Distractions

Photo Worthy

Part four: Photo Worthy

A little bit  of insight into Everest's childhood

"Look what I found!" Alec called from where he was cleaning out the random chest of drawers that always fills with clutter and mismatched items.

Magnus and Everest stepped out from the bedroom and kitchen respectively and into the living room. Magnus burst out laughing and Everest paled at the sight of the teal and pink ombre photo album labeled 'Everest Fray Through the Ages.'

"Oh no," she said, backing out of the room.

"Oh yes," Magnus corrected. He scooped Everest up and plopped her down on the couch beside Alec. Magnus sat on Alec's other side. "This will be good."

Everest huffed, though she was smiling a little too, and leaned back against the couch. "Let's get this over with."

Alec grinned and pressed a kiss to her cheek before opening the album to a photo of her in the hospital as a newborn. Then he flipped to a page of her dressed in leggings and a pink T-shirt, Clary in a similar outfit, though her shirt was blue. There was a Silent Brother (who Everest learned was Brother Zacharia and Tessa Gray's ex-fiance) and an Iron Sister on either side of the twins.

Magnus snorted. "I find it hilarious that your mother had the protection spells cast on you when she was trying to hide from this world."

"Mom was an interesting person," Everest agreed.

They continued to flip through the album, laughing about photos of Everest in the various stages of her life: childhood pigtails and tutus, preteen jumpsuits and dresses with funky patterns (like dinosaurs and macaroons), teen ripped jeans and sweaters. Everest cringed at the photos of her and her sister in matching outfits that showed up from the time they were infants to when they were seventeen and at the photos of her mid-action. She was glad she had those photos though, they were fun to look back on even if they made her cringe worse than most TV shows did.

"You're so tiny," Alec gasped out between laughs.

Everest scowled at the photo of her next to Callidora, Marcus, Levi, Amir, and Raina who were all incredibly tall people. "They're just tall!"

"Sure, Darling."

...

"Eww!" Everest squealed upon seeing the picture of her holding a handful of worms. "Why did I do that?"

Magnus and Alec were too busy laughing to answer her.

...

"You're adorable," Magnus remarked, looking at a picture of Everest dressed in clothes that were scarily similar to Shadowhunting gear for Halloween when she was fifteen.

"Wait, that's the year I found a bunch of old pictures of my mom and dressed up like her." Everest gaped. "I was dressed up like a Shadowhunter!"

Alec snorted.

...

"Thank the Angel that's over," Everest groaned, flopping backwards on the floor. She had migrated to the floor at some point, but she wasn't sure when or why. It had just happened.

"You were laughing too," Magnus pointed out.

"But it was embarrassing!"

"It was cute."

Everest raised her eyebrows. "Uh huh."

...

"What if we made a photo album?" Everest suggested later that night over dinner. "Like the one my Mom made that Alec found?"

Alec shrugged. "Sounds fun."

"I like that idea," Magnus said.

Everest grinned.