Merry (late) Christmas everyone! I actually wanted to post this chapter the day before Christmas, but I was actually pretty busy with family and stuff. And not to mention I've occupied myself with my new gifts I received, and didn't have a lot of time afterward when I was working on this chapter. But now it's finally up! So, I hope you enjoy my late Christmas present to all of you. Enjoy! ;)
Disclaimer: I still don't own the Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare does, and she always will.
Chapter Eleven
Max ended up getting a new cellphone—the same one that he broke—a day after their discussion at the dinner table. This time Max made sure not to break it again, because it would be a little suspicious if he claimed to have accidentally broken it again. Besides, it's not like his parents would buy him another one. Maryse made it pretty clear on that.
Max was still upset with his parents anyway, even though they had bought him a new phone. He was very thankful towards Alec and Isabelle, though. He had really enjoyed his small surprise birthday party that they had thrown for him at the last minute. Alec knew, however, that Max would get over it once the football finals arrived. He wasn't one to hold grudges very much. Unless it was something extremely bad—even worse than his parents missing his birthday.
Naturally, the football team had made it to the finals. Everyone had seen it coming, of course. The school was extremely excited and into the spirit of it. Jace and Jordan—along with the rest of the football team—were beyond ecstatic. The only thing they would talk about was football, and nothing more, nothing less. In class, during class, at football practice... There wasn't a moment when they wouldn't be talking about it.
Oddly enough, Alec didn't find it as annoying as he thought he would. He could say he was used to Jace's enthusiasm when it came to football. Ever since they were six, Jace has always taken an interest in football. His passion for that sport never faded, and Alec was pretty sure it never would. Alec started to enjoy soccer when he was six, too, but he wasn't as dedicated to it as much as Jace was when it came to football. Alec was more open to other sports, after all.
The finals were tomorrow—which was a Friday—so the football team had one more day to practice. When Alec and Sebastian had finished up with their soccer practice, they walked over to Clary and Maia with Magnus and Max at their heels. Alec could see that the football team was pretty determined to win, what with the way they were practicing and the serious look on their faces. Their coach was yelling at them to do better, faster and to not stop what they were doing. Alec found the determination written all over Jace's face as he practiced to be extremely adorable.
"To be honest with you guys, I'm really glad the finals are coming to an end." Maia explained.
"Why?" Sebastian asked.
"Because it's all Jordan and Jace talk about! I understand how they're so excited—so am I—but it's none stop. As much as I love Jordan, it can get a little irritating." Maia said, glancing over at her boyfriend and his teammates.
"Yeah, that's true." Clary agreed. "Jace and I can't have a conversation without him mentioning football."
"It's not even a little cute for you guys? How determined your boyfriends are?" Sebastian said.
The two of them agreed that it was great how they were really into the finals, but it wasn't necessarily cute. Alec had to hold back the thought that if he were Jace's boyfriend, he would never complain to him about one of his passions. But he quickly let that thought slide.
"Just a piece of advice, though." Magnus started. "To make them shut up about football, you should threaten them by refusing to have sex with them."
Clary and Maia both laughed at that, as well as Sebastian, while Alec stared at Magnus incredulously. He heard Max standing beside him letting out a disgusted noise.
"Is that how you threaten people?" Alec asked his sparkly friend.
He only shrugged. "I'm telling you it works for any guy."
"And do you know that by experience?" Sebastian asked with a sly grin.
"Perhaps." Magnus replied with a wink, and Alec rolled his eyes.
"That is really gross." Max commented. "Why would you do that to someone?"
"You'll understand in about a year or two, buddy." Magnus said while patting his back.
"Okay, I think we're done with this conversation." Alec interrupted, casting a glare in Magnus' direction.
"You're such a stick-in-the-mud." Magnus said, but the grin on his face made it hard to believe that what he said was serious.
