TDA Meets TLH

31: Cordelia

I walked around the garden of the Los Angeles Institute with Lucie, feeling bored.

"I want to go back home now, I think." I said.

"Really? I do not want to." Lucie replied. "I quite like it here."

"I do, too, but I miss my parents." I smiled slightly. "My mother is probably freaking out."

"I wonder what my father is doing with my mother and uncle Jem." She said.

"Probably things you do not wish to know about." A voice said from behind us.

Lucie and I turned around, to see James and Matthew standing behind us. My cheeks flamed at the sight of James, the way they always did.

"If you understand my meaning." Matthew grinned, looking amused.

Lucie scrunched up her face. "Matthew! That is disgusting!"

"That is." James added.

Matthew laughed. "It probably is happening because what would you do if--"

"Not that." Lucie shuddered.

Matthew only laughed again, and the three of us shook our heads at him. Sometimes, I wondered what went on inside Matthew's head, and then was thankful I didn't know the answer. We all started to walk around, and sat under a large tree.

"We should play a game." Lucie suggested.

"Let's play truth or dare."' Matthew grinned.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I heard Livvy and Dru playing it. You ask someone truth or dare. If they pick truth, they have to answer any question you ask, and if they choose dare, they have to do anything you tell them to." Matthew explained.

"I don't know." I frowned. "It's a bit risky playing with you, Matthew."

He chuckled. "C'mon, just play."

I only sighed and nodded my head. Matthew started off.

"Lucie, truth or dare?" He asked.

"Truth." She replied.

Matthew started to smirk. "Have you and Jesse--"

"No! We have not." Lucie turned very red.

Matthew laughed, and I chuckled. James only looked disgusted.

"James, truth or dare?" Lucie asked.

"Truth." He said.

"If you could court any girl here, who would it be?" She asked.

James looked uncomfortable. "Emma, maybe, I do not know."

Matthew slid his eyes sideways, to James. He gave him a knowing grin, and James only swatted at him. I felt my heart drop. He fancied Emma? I felt my heart break, as it had when I had heard that James and Grace were seeing each other.

"Matthew, truth or dare?" James questioned.

"Dare." He said.

"I dare you to confess that you love Cristina, to her, in front of Mark." James grinned dangerously.

"Alright." Matthew shrugged carelessly. "Cordelia, truth or dare?"

"Dare." I replied, and then immediately regretted it when Matthew started smirking.

"I dare you to kiss James." Matthew said.

I froze in horror, feeling myself turning red. No. I couldn't kiss James. It would be mortifying. James was red with embarrassment.

"No." I said.

"You have to. It's the dare." Matthew grinned.

I wrung out my hands, as I shakily stood up and walked over to James. I then bent down, and without thinking, pressed my lips to his. I had dreamed of this moment for years, and never could I have imagined how it would actually feel. Kissing James, couldn't be explained in words. The only way I could describe it, was heaven. His lips were soft against mine, and I felt fireworks go off inside me. We pulled away a few seconds later, and I blushed, and sat back down next to Lucie.

Matthew was smirking at James, but I was too humiliated to look at him. Had I just done that? Me, Cordelia? I quickly asked Lucie, and the four of us continued playing. When we finally stopped, it was late afternoon. I walked back inside alongside Lucie, James and Matthew a step behind us. We walked into the kitchen, to see Emma and Julian glued to each other, kissing.

"By the angel." I said, my eyes widening.

They both heard my voice, and sprang apart. Julian looked panicked, and Emma looked shocked to see us. We all stared each other for about ten seconds, saying nothing.

Matthew cleared his throat. "Well then."

"You two are seeing each other? That's against the law." Lucie sounded shocked.

Emma sighed, looking away from us. "We know."

"You can't tell anyone." Julian said, worry in his blue eyes.

"We won't." I said. "But you two have to be more careful."

They both looked ashamed, and I felt bad. They couldn't help it if they were in love with each other. You can't help who you love. Sadly, I thought, looking over at James. Livvy and Ty then walked into the kitchen, and stopped, feeling the tension.

"What's wrong?" Livvy asked.

"Nothing, my dearest Livia, your brother was just telling us about how wonderful you are." Matthew winked, grinning.

Livvy rolled her eyes, and blushed slightly. "Sure he was."

Lucie and I then went to the living room, where Anna and Cristina sat. Emma joined us a second later.

"Where's Dru and Tavvy?" Emma asked.

"I saw them in Dru's room awhile ago." Anna replied.

"They're always together, aren't they?" I smiled.

"They are." Emma smiled slightly.

Julian, James, and Matthew then walked into the living room, and sat down. Julian and Emma avoided each other's gaze, and I did the same with James. I couldn't believe I had kissed him. That had been very improper, and it wasn't what good young ladies did. Mother would have been horrified, if she knew.

"Oh! Clary just texted me. She said that the New York Institute's having a formal ball tomorrow night, and she's invited all of us!" Emma exclaimed.

"Oooh! I want to go!" Anna said.

"We go to those all the time, back home." Lucie smiled radiantly. "They are so fun!"

"But what are we going to wear?" I asked. "And what about the children?"

"We could bring them with us." Cristina suggested. "And we could go shopping."

It was quickly decided that we would bring the children with us to the ball, and that all of us girls would go shopping for dresses. We found Livvy and Dru, and then we all went to the "mall". Anna raced into a store, excited, and I only laughed to myself. This was going to take awhile.