~~~Chapter 10~~~

It happened that the king's son gave a ball, and invited all persons of fashion to it. Our young misses were also invited, for they cut a very grand figure among those of quality.

Jace leant against the car window, watching Clary's house until it was out of sight.

Damn.

The short redhead was getting to him.

It was a feeling Jace wasn't used to, and he shifted uncomfortably in hie seat as he thought over Clary's words, what she'd said about kissing him. It didn't mean anything, okay?

Of course it didn't mean anything. Jace had kissed loads of girls by now, and honestly, he'd never thought it was as good as it was cracked up to be.

And yet.

And yet Clary had been different. For one thing, Jace hadn't been expecting it. He hadn't been thinking, only reacting with what he felt. And it had been strangely… amazing.

He touched a finger to his lips absentmindedly, his mind hazy with wavy red hair and big soft eyes -

"Jace, have you been listening to anything I've been saying?" Isabelle asked impatiently, leaning forwards from the back seat of the car to nudge him.

"Uh… of course. You were talking about the - the ball."
It was a reasonably safe bet, considering Isabelle had been talking about the ball for a while now. Her face lit up and she launched into another speech about how she was planning to make her ball dress. "I've always been into design, so I'm going to get a plain dress - I'm thinking red and tight - and do it up a bit. Maybe even some sequins - or is that too OTT?"

Jace tuned out again. He shouldn't be thinking about Clary, he decided. He definitely did not have a crush on her. No.

Definitely not.

If Jace had a crush on anyone, it would probably be…

He looked down at his phone. Was it possible to fall for someone you'd never met, who didn't even know your real name?

Jace had been texting Adele for a while now, although she thought he was called Christopher. It wasn't technically a lie, considering that was Jace's middle name. He'd picked up the tip of using his middle name as an alias during a particularly boring cyber-safety program in ninth grade.

But apart from his name, Adele knew practically everything about him. His likes and dislikes, his favourite colours, music, movies, books, things.

As if Adele had heard his thoughts, Jace's phone pinged with a text message from her. He looked down in surprise.

awkward_artist 3:32pm hey, u there?

He replied straight away.

hot_stuff 3:32pm what's up?

awkward_artist 3:32pm oh nothing much

awkward_artist 3:32pm I'm actually just getting ready for a stupid ball my school's having this week

Jace blinked in surprise. It had to be coincidence.

hot_stuff 3:33pm Adele, what school do you go to?

awkward_artist 3:33pm um. am i supposed to tell u that?

Jace bit his lip. They'd sent pictures to each other before - not their faces of course, but silhouettes and corners of desks and waving hands. Adele wasn't some creepy stalker. She couldn't be.

hot_stuff 3:33pm you don't have to trust me, but i trust you. I go to Brooklyn High

He waited for her reply. Surely she didn't -

awkward_artist 3:34pm are u serious?! I go there too!

Jace stared. Adele typed a second message.

awkward_artist 3:34pm are you going to the ball as well?

Jace replied instantly. What were the odds? he thought in wonder.

hot_stuff 3:34pm yes i am actually

hot_stuff 3:34pm wow this is insane

awkward_artist 3:34pm i know right?

awkward_artist 3:35pm do u want to maybe… meet up?

He was going to meet Adele. Jace stared down at his phone.

What if they didn't like each other in real life? What if she turned out to be way older or younger than him? What if this was just someone puling a prank?

hot_stuff 3:34pm okay

They agreed to meet next to the tree just outside the gym. Jace was just typing a goodbye when -

"Jace? Who are you texting?" Isabelle asked, reaching for his phone.

Jace swiped it away. "No one! Mind your own business!"

Isabelle was grinning at him. "Is it Clary?"

"No!" Jace was taken aback. "Why would you think that?"

Isabelle's grin widened. "So quick to deny…" she said casually.

Jace glared at her. "I'm not texting Clary. She doesn't like me anyway."

Both Isabelle and Alec smirked at him.

The ball was on Friday night, but Jace had to get through the whole week first before he could meet Adele. At lunch on Monday, he, Alec, Isabelle and Magnus decided not to sit with Kaelie, Seelie, Sebastian and Jonathan.

Instead, they went over to Clary's table.

Kaelie's horrified face from the other side of the canteen was a picture Jace would always treasure.

"Um… hi." Clary said, looking up at them in surprise. She was wearing a t-shirt that had once been white but was now speckled with paint. Jace dragged his eyes away to Simon, who was staring at Isabelle. No surprises there.

"Hey," said Isabelle, sinking into a chair. "Mind if we sit here?" It wasn't really a question.

They ended up talking about the ball - the topic everyone seemed to talk about, these days.

"I've just about finished my tapestry," Clary was saying. "Yes, Isabelle, I've got a dress. Yes, it's black. Is there a problem with that?"

Isabelle shook her head. "Black looks good on you," she said comfortingly. "Do you want us to pick you up before the ball?"

Clary hesitated, and then nodded. "Actually, that would be great. Thanks."

Isabelle leaned forward, a wicked glint in her eyes. "So. Are you planning to dance with anyone in particular?"

"No, definitely not!" Clary laughed. "Maybe Simon." She glanced over at her friend, who looked slightly scared. "I don't dance Clare, you know that."

Clary grinned at him. "Me neither."

"But are you meeting anyone?" Isabelle pressed.

A slight blush rose on Clary's cheeks. "Uh… no." Her eyes darted to Jace and then away again.

She was lying, and Jace felt a strange pang. He looked down at the table, mentally yelling at himself. Get a grip, Jace.

"What about you, Isabelle?" Clary asked, deflecting the conversation away from herself. "Are you going to dance with anyone?"

Isabelle looked slightly uncomfortable. "Oh, you know me," she said, too causally. "There'll be people lining up for my hand all night."

"Modest, much?" Jace grinned at her. But Isabelle was looking at Simon.

Jace saw Clary had noticed as well. They raised their eyebrows at each other, Clary grinning.

"And will you be going to the ball, Alec?" Magnus asked.

"Well, it wasn't my choice," Alec glared at his sister, "but yes I will."

"Great." Isabelle clapped her hands. "It's going to be a fun night."

Friday arrived too soon.

Clary checked and double-checked her tapestry before she went to school. It looked - if she did say so herself - amazing. The angel girl was a masterpiece of soft white paint, her eyes gleaming curves as she looked over her shoulder, her wings layers of pale feathers. She seemed to glow in the dark fabric, surrounded by sequins and glitter and lace.

It could win her a scholarship to Idris Academy of the Arts, and Clary knew it.

Then she pulled out her mother's dress, holding it against her own clothes. She stared down at the shimmering dark fabric, Camille's words swimming in her mind. Your mother abandoned you.

No. Clary refused to believe it. She would - she would wear this dress to the ball, and she would wear it proudly.

My mother loved me. I remember. I remember.

She carefully folded the dress and lay it on her bed with the tapestry. Then she picked up her school bag and left for school.

It was just after lunch when things started to go horribly wrong.

Thanks guys for reading, and all the comments and favourites and follows. Hopefully the next update won't be long!

- s.i