Hey everyone! So again, a big thank you to those of you that have reviewed and/or followed this story. Each one matters! I've decided to divide the party and the afterward into two parts, mostly because it was getting too long, and, I'll admit it, I'm having trouble writing the second part. I've hit some writer's block. Enjoy!

Tessa's POV

They stepped out of the room and made their way to the main entrance of the Institute. They were the last ones to arrive. Cecily waved to them. "Hey guys! The limo should be here any minute now." Tessa looked at Cecily. "Limo? What happened to the old-fashioned taxi?" Mark turned to Tessa. "The Herondales have more money than they know what to do with. So when we all go out together, they cover the expenses. Right Will?" Will, who was holding up the nearest sign by leaning against it, nodded at this. He had smirk plastered on his face, but Tessa couldn't help but think that it looked good with the white pants and yellow Polo shirt he was wearing. At that moment, the limo pulled up. Tessa had been in a limo once or twice before, but never something as fancy as this. They piled into it, with enough space for the 10 of them. There was a small mini-fridge in the corner, and it was filled with beverages. Tessa was settled between a window and Jem. Will was seated on his other side. On the opposite end, Victoria was seated next to Gabriel and Gideon and Sophie sat on the other end of the tan seat. Mark, Thomas and Cecily settled themselves on the floor of the limo, leaning against the back of the interior and stretching their legs in front of them. "Alright, we'll be there in half an hour, so get comfortable and dig in!" cried Victoria.

Will's POV

Will hadn't necessarily wanted to go to the Space Party. When Jem had tried to ask him a few nights ago, he had complained. "Why should I go? It'll be a stupid party with a bunch of brats and wannabes from Institute." Jem had sighed and leaned against his pillows. Both of them were tucked under their blankets, chatting away until the other one got tired. "Because, the rest of us are going, and you don't have any plans for Friday anyways." "When you say everyone..." "I mean nine of us, at the moment. You would make ten. Tessa's coming, I know that's the information you've been wanting to hear."

Tessa. That girl... Will hadn't really known what to think when he first saw Tessa. He knew that she didn't really like him. According to Victoria, Tessa thought that Will was a "sarcastic ass". But she loved books, and was really smart. Jem had figured it out right away that he liked Tessa, and was trying hard to be a helpful friend, but Will didn't really know what he wanted. Besides, he wasn't one for commitment. Jessamine and Alexandra flashed through his head at that moment. Will shook his head. "Whatever. I'll go then. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Which was why he was stuck inside a limo, heading to Club Pandemonium. Tessa was seated on the other side of Jem, her arms folded onto the edge of the door, her head resting on them. Will was surprised when he saw her coming with Victoria earlier. The white dress made her look sweet and pretty. He realized that she looked better in this dress than in something that would've been too revealing. He saw that Thomas was trying to coax her to pick her head up and have a drink from the fridge. She was refusing. Of course she would. Everything in it was alcoholic, and Will figured that she wouldn't drink. He sighed and leaned back as he sipped his vodka, looking out in the London night.

Jem's POV

"Tessa, are you alright?" She looked up at Jem, searching his face. He was beautiful to look at, with his thin face and silver eyes. He was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans, white shirt, and black blazer, going for a semi-formal look. James figured she might just be tired, and tried not to pressure her into having a drink. He had a glass of scotch in his hand, sipping it while she spoke. "I'm fine James. Just tired. I usually don't do much on Fridays because I'm re-cooping from a long week." She picked her head up, and leaned against the headdress. Tessa was pretty, but not necessarily his type. Besides, Will was the one who was falling for her, and for Will he would do anything. He smiled at her.

"Well that's better than a lot of replies you could've given me. So tell me, have you ever actually gone to a party like this before?" She nodded her head slightly. "Twice. And both were disasters." Poor thing. This party was not for amateurs, but not for experts either. "It'll be fun. Pandemonium has a great space, and the food's good too." "James?" "Yes Tessa?" "Keep an eye out for me, would you?" He patted her hand lightly "I will Tessa."

