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]]

The Institute for Cetacean Advancement quietly controls Earth, harnessing the intelligence of captive whales and dolphins to solve human problems. Dr. James Morris is their leading bioengineer. His best friend is Coda-9994, the genius and potty-mouthed hybrid sperm whale destined to be sent off to the ocean planet Ouroboros. With humans having rendered Earth's ocean uninhabitable, the ICA insists it's the only way to find a new homeworld to serve mankind's needs. But Coda doesn't want to go. He grows angrier at Jim with each passing day for doing nothing. Desperate to redeem himself in Coda's eyes, Jim finds himself tangled in a conspiracy to bring the ICA to its knees. But how willing is he to get his hands dirty? How far will they go to break humanity's cycle of self-destruction? Based on the short story that took first place in National Geographic's "Planet or Plastic" contest. *Contains some foul language.* ______ Dream Awards - 1st place Sci-fi Majestic Awards - 1st place Sci-fi