never grow up, criminal minds

059. party girl

"Hey." Clara sits across from Izzy in the cafeteria. "Your, uh, co-cheerleaders mentioned a party to me. Is this what it feels like to be popular?"

Izzy lets out a small laugh.

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna go." Izzy says. "We planned a movie night, remember?"

"Right... but a party would be a little cooler." Clara comments.

"Since when are you such a pro-party type of person?" Izzy frowns.

"Since I started going to them." Clara says.

"You should pace yourself, Clare." Izzy remarks. "You keep drinking and this will be your fifth party if you go. I don't even usually go that often."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun." Clara insists.

"What about movie night?" Izzy asks.

"We can always have movie night." Clara says. "Please? I really wanna go. I gotta get out of the house. My dad is on his professor time, so he's not going on cases or anything. It's suffocating."

"Fine." Izzy relents.

"I love you." Clara grins.

"I know." Izzy chuckles.

+++

"Chug! Chug, chug, chug!" The partygoers surrounding Clara and one of the cheerleaders chant. Clara quickly finishes her beer, throwing the plastic cup down. Cheers erupt from the surrounding students, and Clara laughs.

"Damn it." Rebecca groans.

"Sorry." Clara drunkenly giggles.

"Congrats." Rebecca sighs in defeat, going to get another drink.

"Shot for the winner." A football player walks up.

"Ooh." Clara grins, taking the small glass and downing the vodka. She coughs, shivering at the strong taste, earning a laugh from the boy.

"Hey, Clare. You okay?" Izzy asks, walking over, having been with some of her other friends.

"Peachy." Clara grins.

+++

Clara gets home the next evening, Spencer impatiently waiting in the living room.

"Where have you been?" He shoots up the moment she's inside.

"With Izzy. You knew that." Clara says.

"You've been gone for 24 hours, Clara. With one little text at noon today. That's unacceptable." Spencer says.

"I-I'm sorry." Clara weakly says. "We got carried away, we went to a movie. I... I'm sorry. We're both--"

"Yes, I-I know you're both struggling, Clary, you especially. But there's coping and then there's self-destruction, and I'm trying really hard to make sure you're not falling into that second category." Spencer says.

"Dad, I'm fine." Clara promises. "It was just a hard night. We didn't want distractions."

"Clara, I'm a profiler, I can read you like an open book even when you try to hide. You remember that, right?" Spencer remarks.

"I'm tired. I'm gonna go take a shower." Clara says. Spencer sighs, part of him wanting to keep her here, but knows they'll probably just end up fighting. He doesn't feel the patience to be his usual calm and compassionate self when it comes to comforting his only child. He wants to yell until she admits to partying and drinking, Spencer usually able to smell the booze off her and getting frustrated each time she lies about it.

Spencer flops back onto the couch, running his hands through his hair and over his face, groaning in annoyance.

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