Disclaimer: These characters belong to Cassandra Clare, but the plot is all mine.

Wow I keep forgetting to do disclaimers. Honestly, I'm not 100% sure why disclaimers are necessary but everyone else does them, so I guess I'm a conformist. I spent a little less time revising this chapter, so I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammatical errors. Enjoy!

I wake up, with the sun in my eyes. Squinting back the blinding light, I notice an alarm clock that reads 6:00 am on the side of me. Suddenly I realize where I am, and with blinding speed jump out of the bed and scream, "IZZY! Get up now, I was supposed to be at my friend's house 10 minutes ago!"

A groggy Izzy lifts her head up from beneath a tower of covers to groan and say, "Five more minutes please."

"No, no way. I am going to be in big trouble and I need a ride. Hurry up. We can leave in our pajamas, I'm sure he'll have clothes for us there. Just please please please get up NOW," I beg.

Izzy's head jerks up, "He?"

"Yes, my friend is a boy," I leave out that he is also quite gay. If it will get her out of the house I can withhold the information for a little bit longer.

"Ooh, is he cute? Is he your boyfriend?" she asks excitedly as she gets out of bed.

"Yeah, he is pretty good looking, and has a great sense of style, but no he isn't my boyfriend. We are just friends like I am with Simon." I know I should probably tell her that he is gay but, we are already heading towards the car, and I don't want any reason for her to go walking back in. I will just keep up this ruse until she actually meets him.

"Eeeeeeeeeeep!' Izzy squeals, "I can't wait to meet him. Do I look okay?"

"Yes, you look fine. Plus, he has a ton of designer clothes at his house for us, so either way you'll leave looking great."

Her smile broadens as we get into the car, pajamas and all, and drive off.

10 minutes later

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Magnus yells at us.

"We uh … overslept," I say sheepishly.

"Oh, come on. You only do this once a year. You could at least be on time. And have you even showered yet? Ugh! Go get cleaned up. I will get your outfit ready and maybe work on your friend for a bit."

I nod to Magnus, then glance over at Izzy, who has paled considerably. I guess she just realized she isn't his type. I feel Magnus staring daggers into my back, so I decide it is best to do what he says. Izzy can deal with this on her own.

I take a quick shower and brush my hair out, so Magnus won't have to. Then I leave the bathroom and hear voices coming down the hall. They both sound excited. Turning the corner, I see Magnus and Izzy in a deep discussion with their backs turned away from me.

I start to catch part of their conversation, as I silently creep towards them. "Oh my gosh! I look great. Oh, and Clary is going to look even better. Magnus you are a genius," Izzy says excitedly.

"You are correct darling, on both counts, if I do say so myself," Magnus brags, "Now the question is, can we get her to wear it?"

"Well, she might struggle, but I think the two of us can overpower her if necessary," Izzy says much too calmly.

"Hey, I'm not a caged animal. Now what're you trying to get me to wear?" I question from behind them.

Both of my friends jump at how close I am. I'm about to make fun of them for it when I finally see what they plan on making me wear. My eyes widen, and I try to run away but I am frozen with shock.

"Clary, it really isn't that revealing. It will look great on you. Be reasonable," Izzy tells me in a pleading voice.

"I uh," I start to say but Magnus cuts me off.

"Listen, if I thought this was too much you wouldn't be wearing it and just because it shows your legs which you try so hard to cover doesn't mean it is bad. Now you're leaving in this outfit or you're not leaving at all."

I want to defend myself, but I know it is a losing battle. This entire week makes me uncomfortable anyway, so what is one more day? I take a deep breath and let my anger out with it.

"Fine," I mumble.

"WHAT!" Magnus exclaims. After seeing our startled faces, he explains, "I mean, I didn't think you would give in that easily. I thought there would most definitely be a fight. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, but I was just a smidge surprised. It was nothing really. Now let's get back to prepping you for the day. We don't have much time left."

After Magnus finishes babbling, I gaze down at the torturous object before me. It is a maroon crop top that looks small enough for a toddler. The front rises up, showing too much skin for my liking. It is wearing rags that Magnus calls style.

The shirt is accompanied with tiny, worn out jean shorts that reach just below my butt. They have three buttons going up all the way to my bellybutton and have black fishnet stockings to go along with them. The whole outfit comes with an earth colored knit sweater meant to hang loose and open at the front like a jacket. At least I'll have something to try and cover up with. Next to all of that mess is a pair of black high-heeled leather boots. They look like death traps.

