"Get off of me!!!ʺ I screamed.
He chuckled, as he held me tighter. "It's my first day here. Aren't you going to make me feel welcomed? ʺ
Ugh. "Just let go of me! We have to get back to class! ʺ I said as I continued to squirm in attempt to escape. Then, the unexpected came.
He kissed me.
No no no!!! I thought as I kept trying to move him away. I felt his tongue press against the entrance of my mouth. Ew. No way was I going to let it in. I pressed my mouth closed as tight as I could.
He pulled away from me, with an irritated look on his face. "Seriously? Just relax a little, ʺ Joey said as he started to close the inches between our lips. "You'll like it.ʺ
"Yuck, ʺ I said with a disgusted face as I kneed his in the balls.
Joey yelped in pain and released me. "What the hell?!ʺ He yelled, as he held on to his crotch.
"Dude, self-defence, ʺ I answered innocently, backing away from him. "You entered my personal space.ʺ
"So? Other girls would have killed to be in your place. You're lucky, ʺ he answered, taking deep breaths to calm himself from the impact.
"You're so gross, ʺ I told him, wiping my mouth. "I did NOT enjoy that, thank you very much. ʺ
Joey stood up straight and walked toward me, cornering me. "You'll learn to, ʺ he whispered in a seductive voice.
I ducked under his arm and ran away.
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]]