Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or the Infernal devices. All credit goes to the one and only Cassandra Clare. I only own this 'fanfiction'.
Chapter Four:
After five days of living the 'orphanage life' as Jace put it, Clary was finally adjusting to living the way she was going to have to for the next two years.
She, Cecily, Tessa and Isabelle were sprawled around Clary and Tessa's room, talking and
drinking the tequila that Izzy had smuggled from the boy's room.
"So, Clary, how's Alicante for you?" Cecy asked, slightly lightheaded from the countless shots she'd taken.
"Oh, it's pretty good so far, I guess. London's just really different from New York" Clary said calmly. She hadn't drunk anything, upon recounting previous incidents from the past.
The other girls nodded at the answer.
At that moment, Clary felt like the odd one out.
Izzy, Tessa and Cecy- despite having a few faults- were all incredibly pretty, all sporting straight, glossy brown hair and perfect pale complexions, and Clary, with her wild red curls and freckled skin, was the complete opposite, or so she felt.
Izzy changed the subject, after downing yet another shot. "It's Jace's birthday tomorrow" she slurred as she face planted into Tessa's pillow.
Clary subconsciously jerked her head up at the name.
Though Tessa was slightly intoxicated at that moment, she still caught that slight movement of Clary's, and smirked quietly to herself.
Cecily's head jerked up as well.
"Shit. Forgot to get him something" she moaned, her words almost unintelligible.
Tessa shrugged.
"He'll be out getting wasted anyway. And even if he isn't, he probably won't even notice; he always gets either extremely emotional or depressed every year on that day" she said brashly, though there was a note of pity in her tone.
As the other girls nodded in agreement, Clary looked around, confused.
"What do you mean, depressed? Jace is always so… Jace" she said curiously.
"Jace's mother died at childbirth, and since his dad was already dead, he was sent to live with us. He still blames himself, and on that day he gets all moody" Cecily mumbled awkwardly, biting her lip.
"Oh" Clary replied.
She decided to push all of her bad memories relating to alcohol to the back of her mind and just give in; right now seemed to be a good time to drink.
The next morning, Tessa and Clary were both curled up into balls on their respective beds, moaning at the slightest noise.
The door burst open, and behind it stood Will and Jace, both looking rather amused.
"Tess! Clary! Time to get up!" Will cooed mockingly.
Tessa, head lying face forward into her pillow, proceeded to throw her shoe at him.
Grinning easily, Will caught the shoe before it hit him and twirled it around in his hands.
"Thanks babe. You have really small feet, by the way. Honestly, considering your height, I would've thought differently, but…" Will said sardonically, sitting down at the end of his girlfriend's bed.
Jace saw the empty tequila bottles on the floor and picked them up, chuckling.
"Honestly girls. Drinking on a school night? I thought better of you two, especially you, red" he tsked, a knowing smirk on his face.
Clary reluctantly raised her head from the pillow to glare at him. "You're a dick" she mumbled, pushing the hair out of her eyes, before continuing to shove her face into the pillow.
"Is that really how you treat a guy on his birthday, red? If so, I pity all your old boyfriends" he said cheerfully.
It was Tessa who sat up this time. "Please, just stop talking. I don't care about your little lover's spat, just let me sleep" she snapped, rubbing her temples with her fingertips.
"Like me to join you?" Will asked. She hit him, as Clary spluttered at her comment.
Jace just grinned. "Come on, y'know you love me, red" he drawled arrogantly.
Clary was seriously contemplating slapping him. "Don't call me that!" she yelped.
"Ugh, just get out" Tessa yelled suddenly.
The two Herondale boys shrugged at each other and left.
"Just so you know, we have school in twenty minutes!" Will called over his shoulder. Tessa and Clary shot forward and spoke at the same time.
"Shit."
The pair made it to the school with a minute to spare- literally. Clary ran into her classroom the second the bell rang.
"What did I miss?" she muttered in Isabelle's ear as she sat down in the history classroom. Ms. Blackthorn sent her an irritated look, but she couldn't do anything about it; she wasn't technically late.
"Not much. But girl, you need to learn to wake up earlier if you don't want Blackthorn to scream at you" Isabelle replied under her breath, getting out her textbook, smirking lightly.
"Lightwood, Morgenstern! Quit your chitchatting and get to work" Ms. Blackthorn snapped at them, and with a mockingly disapproving glance, Isabelle bent over her page and started working.
The next period, when Clary arrived at art class, she disappointedly (she proceeded in mentally hitting herself at that) noticed that Jace wasn't present.
She reminded herself that he didn't have to get to class the exact time she did, and she'd be a hypocrite if she thought that, and he was either held up or ditching or something. It was his birthday; he was allowed to ditch or come late if he wanted to. Well, he couldn't technically, but still.
It wasn't like she cared anyway. Not at all.
That afternoon, as Clary was walking to Cyril in the SUV, she was officially worried.
Jace hadn't shown up to any of his classes according to Alec and Will, and the latter boy had become a little down recently too.
He was allowed to do whatever he wanted, she told herself. It wouldn't do him any good if she was breathing down his neck every five seconds like an overprotective mother. He didn't belong to her.
"Hey! Clary!" A voice shouted from the other side of the said girl turned around, eyebrows raised.
And there, was Aline Penhallow. Jace's girlfriend, and the girl she had tried to hate, but it was impossible; what with her charming and cheerful personality.
Clary supposed that that was the reason that the two were dating in the first place; they were the exact versions of each other.
Aline ran toward her, cheeks red. "Hey, I'm glad I caught you!" she laughed good naturedly, hugging her with one arm.
Startled, Clary returned the hug. "So, I'm having a party at my place tomorrow night while my parents are away. You wanna come?" Aline asked, sweeping her long black hair behind her shoulder as she swung her bag up.
"Oh, um…" Clary considered. Parties really weren't her thing. Well, it wasn't that so much as she always had a horrible hangover and terrible memories the day after.
"The whole gang will be there. Iz, Jessie, Tessa, Si, Alec, all of them" Aline said encouragingly.
Clary blushed lightly. "What the hell, sure" she replied. Aline's face lit up. "Great! I'll text you the address. By Clary!" she said, a wide smile on her face.
"See you" the redheaded girl replied as she continued to walk to the SUV.
God, what had she gotten herself into?
Hey Guys! So this one is a little earlier than the others, only like two days, but whatever. I'm just glad I got this up here! Please review and favourite/follow this! And thank you to those that reviewed last chapter; it really made my day!