Chapter 6

"And finally, Homecoming Week is nearly here! Fun dress days will be Twin Day, Crazy Hair Day, your class's themed dress up day, Tie-dye Thursday, and Tuxedo and Dress Day on Friday, also the day of the Homecoming Rally, Football Game, and Dance! Come to school full of spirit! This is Jaida, wishing you a marvelous Monday!"

A click concluded the girl's peppy message and was immediately followed by excited chatter in the art room. Clary remained silent, contemplating this. Her very first homecoming. Wasn't homecoming supposed to be something special for high school girls? She had a vague idea of a party and dancing in the dark, but dismissed it as a segment of a CSI episode.

"Tuxedo Day?" Jace muttered to himself. Clary glanced over, and Jace looked up at her. He smirked at Clary.

"So, Picasso, you going to the dance?"

"I don't know yet," Clary said nervously. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew how she wanted this conversation to turn out. She knew she wanted it badly. And she wished she could repress these feelings, because they were so confusing and distracting and made her as silly with Jace as those girls with their shallow conversation.

"It's your first homecoming. It's bound to be an experience you'll never forget." Today Jace was brilliant, happy, not the brooding boy she had sometimes glimpsed. His smile made Clary weak.

"I guess I'll go with Izzy and Simon and Maia-that is, if Maia and Isabelle don't have dates."

"You don't expect to have a date?"

Clary laughed. "No, not at all." Can you change that, please?

Jace paused, then chuckled. "Well, that's alright. I, however, fully expect to have a date by the end of the day."

"Really?" Clary replied halfheartedly, immediately determining that Jace would have Aline Penhallow or Kaelie Meadows on his arm at the dance.

"Yes. I am stunningly attractive. Who wouldn't want to go to the dance with me?" Jace assumed a smug expression.

"Isabelle. She thinks you're annoying." It took great effort for Clary not to make any embarrassing outbursts, such as "You are most definitely the most stunning man I have ever seen." That probably wouldn't go over well.

Jace pouted. "Isabelle is a strange creature. But I wouldn't go with her. It would be like going with my sister. Well, my best friend's sister. But it's still strange."

"Mr. Wayland, Ms. Fray. Please pay attention."

Clary flushed and immediately locked her eyes on the front of the room. Jace also turned his head, but slumped in his chair and looked bored. His sudden change in demeanor irritated the teacher, whose stern gaze contemplated Jace for an extra second before she returned to her speech.

"Now, as I was saying, the projects I received were, in the majority, wonderful. I'll be putting them up over the week. However, I was most impressed with one painting in particular." Ms. Colin pulled out a scene of a clearing in the woods, the ground scattered with leaves and the pattern of shadow and light created by the shadow of the red-orange maple trees at the edge of the painting. She held it up with a proud smile. "Well done, Clary."

Clary blushed again, but this time in pleasure. She was particularly proud of that painting, and was delighted that she was receiving recognition for her efforts. Jace smiled at her.

"Nice job, Picasso."

"Thank you," she murmured, gazing at her lap. She studied him through her eyelashes, and saw him swallow. As she raised her head, Clary saw Aline Penhallow smiling at Jace. She mouthed "meet me after class" to him, sweet smile still in place, but when she saw Clary watching, her face transformed into a glare. Clary glanced back at Jace, but he was no longer looking in the direction of either Aline or Clary. He stared out of the window, unmoving and silent.

"So, what do you think?" Isabelle asked excitedly.

"I think it's a great idea. I'd love to go as a group. But don't you think you'll have a date?" Clary asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"This is my first homecoming! I want to spend it with my friends-namely you, Simon, and Maia. Oh, and my brother of course."

"What if someone asks you?"

"I'll refuse, and tell them that there's always Winter Formal." Isabelle laughed freely.

"Maia might be going with Jordan, though."

"Oh, yeah. Well, she can have fun with that. I'll just go with you guys!"

Clary laughed at Isabelle's exuberance. "Sounds like a plan."

Isabelle squealed happily. Alec walked up with Magnus and pretended to plug his ears.

"Wow, Iz, are you trying to break glass?"

Isabelle glared. "No I am not, thank you very much."

"Oh, well, you're nearly succeeding. I think my phone is cracked."

"That's cause you dropped it."

"Only because you were trying to steal it! I couldn't let you have it again, not after what happened last time."

"I can't believe you still haven't forgiven me for that little incident. Magnus understands, don't you?"

"They were mildly shocking," Magnus admitted.

"Only you would think they were mild, Magnus," Clary pointed out, sizing up Magnus's eye-popping outfit of bright blue knee high boots over black skinny jeans with gold glitter, large gold belt buckle of the letter M, and cherry red t-shirt.

Magnus grinned. "Anything is mild compared to me."

Isabelle looked at him critically. "Not bad, Bane. Your sense of fashion may just grant you a free pass into the Homecoming Dance Group of Awesomeness. Led by me, of course. And Alec has to go with us cause he's my brother. So you might as well come, too."

"I feel so included," Magnus said sarcastically. "But I'll accept that offer. Thank you, darling."

