Clary's POV

Walking into the room, Clary's confidence wavered slightly but she continued her strides to the couch where she flop down next to Isabelle Lightwood, one of Clary's best friends. That is apart from Simon, of course. Isabelle is like a supermodel, so the complete opposite of Clary. Her raven coloured hair falls loosely past her shoulders to her mid back, dead straight of course compared to Clary's frizz. She slumps into Isabelle in exasperation as she continually flirts with Simon. Honestly, they should just get together already, it's plain obvious they're into each other! Last year, Simon was nice enough to taste Izzy's soup. He gagged but held it down, so that was proof enough the lengths he would go to just to prove his love.

Clary's eyes roll over to Jonathan who has a giggling Kaelie tucked under his arm. She flicks her long blond hair over her shoulder, fluttering her eyelashes in his direction. Clary has to stifle her laughter in Izzy's shoulder but a hysterical gasp of air escapes her lungs and Jon smirks in his little sister's direction at the ridiculous slut next to him. Besides, Clary thought she was Jace's plaything? Meh, they all change so quickly. One moment Jon's screwing them then they get passed down the line. Jace, to Tyler, to Isaac, to whomever else wants them. The poor girls, they honestly don't understand how useless Clary's older brother found them. At this Clary snorts and rolls off the couch intending on hitting the hard carpeted floor but instead landing on the golden boy who had followed her into the room and sat down on the floor below her. She lands with a thud in his lap and immediately scrambles to get away but it's too late.

"Clary, why so eager?" Jonathan's words make Clary's blush deepen. Everyone lets out snickers and rounds of wolf whistles until Izzy and Maia start whacking them over their enormously huge arrogant heads. She sends a grateful look to each of them and resumes her struggle against Jace's strong arms, which have wrapped themselves around her waist, pinning her to his chest.

"Jon! Get your paedophilic best friend off me!" Clary screams at her brother but he just laughs and so Jace takes the opportunity to tickle her sides, like he did when they were eight. Clary hisses and claws at his hands but escape is futile. Finally she lets out a grumpy sigh and crosses her arms over her chest.

'That's better, be a good Clary now Red,' he whispers in her ear and so Clary rams an elbow into his stomach, winding him. She smiles victoriously and slumps back into his chest.

The night seems longer by the second as Jordan talks about basketball and football with Jace and Jon. When they bring up ghosts of girlfriends past, Kaelie gets pouty and Maia whacks her boyfriend's arm repeatedly until he smiles at her, ruffling her braids and kissing her quite passionately.

"Get a room!" Everyone yells at them and throws cushions while Izzy and Clary smile. Maia had been infatuated with Jordan since grade three and now she finally had him. If anything ever happened to them, Izzy would flip her shit. She was already planning there wedding. And knowing Isabelle Lightwood, it would be quite extravagant! Clary's eyelids begin to droop even though she had just had probably three hours sleep. Her mum was coming home tomorrow but they will still have to clean up the mess left from the party. She lets her eyes close but sleep doesn't take her easily because Clary's suddenly hyper aware of Jace's heartbeat under her ear and his arms wrapped around her. Dammit. She gulps shakily and attempts to sleep but Jace's chest vibrates with laughter as he notices her, tucked into him like a child.

"Red, tired are we?"

"Shut up," Clary retorts, whacking her hand flimsily against his chest. "Unless you know a way to keep me awake then let me sleep!" She snuggles deeper into his chest.

"Darling, I know many ways I can keep you awake."

She blushes bright red and hides her face in his chest as Jon shrieks "Okay, that's enough of that!" And looks at Jace with eyes that promise death. Jordan lets out a low whistle as Clary blinks her eyes open to death glare him.

"Honestly Morgenstern's' and their looks of death," he shuddered scooting behind Maia to use her as a shield.

"Jordan, you realise you are cowering from a red headed midget, right?" Clary spins on Simon; Simon who was supposed to be her friend. Mouth agape, she lunges at him, a ferocious look on my face. Clary attacks him with punches to his chest and arms while he laughs under her weight. When she's too tired to continue, Clary curls up beside Isabelle, glad to have escaped her jail cell of Jace's arms.

"That's why I'm cowering, Lewis." Jordan laughs. Then everyone is laughing and it's like they are all friends, even Kaelie who was death glaring Clary while she was next to – I mean on top of- Jace.

"Can we play spin the bottle?" Kaelie's tinkling voice reverberates around the room.

"No," Clary snorts.

"Why not?" Her eyes narrow at the small but determined redhead.

"Because it's another way for you to shove your tongue down my brother's throat and that is something I would rather not see," Clary smiles sweetly.

Her face contorts into a murderous expression and it's aimed at her beau's younger sibling. Jon scrambles to recover the situation. He sprints to the kitchen and Clary resumes a conversation with Simon about Percy Jackson and how they were to recreate his blue birthday. When Jon returns, a glass bottle in hand, a circle forms but Clary remains on the couch with her friends. He places the bottle in the centre of the mishap circle, returning to his spot next to Kaelie.

"Who wants to go first?" Kaelie pounces on the bottle, batting her eyelashes at Jon and making everyone want to vomit. Her perfectly manicured nails grip the glass daintily and spin. It seems to go on forever but finally it stops. And Clary spills with laughter. Simon looks just as startled as the end points towards him.

"Pass," Kaelie says looking pissed off and disgusted. Jace lets out an exasperated sound and reaches for the bottle. Clary's heart does a little leap as she secretly prays for it to stop on her but she is immediately repulsed by the thought. Jace is like her brother. And worse, her brother's best friend.

It spins and Clary becomes hypnotised by the reflective green of the bottle, the luminous colours spinning around.

Time seems to pass slowly and she watches as Jace stands, turns slowly and sits down again. His golden eyes seem to melt her as his face sits inches from Clary's.

"Clarissa," he whispers, a small smile playing on his lips.