My eye sight was blurred from the alcohol, and the pounding music went through the club was making my temples burn. My eyes glanced around the room, then a second, and finally a third. The red lips that were just there, they were disappearing... And I did what any common man would do, I went after them.
I had no conclusion to where my mind was at the moment, but the thought that slipped into my mind," Where? "
I didn't know if I was delusional or not, but I slipped into the crowd of girls in their skimpy clothing that were trying to have a fun time and the guys how went after any attractive girl hoping to get laid tonight. But yet nothing was different from any other time, and the same touch.
Body to body... people grinding up against each other with no shame. But they were going to black out on the floor in their own houses, forgetting the partner they had a tongue-to-tongue conversation with. But what I want is to discover who those pretty red lips belong to...
Everyone around was different in someway, and she was unique. Her petite, and slightly curvy figure... The long black curled-up ponytail, and what I was looking for... The thin red lips that were slightly smudged, but in a delight way.
I felt the slight tug on my rolled-up sleeves, and a smooth vodka breathe that caressed my ear. The words were few, and quiet... trying to hide in the pounding music that the DJ provided.
" You never know if they come back..." And with that, she was gone...
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]]