Evie, a 17 year old girl, lives in Twin Falls, Virginia. Every day is just the same; waking up late, getting beat up by Kai at school, hanging with Nick, and coming home to her parents and little sister, Emma, whose jobs it is lower Evie's self esteem.
And then there are the dreams. Every night it's the same; fire surrounding her, chanting from voices she finds familiar, and the unbearable pain which grows worse every time she sleeps.
But everything changes when Harvey, her older brother, is coming home from the Army. He's the only person that truly understands her. Yet Harvey brings Hunter into her life, a fellow sarcastic solider that makes Evie's head go dizzy.
And Evie's life takes a U turn. Not everything is how it seems.
She'll have to make decisions that break the hearts of people she loves...
...But only if her life doesn't kill her first.
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]]