Somebody said everyday was gon' be sunny skies Only Marvin Gaye and lingerie, I guess somebody lied Started discussing it to fighting then don't touch me please Then its let's stop the madness, just come lay with me Truth be told, I'm waving my flag, before it goes bad 'Cause we made it this far on for better or worse I want to feel it even if it hurts If I gotta cry, to get to the other side Let's go cause we gon' survive, oh We stay on the front lines, yeah but we're still here, after the bomb drops We go so hard, we lose control The fire starts, then we explode When the smoke clears, we dry our tears Only in love and war Sometimes you're my general You quarterback all these plays Sometimes you're my enemy And I'm throwing grenades We'll just be chillin' and laughin' I'm laying on your chest Don't know what happen, 'cause things just went left But here we go, back down that road That's just the way that it goes Cause we made it this far on for better or worse I want to feel it even if it hurts If I gotta cry, to get to the other side As long as you're there I'll survive, oh We stay on the front lines, yeah but we're still here after the bomb drops We go so hard, we lose control The fire starts, then we explode When the smoke clears, we dry our tears Only in love and war As long as we make up after every fight, when it's over You know I'm coming home Right back where I belong I'm takin' off this armor, ohhh And we stay, on the front lines, yeah but we're still here after the bomb drops We go so hard, we lose control The fire starts, then we explode, baby When the smoke clears, we dry our tears Only in love and war Only in love and war Only in love and war Only in love and war
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]]