After a few minutes of conversing, Jace and Jordan went to join them as usual. They were talking excitedly about the football finals tomorrow, as usual. Magnus would shoot Clary and Maia funny looks, which would cause them to let out small chuckles, thus confusing their boyfriends, since they weren't saying anything funny. Alec couldn't help but laugh himself by the expressions on Magnus' face.
"Hey, I just wanted to let you guys know that there's a party at my house after the finals tomorrow." Jace said.
"Well, what if you guys lose?" Sebastian asked.
"First of all, we're not going to lose. Secondly, either way I'm having a party because it's to celebrate the end of the football season." Jace explained.
"Sounds like fun." Magnus grinned. "I love parties. Who's invited?"
"The football team, the cheerleaders, and all my friends. So that means all of you are invited—including Isabelle, Simon and Camille, who aren't here right now." Jace answered.
"Can I come?" Max asked hopefully.
"I don't know, buddy. You're going to be the only middle school kid there. It'll be pretty boring for you." Jace replied.
"No it won't! I'm thirteen now." Max stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It will be boring for you, Max. There's no one else at the party who's going to want to play video games or read manga with you." Alec said.
"Trust us, buddy." Jace added, which caused Max to sigh.
"You always say no." he said, but he didn't sound as disappointed. Max preferred to read manga and play video games on his own most of the time. He just felt as if he should be treated more like an adult, and wanted to be included in things like this.
"So, tomorrow I'll let you all know at what time you guys can come over and all that." Jace concluded, once the dispute with Max was done.
Alec was pretty excited for the party tomorrow. He knew Jace's house pretty well, and enjoyed it when he threw parties. It would be a nice time to celebrate whatever happens after the finals, and talk to everyone and just unwind. When Alec glanced over at Magnus, he gave him a wide smile. Somehow, he just knew this year's football party would be even more fun.
Friday passed by very slowly for Jace and Jordan. At least, that's what they kept saying in between breaks. It was understandable, since they were really looking forward to beating their opponent, the St. Chester Bulldogs. It was ironic that these two teams were playing against each other for the finals, because the Bulldogs were St. Xavier's rivals. There were posters all over the school saying, 'Tigers vs. Bulldogs! Don't miss the epic finals this Friday!' in bright and flashy colors. It was guaranteed almost the whole school would go, since it was more of a big deal than most of the games they played.
Right now there were a few minutes before the big game, and Alec and the others were taking their seats up in the bleachers, among the other students and parents. There was a cold breeze, so everyone was wearing fall coats to keep warm. Both teams on the field were talking and walking around, getting ready to play soon.
"This is pretty exciting." Maia said while they were taking their seats. Both her and Clary were wearing their boyfriend's football jackets, which were of course a few sizes too big.
"I agree." Magnus said, glancing at Camille, who nodded her head. "This is the first time Camille and I get to see the football finals at this school. It should be interesting."
"It gets pretty intense." Sebastian explained. "Usually the finals are, actually."
"I'm sure the cheerleaders will be pretty good, too." Simon added.
"Only you would mention that, Simon." Alec said, rolling his eyes.
Simon didn't know what to say, so he just blushed and looked away. Clary laughed at her best friend, saying something Alec didn't catch as she nudged him playfully. Simon smiled to whatever it was she had said.
"Guys! It's starting!" Max said excitedly, bouncing beside his brother. Magnus was sitting on Alec's other side.
For the most part of the game, the group of friends didn't speak much. They were all too into the game to really start a conversation. The only time a sound was made in between them was when the Tigers made a touchdown or just a regular goal, or when there were calls for an unfair penalty.
As Alec was watching both football teams play, all of his attention was stuck on Jace. Sometimes he would glance at Jordan, and sometimes even Jonathan, but he was mostly watching Jace. His best friend was admittedly one of the best players—if not the best—Alec had ever seen. He was able to watch Jace get better and better as they grew up. Alec remembered when they would play football and soccer outside all day when they were much younger. Not much had changed since then—except for the fact that their skill level had gone considerably higher—but their passion and love for their favorite sport never changed since then.
