Lea used to be like any other teenage girl. She had her friends, always by her side. She liked to have fun and laugh at the stupidest things. She liked boys who never liked her back, but she didn't really care.
Then, something happened. Life didn't seem so sweet anymore. Everything seemed dark, and bad. She just got sick of the bullying and name-calling. Her friends left her. She became a weirdo. No one wanted to stay with her anymore, except her two best friends, Amanda and Christie.
But, the summer she's about to turn 17, everything changes. Her school organizes a trip to Italy. Lea isn't really happy about it, her mother forcing her to go.
She embarks in this three-week trip to the other part of the world, not knowing it will change her life.
There, she gets close with a guy she'll never forget. Never. And maybe it's her time to shine. Maybe, just maybe, this will make her forget.
Join Lea in a ride full of loyal friends, mean girls, cute boys and awkward moments.
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]]