In my panicked state I feel strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close. I inhale, his smell filling my senses. "You're safe now, just breathe me in." He says. My eyes close and the tears start to fall. "Shhhh, I won't let him get you. You're safe." I look up at him weakly, the guy I hate oh so much, holding me, it was unreal. But somehow this was the safest I've felt in a long time. So instead of fighting him, I buried my face into his neck and let him shield me from this nightmare while the rain beat down on us.
Wait- you're probably confused as to how I got here. Let me rewind a bit. I'm Charlie. Now that bit of the story may have seemed a little dramatic, and without context, I can understand why. But I can explain.
I'm ordinary as far as anyone could tell. But if people stopped to get to know me, they might think differently. So right about now you're probably thinking, oh great, yet another cliche. Before you jump to conclusions about me and start judging me, you're probably right. This is gonna be pretty damn cliche. But who doesn't like a cliche? Answer: no one in their right mind.
// Highest rank: #134 in teen fiction //
// Started: September 10th 2016 //
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]]