All the world's a stage. No one knows it better than New York's royalties, to whom every social outing is like a well rehearsed play. But there comes a time when the actors leave the stage and take of their costumes, that's when the scandal happens. The monarchy is nothing but a curtain of lies, backstabbing and betrayal. As in every good play, no matter how brilliant the actors were, at the end they have to remove their masks and it's time for the curtains to fall down. When that happens Miss Perfect, The Heir of The Throne, Prince Charming, and The Life Of The Party, won't be anything but masks. You can create any mask you want for yourself, so you can be whoever you want to be, but who'll you be when the curtains fall? You can hide your true nature behind a shiny mask, but can you hide from yourself?
Author's note: If you haven't noticed in my story New York is not just the city-that-never-sleeps is the monarchy that never sleeps. The most influencial families still rule the city, but only they wear a crown on their heads. But if you think it's an ages-old monarchy you used to study about in History class, you are mistaken. It's a modern tale of kings, queens, princesses, princes, crowns, love, betrayal, scandal, all wrapped up in this Teen Fiction.
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]]