Inbetween

3 - Everything you could wish for

Just like that my life changed and I couldn't go back. Even if I wanted to. I sit next to my mom in a car. Next to Maryse Lightwood. I lost the count of hours drove, but we arrived in Idris eventually. The Lightwood manor was in the outskirts of Alicante, the city of glass.

I got my own room in the 2nd level and got a home tour. I loved the Lightwood manor when I first saw it, but I fast learned to hate it. I spent most of the time reading in the greenhouse or at least acted like doing so. Neither Maryse or Robert Lightwood were to be seen at anytime. They worked all the time and got home very late. During the day I got homeschooled about everything there is to know about all the shadowhunter business.

At the age of eight Robert began teaching me how to fight. He was home with me while Maryse went to work. I had no friends except for the few maids and servants in the house, but I that isn't the ideal of a friendship, am I right? At first it seemed like fun to fight, but it got worse everyday. Robert never talked to me with exception of some words like: "again", "do it better", "not like this, do it this way" and stuff like that.
When I got older and he pinned me down, took his stele and wrote "I don't disobey my master" all over my body, whenever I did a mistake. It hurt like hell and I spent most of the nights crying. One day during fight training I asked Robert when I could go back to my mom. He just looked at me and hit me right in the face. Then the stomach. Over and over again. I was covered in bruises and everything hurt.
"Maryse is your mother. Now go to your room and don't come out until fight training tomorrow", he finally replied. I did as told and after a bit a servant came and helped me with my injuries. I had a broken nose and swollen ribs. I was barely 10.

I had bruises and little scars all over my abdomen, torso, arms and legs, due to what Robert had done over the years. I was so exhausted and didn't want to go through this ever again. At my eleventh birthday I got a gift. A stele. It was made out of metal and was as long as a small knife. Robert wanted me to try it out on myself. I took the stele and drew the rune of the Nephilim on my wrist. It burned so much I teared up. Mr. Lightwood slapped me right on my cheek.
"Lightwoods don't cry. Don't you ever forget that, son. You are a Lightwood and Lightwoods are strong. Your siblings never disobeyed me and look at them now. They are excellent shadowhunters", he said and left me.

My mom came into my room with a piece of cake, some bandages and some kind of paste.
"We need to take a look at your first rune", she said smiling.
While she was treating my wrist she told me how proud she was. I didn't say a word just stared at the endless darkness outside my window.
"Is something on your mind, honey?", she asked.
Her hair perfect as always, a beautiful gala dress and a small pretty purse. It seemed like she didn't age a little bit from the first time I saw her.
"When will I meet my dad?", I asked insecurely.
My mom looked worried and kind of disappointed.
In her eyes was pure, endless sadness. She couldn't hold eye contact with me so she was hiding something.
"What happened? Where is he?", I insisted.
Her smile disappeared completely.
"He doesn't want to meet you. He left me when you were born".
"You left me too. I want to meet him".
"You can't! YOU CANT OK? HE DIED!", she screamed at me.
"I'm sorry, mom".
She smiled for a second.
"No it's my fault, my dear. Now go to bed. Tomorrow is another day", she said, smiled and hugged me tight. That was the first time I felt near to her.

For almost two years it was always the same. My mom at work, my dad teaching me how to fight and hitting me whenever I did something wrong, my private teacher homeschooling me, me spending most of the time in the greenhouse and in the evening my mom coming into my room and chitchatting with me. At the age of thirteen they sent me off to a private school with in the outside of Alicante. I attended the school as a Louis Ludwig to avoid the attention and not to become the target. The school was huge and everyone had to share a room with someone else. I concentrated myself on studies and combat training since Robert told me not to disappoint him. Because else I only would've been a disgrace to the Lightwoods.

I never cared about friends, but then I cared even less. People thought of me as an arrogant brat, just because I ignored everything and everyone. Soon rumours started about me. I never listened though. The only problem was combat training. Ashamed of my scars I always changed after everyone else and that was the biggest reason of the rumours. Everyone thought I was secretly gay and felt uncomfortable changing in front of other guys, but that's not the case.

Over the first year I got several academic awards, but as I already mentioned, I didn't care about them at all. The only reason I was doing all this was to make my mom proud and of course to match everyone's high expectations for me. I mean my siblings were Alec and Izzy Lightwood. My parents Maryse Lightwood and Micheal Wayland. Everyone set high expectations for me from the beginning.

After some time people pulled pranks on me just to bother me and for me to notice them. They flooded my room or vandalised my locker.

Oh and remember when I said I didn't care about anyone? Well, that's a lie. There's one exception.
Nicolás (Nicky) Jean-Jaques Baudelaire.

Authors' Note:
Hellooooooooo, it's us again.
Phew, 2 chapters in one day. We've been collecting so many great ideas for the next chapter and are so proud of the chapters so far. We hope you liked this chapter.
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We'll write the next chapter tomorrow.
Sneak peek:
It'll be about Leo and Nicky, our new character.
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