Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I own nothing :(

As Clary and Izzy walked down the street to yet another store- they'd been to three already- Clary's feet were starting to ache. She'd worn simple black flats in an attempt to dress for comfort, but the stabbing in the heel of her left foot had nothing to do with her shoes.

'Damn Magnus and his stupid superstitions,' thought Clary as she tried to subtly adjust her shoe. The day the boys announced their engagement to her, Magnus had what he called a 'brilliant idea.' Magnus was all about superstitions: he believed if you stepped on a crack, you could break your mother's back. He thought that having a rabbit's foot would bring good luck, along with four leaf clovers. He refused to walk under a ladder or go too far from home on Friday the 13th. Clary thought superstitions were ridiculous, but when he suggested that she walk around with a penny in her shoe for luck from the day of their engagement to the day of the wedding, she caved. She had thought, 'What the hell? If it'll make Magnus happy…" He'd said that walking with a penny in her shoe- despite not being a bride- would bring her luck with the love gods.

"Maybe if you keep this penny in your shoe," he held up a penny from the year she was born, "you'll get a boyfriend by the wedding. I promise, Clary. I wholeheartedly believe in this," he announced proudly. Magnus was too stubborn to give up and Clary had been in a good mood, so she agreed and they shook on it.

"Okay, this is one of my favorites," Izzy informed as they stopped in front of a small boutique. Clary looked doubtful. Izzy's favorite list included a small boutique? She was surprised.

However, when they walked inside, Clary could understand Isabelle's preferences. She shop may be small, but the dresses were absolutely stunning. The variety was huge, too, which appealed to Clary. And most importantly, everything was ordered by color and size.

"Wow," Clary breathed. Izzy looked over at her astonished face and smiled.

"I know," Izzy agreed, "I've never seen a shop so neat. See why it's one of my favorites?"

Clary nodded shortly before following her new friend over to the blue,

"Do you know which color you want to wear?" inquired Izzy as she started to skim through the rack. "Wait, these are short," she mumbled to herself.

"I, um, was hoping you'd have an idea. I don't know which color would look better with my hair," Clary admitted. She liked blue, but wasn't sure which shade she would wear if she did.

"Hmm," Izzy thought carefully and picked up a piece of Clary's hair. She held it next to a blue dress before placing each down. "Purple," she decided, "would contract perfectly with your red hair and bring out the green in your eyes. What color do you think I should wear?" She turned Clary toward the rack holding long, purple dresses.

"Blue," Clary responded without thinking. "I think blue would work better with your, uh, complexion?" Clary added dumbly. She had no idea why she said blue, she just thought it'd look better. She thought Izzy could show up in a hot pink leotard and still look perfect.

"You're right," Izzy sighed, "Hey, this way we can each wear one of their colors! This is great," she smiled. "I think you should look at the darker purples. I'll come over and help you in a minute, but don't try anything on without me first," she ordered.

Clary turned to the rack and thumbed through the darker dresses.

'Too showy… Too slutty… Ew, what is that? Too sparkly...' She thought as she looked. A few caught her eye and she slung them over her arm. Izzy saw her movements and left the blue rack to come over.

"Lemme see," she ordered as she held out her hand. She looked at each one with a business like glare before holding it up to Clary, making sure her hair hung next to it.

"Rate them from least to greatest," Izzy suggested.

"Um," Clary wasn't used to shopping being so serious. Couldn't she just pick one and go? "3, 1, and 2," she pointed to each dress respectively. Izzy nodded, clearly approving of Clary's choices.

"Try them on?" she smiled. "Just call me when you come out. I'm gonna keep looking."

Clary made her way to the dressing rooms and asked an employee to unlock it for her. Smiling a 'thank you,' she wandered in and tried on her third choice first. Save the best for last, right?

The first dress was a long, mermaid dress with a deep sweetheart neckline to expose a classy amount of cleavage. The dress was so dark in color it almost resembled maroon, and it was sleeveless. Clary wasn't overly fond of sleeveless dresses for parties, so she was hoping Izzy would feel the same. The waist was cinched, and there was a thick ribbon a small shade lighter than the dress. There was no glitter, ties, or ruffles- all features Clary found unnecessary. Even though it was her size and fit her perfectly, Clary had trouble taking deep breaths after she zipped it. Oh, and zipping it was no easy task. The zipper ended right above her butt, and she thought she'd have to call Izzy for help until she got it.

Stepping out of the dressing room, she called, "Izzy? I'm wearing my least favorite."

Izzy appeared around the corner quickly with two dark blue dresses in her arm. "Oh, that's my least favorite, too. Spin for me?" She did. "Hmm. I don't think that neckline works for you. Can you take a deep breath?" She held a hand on Clary's cinched waist.

