"I think," Ben mumbled, "I think I might have a drug problem."
I glanced over at him, before turning to look at the ground. "Well," I shuffled my feet, "maybe you should stop doing them."
He glanced up at me, his icy blue eyes staring intensely at me as he slowly walked towards me. I gulped, not knowing what to do. This is the closest we've ever been! What can I say? I backed up the closer he got, until eventually my back hit a wall and I realized I was trapped.
He came until he was just inches from me, putting his mouth near my ear, making me shiver at the feel of his breath on my neck.
"You don't understand, Alison," he chuckled bitterly, "you are my drug problem."
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]]