She takes my hands, and looks into my eyes. "Promise me," I plead, and she breaks into a grin.
"Alvin Adams, I promise that I will keep you safe throughout tonight," She says solemnly, and I pull her into a hug.
"Thank you."
"No problem, Alvin." My mind drifts slightly, while she pulls back. "Just promise me that you'll stick with me."
"I have every other day," I blurt out, and she breaks into an adorable grin.
"You're learning." I lean forward, and push her hair back. She smiles. Eleanor Wolf is smiling at me.
Deep down, I know.
I know that I am inexplicably in love with the girl that is the center of all drama and law breaking.
But with the shy guy that I am, she'll never know.
Unless...
Alvin is the guy for the football team, and also the guy for the classroom, explaining to the other jocks to not mix hydrogen and oxygen, even if it sounds fun. His grades are good, hence why he's still on the team. He goes to parties and gets noticed. Yet, he's the only guy in his group that knows not everyone is noticed.
Eleanor Wolf is known for her troubles. She doesn't look innocent, and she isn't innocent. She's noticed, but no one talks to her. The strong point about Eleanor is that she doesn't care. She doesn't care that she hangs about with people twice the age of her, or what people think about it. She's happy.
Alvin's eyes are set on her, but she blatantly ignores him. His friends are shocked at his obsession over her, then tell him to get over it. Does he choose his obsession, or his friends?
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]]