"Do you remember when we met? At that club?" I nodded my head, wiping away the single stray tear, refusing to look up at him. "When I decided to dance with you, I was taking a chance. I never do that. But, somehow I knew you were going to change everything. I knew I had to go to you." "I still don't understand how that has anything to do with this." I mumbled, my voice sounding strained. "Shh. Lizzy, ever since then, I've known that was the best choice I ever made. I got to get to know you. I got to see your eyes light up when you smiled. I got to cheer you up when you were down. And now I get to ask you this question. One I want to know an honest answer to." I sniffed. "What?" He lifted my chin up, forcing me to lock eyes with him. "Do you trust me?" I searched his eyes for a minute, thinking.Did I? I blinked before answering. "Yes" His sigh of relief blew across my face before he spoke again. "Then let me ask one more question; what happened?" -------- Lizzy has a secret that's she's dying to run away from. Her best friend, Mallie, takes her out to a club one night in an attempt to help cheer her friend up. But, when she spots a guy that Mallie convinces her she should go dance with, will her life change forever? Will the mystery guy earn her trust and maybe get her to open up? Or will Lizzy do what she's done best her whole life..run. Running away from her problems always solves everything. Right?
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]]