How the sheep among wolves function in society
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"Get the f*** out of my face, bro. Listen, if I cared about my future, I wouldn't be here right now."
"So why are you?"
Her eyes unfocus, and something tight gets stuck in her throat. Her fingers start to shake. Hands grip her chin and pull her head up. At some point, she doesn't know when, her eyes had fallen to her shoes. The boy in front of her stares her down, his eyes unmoving, just observing her softly. "Why are you here then?" he asks, "Standing here. In front of me. Looking at me."
"I-" Yet she can't form any words.
"Cause your a** isn't tryna die." His other hand, still holding the fortune teller, takes hold of her own, his thumb caressing her knuckle. "You're p***y, bro. So choose a f***** color."
She chooses red.
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]]