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Clary loved making music ever since she was younger, it was a cliche but she always admitted it in interviews. Making music was what she loved, and nothing made her happier than knowing people enjoyed her music too. Making people happy was her lifetime goal and she had achieved it already at the age of nineteen.
Clary was even given the title ‘Princess of Pop’ not too long into her career, it was just after her music video for ‘Swear To Me’ was released. That video was probably her favourite of all, the plot of the video was like a simple ‘unpopular boy has feelings for a popular girl but then realises his feelings for his friend instead’ except unlike most teen movies that had that premise, it was a male best friend. Clary insisted that none of her videos threw heternormativity into the game, she hated the idea of every story in the world ending with a straight couple.
Clary regularly managed to rope in her other friends for her music video, Simon Lewis usually came into play - he was the main focus of the ‘Swear To Me’ music video. Clary loved having her friends in her videos, especially Izzy from Institute.
Clary had also starred in a music video by Institute, she had to dance and lip sync to the entire of their song ‘My Own Life’. That was one of her favourite memories, just messing around singing along to her friend’s song.
Of course she was over the moon when she was asked to star in another music video for their song ‘Break My Heart’. Izzy had told her that the plan was to have various love interests for each member of the band, there were two boys and one guy - at first, Clary wanted to say something about the heteronormativity but Izzy’s next sentence completely changed the game.
“Lydia Branwell is playing Jace’s heartbreaker, Magnus Bane is playing Alec’s heartbreaker and you’re playing mine,” she placed her hand on Clary’s face, “we’re going to be a beautiful pair.”
“I have to break your heart?” Clary frowned, “that’s so unfair.”
“Hey, be happy girlie,” she began to twirl Clary’s bright hair around her finger, “we’ll most likely get a good make out session if you’re up for it.”
“Totally,” Clary winked to Izzy and then wrapped her arms around the girl, “this music video is going to be the greatest, making out with you.. And wait, did you say Magnus Bane?”
“Yeah, this video is kind of like… A coming out for myself and Alec, our parents are going to scream when they see the video, we’ll lose their support but the fans will still be happy.”
“Except those who ship me and Alec for no reason whatsoever,” Clary rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure that’s because of how you looked at the poster in the music video for ‘My Own Life’, everyone thinks you were eyeing him up.”
“You know I was looking at you, right?”
“Can you get a ‘I heart the drummer’ shirt?” Izzy playfully teased Clary, “because that’d be cute. Oh! And a shirt that says ‘you can bang my drum’, something suggestive like that.”
“Stop hitting your drums and hit on me,” Clary laughed out.
Izzy found herself struggling to breathe as she laughed. After a short while, she managed to calm down, she looked into Clary’s eyes and smiled, “I want to make you mine, Clarissa.”
Clary’s cheeks shifted to a light pink colour, she felt the tingling. Izzy was a beautiful girl, Clary wanted her too, but the press would jump all over them if they were together. That was a lie, actually. The press would call them ‘besties’, ‘gal pals’, disgusting things like that. Someone could actually get a picture of Izzy and Clary having sex and it would be titled ‘best friends for life’. That was how gross and heternormative the world was.
“I want to be yours,” Clary nodded.
“Then will you be my girlfriend?”
Clary pulled a face, she then let out a yes, “you do realise the world will see us nothing more than gal pals, right?”
“Yes, and I aim to get rid of that gross cliche, come cuddle me for an Instagram picture,” Izzy held up her phone as Clary wrapped her arms around her waist, the girls stayed in a close position. People would have to be stupid to think they were only friends. She captioned it ‘Spending the day with bae #GirlKisses’.
“Girl Kisses, that’s cute, but what if they-”
“Don’t fret too much little cupcake,” Izzy lightly tapped Clary’s nose, “slowly the hints will turn to... Obvious statements.”
“Obvious statements?”
“Like, ‘spending tonight with my girlfriend, the love of my life’ or ‘hot stuff gets hotter in bed’.”
Clary let out a shrill giggle and hit Izzy’s shoulder, “you don’t even know if that’s true.”
“I’m psychic,” Izzy tutted.
She pulled Clary across the room and fell down onto the sofa, “Alec doesn’t actually know we’ve booked Magnus for the video yet - he’s going to freak?”
“In what way?”
“In a ‘Alec has seen every film and tv show Magnus has ever been in, he has Magnus as his wallpaper on his computer’ kind of way.”
“But he knows he’s got a guy?”
