Perfectionist Stories

17 + SEARCHING: Stories of Hope for Struggling Teens Twenty-eight 17 year olds from around the world. Each one doing everything they think they're supposed to do. Each one struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, identity, purpose. And the overwhelming question: What am I supposed to do with my life? From Seoul to São Paulo, Lagos to London, these teens face climate anxiety, mental health challenges, AI uncertainty, social media pressure, and the deep fear that everyone else has it figured out-except them. If you've ever felt lost despite trying your best, if you're searching for meaning when everyone expects you to have all the answers, if you need reassurance that you're not alone in feeling overwhelmed-these stories are for you. Real struggles. Global perspectives. Inspiring journeys of self-discovery that remind you: it's okay not to have it all figured out yet. You're not alone. You're just searching. And that's exactly where you're supposed to be. - Steven Likomba

To everyone who sees, Summer Stone is a marvel of efficiency: a brilliant academic defending her PhD while obsessively managing her family's estate like a 1950s housewife. Since the age of 7, Summer has treated her life as "The Perfect Project," molding herself into the ideal woman for Julian Thorne, her dad's golf buddy who, she overheard, wanted nothing short of a partner who is both a scholar and a domestic goddess. Eversince then, Summer has curated every breath, every degree, and every soufflé for the moment of her 21st birthday-the night she officially becomes an adult. The night she plans to finally confess her love and claim her "happily ever after." She drove to her family's country house where she grew up when she and Julian were neighbours. Julian, now retired, has moved back into the countryside to enjoy the third act of his life, after being a huge success in the city and handed over his business empire to his sucessors. Without wasting time, she invited Julian to dinner the night she turns 21. But the night hits a wall she cannot control. When her flawless dinner ends not with a proposal, but with a polite, devastating rejection, Summer discovers the heartbreaking limit of her secret power. She can will the burnt roast to be perfect; she can will the storm clouds to clear; she can rewrite the very fabric of reality to suit her desires. But she cannot rewrite Julian. She can manifest the perfect stage, but she cannot force him to play the part. It happens in a heartbeat. Devastated by the rejection, Summer screams in the solarium-and the room glitches. The Perfect Project is the story of a young woman who spent a lifetime bending herself to fit the mould some man created, only to realize she was born to bend reality itself.

I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive. Dance Moms ╱ © girlruins, 2024

Melanie Vance is the girl who has it all: the talent, the grades, and a smile that lights up the halls of Westview High. But behind the perfect pirouettes and the "Golden Girl" reputation lies a secret that is slowly consuming her from the inside out. Elijah Thorne is the boy everyone wants, but no one knows. As the star quarterback with a reputation for being a cold-hearted playboy, he's mastered the art of keeping the world at a distance. He hates anything that isn't real. And to him, Melanie Vance is the fakest girl in school. One is starving for perfection. The other is drowning in the past. When their two worlds collide, the masks they've spent years building begin to shatter. But can you love someone when you haven't even learned how to save yourself?

Maisie Harper is a sweet, and studious girl with a hint of sass, she loves reading books and discovering new ones, she's incredibly intelligent, she's the top of her classes. But one day a taller guy whose teasing, sharp tongued guy named Luca Moretti came to tease her in a playful way, Maisie thinks Luca is annoying and bothersome but Luca thinks Maisie is interesting.

