Herondale High

Chapter 55- The Truth About Josette and Magnus

Still Prom Night

Alec's P.O.V.

Josette and I arrive at the Emerald Dancer around 9 o'clock and I'm shocked to see it completely empty. I'm pretty sure it's closed so I have no idea why Josette brought me here but she walks over to the door and walks in so I follow her. The inside is almost completely dark with all the light dimmed as far as they can go without being off except for a poker table with one of those overhead light things above it that allow me to see three people sitting around it in tuxedoes similar to mine. Josette looks at them and smiles before sauntering over to the small group. "You've gotta be shitting me. You idiots started without me," she asks laughing to let them know she is joking.

"Of course we started without you Settie. You were supposed to be here half an hour ago. And just because we aren't geniuses like you doesn't make us stupid it just makes us average." Jake answers her while his brother, Eddie I think, laughs at him for arguing with her.

"Ok, whatever you say Jakey. As for my delayed appearance, I had to wait for Alec to get ready and made up with Clary. Also, I am not late.."

Before she can finish Eddie? finishes for her. "She's fashionably late."

"Exactly," she laughs causing the other two to join her as Eddie? was already laughing.

"So why'd you bring your new sidekick with you? Isn't he Mr. Hotshot quarterback? Shouldn't he be kicking back at prom with the other jocks?"

Josette sighs and gives him a look that a mother would give her young child as she attempts to explain something she thinks he is too young to fully grasp. She turns to me quickly motioning me to take a seat at the table she has know joined so I do as she answers him. "He has plans to go to prom with Magnus but you know they broke up so I took pity on him like I took pity on you dorks."

Jake and Zach laugh while Eddie, who had introduced himself while Josette was talking, frowned. "Magnus, like Magnus Bane?"

"Yeah, do you know him?" I ask suddenly curious.

He looks at me like I'm insane. "Uh, yeah Magnus hung out with us in Paris until he met the Belcourt chick and ditched us and then she ditched him. I didn't realize he was here though," he says still frowning.

"Yeah, he got here a couple of months before Josette."

Josette seeming uncomfortable with the conversation suggests Eddie go get us all some drinks and that we play some game called 5-card draw which apparently means I have to make the best poker hand out of the 5 cards I have but I can exchange up to three cards with the deck or 4 if I have an ace to try and make a better hand. It seems complicated and I don't think I'll be good at it but we aren't playing with money yet so I think I'll be fine for now.

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About 10 drinks, for me, and 5 games later, I'm feeling pretty buzzed and judging from the fact that everyone else has had at least twice as drinks as me not counting the shots Josie keeps convincing them to do. They are all laughing at something I don't really understand when Eddie says, "It's funny that you're here tonight Jo at the Emerald Dancer on Prom Night." They all laugh but I'm just confused.

"Why is that funny?"

Eddie looks at me with a delighted look in his eyes that makes them shine brighter than the alcohol already has. "When Josette was in 8th grade, I was a senior and my parents were obsessed with me getting my full senior experience and they thought it wouldn't be complete if I didn't go to prom."

"Oh my God are you seriously telling this story?" Josette interrupts.

Eddie laughs but continues with the story. "Anyhow, I didn't have anyone to ask and Josette always look mature for my age and I figured that if I had to go to the prom I should go with someone hot that I could stand which are categories that Josette fit perfectly. Her, being the amazing friend she is said yes and she went in this gorgeous emerald green dress. She was by far the hottest, sexiest girl at that prom and everyone was so jealous which of course didn't satisfy Josie so she had to show them up too. So she drags me out to the dance floor and leads me in this old fashioned waltz that amazed everyone because she looked so flawless doing it like she was made for that. Anyway, I called her my little Emerald Dancer and when I had to leave her in Paris I wanted something to remember her by so.."