"Not easily," Clary coughed after her failed effort.

"Are the other dresses cinched, too? Cinched waists are usually uncomfortable and difficult to dance in." Izzy studied the dress carefully. She spun Clary again before asking she go try number two.

Hearing Izzy's heels click away from the door, Clary unzipped her dress and took a deep breath. Even hanging the damn dress back on the hanger was a hassle! She picked up the second dress and grimaced when she saw the low zipper. Here we go…

The second dress was the exact color of a plum. The bottom pooled around Clary's feet, but she assumed it would be a better length when she wore heels. It looked like a longer pencil skirt, and the neckline was high. The sleeves were short and barely extended past her shoulders. It looked more like a business woman's dress than a party dress. Once the skirt touched her thighs it started to flow outward. It was slimming and tight near the top, but by the legs it was flowy and almost poofy. The fabric felt like heavy silk. It was rather plain, too, with no more design than a few sewed on rhinestones lining the waist.

"Isabelle," Clary called tiredly. She took her hair down and moved it over her shoulders so Isabelle would have an easier time comparing the colors.

"This one is… better?" Izzy asked. "Do you like plain?" she asked honestly. There was no judgement in her voice, but she sighed in relief when Clary said no.

"I don't like extravagant, but I don't like it this plain," she explained, gesturing to the dress. She twirled for Izzy and nearly tripped on the dress' length when it pooled around her feet.

"If we did get it, I could shorten it a bit for you. Do you have heels picked out?" Clary shook her head no. "I think 5 inches, at least, is appropriate for a wedding, and don't you dare groan at me!" She warned, shaking her finger when she saw Clary roll her eyes. Clary smiled and stuck out her tongue before heading back into the room.

"That is a no, right?" She asked through the door.

"Definitely," Izzy called as she walked back to the rack.

Clary had high hopes for the last dress. She loved the feel of it when she'd picked it up, and she thought with was perfect for a beach-summer wedding. The fabric was chiffon, and there were enough layers to hide what she was packing but still feel comfortable and airy. The bodice was lace and backless. Lace crept up the sides of her back in what looked like ripples. The sleeves were short and thin, maybe thick enough for her to fit four fingers. the necklike was a low, subtle U and barely showed cleavage. Clary loved it, thinking it was perfect for keeping the guys guessing. She liked to make them use their imagination. The waist was a thin band of lace on top of a layer of chiffon wrapped together. The color was deep, dark indigo. Clary loved the way it looked on her when she looked in the mirror, and she thought her eyes popped and her hair glowed brighter. She stepped out of the room happier and more comfortable, and Izzy could tell when she rounded the corner with five dresses.

"Woah," she breathed as she looked at the dress. "Damn, Clary. And to think I doubted your tastes! Spin," she ordered. She was smiling wide and looked proud that her new friend had found a beautiful dress. "Ooh, backless. Daring, aren't we?" Izzy winked suggestively. "Maybe Jace's little visit inspired this choice," she murmured.

Clary looked up at her words and dropped her smile. "Excuse me?" she asked incredulously. "Not at all. Why would you even think that?" she asked honestly. "Did Magnus say something? God, why won't he stay out of my love life?" Clary's shoulders drooped in exasperation.

Izzy laughed, "No, but I saw the way Jace watched you. And I heard him talking to Jonathon, too. He wasn't warning him against flirting with me, he was warning him against flirting with you," She rolled her eyes at Clary's obliviousness.

"Yeah, well, never gonna happen. He's not my type. I prefer guys who aren't obnoxious and cocky," she informed. She picked up the back of her dress and examined the length. It was slightly longer than the front, but she decided it would be absolutely perfect in heels.

"Okay, fine. Change back and put those two catastrophes," she pointed to the first two dresses hanging in the room, "back on the rack. I'm gonna try these on, so I'll call you when I'm ready." Clary nodded and changed quickly.

After hanging the dresses back in their rightful spots, she went to the register to pay for her gown. She heard Izzy call for her and asked for her to wait a minute while she paid.

Rounding the corner, she came faced with Izzy in a gorgeous dark blue gown. The color was closer to navy, and it clung to her body in all the right places. There was a long slit that stopped halfway up her thigh. It had a deep v-neck and long, sheer sleeves that opened dramatically by her wrists. When she spun, Clary saw the way it barely lifted from the floor.

"Isn't it a little long?" she asked.

"Not when I'm in my heels," she winked. "Nothing less than 7 inches, Clary. That's my motto."

"For shoes or boys?" Clary asked playfully. Izzy winked and put a finger to her lips and shushed her. Both girls started to laugh.

"So, what do you think?" Izzy asked as she looked down at herself. "This is my least favorite. I just think it's too revealing for a wedding," she admitted. "Don't you?"
"Yeah, maybe. It's gorgeous though. But it is really showy," Clary confessed.

