Seventeen-year-old Waverly Dare's past haunts her every time she passes a reflective surface. She is reminded every time a stranger politely avoids looking at her. Every time a harsh joke is thrown her way, every night when the tears start falling, every day she struggles to get through, she is plagued by the remnants of her abusive childhood and sometimes, it looks like the memories will take her once and for all.
Because of all the pain in her past, Waverly has built up walls around her, causing her to travel from foster home to foster home, and she ends up with the Codexes, a rich nice family with a daughter who's made it her personal mission to make Waverly's life even more miserable.
Despite the Waverly's walls, her label as Scarface the Freak, and her painful shyness, a senior decides to strike up a conversation with her- budding into a friendship. Waverly doesn't know where this will take her, and though she is fearful, she is willing.
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]]