"Worthless, fake, fat, ugly, useless, stupid, mistake, emo, go die..."
Molly frowns as she kicks a pebble that was in her way as she was making her way down the woods, her sanctuary. With baggy clothing and big round glasses, she wasn't really one of the "popular or jocks" as you would say in school. In fact, her quiet, shy personality has gotten her bullied throughout her whole life. But, when she encounters a young boy around her age, things get a whole lot different for her.
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]]