“Oh yeah. Basically, the day we start shooting is supposed to be on Alec’s birthday so we’re keeping it as a surprise until then,” Izzy shrugged, “sometimes the Gods of Rock can be sweet and sentimental.”
“The Gods?”
“Oh yeah, The Brooklyn Gods at least, like you - Brooklyn’s Princess of Pop.”
Clary leaned back and watched Izzy, who had started to tie up her long dark hair. She only looked away when Alec walked into the room.
“Clary, I didn’t know you were here.”
“Prepare to see a lot more of her now,” Izzy grinned to her older brother, “she’s my girlfriend.”
“Oh? Good for you,” Alec nodded, “I’m proud of you,” he gave a genuine smile to Izzy, “so Jace said we’re starting shooting for our next video on my birthday, this isn’t going to end up being some surprise party, is it?”
“No,” Izzy waved her hand and pulled a face, “your 21st is going uncelebrated, filming only - we might be able to film it all on that day actually. I mean the premise is pretty simple.”
“I think it’ll take at least two days, Hodge is a perfectionist,” Alec mumbled, he moved across the room and sat down in a seat opposite Clary, “so, Ms. Princess of Pop, what’s it like being up there on the charts?”
“I keep forgetting, until I’m driving somewhere and I hear the first few chords, sometimes I scream because that’s my song!”
“I love hearing ‘Swear To Me’,” Alec admitted with a small laugh, “it makes me think back to shooting the video with you, seeing Jace and Simon pull off that final scene was surprising.”
“Remember when you had to whisper something to Clary?” Izzy laughed, “and it had to make Clary stare at Simon, but you ended up making her laugh almost every time. What did you actually say to her?”
“I said ‘Simon ‘Whifflesnapper’ Lewis’.”
Clary began to chuckle again, “before that it was ‘Give it up for America’s favourite fighting dead man, Raphael!’”
Alec proudly and quietly laughed, “that was a good one.”
“Why dead man?” Izzy cocked her head to the side.
“Don’t you remember Rock Solid Panda’s like… first music video?”
“Oh the vampire one!” Izzy clapped her hands together, “yes! Can we watch it?”
Alec picked up his tablet from the table and quickly began to type, “what’s it called again?”
“Nightlight,” Clary quickly answered, “as cringey as the video is, the song is absolutely awesome.”
The trio gathered around the device, watching the video. It was s cheesy vampire music video that made Clary giggle from the beginning titles. It was like an 80s movie. Raphael was a vampire who ended up basically stalking Simon’s character.
By the end of the video, it was revealed that Simon was a vampire hunter who was simply luring Raphael.
It would have been great if it wasn’t on such a low budget.
They had to give credit to the duo for their acting though. The boys were amazing.
Alec closed the video once it had finished and smiled, “I hope our Break My Heart video doesn’t end up like that.”
“Oh, it’ll be great,” Izzy promised.
***
Izzy had dragged Clary and Jace to the set early, they were meant to arrive a little later but she had to get the surprise ready in time for Alec. They were still shooting in Brooklyn so it was only a short trip for them.
When she reached the set, she saw Magnus Bane being spoken to by Hodge - the regular director of Institute’s videos.
“I think you should take the make up off.”
“No!” Izzy ran over and placed a hand on Magnus’s shoulder, “he should keep it on, boys wearing make up needs to become a normal trend. Besides, he looks so good.”
“Well thank you,” Magnus winked to Izzy.
“Okay, so, before we start shooting… Today is Alec’s birthday and we planned a little surprise for him. Basically, he has no clue that you’re here shooting with us. He’s a very big fan.”
“Well, that’s definitely cute,” Magnus let out a small laugh, “so I’m his present?”
“In some ways, yeah.”
“I’m so excited, he’s going to be so happy.”
Izzy wanted to continue talking but she was cut off when she heard Alec.
“You know, Izzy, next time you leave me alone, make sure it’s not my bir-” He stopped in his tracks.
Izzy could see he had caught sight of Magnus already, and within a quick second he was almost crying already.
“Oh my G-God.”
“Surprise,” Izzy held up her arms, “happy birthday, meet your music video love interest.”
Alec covered his mouth, Izzy was certain that there were actual tears in his eyes, “really?”
“Yep, don’t you love me now?”
“Of course I do!” Alec yelped, he ran forward and wrapped his arms around Izzy, “best birthday ever, already. Thank you.”
