"Don't scream Parker." I froze. Did he just say my name? No, he couldn't have. I've never seen this kid before in my life. How would he know my name? "Parker. That's a beautiful name. Are you named after anyone?" I tried to say something, but nothing came out. I was too scared. I shook my head. "What's the matter?" He let go of my arm and circled around to face me. "Do I make you nervous?" I wanted to run, but it's like I was nailed to the ground. He turned around and faced his back towards me. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a lighter. He faced me again. "You know whats funny Parker, I could've sworn your cute little friend Gretchen warned you about me. Am I right?" I felt my palms grow sweaty, he knows Gretchen too. "Am I right?" He demanded an answer from me. I nodded, hoping he wasn't referring to who I think he was. He moved closer to me and cocked his head slightly to the left. His eyes moved from my legs and up, until they met my eyes. He smiled and lifted up the blue lighter he took from his pockets minutes ago, and lit it, just at the bottom of my hair. I jumped back with a look of fear on my face and watched him laugh at me. I backed up and I watched him turn the lighter on and off, and stare at it inamazement . "Don't worry babe, If I wanted to set you on fire, I would." I swallowed loudly, and wiped my hands on the side of my skirt. "who are you?" I managed to stutter out. I stared at him for a long period of time before he gave me his answer. " Take a guess Parker." I knew exactly who he was, so why was I still standing there? "Are you going to tell me what you think?" There was a long silence before I choked out the words he wanted to hear. "Jason McCann."
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]]