"Our team really is good." Magnus said to Alec, breaking his chain of thoughts. "I mean, look at how fast Jace runs."
Alec's heart fluttered in his chest by the mention of his best friend. "Yeah, he is."
Magnus chuckled. "He's what?"
"He's fast, of course. And a good player." Alec said, realizing what he had just said. He tried not to show his surprised expression.
"Okay, just making sure we're on the same page." Magnus' amused smile never left his face. "I thought you were thinking about something else."
Alec rolled his eyes, and although he was only slightly annoyed, he was much more embarrassed at the moment, and couldn't get rid of the blushing on his cheeks. Sometimes he wondered how such stupid things came out of his mouth. Worst part was that most of the time, he would act stupid around Magnus. And his friend would always tease him afterward.
Eventually, half time came along, and everyone had fifteen minutes to take a break and do whatever. Both football teams were, of course, coming up with new tactics to take the upper hand on the game. Each team was standing close to their coach, near the benches. Alec noticed that Jace and Jordan were standing next to each other, but Jonathan was on the opposite side of the huddle. It was funny how neither of his friends were ever wanting to be close to Clary's brother when they weren't playing.
"Max, do you have to go to the bathroom before half time is over?" Alec asked his little brother, knowing that he would probably wait until the game started again to ask to go.
"Sure," he nodded.
Both brothers started to head towards the bathroom in the school. Clary and Maia decided to tag along, too. As they passed by the football field, Alec had a much better view of the players, and even Isabelle and the rest of the cheerleaders. His sister wasn't looking his way—she was too busy talking to her teammates—but Jace just so happened to look over in their direction. He smiled and nodded his head in greeting. Alec smiled back, and from the corner of his eye he saw Clary do the same.
It didn't take long for the four of them to go to the bathroom. When they got back to their seats, there were about five minutes left. Magnus, Camille, Simon and Sebastian were all talking to each other, to pass the time. By the time they had taken their seats and had settled themselves back to the way it was before, half time was over. The rest of the game was now starting.
The last half of the game was always the most intense. Alec figured that out after watching football for years of his life. He spotted Jace, Jordan and Jonathan doing everything two times as intense—running faster and dodging more often. The score was 17-15 for the Tigers, which was why the atmosphere was all tense. The crowd was getting more and more excited as the end of the game was drawing nearer. The players looked just as tense, too. It was obvious none of them wanted to lose.
However, the last few minutes were the most memorable. The score hadn't changed much—they were both very close in terms of points. Jace had the football, and he was running as fast as his legs could carry him. He dodged the many players trying to grab for him, always so close to getting him. A few seconds were left, and Alec was counting them down under his breath, switching his gaze from the time on the board and Jace running for the touchdown. And at the last second, he made it. He made the touchdown, throwing the ball on the ground just as the crowd went wild. Everyone stood up from their seats, cheering as loudly as they could. Alec spotted the rest of the team running towards Jace to barrel him with hugs. The other team, however, looked disappointed that they had lost.
The cheerleaders for the Tigers were going wild, too. They were jumping up and down, yelling just as loud as the rest. When the football players were done patting Jace on the back, some of the players went over to the cheerleaders—who were of course, their girlfriends—to hug them out of pure excitement. Jace, Jordan, and Jonathan even ran over to the stands, waiting for their girlfriends to run down to give them hugs. When Alec saw Clary and Jace kissing, he would usually feel a pang of jealousy, but he was actually too happy to feel that way. He was too busy watching Simon run down the stands to greet Isabelle at the bottom. They both hugged tightly, and Alec shook his head. He decided to turn to Sebastian, Camille and Magnus instead.
"Looks like they won after all, huh?" Sebastian asked, not at all looking surprised.
"Of course," Alec smiled. "Jace and Jordan both did great."
