"Dude, we should like... fuck or something."
John laughed, not taking the suggestion seriously. "Dude, shut up!" he says. He was grinning, but Dave just stared at him through his sunglasses and soon John's smile faded, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you're serious?" he asks in disbelief. Dave gave a single nod. John sighed.
"Dave, I'm not gay," he says seriously.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dave somehow convinced John to try having sex with him. It was good sex, but John isn't sure he'd do it again. But then at some point, they did. And it started to become a regular thing. But then, Dave notices that John isn't really looking him in the eye anymore. He doesn't know what he did or how to fix it, but what he does know is that he doesn't want to lose his best friend over casual sex.
(( explicit chapters ahead, gay sex; beware ))
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]]