In others eyes, Katelyn "Katie" Stark is thought to have it all: popularity, 4.0 GPA, and a best-selling author, but to Katie herself, these things mean little to her. Rejected by family and living with friends, fifteen-year-old Katie enters her senior year of high school with one goal in mind besides writing her next novel: finishing high school unscathed. However, when she meets Damian Hunter, she is immediately taken to him, except there is one problem: He's her Creative Writing teacher, so hands off, right?
Still, when offered a chance to co-write a book with him, Katie accepts and as they get close, she falls in love with him and he, with her; however, as their relationship blooms, fears of abandonment and past hurts cause them both to face their obstacles and Katie is forced to settle an old score that happened over three years ago. Will she find the courage to let Damian in along the way? Only she can decide: Her life, her choice.
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]]