"We should go congratulate them, shouldn't we?" Magnus said, nodding over in Jace and Jordan's direction. Everyone seemed to agree on the that.
For the next dozen minutes, everyone was congratulating the Tigers. Even the Bulldogs walked up to them to congratulate them. When Alec finally had a chance to talk to Jace, the two best friends gave each other a manly hug. He told him how proud he was of his best friend for winning the finals, and Jace gave him a bright smile in return.
Now the only thing left was the party.
After dropping Max off at their house, Alec was now driving to Jace's house for the party. Isabelle was in the car with him, as well as Simon, because he didn't have a ride. The two friends were sitting in the back seat, talking about the football game and other things. Alec was pretty much quiet the whole ride there.
Jace's house finally came into view after about five minutes of driving. Alec had been there a million times, so he knew his best friend's house just as well as his own. It was basically his second home. The familiar white and gray house was fairly big—about as big as Alec's, because Jace's parents were also lawyers. It was a nice house, with big windows and beautiful flowers decorated all along the front and sides of the house. The backyard was just as nice, with a big in-ground pool and gazebo, as well as more flowers.
Alec parked in the big driveway, and Isabelle and Simon got out, followed by Alec soon after. There were other cars parked in the driveway, indicating that some people had already arrived. Among those cars Alec spotted Magnus'. He wondered how Magnus got here without getting lost—since he'd never been to Jace's house before—but he just remembered that Sebastian had offered to go along with him and Camille to show them the way.
When Alec rung the doorbell, the door opened and revealed Jace, smiling at his friends happily.
"Hey, guys," he greeted. "Come on in."
The three stepped inside, and Jace closed the door behind them. The inside of Jace's house was just as nice as it was outside. Every room in the house had a modern look to it, and everything was kept pretty tidy. Alec knew that Jace liked things organized and clean, which was an odd trait for a teenage boy. In fact, Jace's room was mostly white, except for his football trophies, medals and posters. It was pretty bland, but Alec guessed Jace liked it that way.
It didn't take long for Alec to find Magnus and the others. Magnus stuck out like a sore thumb with his black glittery and colorful hair. Not to mention he was probably one of the tallest people at the party. Magnus was with Camille, Sebastian, Maia, Jordan and Clary. The sparkly teenager eventually saw Alec, and motioned him over. Alec had to weave his way through the crowd of people to reach his friends. He knew Isabelle and Simon were following behind him, but Jace was staying close to the entrance, waiting for more people to come.
"Hey," Alec greeted. "When did you guys get here?"
"About ten minutes ago." Sebastian answered, having to raise his voice a bit. The dance music was loud and pounding in Alec's ears.
"So, now that we're all here, why don't we start dancing? Everyone else is!" Maia exclaimed, and she was right. People were either dancing or standing by the snack table, talking with drinks in their hands.
Almost immediately, the friends started to dance together. Alec never really liked to dance, and neither did Simon, so they stood there awkwardly as the others looked completely comfortable dancing. Eventually, when all the guests had arrived, Jace had joined them, dancing beside Clary.
"Come on, you guys look stupid standing there like posts." Isabelle said, glancing at Simon and her brother.
"We don't dance." Simon replied for the both of them.
"Bullshit." Magnus said. "Everyone can dance."
"Maybe so, but I suck at it." Alec said, and Simon nodded his head in agreement.
"Well, I'll just teach you, then." Magnus smirked, but Alec immediately shook his head.
"No, thanks." he said. "I'll just go get a drink."
Before anyone could say anything, Alec quickly walked over to the food table. He heard Simon following behind him, and Isabelle told him he better get something for her, too. As much as Alec enjoyed hanging out with his friends, dancing was something he wanted to avoid. What was wrong with just talking and hanging out? According to Isabelle and Magnus, there was a lot wrong with that.
