"I've thought about achieving this ever since I was a little girl, to walk a red carpet, wearing those glamorous gowns and dresses, travel, be happy, to make my name a legacy and whatnot. And now that I think I am somehwere close to stepping into that world, I can't let you hold me back"
"I can't lose you Melissa, I just can't. I'm sorry, you're too precious to lose, it was a misunderstanding, I never meant it and I would never do that to you because I love you"
"You think you love me Jake. You think, but you don't.
This is my dream, my fantasy, to conquer it all, and I won't let anyone hold me back"
~~~~
Rated T (for teenagers) due to mild use of cuss words.
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]]