Jane Porter, the two words that encompassed the mystery that is the girl I met my first year of high school. She didn't start as much of a mystery, she was only the quiet girl who sat at the back and didn't look at anyone in the eye if she could help it. She was a weird, quiet, insecure girl, just like me, and bullies took this to their advantage to make fun of us and exclude us. We were left to our own devices, so we became the closest thing to friends we would ever get surrounded by these monsters. I left Jane alone for six months due to things I couldn't control, and when I came back she felt like a completely different person, a nerd at heart and friendly to the core as always, but now she was the queen of the school, and she ruled gracefully.
This summer I found her again in a beach paradise, miles away from the judgement, status, and reputation we were given back in the home of the Ridgestone Cougars, and I, Kait Lane, will do anything to find out what it was that made her the strong confident girl she is today, what gave her the power to defeat her insecurities and those who abused them. I'll do anything to regain the connection we had before my accident, possibly something more.
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.
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