After a few minutes of Alec standing there with a drink in his hand, Magnus decided to walk over to him. Alec gave him a small smile and looked down at the many snacks on the table, not wanting to look at his friend.
"Dancing sure does make you thirsty." Magnus commented, grabbing his own drink and nearly chugging it down. "But it sure is worth it."
"I'm not dancing." Alec said.
"Why not? I feel bad for you, standing here all by yourself." Magnus explained. "At least Simon is trying to dance now."
Alec glanced over at his sister and Simon. He wouldn't say he was necessarily dancing; he was basically bouncing on the balls of his feet, but he supposed it was a start.
"Then I guess I'll just be a loner here." Alec shrugged. "I don't really like dancing."
"Dance with me. I'll make it super fun." Magnus suggested, winking at him.
"N-no thanks." Alec had to decline again, but this time his face flushed. Why did Magnus have to be so... flirty? No, that wasn't the right word to describe him. In fact, there wasn't really a word to describe him at all.
"Are you sure? I'm telling you, it'll be fun if you do." Magnus insisted, but Alec kept shaking his head. "Fine, if you insist. You'll just miss out on all the fun." he shrugged, and then walked back to the others to dance.
Alec let out a small sigh and turned back to the table, taking a refill. He was pretty thirsty ever since he started eating the pretzels he found at the end of the table. As he kept drinking the fruit punch, he glanced around the room. The music was still blasting loudly, and nearly everyone was dancing at this point. At least Alec wasn't the only one just standing around. He spotted a few people here and there talking in small groups.
After about a dozen minutes of drinking more fruit punch, he finally had to go to the bathroom. He knew he would have to go eventually, and he was glad to be able to escape Magnus' gaze, asking him to come join them. Alec shook his head at him once more, and then decided to head upstairs to a more quiet area, so he could go to the bathroom. Besides, he was pretty sure he spotted some people heading to the bathroom on this floor a few minutes ago.
Alec walked up the stairs, throwing out his empty plastic cup in the garbage on the way. He knew exactly where the bathroom was, as it took him no problem to find it. After Alec went to the bathroom, he washed his hands and looked at himself in the mirror. There were small bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his black hair looked like a mess, as always. His hair seemed to be getting long as well, but Alec didn't really mind.
Slowly, Alec exited the bathroom, walking down the hallway and looking around lazily. Of course, since he wasn't paying attention, he didn't realize there was someone else walking in the opposite direction. It was too late, as he bumped into said person. Naturally, it was Magnus.
"Sorry," Alec apologized, scratching the back of his head. "I wasn't paying attention."
"No problem, sweetheart." Magnus smiled.
"Um... what are you doing up here?"
"Going to the bathroom, of course." he replied.
"But, isn't the bathroom downstairs free by now?" Alec said curiously.
"No, it's occupied. A couple was making out in there. Didn't even notice me when I opened the door." Magnus replied, shaking his head.
"I see," Alec wrinkled his noise in disgust. There was always that couple who would always make out wherever they went.
"Anyway, I'm guessing the bathroom up here is free?" Magnus asked.
"Yeah, I just went."
"Good, good." Magnus was still looking straight at Alec, not making any signs of actually heading to the bathroom. "Hey, are you finally going to dance with us? I think you drank enough to last you for a week."
"I don't know, Magnus. I already told you that I don't like—"
"I know, I know. You don't like dancing! Must you be so complicated?" Magnus asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"How am I complicated?" Alec said, having no idea what his friend was talking about.
"Oh, please. Do you know how many times I tried to get you to dance with me? But every time I ask, you always refuse." Magnus explained.
"Y-you... want to dance with me?" Alec tried to hide the shock in his voice, but he failed to do so.
"Yes," Magnus nodded. "But you're just so damn stubborn, aren't you?" He suddenly stepped closer to Alec, looking at him questioningly.
"Our family's been know to be stubborn." he replied nervously, not feeling comfortable by how close his friend was.
