Love isn't like how it is in books. Some memories never leave your bones, like salt in the sea they become a part of you and you carry them.
~
Upon experiencing a traumatic event, Casey has suffered from anxiety and depression. Every month she visits a psychiatrist, and it's always the same routine. Enter a bare room, pick at your fingernails, fidget in your seat, and fake a smile.
One day, on a not so bright and sunny afternoon, Casey is forced to go to group therapy by her mother; there she meets a boy named Kyle.
The two begin their relationship, as things start going well there is one thing that can change the course of their relationship, he has a secret.
Top Ranking:
#66 in Life Stories
*not recommended to those that are sensitive about such topics mentioned in this story - suicide, self-harm, depression.*
Please be advised that if you are in need of help and suffer from mental illness, consider calling the national suicide hotline or visit the suicide prevention lifeline website.
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]]