I'm going to die of embarrassment. Stupid "hipster chic." Is this what they teach at Fashion College now? How to make rags that can be sold to unassuming consumers as clothing for insanely high prices?

Before I put on the outfit, Magnus and Izzy do my hair and makeup, gushing over how "beautiful" they will make me. Yeah right. I am not the beautiful type. I am more of a 'not painful to look at but also not impressive' type. I am just normal. I feel a little bad for them thinking that they can make me a different person.

Without looking in a mirror I walk to the bathroom, still avoiding my reflection, and put on the "clothes." It takes me a while to figure out how to properly wear everything, but when I finally finish, I can't help but gaze into the large mirror on the wall.

I gasp in surprise. My hair and makeup work together perfectly along with my now gorgeous outfit. The shorts rise up to my waist making it look like I am much curvier than in actuality. The hem of the crop top just barely meets the top of the shorts, but it's nothing too showy.

My legs have never looked so good in my entire life. The fishnets are the most provocative part of the outfit but, somehow, they tie the outfit together. I don't feel as exposed as I thought I would. I let the sweater hang loosely off my shoulders, not feeling the need to cover up. I actually like how I look: maybe even love how I look.

It is perfect for me. I leave the bathroom smiling, and my friends tense, worried faces change into looks of excitement. Izzy breaks the silence.

"So you like it?"

"Yes," I say confidently, "it is perfect. I just couldn't understand it until I was wearing it, you know?"

"I totally get it. Now we have to get to school though," Izzy responds.

"Okay, bye then girls, Clary you are free to go, and Izzy please enjoy the new dress. You can keep it," Magnus says with a wink to both of us.

"Thanks so much," we say in unison. Then we're rushing out the door.

I notice Izzy is no longer in the teddy bear pajamas she was wearing this morning. They have been replaced with a short violet dress, with a vintage feel to it, that matches my shirt.

When we get to the car I comment, "Izzy you look amazing."

"Thanks, while you were in the shower Magnus pulled it out of a closet, saying he thought he might have something that fits me. When I saw it I nearly screamed in excitement, and he said I could have it. We both look great. Everyone at school will be amazed," she says cheerfully.

"If I can even walk that far in these heels," I respond and we both laugh.

We chat randomly for the rest of the way to school.

As we pull into the parking lot Izzy sees Jace getting out of his car with Alec and we pull into the spot beside them. We need to pester Jace one more time on our plan for how he should break it off with Aline. Izzy and I planned this out last night.

We gave him a script: Aline, I must leave thee, for thou hast disrupted the pact of the sisterhood among the innocent female students of this school. I cannot stay with someone so reckless with the rules of teenage girls and cannot tolerate the fact that you lied to me. You are hereby broken up with.

Izzy and I are quite proud of it and were dedicated in forcing him to memorize it. He said it was too ancient sounding and over the top but really, I don't see it that way. It is perfect. Izzy opens the car door and steps out before me.

In an attempt to follow her I stumble out and sway, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. "Hey, short stuff, already swooning over me? It's barely eight in the morning. I guess, to be a gentleman and keep you from fainting over your love for me I should chaperone you for the rest of the day. We don't want you accidentally falling and dying from over exposure to sexiness. It's what any good person would do."

"No offence Jace, but I don't need your help," I say pushing out of his arms to stand on my own. I hear his quiet intake of breath when he sees all of me in my new outfit. His face is priceless. It is a mix of complete shock, admiration, and maybe a hint attraction. It boosts my confidence up a notch and I ask Jace, "Now who's swooning?" Then I turn to Izzy and say "We should go. We are gonna be late."

"Sure" she responds, and we walk away. I can feel the burn of eyes on me, and not only Jace's, but the eyes of all the other boys at school who have noticed me. Their reactions kind of make me happy. They give me a slight hope that I might actually be pretty, not beautiful, but at least pretty.

This small satisfaction makes me sway my hips a bit more catching the attention of all the people who hadn't been looking before. Izzy and I walking to class together are a spectacle: beautiful, brilliant, and unforgettable.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love to read your feedback. I just finished reading Everything I Never Told you by Celeste Ng and it was amazing. Maybe I'll start doing book recommendations at the end of every chapter. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!