Magnus chuckled softly. "I know, but I won't let that stop me."
"O-okay," Alec stuttered, feeling his heart beating faster and faster. Why was Magnus so close? And why was it making him so damn nervous?
Suddenly, Magnus placed his hands on the sides of Alec's face, his green-yellow eyes gleaming. With a smirk, he said, "It's definitely not going to stop me from doing this." And all so suddenly, he kissed him.
Alec was completely caught off guard. His body went rigid, and his eyes were wide open in shock. But after a few seconds, he relaxed, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Magnus' waist to pull him closer. He couldn't believe what he was doing, but all he knew was that he didn't want to stop. The softness of Magnus' lips on his was enough to make him melt in his arms. Without even knowing, Alec was backed up against the wall, and the kiss was more urgent, more passionate. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's neck, parting his lips slightly. With Alec's mind completely in a whirl, he parted his lips too, letting their tongues explore. It was probably the best feeling ever, especially with Magnus' body pressed up against Alec's.
Eventually, the two parted to catch their breath, both breathing heavily, still so close that they could feel their warm breaths.
"I've always wanted to do that." Magnus said breathlessly, smiling widely.
"Since the first day you met me?" Alec asked, his blue eyes filled with excitement.
Magnus chuckled, his eyes filled with the same excitement. "Yes,"
Alec slowly unwrapped his arms from Magnus' waist, gently pushing him back so he could get some space, while Magnus reluctantly unwrapped his arms from Alec's neck. Staring at him right in the eyes, Alec said, "Well, I should probably head downstairs. And you should... go to the bathroom."
"Don't want people to be too suspicious, huh? You've been up here long enough." Magnus grinned.
"Yeah," Alec looked down on the hardwood floor, feeling his cheeks flush. "I've been up here for a while."
"Hey," Magnus said suddenly, and Alec looked back up at him. "Are you going to dance with us once I come back downstairs?"
"I'm starting to think that you're the stubborn one." Alec said with a shy smile. "But I suppose I could."
"Great," Magnus said happily. With that said, he started to head to the bathroom.
Alec let out a happy sigh, turning around and heading downstairs. What had just happened a few moments ago was still quite a shock for him, and he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. In fact, as he was heading down the stairs, the only thing going through his mind was how soft Magnus' lips were, the way his body was pressed against his, and that he smelled like sandalwood.
Alec started to blush again, thinking about his friend. When he had thought that this would be a fun night, he never even expected it to be quite like this.
Being very much in a daze, Alec once again bumped into someone as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He was about to apologize, until he realized that he the person he had bumped into was Jonathan. Instead, he took on a surprised look, his voice failing him.
"Alec," Clary's brother said in a cool voice. "Daydreaming, I see?"
"N-no," he argued. "I just... wasn't looking, that's all."
Jonathan just shrugged. "Whatever you say."
"Um... what brings you here?" Alec asked suddenly.
"I'm in the football team." he replied in an annoyed voice. Clearly he wasn't amused with Alec.
"No, I meant, what are you doing here. Standing at the foot of the steps." Alec said with a bit more clarity and detail. Jonathan seemed to have understood now.
"I have to go to the bathroom. The one down here is already in use." he answered, still sounding unamused.
"Oh," Alec silently cursed those two people making out in the bathroom. They sure were in there for a long time now. "Well anyway, congratulations on winning the finals. You were very good."
"Thank you," Jonathan said, although he didn't sound very happy when he said it. Probably because he was talking to Alec, someone he didn't really like.
"Where's you girlfriend?" Alec asked, looking around and wondering where she could be.
"She's here, just dancing with her friends. Why?" Jonathan sounded a little suspicious.
"I didn't see her here, so I was just wondering." Alec shrugged, looking away from Clary's brother.
"I see," he nodded. "You know, Natasha told me that she saw you and Camille at the restaurant she works at a few weeks ago. Apparently you two were on a date?"
