SO I AM BACK! I am so sorry I've been so MIA. I've been writing a book-as in a real, original book-and I've had a deadline that I had to meet. Luckily...I DID IT! So, I'll probably be updating more frequently (hallelujah). I've honestly missed writing fanfiction, like, a lot. ANYWAYS, the story shall continue. This chapter is a filler, so it's fairly uneventful, but I need it to plant the seed! MWAHAHAHAHA. (If you're wondering, it's the seed that shall grow the Clace tree of life. I think you'll catch where it is. It's pretty obvious. If you don't get it, I'll be pretty concerned.) Sorry, sorry, I tend to ramble. Welp, I'm done now. YOU SHALL GO ON!
"Just give in." Herondale's face was now inches from mine. My heart beat faster, almost to the point of pounding out of my chest, "Come on, Fray." He whispered, voice low and husky, "Say it for me." My mouth bobbed open and closed, and I tried keeping it shut to no avail, "Just say it."
Then, I couldn't hold back anymore, so I whispered what he wanted to hear.
10 Minutes Earlier
I had the strongest feeling that this would turn into the dinner from hell.
"Uh…" I wracked my brain for the most shallow response possible that could also be interpreted as polite. After settling on the fact that It's none of your damn business wouldn't exactly be adored by the public, I had drawn a total blank. Herondale raised an eyebrow, and the stupidest jealousy rose up in me. I was absolutely incapable of lifting only one eyebrow, plain and simple, so needless to say, I envied him for having that ability, "I'm a New Yorker, born and raised…" I hate your music and every single thing about you.
Polite, Clary. Polite.
"I like Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy-"
"What about me?" The arrogant blonde cut me off, and I knew what was going on in that pea-sized brain of his. He knew how I had to answer, so he was having fun with it. Honestly, I was tempted say my true feelings and see how it would pan out, but I knew I would just look like a totally ungrateful brat. So I forced a smile and did what had to be done.
"I love your music." My voice dripped with sweetness that both Jace and I knew was fake, "You seem like an amazing and down to earth type of guy." My underlying sarcasm was clear to the two of us, but judging by the encouraging grin Ryan Seacrest was giving us from the sidelines, neither he nor the cameramen picked it up. Hopefully, the entirety of America would be fooled by my facade too. Jace's cockiness seemed to falter, and I resisted the urge to snort.
"Well, you seem like a sweet and beautiful girl." He countered, and I gritted my teeth, trying to keep up my mask of happiness, "Oh!" He jumped up like he'd remembered something, "I forgot to pour you some wine." Of course, in that moment, I was a total idiot and didn't see anything coming, so all I did was narrow my eyes as Jace picked up my glass the bottle of Merlot. When he held it suspiciously close to me, I thought nothing of it. That is, until the drink conveniently and completely missed the glass and poured onto my top. My favorite, white, top. My jaw dropped, and I whipped to face Ryan, whose expression mirrored mine. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who could tell the mishap was intentional.
"Oh hell no." I gritted softly through clenched teeth, and when I turned to him, I could tell he was trying to hold back laughter.
"I'm so sorry." He said innocently. To an outsider, it sounded like he truly regretted it, but I could see the triumph burning in his golden irises, "Here, let me…" He set down the bottle and glass and grabbed a napkin, aiming to dab at my top, but I grasped his wrist in a bone crushing grip. When he winced, a spark of pride welled up in me, but it was quickly put out when I recalled our situation. I took deep breaths, trying to keep my cool. Sadly, I was never the rational type. That was my only reasoning for what I did next.
I swiped a spoon, scooping some mashed potatoes like nothing was wrong as Jace stared at me, obviously confused by my reaction, or rather lack thereof. Then, instead of putting it on my plate like any normal person would've done, I rose to my feet, smashing it onto his face.
"Oops." I smiled in mock apology, and his hands immediately balled up into fists. It was a strong indication that, had I been a guy, he would've punched me out by now. He uncurled one for the sole purpose of wiping the food away, which fell in clumps on what must've been a freakishly expensive rug. Jace looked like he was trying to keep his composure, but was failing miserably. When his gaze clashed with mine in a fiery blaze, I knew I'd started something that wasn't about to be stopped.
With that thought in mind, I sprinted around the table, making sure to keep the piece of furniture in between us. Jace finally snapped, and he bypassed formalities as he grabbed stuffing from the turkey (Who had a turkey that looked like it was for freaking Thanksgiving for a regular dinner?) and hurled it at me. I ducked, barely dodging it, and it hit the wall behind me. I let out a breath of relief, but I was distracted for too long, because before I could react, Herondale was right in front of me. He grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet. Before I could even say a not-so-kind Screw you, his fingers were jabbing into my sides. I just about had a conniption as all thought was rendered useless. He tickled me mercilessly, and I tried to hold back my laughter—I really did—but it just wasn't happening. When he finally stopped and wrapped an arm around my waist, I only had one mantra repeating in my head over and over:
You can't cuss on national television.
