Once upon a time, I had foolishly thought there was nothing more embarrassing than having a group of people sing Happy Birthday at me, but I'd finally found something worse; having a group of people sing Happy Birthday at me, loudly and out of key, in the middle of a diner full of strangers who felt shockingly inclined to join in.
My mom was stood centre stage, beaming down at me from across the table with her iPad thrust out in front of her. On the screen was my brother, grinning manically as he yelled along, a beat behind the rest of the group; I knew with absolute certainty that he was thoroughly enjoying the chance to humiliate me even though he was physically thousands of miles away. Luke placed a huge plate of pancakes with a single candle poking out the top on the table, shooting me an apologetic smile as he mumbled along in his low voice. As their performance ended, Simon, Izzy and Maia pulled on streamers, finishing with an entirely unnecessary flourish.
In that moment, as the other customers clapped and whistled, I honestly would have felt perfectly fine if the ground had chosen that precise moment to open up beneath me and swallow me whole. I shrank back in my chair, mortified. My face was likely the same shade of red as my hair.
"Make a wish, honey!" my mom said excitedly, pushing the plate a little closer as she gestured at the candle. She settled the iPad down so Jonathan could keep watching and they all took their seats again. I grimaced but entertained her regardless; the sooner I did this, the sooner it would be over.
I leaned forward and pulled my hair back, then took a deep breath and blew the candle out.
"What did you wish for?" Izzy probed as mom fussed over her purse.
Simon snickered, "Someone, tall, blond and muscular, I bet." I jabbed his arm as Izzy and Maia cackled. My mom clicked her tongue.
"If she tells us, it won't come true." She chastised, ignoring Simon's comment. I swallowed a laugh as she placed a small, meticulously wrapped parcel in front of me.
"Open it."
I picked up the parcel and tore the wrapping paper away carefully, revealing a small, red leather jewellery box. I looked between it and my mom.
"What's this?"
"Just open it and you'll see." She encouraged, her eyes bright.
I gently prised open the box and let out a small gasp as I took in the contents. Nestled within the cushioned velvet was a ring I recognised all too well; the band was made of thin gold with a trilogy of diamonds in the centre. They shone brilliantly, catching the sun streaming through the window. I took it out of the box and ran my finger gently over the inscription engraved along the inside of the band, my parents' names. I felt a sting of tears in my eyes when I eventually looked up at my mom. She gave me a small, sad smile.
"Your engagement ring." I said quietly as I slid it on to my right-hand ring finger. She nodded, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek. Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing them tightly.
"It's been around my neck for so long, it needs some attention. It's yours now. Happy birthday, baby girl." She patted my hand. I stood up quickly and wrapped my arms around her, squeezing tightly.
"It's gorgeous." Maia cooed, taking my hand lightly in hers after I'd sat back down. She turned it gently, this way and that, so it caught the light. Small strobes of diamond fire reflected on her face, causing tiny rainbows against her skin.
"Thank you." I said to my mom; my voice cracked. She nodded silently.
"He would have been so proud of you." Luke said with a smile, "Both of you." he directed towards my brother on the screen. I could feel a lump in my throat as I nodded. Jon squirmed.
"This is all very sentimental." he drawled to cover his embarrassment, "and whilst I'd love to sit and enjoy watching you all eat breakfast, I need to shoot to catch a train. Happy birthday, Clarissa. Don't do anything I wouldn't tonight."
"That doesn't narrow down my limitations much." I jibed and mom snickered. He grinned with his hands up.
"Touché, I'll rephrase. Don't do anything you wouldn't want mom to have to hear about in court."
"Point taken." I giggled; mom sighed.
"Call me next week?" She asked. He gave a brief thumbs up before he dialled off.
We tucked into our food with comfortable conversation. Simon talked animatedly with Luke and Maia about a new film he'd just seen with a mouthful of waffle. I watched with a smirk as Izzy chided him and he quickly swallowed, blushing slightly. I admired my ring again quietly until my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Happy birthday! How's breakfast?
I smiled and typed a message back. Jace and I had spoken a lot since our date-not-date at the bar earlier in the week, but my heart still sped up every time I saw his name on the screen.
Please never sing happy birthday to me. Ever.
His response was quick.
Who told you about the serenade I was planning? My grand gesture is ruined.
I laughed out loud.
"So," mom said, eyeing me with curiosity as I grinned stupidly at my phone. She set her knife and fork down on her plate and considered me with a knowing smile, eyebrow raised. I quickly slid the phone back in my pocket, giving her my attention.
