Cortana: The Crowd

Chapter 12: a Recipe for Disaster pt 2

A/N: Sorry that you guys had to wait so long. I was planning to post it sooner, but school has kept me busy. Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. ThayliNeves

Jesse's pov

Everyone gathered at the dinner table and took their respective seats. I was enjoying Lucie's company and talked for a few minutes about some secret moments the two of us shared. I enjoyed the food and thanked the Carstairs for inviting us. Around the table were various topics discussed form entertainment to politics. 

Matthew and Grace were discussing about what they've read from The Crowd social media pages. Cordelia and aunt Sophie, who were talking about food and Paris. Thomas was talking to Christopher and Anna, who was talking about what she and Lucie had discovered about Alistair and Mortmain. 

"The food is delicious Jem. Did you and the girls prepare the food?" Gideon, Thomas' father, answered happily. He and uncle Gabriel were enjoying everyone's company and were happy to be invited to the dinner.  

"We have uncle Gideon. Cordelia is a good teacher." My sister smiled at the redhead Carstairs, who drank some wine from her wine glass. "And now that I notice. Where is Jessamine? I though she was already here" Grace asked our uncle. "Jessamine said that she was on her way. She was working a extra shift at that fashion store you girls go frequently." 

"Oh, you mean Iron Sisters? I heard they launched a new collection the day before yesterday.  Lucie! Grace! Anna, Shall we go to the store after dinner?" Cordelia asked the girls. The three girls looked at each other before answering Cordelia. 

"I have plans with Jesse, prehaps another time Delia." Lucie answered first, looking apolegetic at her friend. Anna looked at me, before resuming to look at Lucie in confusion. "Maria and I are going on a date after dinner. I'll make it up to you Cordelia." Anna said looking at the redhead with a small smile. Cordelia looked at Grace, already knowing what her answer would be. 

"If The Crowd sees us together, they'll alert Alistar and he'll know about our plan. We have planned this since the re-opening of the club." Cordelia looked at the girls, gave a small smile and said: "It's alright! Prehaps when this Alistar drama is over, we can hangout." I notice Thomas looking at the female Carstairs with a little sadness. 

"Prehaps You can come with Christopher, Thomas and I to the bookstore instead. We were going there after dinner anyways. I also remembered that you wanted a new book to read." Christopher looked at Matthew in surprise, but smiled at his offer. 

"Yes, I need some advice on...you know who. Your the only one I can talk with about this, next to Anna. James is not hanging out with us like he used too..." Christopher said to her with a smirk.  

"And I wanted to catch up with you since my last visit in Paris." Thomas said quickly, a small blush on his face. Cordelia smiled at the boys and looked at Thomas. "That's good. We can go

"I still feel sorry for the both of you, Jem and Cordelia, for what happened." aunt Sophie said to the two Carstairs. Jem gave a small smile and a worried look in return. "You have done nothing wrong. We just wished that day didn't happen like that." "But you wanted to take revenge on Alistar..." Matthew said to his redheaded friend. 

"Are you sure that that's a good idea Cordelia? He always has eyes and ears everywhere." Christopher said finishing Matthew's sentence, while looking at his phone in distaste. He probably has seen a post on The Crowd social media page. 

 Suddenly, a ringtone mother suddenly grabbed her phone out of her jeans pocket. 

"That's odd! I got a text message." Uncle Gabriel smiled at mother planning to tease her about her 'secret admirer', but uncle Gideon beat him to it.  "Did he ask you to go out with him? If so! tell him your brothers want to have a 'talk' with him."  Cecily rolled her eyes, but laughed with the men.

The 'admirer' situation began a few years ago. Mother was meeting up with someone to talk about business, well that's what she said at least. Grace and I decided to spy on her. We followed her all the way to Raziel's Diner, where she met up with the stranger. We couldn't see his face, but she seemed to already know him. They talked to each other afraid that someone would see them. 

"No, It isn't the admirer, It's Will Herondale. Het texted me saying: 'Tell Jem I want a explanation for this.' There's a photo attached to the text."  Mother said showing the text to uncle Gideon who read it with interest and passed the phone to Sophie. Who in turn read it outloud for everyone in the room to hear. It was a photo of James' two part satus update saying: 

 A little birdie told me that -DeliaCarstairs invited her friends over for dinner. (1/2)

Apparently my parents and I aren't one of them. I'm hurt! At least -TheBetterCarsiars sees us as one. #BetrayedByCordelia (2/2)

"What?" all of us screamed. On the photo you could see us all eating and talking. The shot was taken from outside. The girls looked at each other in shock, while the adults looked surprised. I looked at the boys who looked fusterated at the post. "I had a feeling someone would have sended a photo to him." 

"Wait? Did anyone of you...Jem!?!" aunt Sophie turned around to face our host. Jem looked confused at the whole situation. "I didn't tell him about the dinner, prehaps..." Uncle Jem scanned the whole room until his eyes landed on Lucie and I. Jem was silently observing Lucie's behaviour and I decided to do the same. Lucie looked a little confused, while silently eating her food.

"Lu, did you mention something to your father or James about the dinner?" Iasked her. Lucie looked surprised at me and then at the rest of us. "I haven't mentioned a thing about the dinner. What about Christopher, I heard him talking on the phone earlier." Christopher paled immediatly. "Yes, but I was on the phone with Charles... I didn't mention the dinner to him." Christopher looked at Lucie. 

"Are you sure you didn't say anything to your father or brother?" Matthew questioned her quickly. "I'm certain, unless...Aunt Cecily! Did you mention to father about the dinner we were having?" Lucie looked at aunt Cecily quickly. Aunt Cecily looked around the table and answered our question. "I said to Will that I was going to have dinner with Gabriel, but I didn't mention where it would be." Before anyone could respond to the question, a bell was heard from the hallway. "I wonder who that could..." 

A ringing sound was heard multiple times. Christoper and Cordelia stood up and walked to the hallway to open the front door. I stood up from my seat and followed the duo, signaling for the others to stay in the room before Lucie could follow me. I walked all the way, until I was standing next to Cordelia, who was looking at Christopher in worry. 

"Don't worry! prehaps it is't ecen them. Everything will be fine." I looked at her and opened the door already knowing who it could be. There, in front of us were Charles, Alistair, James and his parents standing with Alistair and Charles holding a bottle of wine in each hand. 

"Hello there little sis. I hope we aren't late for dinner." Alistair said looking at his sister with a mean smirk. Alistair stepped in the house not waiting for a response from her sister. Tessa and Will nodded at me and followed the older Carstairs boy in the house. Charles on the other hand was still standing where he stood, looking at Christopher and Cordelia with worry. 

"I didn't know he would do this." Charles said to my cousin. 

"Of course you would...your his lover after all." Christopher said before turning around to go to the other guests. Charles looked at Cordelia and I in worry. 

"May I come in?" He asked us and I shared a looked with Cordelia. We let the older Fairchild in the house and closed the door. 

"A crazy brother with a angry couple, a conflicted Fairchild and a dramatic Herondale. Put them together with the others ingredients ..." Cordelia said to me, while we were making our way towards the dinner room. We looked at the different faces before my eyes fell on Lucie and Grace, who both looked worried at Jem and us.

"...and you get a recipe for Disaster."