Chapter 3 - Preparing

"Clary?", she heard her mum's voice from the corridor, while she was lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. She had been in this position for 2 hours now and didn't want to move. Somehow she felt like the walls understood her feelings and confusion better than a person. "Come in!", she replied.

The door opened and Jocelyn walked in with a smile on her lips. It was the smile that Clary loved the most because she had seen the same smile since she was little and she knew, that she could trust the person with this smile unconditionally. Jocelyn made her way over to her daughter and sat down next to her "Aren't you going to Magnus' Party?", she looked at her sat up in indian style and stared at her mother "So he told you about it, too?"

"Of course! He invited all of us and even the lycanthropes and others."

"Does that mean Luke and you are going, too?"

"Maybe.", her mum said quietly "He's very busy at the moment, he's still talking to the elders. So aren't you going? I've heard Jace and the Lightwoods and your other friends are going, too."

Clary sighed and let herself fall back onto the pillows "Mum, can I tell you about something?", she covered her eyes with her hands and then rubbed her temples. Her mum nodded and reached out a hand to stroke her daughter's hair, like she always did when she noticed, that something was upsetting her.

"Yesterday something weird happened.", she began "You know Alec, right?"

"Of course, he's Maryse and Robert's son. A very polite young man.", her mum added with a bright smile, which didn't make it easier for Clary.

"Yes, well.. Uh.. No. Actually he hates me. But yesterday he came here and...wanted to talk to me about everything that was on his mind and he was being so honest and really opened up his soul."
"Oh, I see..", her Mum said "So he does like you? That's good right?"

"No, well he...actually kissed me.", she looked at her mum "Don't look at me like that, Mum! It was just on the cheek. But when I went over to the Penhallows' place this morning I tried to talk to him and he was being a total...idiot."

There was silence for a moment, but then Jocelyn broke it "And, do you like him?"

"I don't know..", Clary sighed "But I know that I like Jace and that I shouldn't think about someone else."

"To me it sounds like you're not sure about your feelings, sweetie. But do you want me to give you some "motherly" advice?"

Clary nodded and took a deep breath."You should go to the party and try to have fun. It doesn't help if you lock yourself in your room and start a friendship with the ceiling."

That was totally her mum! She always found a way to make her smile, no matter how confused she was."But...I have one problem." Clary began "I don't have anything to wear. And the best thing about it is, that it's a theme party! It has something to do with snow."

"Let that be my problem!", a voice came from the doorway, and they both looked up to see Amatis standing there with folded arms and a smile on her lips.
Amatis was just amazing! Half an hour later Clarissa Fray didn't even recognize herself when she was standing in front of the old mirror in Amatis' livingroom. The dress, Amatis had sewed especially for her was sleeveless and sparkling light blue. It ended at the middle of her thin thighs and the skirt of the dress had white glitter on it, which looked like real snow. Her hair fell down her back in lose beach locks and the high heels her mum had lent her looked fantastic.
_