He was tall and still, like a statue. When their skin made contact it felt like smooth marble. His hair hung over his eyes, causing a shadow over the rest of his face. She wasn't sure who he was, but something about him was familiar. He brushed his hands through his hair, revealing a face that only god himself could have conjured and those eyes.. She had seen them before somewhere, she knew she had. She starred at him in awe, wanting answers to the questions she didn't know she had, until that very moment.
"Stop looking at me like that, it's fucking creepy." He said. His voice startled her, she hadn't expected him to speak.
"I-I'm sorry." She said. She was trying to process what had just happened. One minute she was on top of a building with no hope left, falling 136ft to the ground, and then she just wasn't. But it wasn't because she had died, it was the exact opposite.
"Don't you understand how stupid that was, Cora?" He said, surprising her once more.
"How.. How do you know who I am?" She asked.. still shaken.
"Trust me.." He said. "I know way more than that."
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]]