"Yeah, we were." Alec said slowly.
"Are you two dating? Because I've barely seen you two dancing or talking this whole evening." Jonathan asked.
"No, we're not dating. Just friends, that's all." Alec replied, starting to feel very awkward.
"Oh? It didn't work out?"
"Well, sort of. We just felt more comfortable being friends." Alec really didn't want to go through this whole thing again.
"Hm... well, I'm sorry about that." Jonathan said, although he didn't really sound sorry.
"It's fine," he replied.
"Alright, I supposed I should be going now." Clary's brother said, looking up at the stairs.
"Okay, but let me just tell you that there's already someone up there." Alec informed him.
"I can wait." he said, and without another word he passed by Alec to walk upstairs.
Clearing his head, Alec decided to find his friends again, hoping he could get his mind off of Magnus. Although that was pretty impossible, since his sparkly friend came back downstairs about a minute later, joining Alec and the others to dance. With some reluctance, Alec danced along with everyone else. It was pretty awkward for him. First of all, because he danced just as badly as Simon, and secondly, because Magnus was dancing right next to him. For nearly the whole time, Alec was glancing around at his friends, wondering if they were suspicious of him. But they didn't seem to make any signs of being so; they were just having a good time.
Even worse, Alec didn't know what to say to Magnus anymore. The kiss they both shared was probably the best thing Alec had every experienced, but he had never thought of what was to happen afterward. He wanted to talk to Magnus about it, but right now wasn't the time. They were in a room full of people, dancing and laughing and talking. Alec didn't want to start anything. He didn't want to risk anything just yet. But when he and Magnus would be alone, how would Alec deal with that? Maybe he would get all nervous and awkward and not be able to talk to Magnus anymore. Maybe this whole thing ruined their friendship.
Alec shook his head, telling himself that he should stop thinking that way. He was clearly exaggerating—everything between him and Magnus was still just fine—so there was nothing to worry about. Besides, the whole time he and Magnus were dancing with the rest of their friends, they couldn't stop staring and grinning at each other. So obviously, there was nothing wrong. It was just Alec who had those doubts.
When the party finally came to an end, Jace was standing at the door, telling everyone goodbye as they left his house. When Alec had finally convinced Isabelle to stop dancing, they—along with Simon—got out of the house, saying goodbye to Jace on the way out. Magnus was also leaving with Camille and Sebastian, and met up with Alec in the driveway. The two exchanged a few words, but it was enough to see that Alec felt a bit more awkward with his friend. His heart wouldn't stop beating fast, and he couldn't help but blush.
When Alec had dropped off Simon, Isabelle went over to the passenger's seat, obviously wanting to start a conversation with her brother. Alec didn't really mind, actually. He had been bored and quiet when Simon had been in his car.
"So," Isabelle started, looking over at her brother. "How did you like the party?"
"It was fun." Alec said simply, keeping his eyes on the road. "I see you enjoyed yourself, too."
"Well, of course. Parties are always fun." Isabelle replied, and then a grin formed on her face. "The best part was that you actually danced for a bit."
"Yeah, well, all it took was a little convincing." Alec shrugged.
"A little convincing? More like a shit load." Isabelle said, rolling her eyes. "How were you even convinced anyway?"
"Well... Magnus managed to convince me. He just asked me a million times, so I finally said yes." Alec explained, starting to feel all nervous again.
"And how exactly did he convince you? By kissing you or something?" Isabelle asked, obviously meaning it as a joke. But that caused Alec to blush like crazy. He felt his whole face heating up by the memory.
"N-no..." he said, although his voice said otherwise. Isabelle immediately noticed.
"Wait, so you two actually kissed?" Isabelle asked in dismay. When Alec didn't answer, keeping his eyes on the road, and still blushing, that caused his sister to squeal. "Oh my God! You guys kissed! This is amazing! I mean, you were up there long enough, and Magnus had gone up there, so it makes perfect sense—"
"Izzy, I get it." Alec interrupted, glancing over at her for just a second. "Was anyone else suspicious, though? That I was up there for a while, I mean."
