(Part of the Numbers Universe)
Nine was different than everyone else. He wasn't human, he wasn't straight, and he didn't think like everyone else. He couldn't act on any of his feelings or show the world what he was really made of.
Suddenly, the world started to change and he gave up on trying to hide his true nature. The cold, angry, teenager that Nine has been holding back for years was finally about to erupt to the surface again, and it wasn't going to be elegant. His ability to control the Elements were about to make an appearance again, and this time they'd be making much more than just a tornado.
But when his long-time crush, a shy, though not very normal boy named Aiden, as well as his stepbrother, Nathan, finally start to express interest in him, he's torn between completely going off on his own and fighting like he's always thought of doing, or giving up his angry spirit for the love of his family. He's sworn to both and making a choice might just tear him in half. Literally.
His choice could mean the end of millions of lives or just the end of his own.
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]]