This sucks. My parents just divorced and sucked me into their dumb world. My mom, Erika, is uptight and self-conscious, with little mercy, if you're lucky. She never did show me much love, when I look back onto my pretty average childhood. I mean, I'm 16 now, and yet I still feel more like a child than anything.
My dad Craig is much more laid back, but I never wanted to get on his bad side. I'd heard him and my mom argue a lot, and I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of his grievances. When it was time for court, (hell), everyone stared down at me and relied on my decision on where to go. "Time to make a decision, Kate, "
I said dad, and so we went the week after. Today. I just moved into a really small, really cute house with dad in Salem, Mass. Only complaint, the creepy kid across the street, what was he staring at?
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]]