CCHS
Chapter 52: I'm Only Eighteen

"Is that really what you're wearing?" Jace asked, breaking off half of an airhead and chewing the flavored wax.

"Yes. With a pair of leggings if it gets cold," Isabelle answered, pulling her hair back in a pony tail.

"Lingerie?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes, heading back into the bathroom. Jace, unashamed, followed her while she fixed her hair. "It's actually a dress, and I think it's pretty."

"I'm not saying it's ugly," Jace defended, leaning up against the door frame, eating the remainder of the candy. "It's just...there's not much to it. It looks like tissue paper."

"It's lace and cotton, and it's called 'Mandy.' "

Jace lifted a brow, licking the last of the strawberry flavoring from his mouth. "That dress has a name?"

"It's Abercrombie. It's so expensive, they name their clothes."

Jace snickered, enjoying the rare show of humor from Isabelle. "Well. I guess I looks nice."

Isabelle scoffed. "A minute ago you told me I looked like a streetwalker in tissue paper."

"I don't remember making the streetwalker comment."

"But you inferred it. As if I'd show up to my brother's belated eighteenth birthday wearing a teddy."

"Well..."

"Don't," Isabelle warned, frowning at him through the mirror.

Usually he would have pressed it, said something to get her really fired up. Instead, he just smiled at her reflection and shrugged.

"So, he's really seeing that emo kid?"

"Please don't say anything tonight," Isabelle said, turning around and leaning against the counter. "Pretend you didn't hear us talking and then you can spring that information on him over the weekend."

"It's not like I care, Isabelle. I'm not mad."

"And that's great. But he cares what you think, and if you say the wrong thing, it's going to ruin the party. Can you help being an asshole?"

"I can try."

"That's not good enough."

"Fine." Another lazy shrug. "I'll wait. But if they start making out over the punch bowl, I'm going to have to say something."

"Or you could just stick to your own date and leave them alone."

"Think she shops at A&F?" Jace teased, bobbing his brows.

Isabelle rolled her eyes again, then shoved him out the door. "I've got to do my makeup."

"I need to take a shower."

"You can wait fifteen minutes."

"Ten."

"Not negotiable," Isabelle replied, slamming the door shut and locking it.

Jace's lip twitched, and he headed back down the hall to his bedroom.

- - - - -

"Hello?" Clary answered the phone out of breath, the water running in the background. She was trying to rush into the shower. She was running late - having stopped by the hospital to visit with mom. She still went almost every day, and Luke had picked her up from school so they could make it early, hypothetically leaving enough time for party prep.

She hadn't factored in rush hour traffic, however. She was running late on her mental schedule, cutting out any time for her hair. Fortunately, she'd already thrown a nice pair of jeans and a button-down across the bed in the ready for when she got out of the shower.

"Hello."

Clary flushed, recognizing Jace's smooth voice over the sound of the water. She couldn't help smiling against the receiver.

"Hi," she replied, trying to tuck her thick hair behind her ear. It stayed for all of three seconds before popping out again and falling against the side of her face.

"I just wanted to ask you something."

"I'm still coming," Clary answered, removing a folded, clean towel from the cabinet and setting it down over the closed toilet lid, within reach.

"I wasn't worried about that." Jace chuckled. "I just wanted to know what you're wearing."

"Oh. Why?"

"I thought we'd be tacky and match."

Was he serious? It sounded like he was kidding. He was kidding, right?

"Yeah, that's not really my style," Clary laughed breathlessly, removing her socks. "Besides, I'm pretty sure we don't have anything that would match except for jeans and t-shirts."

"You're not really going to wear jeans tonight, are you?"

Clary bit her lip, glancing up at her own reflection in the foggy mirror. "Umm. Well, I haven't really decided yet," she lied.

"Oh. Well, Isabelle's wearing a dress made out of tissue paper."

"Oh my."

"Well, not really. But it looks like she ordered it from a Frederick's catalog."

"I don't own anything like that," Clary admitted, although with dismay. Jace must be used to girls who dressed, well, in dresses; who could wear anything they wanted, and flaunt their perfect bodies.

"Good. We're way too young to look like that."

"I guess." Clary thought maybe her sense of style was too young, even for seventeen. But she dressed more for comfort than for looks. Besides, it was hard to find something in her size that wasn't in the juniors department.

"So I was thinking. If you can't decide on anything to wear, maybe Isabelle could loan you something."

"What?"

"She doesn't always dress like a hoe. In fact, her party dress is kind of tame, compared to her usual school clothes."