I attempted to wiggle out of his hold, but it was useless, so I was completely at his disposal. My gut was starting to ache, and all of a sudden, it all stopped. For a second, I stared at him in confusion, wondering how in the world I got off that easy, considering I'd probably embarrassed him on what would no doubt be aired on TV. Then, my question was answered as he backed me into a wall. I brought up a hand to slap off the damn shit-eating grin on his face, but he caught me midair. When I raised the other one, he grabbed that too, leaving me defenseless.
I was still breathing hard from both the tickling and my rage, and Jace was doing the same. My jaw clenched as his trademark smirk formed on his face. He was no doubt enjoying every second of this, so naturally, I had to do something. I just didn't know what. My first instinct was to knee him where the sun don't shine, but when I risked a glance at the cameras, I realized that wasn't an option.
"Oh Clary." He chirped, and I refocused on him with a glare, "Just say please, and this'll all be over." It was an unspoken battle of wills. He wanted me to give in. He wanted to prove that he was the one in control. I was angry—so, so angry—but I also wanted it to stop. I didn't want him so close to me, because this was honestly extremely uncomfortable for me. Him being within a mile of me was horrible, much less being just a foot away. He stepped closer, eliminating even more of the small space in between us, then he shifted both of my wrists to one hand. Not even a second later, they were pinned on the wall above my head.
"Just give in." Herondale's face was now inches from mine. My heart beat faster, almost to the point of pounding out of my chest, "Come on, Fray." He whispered, voice low and husky, "Say it for me." My mouth bobbed open and closed, and I tried keeping it shut to no avail, "Just say it."
Then, I couldn't hold back anymore, so I whispered what he wanted to hear.
"Please." The word came out strained, but not for the reason every girl in America would have. No, it was because, if I said it any louder, I would scream purely for the satisfaction of blowing his eardrums up. For what seemed like an eternity, he didn't move a single bit, and I suppressed the urge to stomp on his foot, "I said please." I hissed, the venom I'd tried to hold back oh-so-hard leaking into my voice. Then, he laughed—a deep, rich laugh—finally releasing me. I frowned at him, trying to burn holes in his head with my eyes. Needless to say, it didn't work, which greatly disappointed me.
I hated to admit it, but the score was…
Jace-1; Clary-0
"Rise and shine!" The yell caused me to shoot up to a sitting position, consequently making me slam heads with its origin. I groaned, as did Jace, but it was his fault, so he shouldn't be making any noise. My glare communicated as much, but the smug smile didn't leave his face even through his sound of pain. I rubbed my forehead, a frown firmly set on my lips, "What do they say about smiling taking less strength than frowning?" Herondale tapped his chin in mock thought. I greatly resisted the urge to slap him, but that boy had a special way of flipping my bitch switch.
"What, exactly, has you waking me up at the break of dawn on a…" I wracked my brain for the name of the day we were on. Needless to say, I wasn't fully awake, but I was almost sure it ended in a 'y'. Almost. He didn't answer, simply offering a condescending snort, and my jaw clenched. Since he wasn't going to be any help, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, checking the time. Suddenly, I realized just why he'd snorted, and I tried to keep the blush from lighting up my cheeks. It was 11 o'clock. And it was Monday, "Damn." I muttered under my breath, knowing I was completely out of luck on this one.
"So what was that about the 'break of dawn'?" Of course he had to throw in air quotes, because he obviously wanted to make this the worst thing possible for me. That was when I realized that there were no cameras around, so I didn't feel a pinch of regret as I smacked the back of his head. I had the great satisfaction of seeing his jaw drop and his eyes widen. It was highly likely that no one had ever stood up to him—much less hit him—before, so it made me feel special that I was his first.
Okay, Clary. We need to stop with the dirty references. This is not healthy.
"It is the break of dawn somewhere in the world." I came up with the lame excuse on the spot, but Jace didn't seem to hear me, obviously still in a state of shock, "Hello?" I waved a hand in front of his face, and that seemed to snap him out of his daze. The second a sparkle glimmered in his eyes, I shot to my feet. I could tell what was going on in his practically hollow head. He was going to get back at me in probably the worst way possible. My greatest weakness. Okay, not my greatest, because chocolate came first. Then food in general. Then Liam Hemsworth. So maybe it was a little farther down the list than first implied, but you get the gist.
