I stared once more at my mobile, there was nothing, absolutely nothing. No calls, no text messages, nothing. I tore my glance away from the piece of plastic as my mind drifted back to self-destruct. My eyes met with the rope hanging from the ceiling, then they shifted to the small step that was set directly under the rope. My eyes then shifted towards the door and then my marked wrists, covered with scars. My eyes, finally, flashed back to the phone, a new settled determination taking over my trembling figure as I scribbled a note laying it down on the bed. My feet carried me slowly as my hands trembled.
I set my feet on the step, grabbing the rope, with shaking hands pulling it onto my head and down my neck. Looking back at the phone before knocking the step from under my body, my weight falling. The floor, far away from my feet.
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]]