“Yeah, what’s even better is hodge said we’re doing most of it today and I get to make out with you,” Magnus patted Alec on the back as the taller boy moved away from the hug,
Izzy moved away from her brother and over to Clary, “I’m the best sister, right?”
”Yeah you are, the cutest sister too.”
“Aw, thanks,” Izzy winked and placed an arm around Clary’s shoulder.
The group got into shooting the music video soon enough, several times Alec had to stop because he was laughing with joy about being with Magnus. The music video was a simple story of the trio having their own love interests, none of them caring if the love interest would break their hearts in the end. Alec was excited but terrified to know he had a moment with Magnus straddling him - if it wasn’t obvious that Alec had a crush on Magnus, it soon would be.
Clary found it fun, she had to seduce Izzy with a grin and a wink. It was fun to be enchanting Izzy simply by moving her hips.
***
After photos were released of the six on set, Lydia, Jace, Izzy, Clary, Alec and Magnus, rumours began to buzz around social media.
Clary was simply scrolling through Twitter one day when she noticed a cropped version of the photo show up - it was her and Alec side by side. Over the picture, there was a tweet that read ‘IS CLALEC REAL?’ followed by a link.
Clary only asked herself why she was following stupid rumour twitter accounts but she clicked on the link anyway and began to read the article.
It’s no lie that Clary has been involved with Institute before, having Alec Lightwood in her ‘Swear To Me’ video and also eyeing up the boy on a poster in Institute’s video for ‘My Own Life’, so what is going on with these two ‘close friends’.
“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” she mumbled out loud.
We think we know.
Could it be that our favourite Lightwood -
“I love Alec but how can you say he’s your favourite Lightwood when Izzy exists?” Clary groaned loudly and then continued.
And cutest redhead are dating? It would be a romance of a lifetime, that’s for sure.
”Mm, yes, me with a gay man… So romantic,” she rolled her eyes.
Alec and Clary are believed to have played love interests in the upcoming music video for Institute’s ‘Break My Heart’, we can’t wait to see them get it on.
“This is gross, this is actually gross.”
Meanwhile it seems that Izzy will be having Magnus Bane as a love interest, what a beautiful pairing.
We’re definitely looking forward to this video! Are you?
“I hate this world,” Clary whispered, she then switched back to twitter and scrolled up to compose a new tweet.
Hello world, do you realise that not everyone is straight? Sincerely, your bi af Princess of Pop!!
She sent the tweet out, realising that had been her first claim to the world that she was bisexual, she lost her breath for a second but then realised it didn’t really matter what others thought of her, if she could make people happy - then she was happy.
She looked at her replies soon after sending out the tweet.
@ClarissaF u lyk grls? Ew
@ClarissaF OH MY GOD MY BISEXUAL QUEEN YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH
@ClarissaF ilysm
@ClarissaF I KNEW IT, I’M SO PROUD OF YOU XOXOXOX
Though she may have received some rough messages, she had a smile on her face, people still loved her, they were proud of her.
In her confident moment she quickly searched through Google Images to find a ‘I Prefer The Drummer’ shirt, when she had found the perfect picture she posted it on Instagram with the caption ‘need to get me one of these! X’
There was now way people wouldn’t figure it out, it was so simple and right in front of their eyes.
She jumped when her phone buzzed in her hands, Izzy had sent her a text
Izzy: Cute and so not subtle, I’m buying you one of those shirts and then we can walk around together holding hands.
Clary: DEAL! X
Izzy: so you came out and confessed you like a drummer, will the world understand?
Clary: No, they’ll erase my sexuality and pair me with any white boy they can find.
Izzy: then they’re stupid, when they see the video - they’ll realise.
Clary: Hopefully.
***
When the video finally dropped, Clary was excited for the reactions, for people to realise their suspicions were wrong.
She had to watch it herself, of course, so she found herself on the sofa with Maia next to her and her laptop on her legs. She pressed play and watched in silence as the video began.
The opening shot was Clary walking into a club with Magnus and Lydia following her, then it changed to the band playing in the club. There were several scenes of suggestive eye contact (but it didn’t give away who was looking at who to begin with). Soon enough it was clear, the band had paired up with their love interests. When Clary pulled Izzy close, Maia let out an excited squeal.
“You guys look so good together,” she whispered to Clary.
“Thanks.”
The pair danced together throughout the song, as did Lydia and Jace. The last pair left was Magnus and Alec, Magnus had led Alec through to an empty room, where the straddling scene took place. Alec was singing whilst focusing on Magnus, Clary knew that the attraction Alec had for Magnus was real and he was pretty sure vice versa was real as well.