"Are you going to tell me who exactly is tall, blond and muscular?"
Isabelle clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet as Maia ran her fingers through my loosely curled hair. She caught my eye in the mirror with a wolfish grin.
"You're a work of art. Izzy, this might be your greatest creation yet."
I considered my reflection with curiosity. The person looking back moved in tandem with me, but I could hardly believe she was the same person I'd looked at this morning. Isabelle had spent the better part of two hours prepping, preening and painting me within an inch of my life, and even I couldn't deny the fact that the finished result was spectacular. I was all cheekbones and drama, with subtle winged liner paired with a dark wine lip stain. My skin looked flawless, not a pore in sight, and my eyelashes were long and thick around wide eyes.
I ran my hands down my dress; it was a beautiful black bodycon slip that stopped just below my knees, a birthday gift from Isabelle. I let out a breath.
"Is it too much?" I asked my reflection.
"Nonsense," Izzy dismissed with a wave of her hand, adjusting the straps of her own blood-red dress, "There is no such thing as too much."
Maia nodded in agreement as she directed me out of my bedroom and into the living room which they'd decorated with birthday banners and balloons, "You're a snack. And it's your birthday. If you can't look amazing tonight when can you?"
She deposited me in front of the sofa, and I stared at it dubiously.
"I'm not sure I can sit in this." I mused, bending this way and that to try and angle myself on to the cushions. The dress, as amazing as it was, was most definitely not made with comfort in mind. It clung to me like a bandage.
"Just kind of throw yourself down. Commit to it." Maia encouraged as she turned and made her way to the kitchen.
"Easy for you to say, you're wearing pants!" I called after her. I tentatively bent my knees, facing away from the couch, and let myself fall back none too gracefully. To my amazement, the material gave more than I'd anticipated. I adjusted myself into a semi comfortable position and turned to Izzy who was fussing over her Bluetooth speakers.
"I hope you bought a matching winch to go with my dress, I'm going to need one to get me out of this chair." I teased. She threw a grin over her shoulder.
"No winch, but I hear there is a guy coming over who will be happy to get you out of something, if you know what I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows and I snorted.
"Get her out of what?" Maia asked as she breezed back into the living room, three bright orange cocktails in her hands. Izzy and I answered at the same time.
"Her dress."
"My chair."
Maia raised an eyebrow with an amused, knowing look as Izzy hit play on the music.
"Iz, you're going to give poor Clary a complex." She said, offering her one of the fluorescent cocktail glasses. Izzy grabbed it with a smile, and I reached for the other when it was offered, almost jumping out my skin when the buzzer rang.
Maia grinned, "Let's get this party started!"
Half an hour later, the living room was almost full. Simon had arrived first with his roommate Raphael, closely followed by Aline and Helen who I'd invited earlier in the week after seeing them at the wedding, and a few friends from college we still kept in touch with. Maia's on again, off again boyfriend Bat was perched on the arm of the sofa beside her.
I was nervously checking my phone when Magnus burst through the door with Alec in tow, not bothering to knock.
"Happy birthday Biscuit!" he grinned, pulling me out of my chair with ease after crossing the living room in no more than four strides. He looked as spectacular as usual, donning a deep burgundy suit with sparkling accents. His dark eyes were circled with gold glitter liner that caught the light whenever he blinked. He pulled me in for a tight hug.
"Thanks Magnus," I smiled as he dropped a swift kiss on the top of my head and took a step back. He held me at arm's length, taking a moment to look at me.
"Don't you look ravishing." He said as he spun me on the spot like a ballerina. I held my arms out with a flourish and he clapped his hands.
"You look amazing too, very… sparkly." I grinned. Alec, who was waiting patiently to the side, held back a laugh.
"This old thing? I hardly made an effort." Magnus shrugged and pinched the collar of his jacket between his thumb and forefinger. Alec rolled his eyes playfully.
"What he's not telling you about are the three solid hours of cursing that went into this outfit. Our house looks like the closet exploded." He smiled and pulled me in for another hug, "Happy birthday, Clary."
He pulled out a thin envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to me.
"You didn't have to get me a gift," I blushed, but teased open the envelope all the same. Inside were two tickets to a photography exhibition. My eyes grew wide when I read the details.
"Are you serious? Opening night?" I said, jaw slack. Alec and Magnus grinned.
