Dare is a seventeen year old Senior in high school. Her brother is dead, her mom is in prison, she has secrets that she would take to the grave, and she can't stop her nightmares, or her thoughts that she should be dead instead. When someone new comes into her life, with secrets of his own, she thinks about shutting him out, but she quickly discovers something that stops her from doing so- he's already in.
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"You've got personal demons eating you alive," His lips moved away from my ear as he brings his head back so he can look me in the eyes, his devilish grin fading as he did this. "I can relate. I've had my share of them. The thing is, they haven't went away. They've been feasting on me for years, and they aren't going anywhere. But you make it better. You make this hellhole that is my life so much fucking better, I could and would deal with these demons my entire existence if it meant having you in my life. And that, Dare, is the goddamn truth, and there's never a time I don't hate myself for it."
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]]