Melody is a straight up nerd, and with the A's in math, science and English to back it up, you bet she's proud of it. Her two new step brothers, however, are anything but - gorgeous, athletic, flirty, funny...and not to mention, completely and utterly awful human beings who enjoy nothing more than a good geek-bashing. With Mel's mom willing to overlook anything to please her new family, William - her oldest brother - takes a particular pleasure in torturing the new girl in the house. Given the likelihood of her mother's marriage surviving, one has to wonder...how the hell is she going to survive in this place?
...And how on earth is she going to get Cain, her other step brother, to stop looking at her that way - especially when he already has a girlfriend?
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]]