OKAY HI.
SO.
First of all, the cover is just a sketch and not the final. Second, this entire story will be taken down in a week or two, maybe a bit longer, regardless of how well (or not well) it is received. This is an unfinished story I'm writing that I will eventually self-publish on Amazon (well... I might try to work with a publisher for real. But that's a maybe). I am only putting this up so I can get some criticism and see what I can change before I publish it for real. I haven't even finished the book, I'm not even halfway through, let alone gotten started on the editing process, so please only give me advice for content editing, not grammatical errors and such. I might publish it chapter by chapter on AO3, and depending on how well it is received, I may continue to do so for the entire book, but I will be taking it down once it is published. If you want to read it for free, you can read the first draft here or chapter by chapter on AO3 if I decide to post it there. I will give a warning on both platforms before I take it down, and after that, you'll have to buy it on Amazon to read it.
If you decide to read this, thanks for being an unpaid beta-reader pretty much /j
Also, please check the trigger warnings! That's why this story is rated mature. There's no smut or anything. It's just really dark. Please read them carefully.
ALRIGHT.
Hope you enjoy!
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]]