure about that."

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon Clary, you're a smart girl. You have probably never gotten drunk or even gone to a high school party. Sebastian likes that. He likes that you're new to parties and drinking, and you kind of rely on him for help with all of this."

"But he didn't even help me out."

"Yeah because of your friends. He knows that the second Maia, Izzy, Magnus, or even Simon are with you that you'll choose them over him. He doesn't like that."

"So you think Sebastian just wants to be with me so that he can control me?" Clary said not believing it at all.

"I think Sebastian is an even bigger control freak than you. He drinks and parties and all that, but you'll notice that everything he does is with a purpose." Jace said and he was no longer looking at Clary.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Jace countered.

"I mean why did you want me to come to this party?"

"It's your house, Clary."

"Sure, but you didn't have to throw the party here. I am sure that you could have gotten someone else to throw the party at their house."

"It was just more convenient at your house." Jace said and Clary knew that he was just avoiding the question.

"Ok fine. So why did you start asking those questions then?"

"I told you because you and your friends looked bored." Jace said with a smile on his face.

"Jonathan, can you please be serious?" Clary said hoping that calling him his full name would get him to answer.

He looked at her for a second not saying anything then he grabbed a piece of her hair and put it behind her ear, "Because you needed to let loose and let go some of your self control. I am glad that you stood up there and said those thing because you wouldn't have said them if I hadn't directed those questions to you."

Jace's hand was still on Clary's cheek when she said, "But I still don't get, why?"

"I don't know Clary. You ask too many questions. Sometimes people just do things because their bored."

"So you were bored and decided to get me drunk?" Jace laughed and dropped his hand.

"No, you got yourself drunk. I just wanted to see you loosen up. I didn't think you would actually like it." Now his hand was tracing the back of her hand. Clary ignored the blush that rose in her cheeks.

"Trust me, I do not like it. Not even a little." Clary said hating that he was having any effect on her at all.

"But you have to enjoy at least a little. If not the drinking, then the not caring what anyone thinks and just doing and saying whatever you want." Jace said still fiddling with her fingers.

"Why are you acting like this?" Clary whispered.

"Because I am drunk and when you're drunk you're confident in ways that you aren't sober."

Clary rolled her eyes, "You're always confident."

"Not with you. I get kind of anxious when it's just you and me." Jace said and Clary now believed him that he was drunk because a sober Jace would never say this.

"What? That doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense. When you're around Sebastian, you act completely different. When I am around you, I am a mess."

"You're just drunk."

"Not that drunk."

"Whatever, I know you're just trying to mess with my head." she said turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest.

"You only think that because half of the things that I do annoy you."

"Yeah because you're annoying."

"It's too easy to get you upset, Clary. That's the only reason Sebastian hasn't asked you out, you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you Sebastian likes control. He sees that right now, he can't really control you, so he's slowly easing in. He'll flirt with you and give you attention every once in a while so that you'll feel cherished then ignore you so that you get desperate enough to call him. Except that with you, he hasn't really been getting the outcome he wants."

Clary was unable to say anything for several minutes. What the hell? What the serious fucking hell? That was absolutely psychotic. This wasn't true. She could not believe that Jace was just being honest with her because he cared. He had to be lying or joking or something.

"Why should I trust you? How could you even know what Sebastian does and why he does it?"

"Because it's the same thing I do. He might have actually taken it from me."

"Wait, what? You do that, and it actually works? Like girls actually fall for that."

"Izzy did so did Kaelie, but every girl is different. Sebastian is just too stupid to even comprehend the kind of girl you are."

"And what might that be."

"I told you before, you're unpredictable-

"Wild and stubborn. Yeah I remember."

"You don't trust Sebastian but for some weird, unexplainable reason you like him." Jace laughed but there was no humor in his voice, "Out of all the guys, you just had to go for Sebastian. I am sure anyone of your straight guy friends would be more than happy to date you. Actually, scratch that, Bat seems to be pretty much in love with Maia. But you could have gone for any other guy, and you chose the worst one of them all."

"Why do you care?" Clary turned to look at him once again annoyed that he kept on questioning her feelings. Even drunk, Clary hated when he did that.

"If you didn't like him, then I would do something very, very stupid."

Clary rolled her eyes, "Like what?" he smiled and there was something in the way he was looking at her that made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

Jace leaned in and Clary wasn't sure if she parted her lips or if he parted them for her because they were kissing. It wasn't like anything Clary had dreamed before. All of her dreams with Jace had been steamy, full of passion and everything leading towards sex. This was innocent. Jace wasn't pushing and neither was Clary both of them were keeping a distance, but closing it with their lips. Jace reached his hand around the back of Clary's head and began to pull her closer- tangling his hands in her hair.

Then he broke the kiss and whispered, "Like that." but he didn't let go of her. He just kept her near without kissing her."Clary?"

"Yeah?"

"You and I shouldn't be doing this not while we're drunk."

"I thought you said you weren't that drunk."

"I am not, but I am drunk enough to know that we would never be doing this sober."

"Yeah I can't be doing these kinds of things anyways at least not with you."

"What the hell does that mean?" he let go of her now and Clary could see that whatever moment they had was gone.

"It means that we're not compatible, Jace. We're too different. Plus I have a thing with Sebastian no matter what you say about him."

Jace didn't say anything for awhile, but Clary could tell just by the way he was breathing that he was upset. "That's too bad Clarissa. I was really hoping I'd get lucky tonight. You know I've never done it with a redhead?" Jace said turning to look at her with a smile on his face.

Clary could care less if she was drunk or if he was drunk or upset or whatever because no one spoke to her like that, "Get out. Now." Clary said slowly making sure he understood each word.

"Gladly." Jace stood up and left slamming the door on his way.

Next Day: 2:30 P.M.

Clary woke up startled. She was still in her party dress, but she wasn't drunk anymore or hungover. Her head was still pounding slightly, but the dizziness was gone. This was the first dream with Jace that had not ended on a happy note.

Her dreams with Jace have never been like that. She has always woken up embarrassed, but smiling. They usually ended with him tickling her or him saying something incredibly stupid that had made her laugh or even one time they ended just literally in the middle of the action, but it was never a full fledged out conversation between them.

It wasn't like that couldn't have actually happened. No, Jace would have been making fun of her, he would have brought it up in front of everyone. The Jace she knew would have in some way confronted her about it. He wouldn't just let it go, but he had been mad before? Was he actually mad because of what Clary had said during their party or had it been what she said afterwards?

Clary wasn't sure what she was more afraid of: Jace confronting Sebastian about the kiss or Jace confronting her?

AN: Hey like I said super long chapter, so if you enjoyed it let me know. If you hated it, let me know. I appreciate all kinds of reviews. Thanks for reading and I will post more frequently, but this chapter was so long and work has been crazy. They actually have the audacity to put me to close 5 days a week, so my sleeping schedule has been all over the place and yesterday I had sleep paralysis which really freaked me out. Anyways let me know what you think, thank you so much, and I hope to see your reviews!