"You just made the wrong choice, Clare Bear." He growled, and my face scrunched up in disgust. Of all people, he was not allowed to call me Clare Bear. Actually, if I had it my way, he wouldn't be calling me any name at all, because he would be on the other side of the nation. Better yet, the other side of the planet. Ed Sheeran would be my mentor, and-
I had been lost in thought for way too long, because Herondale was suddenly right in front of me. Like I said before, I needed to stop the musings. Bad. It was far too late though, since his arms were wrapped around my waist. I squeaked as he threw me back on the bed with ease. Not even a second later, he was poised above me, straddling my hips and somehow pinning my legs with his. I tried my hardest to keep my arms crossed over my chest in a pathetic attempt to protect myself, but it was no use as he pried them away, yet again using one hand to trap my wrists above my head. HIs other hand gently ran down my arm, coming to a stop at my cheek. I squirmed uselessly, but he only smirked, softly brushing my lips with his fingertips.
I am embarrassed beyond belief to admit that my breath caught in my throat. What can I say though? I had a… what were the words I used?… aesthetically pleasing guy right above me and doing this to me. My damn hormones were raging, and my brain was obviously disconnected from my body as I stopped moving. Rather than struggling anymore, I was just staring into his eyes.
Damn. My traitorous mind whispered, They really are gold.
What the actual hell, Clarissa Adele Fray? Were you bodysnatched by a preteen?
His smirk became more defined, almost like he knew exactly what was going on in my brain. He couldn't though, because I wasn't that obvious. Okay, I hoped I wasn't that obvious, but I couldn't tell at this point, because the only things I could see were the brown flecks in his irises. I found my bottom lip catching in between my teeth, and I didn't miss the way he quickly glanced down. What was even going on at this point? After a while of staying frozen in that position, Jace lowered his head until his forehead rested on mine. I swallowed hard, suddenly hit with the smell of… Mangos? It was frankly amazing, and what was I doing?!
"Maybe the fact that you want me isn't so deep down." He murmured, and it took a second for the words to register. When they did, it was like ice cold water was poured on me. Ironic, seeing as I had done the same to him. Except literally, not figuratively. Karma's a bitch.
"Get off of me." I growled, realizing that it wasn't just a hot guy I was looking at. It was Jace Herondale. The star that I hated with a burning passion. They guy that probably slept with more girls than I could count.
"I don't think you really want me to." Now, I was able to hear the arrogance in his voice, and it was a major turn-off. I made a noise of exasperation, wiggling around as I tried to get out of his hold. It wasn't working though, seeing as he was much, much stronger than me. It was clear that I wouldn't be released until he wanted me to be, but that didn't mean I wouldn't try my hardest. Amusement shined in his eyes, and, had it not been for the fact that he would make a noise that would no doubt attract camera attention, I would've kneed him in the family jewels. Even then, I was seriously considering the option. All he was doing was staring at me with a raised eyebrow and chuckling softly.
"Dammit Herondale." I hissed, "Let. Me. Go." He tilted his head to the side, taking his sweet time to decide what to do. I huffed out an angry sigh, starting to get extremely uncomfortable. This wasn't the ideal first day of my dream coming true. Not at all. Of course my phone had to ring right as he started shifting away, and his head snapped its way. A devious smile lit up his face, "Don't you dare." I hissed, but I knew he would do it anyways. He reached out with his free hand, grabbing my cell.
"Isabelle Lightwood." He read the caller ID, and my heart stopped. Dear lord there was no way this could end well. I knew exactly what conclusion Izzy would jump to first, and I had the gut feeling that Jace would just egg her on, purely to see me suffer.
"Please." I never in a million years thought I would say that word to Herondale once, much less twice. Albeit, this time it wasn't forced, but this time, it was more important, "Don't pick up that call." Jace just let out a maniacal laugh before pressing the answer button then putting it on speaker.
"Hey, Clary!" Iz didn't wait for a greeting before talking, "We're here at the house and getting settled in!" There was a pause as neither Jace nor I spoke, "Clare?" That seemed to snap him into action. I opened my mouth to say something, but he dropped the phone on the bed and slammed his hand over it before I could get a sound out, "Hello?" My best friend dragged out the 'o', and I jerked my head from side to side, trying to set myself free. It wasn't working.
"Jace Herondale speaking."An impossible amount of cockiness was contained in those three words. My tongue reluctantly darted out as I tried to gross him out enough to let me go. All he did was—surprise, surprise—raise his motherfreaking eyebrow. A jumbled mess of loud, unintelligible noises blasted through the speakers, and Jace outright laughed. For a minute, that was the only sound while Izzy was no doubt gaining her bearings.
"Hey." Her voice was about an octave too high as she said her first word to her biggest celebrity crush. Simon was going to kill me for letting this happen. Then again, I hadn't let it happen. I was totally at Herondale's mercy, but those words would never escape my mouth. Actually, as of now, no words would be escaping my mouth, "I'm such a big fan!" Oh dear lord, she was going to make his head even bigger than it already was. Then again, that was probably impossible.
