Chapter 9- New Years and Old Feelings

Clary's POV

I've been talking to Jace again since the incident on Christmas Eve. I just wish these feelings would just be squashed. It's never going to happen, is what my rational brain keeps telling me. On the other hand, the dreamer side of me (and the side that listens to Isabelle) keeps telling me to not give up and to make Clace a thang.

"So, Clary, I want you to stay by Jace all night tonight until the New Year's Ball drops and then he'll have to kiss you- it's like tradition," Izzy was explaining to me while attempting- and failing- to tame my fiery red mane. The thing was, though, that it didn't want Jace to kiss me because he had to. I wanted him to do it voluntarily.

"Iz, if he wants to kiss me, then he'll kiss me. If he doesn't want to, I don't want him to. Do you get what I'm saying?" I asked kinda confused myself. Isabelle, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes and kept taming my hair.

"Clary, I told you on Christmas Eve that Simon and I talk about you and Jace and you both say the same things about each other. Just let your doubts go and move on with you relationship!" Isabelle said finishing with the last piece of my hair.

"Iz, we just started talking again and I don't want to ruin it again," I said. I really wanted to kiss him again, though.

"Okay, Clary. Don't follow my advice. You can just end up as some old crazy cat lady with no husband or children. Kinda like Madam Dorothea," Izzy said cringing when she said the old lady's name. She was really creepy.

"I am not going to end up some crazy old cat lady who is going to die alone if I don't get a boyfriend in high school."

"Sure. That's what they all say," she said before starting on my makeup. She refused to let me talk during this part because she says I'll "make it smudge."

About a dreadful 10 minutes later, my makeup was done and we were ready for the party. Izzy insisted on putting me in a midnight blue cocktail dress with magenta pumps and let me just say, I have never hated my feet as much s I hate them now. Blisters for days.

xXx- 11:45 pm.

It turns out that I actually followed Izzy's advice with no problem. Jace and I were stuck together like glue the whole night. I change my mind about the dress and shoes now- I LOVE them. The pumps made me reach all the way to Jace's forehead and the dress was icing on the cake. "So, 10 minutes till the New Year," Jace said breaking me out of my dream-like state.

"Yeah, it's kinda crazy. It's our last New Years Eve before we're legal adults," I said before I realized that what I said was actually very real. And it scared me.

"It is crazy. To tell you the truth, I'm scared to ya know grow up and all," Jace admitted. "Just a few years ago I thought I would be an unstoppable teen forever- any girl I wanted, whole summers off without work, and my friends with me for the ride. Now it's almost over- only a year and a half left?" He just summed up life.

"You just defined life," I said. He chuckled at this. "Oh look. Only ten minutes left."

"Yeah. Clary, I want to show you something," he said taking my hand. I wonder what he's doing.

"Where are we going, Jace? I've never been to this part of the house before," I said still holding his hand as he led us to a family portrait. "Yeah, it's beautiful. You look so young." We were standing in front of an average painting- yeah.

"No. Close your eyes and don't open till I say," he ordered.

"Ok. If you're taking me somewhere to kill me, I'll kill you. But I trust you," I said hesitantly. I closed my eyes, but I could hear things moving. The next thing I knew, Jace was leading me up a staircase. Where did another staircase come from?

"Don't be nervous. Don't you trust me?" he said putting his hands on my waist the help me up the steps. He seriously doesn't know what he does to me.

"I trust you," I whispered.

"Good," was the last thing he whispered into my ear before traveling up the cryptic staircase no one knows about. A few seconds later, we arrived at what I heard was a door- it squeaked. "Okay, Clare, when I tell you to open your eyes, I want you to open them. Okay?"

"Okay," I said grabbing Jace's hand that was no longer on my waist.

"Okay, open," Jace commanded. I opened my eyes with a little hesitation and gasped at what I saw. It was a rooftop garden.

"Jace," I breathed out finally. "This is beautiful! How did you find this room?" I twirled around trying to take everything from the beautiful handing plants to the flowers to the buds that are just growing.

"Well, I found this room right before my freshman year and decided that I wanted to make it a rooftop garden like in High School Musical," he explained. I gave him a look that I think was a mix between rightness and mockery. "Don't give me that look, Red. You know everyone from our generation to the generation 7 years younger than us all love High School Musical and if they say otherwise, they're lying." I laughed at this; not because he was wrong, but because he was right on point.

"Why did you take me here?" I asked. He just walked up to me and hook my hands.

"Because I wanted to ask you a very important question," he pulled out Will you attend the winter formal with me as my...date?" He asked, nervousness laced into his words. But, it didn't hit me what he actually asked until he said something bad. "I'm sorry, you obviously don't want to, so forget it. It was stupid of me to ask."

