little santiago (shadowhunters) - SLOW UPDATES

chapter eighteen

c h a p t e r  e i g h t e e n ; crazy

To her surprise, Elizabeth wasn't grounded— or rather, her parents didn't extend her grounding period.

"Mi amor, she's trying her best," Raphael told his wife, Ester. "I know we want her to follow our rules to a T, but she's—"

"She's keeping secrets from us, Raphael. She's never done that before— are we really the parents that she can't trust anymore? She used to trust us with everything." Ester responded. Elizabeth stood behind the wall listening to the conversation. "She's still grounded— but only for the rest of the week. She's going to have to trust us again."

"We need to show her that she can," Raphael said. "I took her to see Lennox. Don't give me that look. Lizzie is already in a better mood because of it. And she was with my mother. She never visits her by herself. Something is happening to our baby."

"I tried covering for you, but then the nurse called dad," Manuel told Elizabeth. Elizabeth jumped at the sound of her brother's voice. "Even got into an argument with mom for you. Sacrificed my entire life for you."

"I never asked for you to do that," Elizabeth said. "But thank you. You're honestly not the worst brother."

"Anything for my baby sister," Manuel said, and Elizabeth grimaced. "Are you okay? Like, forreal. Something happened, and you're not telling anyone the truth."

"It's really not my story to tell, but—" Elizabeth stopped. "You wouldn't believe me anyways."

Elizabeth sat in front of her brother at breakfast. Their mother had an early shift, and their father had already left for work. School had a late start, and Manuel first class was after lunch.

"Do you remember what I said when we talked about Nox?" Elizabeth spoke up, she was poking at a strawberry on her plate moving it around in the syrup pond she made.

"Do you have feelings for them?" Manuel asked. Elizabeth pushed the side of her fork in her strawberry and it cut in half. The sound of the fork hitting the plate made her jump. "You know it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of it," Elizabeth stated. "It's complicated, and if you found out the truth, you'd call the psych ward and have me admitted." It wasn't her secret to tell, but she trust Manuel. Of course, she did. Regular humans must have found out about the shadow world before.

"So, you have feeling for Lennox? Is that it?" Manuel said trying to get back to the topic of their conversation.

"I like like Lennox. And we kissed," Elizabeth admitted. "But there's something else... and it has nothing to do with Lennox but with Simon and Clary, and this whole world. And it's really not my secret to tell, but I am honestly so tired of keeping it from you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Everything is true. All the stories; vampires, werewolves, witches, warlocks, faeries. I haven't met a fairy yet, but I've met vampires and werewolves and shadowhunters, who kill demons and protect us from the shadow world. And I found out about this world and have been keeping it to myself for the past couple months, and now that I told you, you can't tell anyone else. It's supposed to stay a secret and anyone who knows can be in danger, which in hindsight, I shouldn't have told you at all," Elizabeth rambled. "And I may have met abuela's brother because he's a vampire," she finished.

"I'm sorry, what?" Manuel questioned. "Have you been doing hard drugs? Do I need to sign you up for rehab? Should we get you a sponsor?" Elizabeth sighed.

"You think I'm crazy," Elizabeth stated. "I'm not. I can— well, I can't ask him to come, at least not until night."

"I don't think you're crazy, maybe you've taken something that—"

"Dios mio," Elizabeth interrupted. "I haven't taken any drugs or any substances. I've never drank or smoked or got high off anything. Manny, I'm not saying you have to believe me, which you should because I am telling the truth. But there's another world interlocked with ours, and— I don't even know why I told you, you're just looking at me like I'm crazy."

"Am I supposed to believe you that all these things we've read in fairytales are real? That demon hunters keep us safe? And that our grandma's brother is still alive and the same age as us because he's a vampire?" Manuel questioned. "Lizzie, you are acting crazy."

"Okay, maybe I am acting crazy. Maybe I can act crazy after everything that has happened the past couple months. I've been kidnapped, I've argued with people I care about and they've just dropped me like nothing has happened. I've lost my two best friends, and they're barely reaching out to me again. I found someone who I like, and they're not who I thought I would like. I wouldn't have thought I would like a girl, but I do. Maybe I am acting crazy, because a lot of crazy stuff has happened," Elizabeth finished. "If I could trust anyone in our family to believe me, it would've been you." Before Manuel could say something, Elizabeth stood up and walked out of the kitchen.

⁂

Elizabeth never skipped school. She could have had an all nighter and want to sleep, but she'd sleep in her least important class, but she never skipped school. Today would be the first day she skipped school.

She walked towards Hotel DuMort, then kept walking. She hadn't spoken to Raphael since she stayed behind with him. And it was the daytime, he'd avoid everybody. She kept walking until she realized where she was. She'd been here once before, she'd met him once and he was already nice. She made her way into the building and walked to the top floor, trying not to be seen by the security. She knocked on the door with the name Bane beside it.

"I'm supposed to be in school, and I shouldn't be here. But if I am going to be completely honest, you're kind of like my best friend— other than Clary, Simon and Nox. And I just want to be around a familiar person, and I know I can trust you. And I hoped you'd be here and not at the institute," Elizabeth said when Alec opened the door to Magnus's place.

I'm only realizing now how long this story has gotten and it's basically somewhere between season 1 and 2.. but in order to where I want this story to go, she needs a better friendship with magnus, since she's already friends with Alec.

oh and she told her brother, think what you think, I haven't written that far yet, lol.

also this story has reached over 800 votes and I'm always grateful whenever someone votes and sometimes stalk whoever votes... everyone does it.

anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, because who knows when the next update will be, i definitely do not.