"Ever feel like all of this is wrong? That us together is wrong? Like the world wants us to stop trying?" Carlie smiled then shrugged. "Constantly... but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. It's us against the world. Always has been, always will be. I wouldn't give that up, never."
Carlie, Everett, Ellie, Jamie, Nyomi, Callux, Elma, Millie, Tyron, Amelie, Zara, Zayne, Eira and Alyssa. 13 teenagers, all different, but by some magnetic field pulling them all together, they can't get away. Romance, friendship and trust. At the end of it, everything comes down to them. Each other. They just need to see it first. It has always been them against the world.
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]]