Cecily's POV

The limo pulled up in front of Pandemonium, the party already in full swing. The club was one of her favorite places. The volume of the music was high, making it hard to hear the person next to you. Pandemonium also did a good job with decorating for a theme, with comets and and stars and multi-colored lights decorating the place. The club was circular, with tables and couches lining the dance floor in a ring. The club also served food, which was a rarity, but was good for people who really wanted to spend some time. With her purple pencil skirt and black top, Cecily fit into the scene well. She settled herself at one of the bar stools at a high table, the rest of the group scattering themselves around it. Victoria sat next to her. "The usual, Cecy?" she said, raising her eyebrows. Cecily nodded, and they called a waiter over. Everyone was busy, so the girls ordered for everyone. Gideon was trying to talk to Sophie, who had dressed similarly to Tessa, except in a forest green dress with white accessories. Tessa and Jem were seated on the opposite side of the table, chatting away animatedly about some movie that had come out awhile ago. Will, Thomas, Gabriel and Mark were engaged in a serious discussion on something; probably videogames, if Cecily's guess was right. Cecily and Victoria started to talk as quietly as possible.

"Cecy, how long as Gideon been interested in Sophie?"

"Since last semester. She knows too, that he likes her. She's sweet, but so shy. And that scar does nothing to help her self-confidence."

Both girls remembered how Sophie got her scar. During their first year, Sophie had been coming back from a late dinner in the dining hall on a Saturday when some boys from a nearby school snuck onto campus and started harassing her. When she tried to push them away, one boy hit her on the head with a beer bottle, while another slashed at her face with a knife. She had collapsed, and it wasn't until nearly one in the morning when Cecily had knocked frantically on Victoria's door, saying that Sophie hadn't come back. They had searched the campus together, finally extracting her from behind a bush an hour afterwards. They had carried her to the infirmary, where she had spent three weeks recovering physically and mentally. It was a long time before she stopped flinching every time someone reached out to her. Cecily shuddered at the memory.

"Well, Gideon's a good guy. He won't hurt her."

They looked at her, watching her laugh at something he had said. He relaxed, glad that she was laughing and loosening up. About then, the food and drinks arrived. Cecily called out to the rest of them. "Hey, come on, the food and drinks are here!"

Everyone gathered around, digging into the fries and grabbing a shot a piece. Tessa raised her eyebrows. "You guys didn't get carded for the drinks?" Cecy smiled. "Nope. They don't really bother checking, unless you look really young. The boys look old enough, so the waiter didn't bother." She took a shot and handed one to Tessa. "Go on, one won't kill you."

Tessa's POV

Tessa took it, staring at it curiously. She'd drunk alcohol before; you couldn't live in the Upper East Side and get away without drinking. But she rarely did. She knew she should say no, but she was tired of always being the good one. She took it and drank it in one gulp. She set the glass down on the table, amidst a bunch of cheers from the group. She shook her head.

The alcohol burned in the back of her throat, but she felt a new energy coursing through her. She liked this feeling. She grinned, and drank another two. Everyone gaped at her, and cheered some more. She then dug into the food, suddenly starving.

Victoria's POV

She wasn't hungry. Victoria had just ordered a drink, sipping it while everyone else ate. They were squeezed around the small table; there was just barely enough room for them. Gabriel was standing next to her, a hand on her back and his legs pressing into hers. When he was done, he wiped his hands on a napkin, and gestured to the dance floor. She grinned and took his hand. "Guys, were going to hit the dance floor. Join us whenever." She lead him by the hand, and they disappeared into the crush of people.

Tessa's POV

She stared after them. "She definitely wears the pants in that relationship." Everyone laughed. She wanted to be on the dance floor, but didn't really feel comfortable with the idea. Her eyes were rested on Tori and Gabriel. She had her back pressed to his chest, and they were... what were they doing?" She turned away, embarrassed by the sight. Jem noticed, and laughed. "She's always like that. Bold and ferocious, which is exactly why Gabriel loves her. Would you care to dance, Tessa?" She nodded, taking his hand.

He took her hands and swung her around her circles, making her a little dizzy. It was so easy to be around Jem. Not awkward at all, but pleasant. The drinks she had were making her light-headed, so after a while, she wandered over to a couch, dropping into it. Jem had gone to the bathroom. She saw Victoria and Gabriel again, this time face to face, her arms wrapped around his neck. Tessa also saw Mark and Cecily, who were fooling around from the edge of the dance floor, tripping people and generally annoying them. She couldn't see Gideon and Sophie, but didn't really care at the moment. Just then, she saw Will on the dance floor, dancing with a blond girl.