"No, not really. I didn't even put the puzzle pieces together until now. Besides, everyone was so into their dancing that no one really noticed." Isabelle replied, still sounding extremely excited. "But seriously, you two actually kissed! I knew this would happen one day. The sexual tension was so obvious!"
"What sexual tension?" Alec asked in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Never mind that." Isabelle waved her hand in dismissal. "This is probably the best night of your life, isn't it?"
"Well... it sure was special." Alec said slowly, his heart beating faster.
"I'll bet. And on top of that, it's was your first kiss. That makes it even more special."
"Yeah..." Alec agreed quietly.
There was a small pause, before Isabelle said, "So, is Magnus a good kisser?"
"Izzy..."
"Seriously, I want to know! Please?"
Alec let out a small sigh. "Extremely good."
"I just knew it." Isabelle smiled. "So, tell me. Was it a full on make-out session? Like, tongue and everything?"
"Izzy!" Alec exclaimed, his face turning bright red yet again.
"Damn," Isabelle smirked. "I didn't know you were capable of that, bro."
"Shut up," Alec said, punching his sister playfully, which caused her to laugh.
"I wish I could ask you more questions, but I bet you wouldn't answer them." Isabelle said.
"Not if they're inappropriate questions."
"My questions are not inappropriate." she argued. "I'm just excited. It's a big thing, having your first kiss."
"You seem a lot more excited than me right now." Alec said with a small smile.
"Aren't you happy?" Isabelle asked.
"Of course I am." Alec replied quickly. "To be honest, kissing Magnus was probably the best feeling ever. But... I just have a lot on my mind."
"Like what?"
"Like... how things will turn out between us. I'm just a bit worried."
"You shouldn't be worried. Everything will be fine." Isabelle replied, placing a hand on her brother's arm in a comforting gesture. Alec was only a bit reassured, though. He still had all those thoughts going through his head. No matter what his sister would say, it wouldn't help the fact that deep down, he was still worried.
Alec didn't realize how late it was until they got home. It was past midnight, almost one. Naturally, Max and his parents were already asleep. He remembered telling his parents that he and Isabelle would be back at around this time, so he knew he wouldn't get in trouble. They probably went to bed at around ten o'clock, since they had to wake up early for work tomorrow. Max usually fell asleep at around that time on the weekends, too.
Both siblings had to be quiet as they walked around the house. Although all they really had to do was get ready for bed, so they weren't really making much noise. Alec and Isabelle didn't say much to each other either, just as quick good night when they retired to their bedrooms. And when Alec finally lay down on his bed, he hadn't realized how exhausted he was. Not just physically exhausted, but mentally as well.
Having time to himself, in a dark and quiet room, made it much more easy for Alec to think about everything that had happened during the party. The more time he spent thinking about what would happen between him and Magnus, the more worried he would get. Not to mention it was just draining his energy, and lying in a comfortable bed was not helping him stay awake.
Very reluctantly, Alec closed his eyes, slowly falling into a deep sleep, leaving all of his doubts and worries behind, and instead falling asleep with the thought of his very first kiss with Magnus. And he wasn't afraid to admit that this was not the first time he fell asleep thinking about his sparkly and irresistible friend.
I sure hope you all liked this chapter! I hope the kiss was okay, too. I don't really write kiss scenes very much, so it was a little hard. But hopefully it's bearable! :P Also, I totally invented the name of the rival school, so if your school has the same name, it's totally coincidental. Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to update the next chapter a lot more quickly. I won't make any promises, though. I do have projects to work on during the holidays, too, so that's kind of a bummer. But oh well, I guess that's what happens in high school, huh? Well, there's not much else to say, so... please review! I really enjoy them. Bye! :)