There were then more clips of the other couples, including Izzy and Clary kissing. Clary could not wait for the reviews on this video.
Maia glanced at her phone and then up to Clary, “you’re going to hate this,” she waited for the video to end (which was only a few seconds later) and then took a shaky breath.
“Brooklyn’s finest play gay for a day,” she looked up to Clary and then back down, “so Institute’s new video for ‘Break My Heart’ just dropped and it seems as though Brooklyn’s finest artists are joining in the trend of playing gay. Everyone’s favourite Lightwood, Alec, can be seen hooking up with small screen star Magnus Bane in this video, we’ll give them credit - they’re hot together.”
“That is so gross!” Clary yelled.
“It gets worse,” Maia sighed, “meanwhile, a little girl on girl action is not amiss. We see real life besties, Clary Fray and Izzy Lightwood hooking up for this puzzling video. We have many questions, of course; if Alec is singing about a girl breaking hearts, why if he paired up with a guy if not to make a crappy move to include other sexualities?”
“He’s not singing about a guy!” Clary almost screamed, “there are absolutely no pronouns in that song, in fact the first lyrics did call the heartbreaker a girl but they were changed for personal reasons. Jace only wrote about a girl because he was writing about his personal experience in the past,” Clary held her head in her hands, “sorry, continue?”
“This racy music video tests the boundaries with it’s same sex storylines and raunchy kissing scenes. We’re left to wonder; why didn’t Alec and Clary pair up for this? We would have enjoyed seeing our favourite couple together.”
Clary let out a sob, an actual sob, she hated that the world was like this - why did everyone have to be so stupid?
“Hey, it’ll be okay, people barely ever read that site anyway?”
“It’s the number one site for celebrity gossip,” Clary replied, “I need to call Izzy and we need to put an end to this once and for all.”
***
They ended up uploading a video to Clary’s YouTube channel so that it couldn’t be ignored, Clary, Izzy, Alec and Alec’s new boyfriend (that Clary had no clue about until they showed up at the door) Magnus.
The four stood so that they could all be seen on camera (okay, maybe Alec sat down on a stool and the others stood so they were all in frame). Clary had decided to wear her ‘I Prefer The Drummer’ shirt that Izzy had bought her just the other day, she had to make the statement.
“Hey!” They all cheered at the same time.
“So we want to address some rumours,” Clary began speaking, “and a stupid heternormative site that insists anything other than straight doesn’t exist.”
”Savage from the get go,” Izzy whispered.
“I’m Clary Fray, as you probably know, and I’m bisexual. I’m not dating Alec Lightwood, why? Because I have a girlfriend.”
“Hi!” Izzy waved with a smile, “I’m the girlfriend, that’s right - not everybody’s favourite Lightwood. I’m Izzy and I’m a full functioning Lesbian.”
“I’m Magnus, and like my little Biscuit here,” he placed his hands on Clary’s shoulders, “I’m bisexual.”
Alec stumbled over his words but he finally managed to speak, “I’m Alec… I’m gay, not interested in Clary Fray at all.”
“So that clears that up kids, we’re not straight. We’re not going to take any of this stupid bullshit anymore, unless we say that we’re dating someone of the opposite sex, then we’re not dating someone of the opposite sex!”
“I have a boyfriend,” Alec mumbled and then pointed back to Magnus, “so expect plenty of ‘playing gay’ in our future videos.”
“Tons of it, and expect it on my Instagram and Twitter too,” Izzy nodded, “seriously, our sexuality is not some publicity stunt, it’s the truth and if you don’t like it then you should *BLEEP* off!”
“I can’t put that on my channel,” Clary whispered to Izzy.
”Censor it,” she shrugged, “they’ll get the message. Oh and if I see an article saying ‘angry lesbian attacks us’ I will personally come to the headquarters of whatever shitty rumour mill you are and beat the *BLEEP* out of you, then I’ll give you a kitten and then I’ll punch you again and take the kitten back because that kitten deserves a good home with warm and loving lesbians like me.”
“She’s passionate,” Clary smiled to Izzy and then gently kissed her cheek, “so stop the heteronormativity and realise that other sexualities exist!”
*
Of course, the site posted again.
12 Moments That Prove Clary’s Video is a HOAX!
She refused to read the site, instead she threw her phone to the side and cuddle up to Izzy, she didn’t need negativity in her life - all she needed was Izzy and her own music, those were the two things that made her happy after all.