Isabelle beamed. "You're welcome!"

Alec's expression was sulky. "Why would I go to Homecoming with my freshman sister?"

"Alec, you have to! Don't disappoint me, I planned this out completely already!" Isabelle whined.

Alec caved immediately at his sister's face. "Oh, alright. But don't expect me to do this again next year."

Immediately, Isabelle's face transformed. "Oh, thank you Alec! I love you!"

"Love you too, Iz," Alec said apprehensively, backing away. "Don't you dare hug me in front of the entire school."

"I wasn't going to," Isabelle huffed. "Ooh, Simon's here! Simon, come with us to Homecoming!"

Simon stared at her. "Who's us?"

"You, me, Clary, Alec, Magnus. And Maia if she doesn't end up going with Jordan."

"Ok, cool. Sounds good," Simon replied.

"Yay! It's all perfect now!" Isabelle smiled in sheer delight, and everyone laughed at her child-like expression.

Maia arrived with a big smile. "Guess what, guys?"

"Jordan asked you to homecoming," everyone said together. Maia's face fell.

"How did you know?"

Simon snorted. "It was really obvious."

"Oh. Well, anyway, what are you guys doing?"

Isabelle explained their plan. "We're all going to meet at my house for the football game, then go to the dance. Do you and Jordan still want to join us for that?"

"Sure, I'll ask him."

For the rest of lunch, the group listened to Isabelle happily ramble about homecoming week, interjecting once in a while. Alec and Magnus left after a minute or so to go find the other guys, while the four friends fell back into their familiar pattern of joking and teasing. They parted, still continuing their conversation as they walked away. Clary entered her class with a smile on her face. As she sat in her seat, the inane chatter of Aline Penhallow and her cheerleader sidekicks pierced her ears.

"There are so many cute sophomores this year. Especially those baseball players-yum!" Aline winked at her friends, who all laughed on cue.

"I'd take Jace Wayland any time over those football players," one girl agreed.

"Well, not all football players," another girl added, smiling across the room at one of the jocks.

Clary glanced over in disgust. Though Isabelle had known Aline for years as a family friend, Clary had only met her in eighth grade at Isabelle's pool party. Aline was half Chinese, and this came out in her straight, jet black hair and short stature. However, her eyes were an extraordinary blue, though their shape was distinctly Asian. It was a startlingly pretty face, and Aline had more boys vying for her hand at the dance than any other girl in the school.

Clary forced herself to pay attention in class, though her mind was screaming comparisons between herself and Aline the entire time. When class let out, she was out the door just before Aline, only to be stopped short by a tall, dark haired boy.

"Oh, hey Sebastian," Clary greeted cursorily, and tried to move past him. She saw Jace behind him, though and stopped short.

"Clary, can I talk to you?"

The voice was not the one she wanted to hear. But she turned to look at Sebastian anyway. "Um, sure. Here?"

"Uh, yeah, ok." Sebastian glanced back at Jace, who looked confused. "Here, let's go over here." They moved to a nook in the lockers, and Sebastian looked down at Clary. She thought incoherently that he was rather handsome, with dark and delicate looks that would make most boys jealous. Unless they were Jace Wayland.

"Clary?"

She looked back at Sebastian. "Huh? Oh, yeah. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Um, well, you see, I was wondering, if, uh, you would maybe go to homecoming with me?" The last part was rushed, and Clary stared at him for a moment before registering.

"You want me to go with you to the homecoming dance?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," Sebastian said, looking relieved that she had understood.

Looking over Sebastian's shoulder, Clary could see Jace staring at them. Aline was talking to him, but he paid no attention.

"Um, that sounds lovely, but I already agreed to go with Isabelle and our friends as a group," Clary told him apologetically.

"Oh." Sebastian looked unhappy, but composed himself. "Well, alright. Um, I guess I'll see you later, Clary?" He backed away and headed toward Jace.

"Wait!" Clary exclaimed. The look on his face had provoked her conscience.

Sebastian turned quickly. "Yeah?"

She walked up to him and put her hands on his forearms. "Look, just cause I can't go doesn't mean I don't want to."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying...that if you wanted, there's always next time." Clary couldn't believe she was saying this. She sounded like Isabelle. But luckily, Sebastian's face lit up.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Hey, wait for me next time, will you? Don't agree to anything till you've seen me." He smiled at her, and Clary smiled back.

"I won't. Bye, Sebastian."

"See you, Clary." He walked towards Jace, who had been staring daggers at the two. When he saw Sebastian approaching, he snapped his attention back towards Aline.

Clary wasn't far enough down the hallway to miss Jace saying to Aline, "Hey, want to go to homecoming with me?" and Aline's responding squeals. She set her shoulders and walked more quickly down the hallway, refusing to look back.

A/N: What do you get when you have no homework and a happy writer? MORE UPDATES! hehe. i may put up another chapter later today, if i have time to finish the next chapter. i love you all, readers, and this is your present from a girl with a day left of freedom before the homework catches up tomorrow...

As always, thank you for reading and please review!

~Sami