Blake was thirteen when his parents died in a car crash. He blames himself for it happening. From then on he starts to become an outcast. Independent and doesn't need anyone else. He started cutting, purging, and slightly anorexic. He only does it to punish himself. He bottles everything inside himself, not letting anyone in. He believes no one should get close to him at all. He has huge trust issues.
Now, as a sixteen year old and being adopted into a new family, they don't pay much attention to him. They let him do whatever he wants. He's still stuck in life, basically living in his head, not talking to anybody, barely. He's barely over 115 pounds. He's getting worse and worse everyday.
Soon, Blake meets a girl his age. There's something different, unique, about her. Her stride, her attitude, her confidence. Just the way she carries herself. She's an outcast, just like him, but she hangs with a group of outcasts. He doesn't hang with anyone at all.
What happens when they suddenly meet? What will she think of him? Will he still think the same about her when he meets her?
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]]