It was a beautiful summer morning- correction, it was the last day of school. Urgh, why does my mind skip a day ahead when it's 6 in the morning? Oh I don't know, maybe because it's 6 in the freaking morning. I mean, who gets up this early if they had a choice? Stupid people, that's who. But I had no choice, and besides, after today, I won't be considered a "freshie", a "little kid", or be at the bottom of the high school food chain. That, and the fact I'll see Roni, my best friend since middle school, before I leave for vacation next week. Florida, here I come! But wait... where exactly is Florida? No, no, it's...it's a place right? A country? Maybe not? Wait. Who's Roni again? This box is getting smaller. This world is getting smaller, actually. No, I mean it's litterally closing around my body. Who am I and what happened after I played that video game? After? Did I ever actually stop playing the game?
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]]