Herondale High

Chapter 41- Being A Good Brother

Jace's P.O.V.

I leave the coffee shop with an irrational anger towards Magnus. For some reason, hearing him say that Josette would disappear from her parties with her "flavor of the week" made me extremely angry. I don't know if it's the fact that she's obviously used to having casual flings or the fact that when she was walking into the shop talking to Magnus she mentioned using one night stands to forget her problems. Maybe I was just upset because I am pretty sure that Josette is the girl that Jon called Clary about this morning. I would never tell Clary that even if I knew for sure it was true. I've heard Josette talk about guys enough to realize she doesn't want anything serious and I know for a fact that guy have a problem falling in love with her. I can tell that much from all her friends from Paris. Hell, even Magnus seems hung up on her but Alec doesn't seem to mind so I don't really care about that.

I'm only walking around for a few minutes before I see Josette heading up the walk to the Emerald Dancer. Before she can enter I call out her name. She jerks to look at me before gesturing me inside. I run to catch up with her entering seconds after her. She rubs her hands together for warmth before blowing into them and turning to me. "You said we needed to talk later but I didn't realize that meant you were going to follow me to my other plans today."

"Oh, I didn't realize you actually had plans. I thought you just wanted to get away from Magnus after what he said."

She looks abashed. "Why it's not like he was lying. I wasn't exactly the Virgin Mary in Paris. I'm honestly surprised he stopped there with all the dirt he has on me. I did some pretty crappy things back then some that I didn't tell him so I can't really get mad at him for telling the truth."

"Why do you do that?"

Her face transforms into confusion. "Do what?"

"Act like you deserve everything life hands you. Whether you want to believe or not Josette you're a good person and you don't deserve the shitty hand life dealt you and it's okay to be angry about what's happened."

To my surprise, she laughs at me. "I'm not mad about my life because I don't care about the hand I was dealt with the things that sucked are the things I chose. My decisions. I chose to be promiscuous because it helped forget my shitty life. I chose to be angry with our parents and completely overlook the amazing guys that took me in at three years old, and trust me I was a smart-ass at three because I was smart and using bitchy comments to hide how upset and ashamed I felt because my parents didn't want me. I chose to stay in Paris instead of moving to America when my dads asked. I'm the reason they were on that plane, Jace. If I just would've let my anger go, I would still have the only people that ever cared about me in my life."

"Jesus JJ, that's not all your fault. So what if you fucked a bunch of guys. Guys do the same thing and nobody says anything to them. Magnus had no right to treat you like that when he wouldn't do it to a guy. And you can't blame yourself for the plane crash Josie. It was a freak accident and it sucked but if they hadn't been on the plane for you they might have been on it to check on their companies and the same thing could've happened. As for taking them for granted, you were a child whose parents abandoned her because they were shitty people, you didn't deserve them and I can almost guarantee that your dads saw through the bitchy comments and knew you loved them. Besides they aren't the only people that ever cared about you, look at everyone around you. Jake and Zach follow you around like puppies and look at you like you're an angel. I care about you and so does Izzy, Alec, Clary, and even if you don't believe it, Magnus does as well. You have so many people that care about you Josette. Don't ever forget that."

She looks at me with a thoughtful look. I can tell she's processing what I said and then suddenly she grins at me. "Does this mean you've decided I am worth losing your friends for?"

I groan. "By the angel Josette. I told you I didn't mean it like that I meant that I didn't want to lose my friends because they thought I was bad for you. As it turns out they were right."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard you talking to Magnus and Jon called Clary this morning. I can put two and two together you know."

I don't know what I thought would happen but I don't expect the blank look she gives before she asks, "Whose Jon? And I was telling Magnus I missed hooking up with people because it's fun. I might've been upset about what you said but it had nothing to do with you."

"Really it didn't that's a relief... Wait you don't know who Jon is?" She shakes her head and I frown. "Clary's older brother." Still nothing. "He was there when you saved my life. Izzy was trying to choose between him and his best friend Simon." 

She still looks confused as she answers, "I didn't notice who was there when I saved your life, I was a little bit upset and as for Izzy I knew she had two sorta boyfriends but I didn't know they were best friends let alone that one was Clary's brother."

"You seriously have no idea who I'm talking about?" She shakes her head again. Maybe I was wrong, "He has really blonde hair almost white and green eyes like Clary's."

Suddenly I see realization light up her face. "Shit, I kew those eyes looked familiar but I was drunk and couldn't place them. God, I can't believe I hooked up with Clary's brother. She's gonna hate me."

"No, she won't but her brother thought it was pretty great apparently."

Josette makes a face. "I'm glad he thought so. I mean it was fun but I wouldn't do it again. Oh my God, why did I say that? Clary really is going to hate me. Oh my God, what about Izzy she's gonna kill me."

I laugh. "She won't she chose Simon. My guess is that's why he slept with you."

"I don't know. I don't tend to take no for an answer when I'm drunk."

"I doubt many people tell you no." 

She shakes her head as if trying to clear it. "I can't deal with this right now. I have to get to the back. I promised Eddie I would help him with the expenses. He thinks he's doing them wrong so he 'hired his own personal genius I bet nobody else has that luxury'," she shakes her head like he's ridiculous but I'm confused. 

"What do you mean his own personal genius?"

"You know because of my genius IQ?" I shake my head. "Are you sure you didn't know, I thought you did, in fact I was almost positive you did."

"If you mentioned it I don't remember." I laugh and she shoots me a quizzical glance. "I just think it's funny our parents gave you up, an actual genius, and kept me a kid who barely gets As and Bs and is semi-good at football." She just shakes her head at me before hugging me good-bye and heading to help Eddie. I leave the club about to head back to the school before realizing I might as well do some Christmas shopping or at least Christmas looking while I'm out. I barely make it back to school in time for curfew having only gotten a present for Alec. How am I supposed to get gifts for everyone?