Music has been a part of Rissa Oakland's life for as long as she can remember. It's woven into the very essence of her family, and the talent that she and her four siblings possess has finally landed them a record deal.
Problem is, she's the only songwriter and halfway through the album she's lost all inspiration. If she doesn't deliver, then bam, thats it. Everything she and her siblings have worked for - gone. Her boss gives her an ultimatum; be back in the studio with brand new songs in a month, or he'd be forced to drop them from the label. In an effort to help her regain inspiration, her whole family moves back to her home town of Eversville, New Mexico, but Rissa's still totally stumped...
That is, until she met Miller Charlie, a southern boy who's not only hard to impress, but he's got enough back-hills charm to actually touch her heart. As the time for her to get back into the studio grows nearer, she's finding it harder and harder to say goodbye to him. Can Rissa muster up enough inspiration from the boy who's slowly capturing her heart to save her dream? Or is not only her heart, but her career at stake?
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]]