"What do you want me to do?! I already said I was sorry!"
"I don't want you to say sorry! Say you were wrong!"
******************
Alex Blake was an ordinary girl, with best friends, a heavy load of homework coming home with her daily, and a crush (or two).
Erick Hernandez was a not-as-ordinary boy, with a basketball team looking up to him, great friends, and an on-again, off-again girlfriend.
But he was missing his best friend, who now hated his guts.
After four years of friendship, Erick had let his new found popularity as the best Freshman on the basketball team get to his head, and had completely deserted Alex.
Now, in senior year, Erick starts to realize what he's done, and he wants his best friend back. But Alex is done with Erick.
...At least that's what she tells herself.
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]]