Victoria's POV

She was exhausted, and she wanted to leave. This week had been too busy, and she hadn't slept in the past two nights. She had been on the dance floor for nearly an hour and a half, and it was almost ten o'clock. She had her arms wrapped around Gabriel tightly, her head on his shoulder while they tried to keep up with the music. "Gabe" she murmured in his ear, "Let's go. I don't wanna be here anymore. Take me away." He picked her head up gently,and saw the exhaustion that was lining her face. "You know , Tori, my father is out of town on business this weekend. Gideon plans on going back to school after this. This means that the house is empty. Do you want to go there instead?" Victoria thought this over for a moment. She didn't really want to go to school, and she liked the Lightwood manor. "Alright, I'll go with you." He led her out of the floor safely, picking up the shoes and clutch purse she had deposited by the table. "Let's find someone to let them know where we're going."

They scanned around, and found Tessa sitting on a couch in the back. She looked like she was concentrating very hard on something. Tori turned to Gabriel "Wait here." She bolted up the low steps until she reached Tessa. "Tessa, are you alright?" Tessa looked up, and tried to focus on Victoria's face. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. What's up?" "I'm not coming back to the dorm tonight. I'm going to Gabriel's instead, so don't be shocked if I stumble in in the morning, okay?" Tessa, feeling a little giddy, wiggled her eyebrows at them. "The whole night, Tori?" Victoria raised an eyebrow back, and then they both burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh stop it." Victoria said playfully, slapping Tessa's arm lightly. With a wave, she left the building barefoot, with Gabriel's free arm slung around her. Outside, they hailed a cab and deposited themselves into it, the journey to Gabriel's passing by in a blur.

Tessa's POV

She watched as Will danced with the girl, expertly turning her and grinding up against her. Tessa had thought that Will was beautiful, a Heathcliff on the moors. But she had discovered quickly that his beauty was cold, and tried hard to keep away from him, even though he turned up everywhere. They had had several dinners alone together in the dining hall, which had often ended with Tessa yelling at him and stalking her way out of the hall. Tonight, she didn't really care. She was looking for Jem, when someone plopped down beside her.

It was a boy, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was cute, and Tessa found herself staring at him. He reminded her of a friend she left behind in New York. "Wild party, huh?" he said, looking at her. "Tell me about it. I can hardly hear myself think with all the noise." Not because of the noise, but because of the drinks. The boy grinned at her. "I'm Scott, Scott Williams" he said, holding a hand out to her.

"Tessa, Tessa Gray" she said, shaking it.

"Pleased to meet you, . Are you from around here? Because I detect a foreign accent in your voice."

She giggled. "I'm from New York. I attend Institute Prep, so I'm staying in the dorms."

"I'm in a prep school too. But I'm in Eton, close to Regent's Park. How do you like it at Institute?"

"It's great. I have sooo many friends, even though the classes are hard."

"It's a shame, I know that it's notoriously difficult to get into. I actually tried for Year 9, but I didn't get through the entrance exams. And there are no second chances at Institute."

Tessa stared at him. Tough luck. She expressed her sympathy, but he waved it off.

"Don't be. Besides, I like Eton, but being in an all boys school does have its downsides. We don't have pretty girls like you there."

Normally, Tessa would've been flattered, but there was something in his look that just seemed off. The comment came off as creepy, not complimentary. And the drinks were doing nothing to help her thinking. "Thank you, but I have to go. My friends are waiting for me." She had no idea if that was true or not. She was just about to rise when Scott took a firm hold of her wrist, pulling her back down. "I think your friends can wait a moment. You've already kept them waiting long enough. One more minute won't hurt." He placed his hand on her knee, which was exposed by the dress. Tessa gulped.

The last time she had been in a situation like this, Chris had been there to help her. She looked around desperately for anyone, but there was no one in sight. Scott leaned into her, and Tessa tried to back away from him, leaning her head back over the arm of the couch, He was nuzzling her neck, his hand slowly creeping up her leg. Her hands were balled into fists and were placed in-between the two of them. "Scott, stop it. Get off of me." She tried vehemently to push him away, but he was too strong. His lips were grazing her cheek, and she was trying to get away, but he kept leaning forward. All of a sudden, she felt a weight lifted off of her.

Hehehe. I apologize for the cliffhanger. You'll have to wait until the next chapter to figure out who Tessa's savior is. Although, you'll probably be able to guess. Ciao ;)