"You've been talking about how much you love Catarina's work for so long, I thought I'd pull in some favours." Magnus grinned.
"This is amazing, thank you so much!" I squeaked and wrapped my arms around the pair as tightly as I could.
"It's nothing, seriously. I just told Catarina how much you loved her work and she practically forced the tickets on me."
"My mom is gonna freak out when I tell her I have these." I said excitedly.
"We do have one more small surprise for you, but you'll have to wait until later for that." Magnus said mischievously with a wink, "For now, though, I want a drink. Shall we, Alexander?" he linked his arm through Alec's, and they made a beeline for the kitchen.
I quickly took the tickets to my bedroom, fearful someone would spill a drink and ruin them. I propped them against the vanity with a smile, quickly took a photograph on my phone and fired it over to my mom. I took a second to check my messages and noticed with a start that I had a new, unread text from Jace.
I'm outside, there is a lady asking me if I want my tarot read…
He'd sent the message less than a minute beforehand. I bolted back in to the living room and took a quick look around; Alec and Magus were still in the kitchen fussing over drinks, Izzy was preoccupied in an intense game of beer pong with Simon and his friends from the bar, and Maia was, as usual, having what looked like a heated debate with Raphael. I quickly made a break for the front door whilst the coast was clear, taking full advantage of them being distracted to get to Jace before they could. My heart was pounding as I skidded into the corridor, where I immediately slammed face to chest with a remarkably familiar someone.
"Found you." Jace laughed, taking my arms gently as he took a step back. I rubbed my nose, glancing up at him with a grin. He was smiling too, and my heart sped up significantly. I took a moment to take him in; he was wearing dark jeans and a shirt rolled up to his elbows. The tired circles were all but gone from beneath his eyes, I was happy to see, and his hair was pushed back from his face.
"Thought you didn't know which apartment I was in? I was coming to rescue you from Madame Dorothea. Unless you'd actually like your fortune read for the next three hours?" I smiled.
"The combination of music, banners and that adorable picture kind of gave it away." He looked over my shoulder at the closed door behind me purposefully. I turned to see what he was staring at, letting out a strangled noise in the process.
As if the banners hadn't been enough, someone had printed out a huge picture of me from my graduation day and pinned it to the door. It wasn't one of my finest moments, and it had been captured by Izzy with the sole purpose of haunting me for the rest of my days; a fact she cheerfully admitted. In the photograph I was curled around the toilet basin, my graduation cap askew on top of my head. Thankfully, what hadn't been captured was that around three seconds before that picture had been taken, I had been violently vomiting tequila out of my nostrils.
"I swear to God, I'll kill them. I'll kill them all." I muttered as I ripped the picture from the door. I balled it in my fist and tossed it into the trash can across the hallway.
"If it makes you feel better, there are way worse pictures of me in circulation." Jace chuckled. I raised my eyebrows.
"I find that hard to believe when you're so..." I gestured at him, unsure how I was planning to finish the sentence.
"So what?" he probed with a grin.
"So perfect?" I half asked, feeling my cheeks flush. He looked at me for a long moment before he reached out slowly for my hand. His skin was warm against mine, and I shivered.
"Far from it. But you… you're beautiful. You look unbelievable tonight." He said quietly.
I moved closer to him almost involuntarily, like my body was being caught in the magnetic pull of his own. In the background I could vaguely hear the music pouring from the speakers, hear my name, but I was caught in his vortex. Before I realised it, my body was flush against his. He angled my chin up delicately between his fingers, and, ever so slowly, he bent his head.
"Happy birthday, Clary." He said quietly. I could see every speck of colour in his eyes and –
"Oh, shit. Sorry, sorry!"
The breath I'd been holding was knocked out of my lungs. I spun on my heel to see Simon blushing fuchsia, rubbing the back of his head as he stood in the doorway.
"Hi again." Jace said pleasantly as he straightened up, not missing a beat.
"Good to see you!" Simon said, a little too loudly. He turned to the room and announced, "Found her, she was er… seeing Jace in."
I cleared my throat and grabbed Jace's hand tightly, pulling him in to the apartment. I rearranged my face into a smile as quickly as possible, swallowing the rush of nerves that had come over me.
"Saving him from Dorothea, more like. She offered him a tarot reading." I explained with a shaky laugh.
