Cali Nianal is the normal outcast in Wade-Side High. Snakebites and belly button piercing along with his dyed black hair and the one white streak in his bangs. Not to mention his dark clothing, eyeliner, and heavy metal bands he listens too.
His step-brother, Danny, on the other hand is on the football and basketball teams, hangs out with the upper class men crew, and looks like a "normal" teenage sporty kid with curly brown hair and a slightly more than average build.
Ever since they were younger, Cali 10 and Danny 13, Danny has always roughed him up and done many things to make his life hell. Neither of them wanted their parents to marry and this is how the older male resented. Now, in high school, nothing has changed. But, this year, it will all change as Danny finds out his little step-brother is gay. His new demands sparks out events that neither of them are ready for. Will life finally be better, or just get worse?
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.
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