"I don't think that would work."

"Why not?"

"Well, firstly, I'm not her size at all." Isabelle looked like a model, while Clary...she could have been her undersized photgrapher. She didn't have long legs or hips or breasts. No way something that fit Isabelle wouldn't look completely ridiculous on her. "And I don't wear dresses."

"Would you do it for Alec?"

"You think your brother wants to see me in a dress?"

"He could probably care less. He's not into...dresses."

"Then...?"

"Do it for me."

Clary bit her lip again, trailing her fingers across the edge of the sink. The bathroom was humid from her hot water, the shower calling. She really didn't have much time to waste, mulling over this decision.

"OK."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to shower, and then I'll come over early."

"Cool."

"Does Isabelle already know?"

"She will before you get here."

"Jace, if she's not cool with me borrowing her clothes, I don't want--"

"She's got clothes to burn. It's all good."

"Are you sure?"

"Totally."

"Then I guess...I'll see you in a little bit?"

"I'll be waiting," Jace drawled. Clary closed her eyes, smiling like an idiot before hanging up.

- - - - -

"This is so unnecessary," Alec grumbled, probably for the fifth time since they walked home from school.

"Glitter is essential. I can't go to a party - especially your party looking like your every day ragamuffin."

Alec sat up in bed, tossing the magazine aside. "I was talking about this stupid party, not your hair."

"It's not stupid," Magnus tsked, very good at multitasking. He could hold up his half of the conversation while carefully styling his hair into glittery spikes. "I think it's sweet."

"I don't need a party. Jace knows that."

"You don't want a party. Doesn't mean you don't need one. Everyone needs presents and attention."

"I really don't," Alec objected, with an adorable scowl.

"Look at it this way, darling. This could be the last party you ever have of your teenage life. From here on out, it'll just be dinners at sit-down Americana restaurants or maybe gift-exchange with the fam. This is the last big bash of your youth."

Alec rolled his eyes, then covered his face in shame, shaking his head. "I don't want to go."

"Too bad. You have to be my date, and I can't wait."

"Can't we just...run in and out?"

"It's at your house, Alec. How do you hope to wing that? Are you going to stay with me?" Magnus teased, although he looked fairly excited by the prospect - not that Alec could see that through his hands.

"Maybe I would, if your mother wasn't so scary," Alec tried to joke, peeking through his fingers.

Magnus chuckled, dipping his fingers in the glittery gel before taking another evenly-sectioned spike. "You get used to it. She's all bark."

"I don't know how you get used to it."

"Hey, she got you a present. Isn't that nice?"

"Really?" Alec lifted his head.

"Well, I told her what you might want and she sent me on an errand to get it. But it's the thought that counts."

"What is it?"

"Oh, no. You're going to have to wait until the end of the party to open your presents."

"Please!" Alec begged. He sounded so theatrical, Magnus wasn't sure if he was just playing at this point or not.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Can't save you this time."

"Ugh. I hate birthdays," Alec lamented, flinging himself back across the bed.

"I don't know why. You've got to get pimp gifts."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because your parents are loaded?"

"They can't be bothered to remember it's my birthday half the time, remember?"

"Well," Magnus paused, feeling bad for bringing that sore memory up. Time to shift gears. "Good thing you have Jace and Isabelle."

"Because without them, I could just forget I'm a year older and move on without a fuss."

"Without them, I wouldn't have get another invite back over to your place and a reason to dress up tonight. So I'm grateful. And you should try to work up some gratitude too. You're going to hurt their feelings."

Alec frowned up at the ceiling. He had been too self-absorbed with his own misery to see it like that.

"Fine."

"You're going to be a good boy?"

"I'll try," Alec sighed.

"Good. I'm almost done."

"Finally," Alec replied.

Magnus chucked a capped eye pencil at Alec. Alec gasped, getting poked in his side. Not able to find the weapon, he reached for one of Magnus's pillows instead, tossing it at the other boy.

Magnus reached out to deflect it, and put a glittery palm-print across the pillowcase before it fell to the floor. "Damn!"

Alec laughed, rolling around on the bed.

"You think that's funny? You don't know how hard it is to get that stuff out of fabric."

"Sorry."

"No, you're not," Magnus pouted, wiping his hands off on a towel.

"I am. Really."

"Hmph."

"Magnus," Alec began, sitting up in bed, then he got up and went to cross the room to where Magnus was looking at the final product in the mirror. Then there was a loud banging on the door that startled them both.

"YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE IF YOU DON'T LEAVE NOW!"

"Thanks for the reminder, mom. We're almost done here."

"ARE YOU MAKING OUT?"

"Gosh, mom. I don't see how that's any of your business," Magnus replied, while Alec's face burned with embarrassment.

"THIS IS MY HOUSE! EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON INSIDE MY HOUSE IS MY BUSINESS!"

"Whatever."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Mmmk, mother!"

"DO NOT TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, BOY!"

Magnus rolled his eyes, reaching out for Alec's hand. Patting himself down with the other, checking for wallet, keys, and cell, Magnus turned the knob and opened the door. Both Alec and Magnus had to look down to be eye-to-eye with the slight Asian woman, whose temper more than made up for her stature.

"Good evening, Alec," she greeted him, much to Magnus's surprise. First time he'd ever heard his mother use anything remotely like an indoor voice.

"Umm. Good evening...Ms. Bane."

"Happy Birthday. I heard you are eighteen now."

"Yes, ma'am."

"So kind. You are too good for my boy."

Alec glanced up at Magnus with uncertainty, then back down at his mother with a half-hearted smile, not sure what to say.

"We're going now, mother. Don't wait up," Magnus announced, tugging Alec down the hall towards the door.

"YOU HAD BETTER CALL IF YOU ARE OUT PAST TEN!" She called after them, her staccato footsteps following after them. "THERE ARE TOO MANY HOOLIGANS IN THIS CITY!"

"Will do, mom."

"I AM SERIOUS, MAGNUS! IF I DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU BY 10:15, I WILL START CALLING THE HOSPITALS!"

"Way to freak out, mom," he muttered under his breath, reaching inside the closet for his coat.

"WHAT?"

"I won't forget, mother. You'll receive a call by ten. Don't worry."

"HOW CAN I NOT WORRY? YOU ARE MY ONLY SON, IN A CITY FULL OF EVIL!"

"I've got Alec. That's two against the world."

"THANK GOD FOR THAT!" she sniffed, then turned her face sharply away, dabbing at her eyes.

"Bye, mom!"

"Good night, Ms. Bane," Alec added sheepishly, before Magnus all but forced him through the door and down the stairs.


burning..: Thank you for the very lengthy review! That is quite a feat, reading all of it at once. I'm glad you made it through and enjoyed! I will try to do more with the other chars soon, although this is still an Alec/Magnus-centric fic. That's just my MO.

hlightwood2711: I am trying, but like I said to my buddy above, this is an A/M fic. So they will probably always be supporting roles. You've got three books out, after all, focused on Clary and Jace! Hehe.

Evermore11: Thank you! I will.

Spaghetti-chan: Feel free! And you're smutty for wearing them! Just kidding (kind of - I am NOT a big fan of sweats myself)

page1993: Then I will write more if you'll read it!

lespin01: Haha. Alec is such a girl sometimes, isn't he?

ellenfp: Yes, please let me know!

Katara-alchemist: Ahh! The dreaded fluff. Well, I guess that's OK for this story. It's light-hearted. Thanks for reading.

rachelalexandra: Still nervous?

MagnusSpark: FAKE, you say? I've never looked into it myself. I should. Think they moved too fast?

RyeRye-Chann: Thanks. And yes, I was thinking about that. CC obviously is a fan, or at least - like me, has plenty friends that are.

LOLhaily: Sorry for the wait!

Lost-in-Thought-15: YUM! With nuts? I love pecans or walnuts in my brownies.

magic noctum: Succinct, as usual. You tease.

jinnabun: THANK YOU!

immortalmessanger: Yes, especially Magnus. I concur.

BoulderGirl1059: I will get back around to him. Maybe a party crasher? We'll see.

Echo1317: Thank you! I will try to be quicker about them.

Awesomesauce123: Here you go, girl.

Isabel Chase: Thank you ever so.

icaughtkira: Yeah, I figured he wouldn't be very subtle about it. His room is too neat to have anything hidden under the bed. Not even dust bunnies.

bookworm0492: Well, no one likes to be teased, but someone has got to do it! I'd rather it be Magnus than Jace. Haha. Like Gravitation yourself?

Hikoru Aniki: And this is a Malec fic. They're just add-ons. But I will try to make them a little more apparent. For you.

miss v.: Thank you, thank you Miss. V.

wasteaminute: I love it when you tell me!

Alice-Brandon-Whitlock-Cullen: Thank you for making mine!