Hiya guys, I'm so glad you are all enjoying the story, and I love all your reviews so thank you thank you thank you!

I would just like to say that publishing any story on here is a daunting task, and it can really change your confidence whether you get good feedback or bad feedback. All authors on here put 100% effort into their stories, and sometimes I don't think people appreciate that everyone is trying their best. I'm not picking out anyone, but I will try and make this story as interesting and captivating as I can, but as I have said in previous chapters I have already written the majority of my chapters already. The storyline is quite slow, and focuses on character developments rather than a 'bad guy' and a 'hero'. I'm not saying there isn't any not-so-nice-people in this story, but there isn't an action packed fighting scene where someone gets shot or something like that..

Anyways, enough of my rambling, I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think, REVIEW, FAVOURITE, FOLLOW, whatever you wish to do I am very grateful!

*Disclaimer; I don't own the Mortal Instruments.

Just as Jordan and the twins had planned, he drove the three of them plus Maia back to his house for the party. They were all sitting in the car, the twins in the backseat and Maia riding shotgun because her and Jordan claimed they needed time to 'get to know each other'. Clary still found it weird that Jordan and Maia had never said more than four words to each other when they practically see each other everyday! She found it bizarre if anyone didn't know the people in their year at school, she thought everyone did? Well, Clary and Jonathan did anyway.

While Maia and Jordan were discussing their favourite bands -which were all coincidentally the same- Jonathan was interrogating his sister on why she hadn't congratulated him at the game.

"Jon, I tried! But I kind of ran into Alec..literally. And he was about to miss the lifting of the team and I couldn't let him miss his first win with you guys! And then there was some trouble with Isabelle, but it's all sorted now so no need to panic just some asshats that don't understand respect." Clary was frowning by the end of her explanation, she remembered the force the boy had used to grab Isabelle, as if he could just grab and touch whoever he wanted! Clary was starting to get furious all over again.

Jon was equally as angry. "What do you mean trouble Clary? What guys? What did they do to you? Who are they? I'm going to kill them!" Jonathan's outburst didn't surprise Clary, she was used to his overprotectiveness, and so she knew how to calm him.

She placed her hand on his arm and explained, "I took care of it, some beefhead grabbed Isabelle, and I just stepped in and politely told him to leave her alone." She stated it so innocently that Jonathan turned his head to face her, his anger diminished slightly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Politely?"

"Yes. And when he continued to come onto me, I kicked him in the shins and left him crying like a baby. So, you can't say I didn't try to take the high road." She shrugged simply to him, and he chuckled.

"Ah yes, the high road, you always try to take it but that never works out because you're so short." Jonathan grinned at her and she maturely stuck her tongue back out at him.


After arriving at Jordan's, Maia dragged Clary up to a spare bedroom and threw all the contents of her three bags onto the bed. Yes, three bags. Maia was very thorough with parties. She had already spoke about what Clary was wearing the night before just to make sure she didn't bring her usual jeans and t-shirt attire.

"Ok Clary, have a shower and dry your hair, then we'll get changed and start on makeup. It shouldn't take long, my hair is naturally curly and we'll just need to tame your magnificent hair to a level everyone can handle." Maia winked, and Clary knew in other words she was saying her hair was a frizz bomb and needed much more work than hers did.

A five minute shower, a blow dryer and a lot of anti-frizz serum later, Clary's hair was looking vibrant and styled perfectly. The girls were almost done, and after a quick heated argument about wearing heels, Maia forced Clary into a pair of black heeled boots.

"It compliments the look Clary, you look gorgeous!" Maia gushed.

Well, Clary didn't feel gorgeous. She felt ridiculous. She looked at herself in the full length mirror and couldn't see this 'gorgeousness' Maia was telling her about. She saw a five foot girl in a bralet that was practically promoting her pale skin because it was dark and glittery. She saw a freckle faced girl who had applied make up in order to make herself look somewhat decent. She saw pastey white legs which where far too big for her liking. And finally these gigantic heels that she could barely walk in. Who was this girl? Clary didn't know. But then again, Clary didn't know herself. She didn't know who she was, she didn't know who she wanted to be, she didn't really know a lot about herself, and that thought scared her.

Shaking her out of her terrible self esteem scrutiny was a flash of a camera. It took Clary a while to blink out the dots spotting her vision and noticed Maia grinning like a maniac. Clary studied her and found herself wishing she could pull off a simple shorts and bralet like her friend. Maia had all the curves in the right places, and she had a pretty face with a nice personality too. How is that fair? Clary thought, she gets to be perfect all over and I can't even look decent in one place.

Clary decided that she was just going to play her happy facade, like always, and at least pretend she was having fun. Maybe she will get drunk tonight, at least then she can forget about all her thoughts.

Clary and Maia took several photos. Most of them consisted of Clary pulling a silly face behind Maia, who was smiling at the camera or pouting at Clary because she wouldn't take a serious one.

"Clary! Come on, just ONE nice one, pleeeeeease?" Clary reluctantly nodded her head and Maia took the photo triumphantly, only to discover that Clary was yet again sticking her tongue out to the camera.

"Clary," Maia whined. "The longer you take, the less of the party you are going to be in, your choice." After a few seconds of pause Maia added, "Hey can you hear that, I think someone is having a drinking contest. Aw damn Clary, if only you could join them and watch. What a bummer." Maia slapped her hand on her leg dramatically, and pronounced her words with so much sarcasm Clary was quite impressed.