"Jace Herondale, you shut up before you screw us up anymore," I said 100% seriously.

"Clary, we should get back to the party," Jace said obviously not understanding what I was saying. He tried to open the door to the secret stairwell, but I bolted in my pumps towards the door and beat him to the knob. "Clar,"

"Um, Mr. Herondale, I don't believe we're leaving this roof until you teach me how to dance," I said taking his hand.

"So, you're going with me?" he asked again nervously.

"No, Jace, I'm not going with you after you took me to a rooftop garden like High School Musical, told me you liked High School Musical, and are teaching me how to waltz," he looked sad there for a second. I actually felt a little bad for teasing him. "Oh, come on. You really thought I would say no?" I pulled the collar on his shirt closer to me and kissed him on the mouth.

"Where did all the courage mysteriously come from, Ms. Morgenstern?" Jace asked after pulling away for air. I heard thunder that seemed close, but I didn't care. I just shrugged and kissed him again. We were both more ready for it this time.

"Are you going to teach me to waltz or not?" I asked finally. He took my hand and led me to the middle of the garden. He put one of his hands on my upper back and the other in my hand.

"Put your hand on my shoulder and kinda line our arms up. Ok, so just follow my lead," he directed. He took a remote out of his pocket and pressed a button. Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical came on and I started to laugh so hard, I would've fallen if not for him. "Don't judge. I always pictured doing this when I asked the special girl to a dance. It's been planned since freshmen year."

As the song played, Jace and I started to sing along and the thunder was being heard more clearly now. We heard drunken shouts from people inside the house. "ITS DROPPING! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5"

Jace and I started counting along, "4, 3, 2, 1."

"Happy New Years, Jace," I said before he kissed me. Best. New Years. Ever.

"Happy New Years, Clary," I smiled and kissed him again.

Just then, little droplets of water started landing on my skin. "Do you want to go in, Clary? Ya know before it rains and ruins my hair," Jace asked.

"No, I think I'm fine. I've always wanted to dance in the rain," I said tasking the remote to the radio from him and turning another song. I didn't care what it was as long as I was dancing to it with him. I grabbed his hand and took him to the middle of the roof again. A few minutes into the song, the rain started to come down in a downpour. I was soaking and Jace was glistening. And, finally, we kissed in the rain like they do in those cheesy movies I've been forced to watch with Izzy.

"Should we go down now and make us official?" Jace asked smiling down at me. I nodded and kissed him again. We started down the secret steps and Jace opened the door again. It was cold in the house and Jace, being the gentleman he is, gave me his wet jacket. It didn't do any good, but it was still sweet.

When we arrived back at the party, Izzy found us and just stared firing questions at us, "Where did you go? Why are you wet? Why did you leave the party? Clary, what possessed you to go in the rain and smudge the makeup I put on you? Jace, how is your hair still perfect? Clary, why are you wearing Jace's wet jacket? OMG! Are you two finally Clace?!"

"Okay, Iz. Well, we went to the roof, we were dancing in the rain, we left cause Jace wanted to show me something, I wanted to dance in the rain, Jace's hair is always perfect, I was cold and Jace is a gentleman and gave me his jacket even though it didn't do much difference and, yes we are finally Clace," I said taking a deep breath. I'm suprised I caught all of her rapid fire questions.

"OMG! Your best friend's brother is the one for you! I've always wanted to use that quote on you! Don't you just love quoting childhood shows?" Izzy said. She was obviously drunk- and Simon must be as we'll cause he's no where to be found.

"Come on, Iz. Let's go upstairs; you're too drunk for your own good," I said and she nodded excitedly. Jace helped me lug her upstairs and then I ordered him out so I could get her to dressed. After she was dressed and passed out in the pull out bed, I kisse. Jace goodnight and made him let me sleep.

"Clare, you know Jace loves you. He's loved you for a long time. He's told me. He only was with other girls because he didn't want to ya know kill you with feels if you didn't feel the same. I think that's sweet. Si loves me but isn't all mushy and Jacy about it- whatever Jacy means," Izzy mumbled before passing out again. Wow, I wonder how long he's liked me like that. Won't be getting much sleep tonight now- thanks Iz!

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I was out golfing all day and I was thinking about this the whole time, so I had to write and write as soon as I got home.

Well, let us take a minute to Fangirl our asses of because CLACE FINALLY HAPPENED! Sorry it took a few chapters! This is not even close to the end of the story, though.

Yeah, as you can tell, I love HSM as does everyone in my generation. I mean, come on its HSM! So ya, don't judge.

Again, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I appreciate it a lot.

Love ya guys! Bye!

~Bella :)