~Choose your last words~
~This is the last time~
~Cause you and I...~
~We were born to die~
Raylan was cracked, and he was scarred that he was going to break at any moment. He was a closeted gay trans boy, with many mental illnesses. His emotions were out of control. The world hated him so much, he began to hate himself too. He wanted to die. He felt like he had no purpose. That his life would never get better.
Then Forrest came along.
(WARNING: will have triggering content such as abuse, eating disorders, mental illnesses, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, drugs, possible suicide/self-harm, and slight nsfw. please avoid reading if this stuff gets to you.)
(note: many chapters will have song lyrics listed at the beginning, if this annoys you, be prepared to scroll)
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]]