It took approximately ten seconds for my friends to swarm around him like they were starving lions circling their prey. They introduced themselves excitedly, and he shook hand after hand. Aline and Helen gave him quick hugs and beaming smiles. I caught Aline's eye as Jace turned to speak with Magnus; she mouthed are you kidding me? behind his back with a huge smile on her face. I shrugged and took a sip of the drink I'd been handed, grinning into the plastic cup.
The only one who hung back was Alec. He was stood off to the side, watching Jace with curiosity. I sidestepped the group and wandered towards him. I was sure Jace would be safe for at least a few minutes.
"What's up?" I asked nervously, noting that the puzzled look he'd worn on his face had morphed into something different; he was frowning. I repeated my question, waving a hand in front of his face. He blinked and glanced at me, his features softening.
"This is the guy Izzy mentioned? From the wedding?" he asked casually, not taking his eyes off of Jace, who was laughing at something Maia was saying. Alec wasn't usually one for gossip; he didn't have social media accounts and I knew he took most things Izzy said with a pinch of salt. It was unusual to see his curiosity piqued like this outside of anything other than Magnus.
"The one and only, I guess?" I answered.
"What did you say his name was?" he took another swig of his drink.
"Um, I didn't. It's Jace. Jace Herondale."
His eyebrows shot up at the mention of Jace's full name.
"Herondale?" he repeated, and I nodded. He continued his assessment of Jace, who laughed loudly again across the room. Maia shot me a smirk; it was obvious they were talking about me. I blushed but turned my attention back to Alec, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His eyes grew wide.
"You've gotta be kidding." he suddenly exclaimed with a disbelieving smile. He set down his glass and strode purposefully towards Jace. I followed behind him helplessly, wondering what the hell was happening.
"Jonathan Herondale?" Alec asked Jace when he got to his side, shunting Isabelle to the side. Jace looked at him, shocked for a moment, before his face broke into a dubious smile to mirror Alec's.
"No way, Alec Lightwood?"
They both nodded with incredulous laughs and pulled each other in to a slightly awkward one-armed hug. We stood around them, watching the exchange with confusion. I looked at Izzy and she shrugged whilst Magnus raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. He cleared his throat.
"Would either of you like to explain this touching reunion to the rest of the group?" his smile was tight, eyes suspicious.
Alec laughed, "We went to the academy together when we were kids." He explained quickly, taking Magnus' hand before he turned back to Jace, "It must have been what… eighth grade when we last saw each other? How the hell have you been? You just disappeared from school, I tried to get in touch. What happened?"
I noticed Jace go stiff for a split second before he recovered with a shrug.
"Family stuff, you know how it goes." he said easily with a smile, but I could see it didn't quite meet his eyes.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay. How're your parents?" Alec pressed and Jace visibly flinched. I saw Magnus had noticed this, and was looking at Jace with curiosity.
"Do you want to get a drink?" I blurted brightly to Jace, butting into the conversation. I wasn't sure if he wanted an out, but I made the split-second decision to give him one, "You guys can catch up properly later, okay?" I added quickly and took Jace's hand.
He winked at Alec, playing along, "She just wants to monopolise my time. Who can blame her?"
Alec grinned and Magnus wrapped an arm around his shoulder, leading him towards Isabelle and Simon, "Whatever the birthday girl wants." He purred, smiling at me over his shoulder. I mouthed my thanks and led Jace out of the living room.
"Small world, huh?" I said as I crossed the kitchen and opened the fridge. I pulled out two bottles of beer and tossed one to him; he caught it with one hand without effort.
"I didn't expect to see Alec here, that's for sure." he laughed, twisting the cap from the bottle, "Isabelle is his sister right?"
"Yeah, do you know her too?"
He shook his head, "I maybe saw her once the whole time I knew him. We never spoke."
I glanced at him over the rim of my bottle, my lips twisting into a grimace, "Sorry if that was awkward. I didn't know you knew each other. When he started asking about your family, I saw your reaction and I panicked."
He smiled, "No, I appreciated it."
"You good?"
He laughed, "I'm good, scouts honour." He held up three fingers. I considered him for a moment before I leaned against the counter.
"I'm glad you came."
"I'm glad I invited myself." He teased, "C'mon, let's go enjoy your party."
I watched the ping pong ball sink into the cup in slow motion and let out a loud victory cheer. I threw my hands up in the air and turned on the spot, lapping up the applauds of my adoring fans.
"Bow down to me, for I am your beer pong Queen." I grinned, pointing at Jace as he drank the beer in the cup in one mouthful. He set it down on the table and held up his hands in defeat before he sank into a theatrically low bow. I giggled.
