It's 2150, and the United States has bounced back from its 21st century recession/depression to become the leading society in the world. This has all happened in part to the United States utilizing such measures as the "love score" measuring the level at which an individual cares for others, and the Switching.
The Switching. A ritual brought about by a determined committee of mothers and fathers who were tired of the ever increasing rate of divorces in the 21st century. In it, foolproof technology allowed a woman and a man who were thinking about getting married, or were already engaged, to switch bodies while still being completely aware of who the other was. It sounds confusing, right? Well, since each person knew who the other really was at heart there would be no more complications. No more divorces. And since the Switching became completely free, people could get married at young ages if they were completely sure about it. It became expected in society to find "the one" by age twenty one.
Enter Nell Summers. She's a lot of things, but one is afraid.
Afraid of commitment, most of all. She hates the thought of ever going through the Switching, but when her best friend Casey, who has been searching for the "one" her whole life is about to get hitched, Nell is forced to play third wheel along with Casey's fiancee's brother, Zay Ohana. Will he be the one to finally tame Nell? Or will Nell get caught up in things that are only skin deep?
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]]