Although Clary wouldn't actually have minded staying in the room away from the party, she knew her friend would expect her to be itching to join the crowd, and so she did what she did best, she pretended.

"Aw come on Maia! Ok, I promise I'll be good this time. Just one photo ok? ONE!" She held her finger up for emphasis on the one, and Maia nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yay, I knew you couldn't miss a party for long!" Maia practically squealed, while Clary resisted the urge to roll her eyes and frown at how badly her friend knew her. The camera flashed and after passing Maia's approval, the two girls sashayed out of the bedroom and entered the crazy party downstairs.

Even though the party had already been going on for half an hour since the girls took so long getting ready, Jordan's entire bottom floor was covered in slightly intoxicated high schoolers. Everyone greeted the girls as they walked past and they both made their way to the kitchen.

"Clary, I know you usually only have one drink at a party, but let's just go crazy tonight ok? I just need to have some fun and to forget about my ass of an ex, and you need to have fun with someone other than Jonathan." She poked Clary's side with a beer bottle, and Clary took it from her.

"You know what, I'm going to take you up on that Miss Roberts. It might feel good to forget for a few hours." Clary took a gulp of her beer and winced at the horrid taste. Maia was laughing at Clary's twisted face and then both girls giggled with each other as the made their way into the living room.

Lots of bodies were grinding and jumping together, all packed tightly. Maia and Clary were dancing together, touching the backs and sides of people that they couldn't quite make out. As they were dancing a hand took Maia's waist, and she began to give all her attention to the intruder, which just so happened to be Jordan. Clary wasn't sad about the fact that Maia just sort of ditched her, she was actually happy for the two. Jordan deserves a nice girl and Maia deserves to be treated right. If they found love with each other who was Clary to stop them? So she wandered around, picking up a new drink in between small conversations with random people from school. She was finally on her sixth drink when she encountered Simon.

"Si! I'm so happy to see you! When did you get here?" She practically threw her arms around him after stumbling forward. She hadn't seen him in all day, apart from lunch and even then he hadn't spoken to her much.

"Hey Clary, are you drunk? Maybe we should go sit down yeah? Come on." He guided her back to the kitchen were he practically sat her on a bar stool, after her slipping off several times. "Jesus Clary, how much have you had?" He ran a hand through his hair and mumbled something about Jonathan going mad.

"Simon! Stop being such a party pooper, and have a drink!" She shouted at him, pretending to scold him like a puppy before bursting out in a fit of giggles and grabbing yet another drink.

"Clary come on, I think you've had enough. We said we weren't going to do this anymore." He took the bottle out of her hand and ignored the pouting face she pulled at him. He started to guide her out of the kitchen and hopefully to an empty bedroom so she could sleep her drunkenness off. But as they made it through the door they bumped into no other than model looking Isabelle Lightwood.

"Isabelle! Hiii, I can't believe you'rrre heeeere!" Clary was slurring now and threw her arms around the amused looking girl.

"Hi Clary, I see you're having a good time," she raised her eyebrow at the shorter girl, which caused her to frown. Why couldn't she do that? She wondered. Isabelle had now turned to Simon and said, "I'll help you look after her, she doesn't look like she drinks much." Simon shook his head in return and muttered 'you have no idea' under his breath before they both linked their arms with Clary's and walked slowly with her up the stairs.

Twenty minutes later and Clary was dancing around the room, being too stubborn to go to sleep just yet. When she yelled at her 'babysitters' because they wouldn't let her out of the room, they had just looked at her in amusement, and took her to go to sleep.

"But I don't want to go to sleep. I'm not five, and I'm obviously ruining your night! Come on, look I'm fine, I'll be fine, ok?" She tried to walk in a straight line, and wobbled only a little bit. They had been up in the room an hour already, and she was a little more sober than she was half an hour after she had joined the party. "Look, you two can spend some alone time together, you know get to know each other. Simon here has a cat, Yoshi, and Isabelle also has a cat, Church. Oh my god you two have so much in common like cats and..feeling the need to look after me. Yeah so, have fun and I'll see you later yeah? Bye."

Clary scurried out of the door before they had a chance to argue. But a few seconds later Simon had come barreling out of the door and gripped Clay's arm to steady her. "Are you sure you are going to be ok, Clary? Go find Jon, ok? Straight away. Otherwise I'll lock you in my room for the next week and you will have to listen to my Star Wars jokes and read manga all the time." He said it lightheartedly but there was obvious concern in his eyes. "And thank you for giving me a chance with Isabelle on my own, you are so the best!" He was smiling so widely that Clary was surprised it wasn't hurting his face. He turned to the spare bedroom where Isabelle was sitting and before going in, he turned to Clary and gently reminded her, "Go find Jon, Clary. We want you to be ok." And then he disappeared into his dream -being in a room alone with Isabelle Lightwood.

Clary frowned again at Simon's accusation. Was he saying that she wasn't ok? Clary thought that she was better now, she thought she was ok or at least good at acting she was. But obviously not if everyone can see how badly she is doing! Clary anxiously sprinted down the stairs, tripping a few times on her way. She had to find a way to prove that she was better. To show everyone that she was good, fun to be around.

She scanned the room and locked her slightly glazed eyes with a certain blonde haired boy. Clary strutted over to where he was standing, surrounded by quite a crowd of people. And she knew exactly why. This, she thought, will prove I'm fun. She slammed one of the empty shot glasses down on the table in front of the crowd and her smile was full of mischief when she stared at the golden boy and challenged,

"Shots?"