Emilie Calloway is 17 years old, and she has always been that girl that everyone loves, and the girl who gets the best grades, the girl who can make friends with anybody. She always thought her life would work out in her favor, but when her Mum's new boyfriend comes along, she's thrown into a new life, a new cycle she never saw coming.
Chapel is 18 years old, and she lives on the streets. She hides all her pain, and never shows it to anyone. Her talent is surviving, and she never knew what she was missing. She writes out emotions on her wrist, watching the pain leak out with the emotions inside. She wants to be free of her past, and live a normal life, but all she can do is hide the pain
But that one fateful night in a dark alley brought them together, and suddenly everything felt infinite. But alas, the world meant everything to Emilie, but the world meant nothing to Chapel.
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]]