"Thank you." His voice was as smooth as could be, a grateful note in it that I knew was fake. He already had an idea of how absolutely amazing he was, so Izzy telling him wasn't exactly a big deal, "So, Isabelle Lightwood…" His smirk became more defined, and I cursed the day he'd been born. He hesitated, for once thinking about what he was going to say. Well, that was a first, but right now, it was not appreciated, "I learned a lot about Clary last night." I winced at the sound of Isabelle coughing up a lung. This was exactly what I'd both expected and dreaded. Needless to say, I would be in a crap ton of trouble if I didn't nip this in the bud.
"You what?" Isabelle choked out, apparently over her gushing. Of course, this would be the one thing to snap her out of it. She could've stayed all dopey over him, but no. That would never happen, because I clearly had no luck on my side. At all. Finally, something occurred to me, and I smirked. Herondale looked my way, most likely having felt my lips curve. Then, I made my move. I bit down on his hand. Hard. He let out a yelp of pain, immediately drawing it back, and I jumped up. I snatched the phone, making a break for it as he stared after me, yet again too stunned to know what to do.
"Isabelle!" Was it sad that I was getting breathless after about five seconds of running? I think so. I was about to continue what I was saying when her shrill voice cut me off.
"What the actual hell, Clarissa Adele Fray?!" She shrieked, and I cringed as I rounded another corner. I was starting to hear the sound of pursuing footsteps, so I pushed myself harder, ignoring the fact that I had no idea where I was going.
"He's…lying…not…true." I got out between my panting. Wow, I really needed to hit the gym, "Woke…me up…got phone…running." The sentence made almost no sense, but I was confident that Izzy would get the message. Having been friends for nearly all our lives, we were able to translate pretty well. The other side of the phone was silent for a second, and I almost thought she'd hung up until I heard her sigh. It was a mix between disappointed and disbelieving, the latter scaring the heck out of me. The words Isabelle Lightwood and keeping secrets did not belong in the same sentence unless 'cannot' was in between them. I loved the girl to death, but she was usually incapable of keeping her mouth shut. This would mean that Simon would find out, then Simon, the Alec, then—if I hadn't been so focused on sprinting, I would've shivered—Jonothan. Now that would end bad.
Then again, my brother beating the crap out of Jace Herondale was a pretty pleasant image. It was so pleasant that I toyed with the idea of leading Izzy on until right after it happened. I reluctantly dismissed the thought, considering the fact that assault charges would most likely be pressed. As much as I wanted the entertainment, I would rather Jon not end up behind bars.
"I feel like you're the one-" Before Isabelle could finish her sentence, I crashed into something I hadn't seen as I turned into a different hall. My phone went flying, and Ryan Seacrest and I both fell flat on the ground. I immediately scrambled to my feet, offering him a hand. He took it, miraculously still smiling.
"I am so, so sorry." I apologized, the call with Izzy forgotten. My face was probably camouflaged with my hair out of embarrassment, but he waved me off. In the crash, the reason I'd been running fled my mind. That is, until I felt a presence right behind me. I cursed under my breath, knowing I had to face the music. My eyes were closed tightly as I turned around, but I opened them after Jace cleared his throat. That was when I realized something that seemed to hit him at the same time.
He couldn't say anything right now. We were supposed to like each other, and we couldn't even risk it off camera, because this was a reality show. That meat Ryan would be compelled to tell the public every little detail. I had a feeling that Jace would rather not look like an asshole on live television—well, more of an asshole than he already was—and I sure didn't want to seem like a brat. For once, rather than working in his favor, it was working in mine. I crossed my arms, staring at him with a smug smile on my face. He grinned with a facade of lightheartedness, but I could see the fire burning in his eyes.
Jace 1; Clary 1
(But it wasn't like I was keeping score or anything. Not at all.)
Totally Clary, not keeping score. You're not convincing anyone. ;) Okay, so I have a little thing I want you guys to do (if you want) on any given chapter: Review who you think will win in the end, because we all know that Clary won't let a competition go that easily. Also, we have our question of the chapter (that I'm literally coming up with on the spot)... Um... AHA! GOT IT!
What is your absolute favorite moment in the series. Like top moment ever. (As of now, I think it's the "Alec+Pie=I'm not your bitch" part for me. That made me laugh)
And also, for those of you who read The Bachelor, I want to thank you for sticking with me through that. I don't know why you did as I look back at it, considering the many, many grammatical errors that plague the whole thing. And the plot holes. And just... *shivers*. It got better at the end, so thank you all for waiting. It was a true journey for me, and all of you were along for the ride. You kept me going, and we ended up on page one (according to follows). We also hit 500 favorites in my absence. So... Yeah... I guess that's it!
With love to all of my faithful followers...
-Shadowhunter5801