Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option. ***** Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her... Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault. [[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]

Looking at him from across the cafeteria my heart just stops. He bites his lower lip slightly as he reads the following words off of his new book, adjusting his hair from time to time. How can someone you've spent all of high school trying to forget still be the one to hold your heart?.. Stop staring! I look away and my eyes focus on something else... He's still the one I love. After all this time. I can't change that.. But he hates you. I wince at the thoughts coursing through me. You don't know that for sure.. Oh who am I kidding? Of course he hates me. If I was him I'd hate me too. A frown makes its way onto my face. Maybe just one more peek.. I glance back at him only to see his blue eyes no longer on the pages of his book but on me. We lock eyes and everything else disappears for a moment. My brown ones widen in shock. Shit! I try to look away but my eyes stay focused on him, and only him. ..Then something amazing happens.. He smiles. *currently editing some chapters* (This is sort of like the prologue. It is not in the book though. I wrote this so that you all can read it and see what's in store for this book. And I suck at descriptions so this is all I could think of. Also I curse a lot so yeah) (#14 in teen fiction)