"Hmm. Alright, if I'm trying not to reveal too much," she started before turning around before grabbing 3 of the 4 remaining dresses, "could you put these back for me?" She laughed shamefully and shrugged. "I like slits, okay?"

Clary laughed and went to replace the dresses. By the time she was finished, Isabelle had changed into her favorite.

This dress was even more beautiful than the last one. It was a midnight blue, and it was thin and clung to her body again, but somehow it seemed to look better than the last. There was a sheer layer filled with sparkles laid tightly on top of the fabric, making it look like it was one fabric. The bodice was tight and covered in tiny, little fake diamonds. Not enough to make it look trashy, but enough to look like stars. The entire dress reminded Clary of the pictures she'd seen of space when she'd visited NASA's website in 6th grade. The neckline was a small sweetheart, showing an appropriate amount of cleavage. The waist was decorated with slightly larger diamonds that followed each other around her waist in a way that looked like the Milky Way. When Izzy showed the back, it revealed a large dip. Aside from a small band on the top of the dress holding the sides together, the dress was backless. The U shape stretched down to her waist and exaggerated Izzy's tan back. The darkness of the dress made her skin look tanner and flawless. The edges of the back was rimmed in diamonds.

"Iz, that's…" Clary trailed off, completely speechless. Isabelle smiled and nodded.

"Perfect, right? And appropriate! The boys with be proud of me. I don't have many appropriate dresses," she joked.

"I don't know, Iz. I think you might be pushing appropriate with that back…" Clary joked.

"It's okay, we can 'push appropriate' together," Isabelle promised. She turned and went back into the room to change back.

While Clary was waiting for Isabelle to return her first dress and pay for her favorite, Clary browsed the boutique's shoe racks.

"Black or silver shoes, Iz?"

"You wear black, I'll wear silver," she suggested as she walked over. She grabbed a strappy pair of silver heels. They looked like death traps to Clary, but Isabelle seemed to approve of the height. She tried them on quickly and gracefully.

"How high are those?" Clary asked in astonishment.

"Probably about 6 inches. Not my idea, but since I am trying to stay appropriate…" she trailed off. "Hey, what about these?" she asked as she reached for a pair of tall, velvet black pumps. She insisted Clary try them on.

"I don't know if I can walk in these, Iz," Clary admitted. She took a few steps and stumbled. A vision of herself stumbling as she walked down the aisle in front of 150 people appeared in her mind and she jumped out of the shoes. Making sure the penny from Magnus was in the arch of her shoe, she slipped her flats back on.

"Yeah, you're right. We don't want you falling down the aisle. How about…" she skimmed the racks some more before picking a pair of shiny, black pumps. The bottoms were dark purple and they looked shorter than the last pair. Barely. Still, when Clary tried to walk in them she felt surprisingly comfortable. Maybe even confident, too.

"I like these," she commented. Slipping into her flats again, she picked them up and placed them in the box. "Besides, I don't think the velvet ones would work well on the beach. Wouldn't the sand stick to them?" Izzy nodded in agreement and grabbed her new pair. Clary's closed-toe pumps were almost the same height as Isabelle's, maybe half an inch shorter. The velvet ones had been closer to 8 inches.

The girls paid quickly and started walking to The Clave, giggling about the boys' reactions when they saw the dresses. Isabelle suggested hiding their purchases in her car during lunch and would keep them at her apartment until the rehearsal dinner. She made Clary promise to come over often to ensure her dress continued to fit throughout the weeks. Clary agreed with enthusiasm, not at all trusting Magnus to keep his nose out of her closet. Clary was starting to feel more excited than nervous for this wedding now. At the rate they were going, she was sure the wedding would be planned with a week to spare.

'Hopefully,' she thought.

Author's Note: I've been writing this chapter for hours. *hides face* It would have been up hours ago, but I had to head to the hospital (no worries, all is fine!) Then my computer decided to completely lock me out to add new updates. Grr. Anywho, I want to thank everyone for reviewing! I try to respond to everyone, but I've had a few I can't PM, so I thought I'd do it publicly. I hope this embarrasses you ;) Just kidding. So, for most of the dresses I used my imagination or recalled some particularly unappealing dresses from past parties. However, for Clary's final choice I did use the internet and found inspiration. If anyone wants the link to that dress, just PM me and ask. Or, I can just leave the link in the A/N for the next chapter. Wow, this note is long. This is also the longest chapter yet, breaking the 2,000s! *gasp* Okay, stop reading this and read the story!

Hugs and butterfly kisses,

~xox Jaciem

bonus: if 3 people review and tell me where the unbolded, italicized reference is from, we may see Clace sooner! ;)