"You never told me you were a professional." He said, straightening up. The crowd we'd attracted during our match had begun to disperse to other parts of the apartment again, leaving us alone in the corner of the living room. Alec clapped Jace on the back with commiserations as he passed.
"You never asked," I winked, "I learnt very quickly in college that I either had to get good or get a stomach pump after every party."
He held out his hand and I took it with a shake.
"For the record, I let you win. I'm usually way better than this." He drawled, "I have the aim of a sharpshooter."
"Sure, in videogames maybe. Don't feel bad, you were a worthy opponent Herondale, but I am the undisputed champion. None of these guys will even play against me anymore." I sat on the window ledge and took a swig of my beer, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"I wonder why?" he said sarcastically, but his eyes were amused. He was still holding my hand, circling my wrist with his thumb.
"I think they value their liver functionality. The only person who has beat me in years is Sebastian and even that was because he cheated." I explained. Jace leaned against the wall beside me and examined my face.
"How is he?" he asked casually. A bitter laugh bubbled out of my mouth.
"I wouldn't know."
As much as I was in a bad place with Sebastian, it still stung that he hadn't got in touch – not even with a text- to wish me a happy birthday. I'd had cards and a beautiful bouquet of flowers from his parents, but the man himself was silent. I supposed I couldn't entirely blame him; I hadn't responded to his handful of messages earlier in the week and he was on his honeymoon, after all.
I rationalised with myself that this was for the best, that this was needed for my Sebastian detox. But, whilst that was absolutely the truth, the pill was still an unpleasant one to swallow. He'd never missed wishing me a happy birthday before.
"I'm sorry." Jace said lazily. I gave him a look, one eyebrow raised.
"Are you?" I challenged, leaning closer to him. I was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol in my system after the last few hours of generously mixed cocktails and beer, in particular I felt the loss of my sense of self preservation. I was brave, fearless and unfiltered.
Jace barked a laugh and met my eyes, pinning me to the spot with just a look. He grinned slowly, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.
"Absolutely not."
I pressed on, jutting my chin in his direction, "Why not?"
He gave me a levelled look and took a short sip of his beer, "Because the thought of you thinking about him and being upset when I'm right next to you really pisses me off." He said matter-of-factly.
"You're jealous of him?" I asked incredulously.
"Jealous as hell."
I swallowed the bubble of delight that swelled in my chest and stood up too quickly, struggling against my dress. I stumbled slightly and he caught me with a firm hand on my waist. He didn't let go after I'd regained my balance but pulled me closer to him instead, until I could feel the warmth of his body against every exposed patch of skin on my own. If I wasn't already drunk from the alcohol, I was certainly drunk on him. I barely registered my arms as they draped around his neck, my fingers twisting into the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Whatcha gonna do about it?" I goaded him quietly, smiling. He didn't answer. Instead, his mouth met mine and he kissed me firmly. It wasn't too pushy; it was perfectly judged but full of intent. He drew back all too quickly with a smirk; I had to fight to stop the pathetic whimper that threatened to leave my lips.
"I don't know, something like that?"
Someone wolf whistled across the room and I buried my face into his chest, feeling the flush rise yet again in my cheeks. The embarrassment of being caught burned away my liquid confidence within seconds. I could feel the low rumble of his laughter against my cheek as he ran his hand through my curls.
"I think we have an audience." He explained quietly, amusement clear in his voice. I sighed and untangled myself from his body, shooting Izzy a dirty look over my shoulder. She sat on Simon's knee on the loveseat, clapping her hands enthusiastically.
"Don't stop on my account." She winked, holding her glass up in a salute.
"Pervert." I stuck a finger up at her.
"Hey, if you don't want people seeing your make out session, you should maybe consider not doing it in plain view of us all." She teased with a smile.
Jace bent his head to my ear and whispered, "She has a point..."
I laughed nervously, suddenly very aware of the heat of his palms against my waist. I was pulled out of my daydream by Magnus calling for my attention.
"Clarissa, please detangle yourself from your gentleman friend and grab your purse." he chirped, standing up from the couch beside Isabelle with long-limbed grace. He flashed me a grand smile when I gave him a puzzled look, "It's time for the second half of your birthday gift. Get ready, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to Pandemonium."
I hope you enjoy this chapter - let me know your thoughts in the reviews, and look out for the next one over the next few days! G