In the glamorous world of high society, where reputation is everything, love knows no boundaries. Never Say Goodbye follows the intense and forbidden romance between two men who are destined to be apart yet are irresistibly drawn to each other. Kim Namjoon, an ambitious young heir to a prestigious family, has always been the epitome of duty and tradition. His life is carefully planned, and his future as a respected business tycoon is already secured. But when he meets Kim Seokjin, a charming, free-spirited artist with a heart full of passion, everything he thought he knew about love is turned upside down. Their worlds collide in a whirlwind of stolen moments, passionate longing, and the overwhelming realization that their love is something that cannot be denied - no matter the cost. But in a society where family honor and public image are held above all else, Namjoon and Seokjin must fight against the oppressive forces of homophobia and societal expectations, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness. As the pressure mounts, will their love survive the harsh realities of their aristocratic world? Can they find a way to be together, or will they be torn apart by a society unwilling to accept their love? In a tale of forbidden love, heartache, and courage, Never Say Goodbye explores the complexities of relationships, identity, and the painful sacrifices we make for love. Will Namjoon and Seokjin's love story be one of fleeting moments, or will they find the strength to defy the odds and fight for their happiness - together?

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. Dance Moms ╱ © girlruins, 2025

We are in the 2000s, years of golden age for pop, Y2K style, and in which icons were made. In a small village in Provence, two teenagers, Ems and Raffa, bestfriends from the day they were born, so different but that complete eachother, face teenagehood and discover new feeling and secrets. A supernaturally strong, sarcastic, aggressive, charming, and dangerously attractive captain of the volleyball team player who doesn't chase but attracts and who has the world on its knees and a calm, toughtful, athletic, handsome, obsessed with humanistic subjects blond boy who would follow her everywhere. Not a knight×princess trope, but an amazon warrior and her squire.

Riley Han has her life calculated perfectly. Her grades are flawless, her next step of education is set, and her emotions are tucked away behind a 99.9% efficiency rating. But when shes paired with the schools most chaotic clown for a writing contest, her perfect world hits a system error. Caleb Lee is the human equivalent of a system crash. A class clown who treats rules as suggestions, Caleb hides a dangerous secret: he's the owner of the school's popular anonymous gossip site "crestelcoldtea" Riley and Caleb know they have no luck winning if his identity is exposed as the principal is out for Caleb's blood after a huge scandal in their school happened because of him. To win, they strike a secret pact. Riley provides the perfect structure to masks Caleb's unmistakable writing style while Caleb provides the raw soul and emotion to make Riley's story breathe. The more they work together, the more Riley realises that there is one variable that she cant quite seem to control...

under construction a poem about always finding something to fix and never feeling finished

Elyas Vance lives his life by a precise schedule, calculating every step toward the massive scholarship that will secure his future. At the elite Aurelian Institute, he is the model of control-cold, perfect, and terrifyingly efficient. To Elyas, emotions are simply inefficient variables, and chaos is a threat to be eliminated. Then there's Cassian Thane. An artist who views the world as his canvas and rules as suggestions. Passionate, volatile, and perpetually on the verge of expulsion, Cassian is the living, breathing embodiment of everything Elyas despises. Their families' ancient decree forces them together: Elyas must tutor Cassian to save his own future; Cassian must pass to prevent his trust fund from being stripped away. They are bound by a high-stakes, eight-month contract, trapped in the crushing proximity of the campus. As the lines between mentor and muse blur, the tension between them becomes unbearable. Cassian sees the fragile longing beneath Elyas's icy façade, tempting him to break every single one of Elyas's meticulously crafted rules. Elyas finds his perfect world crumbling under the sensual, consuming anarchy of Cassian's presence. This isn't a simple study session-it's a confrontation. The Rule Breaker is determined to shatter the scholar's control, and in the process, becomes The Heart Taker. Read Rule Breaker, Heart Taker to witness the explosive collision of order and desire, where the only thing more dangerous than failing the contract is falling in love.

Witness the clash of two different personalities PALLAVI VERMA, the queen of drama, who brings a touch of Bollywood to her every day life . and , RAGHAV DESAI , the prince of punctuality,who hates drama are about to set the screen on fire with their sizzling chemistry. Will love conquer all or will their differences tear them apart?Will they overcome the obstacles that stand in their way, or will their love story be doomed from the start? (No family drama, no third angle, only pure comedy with romance) 💗👻

"Words are hollow and meaningless without actions. Promises are broken. I'm willing to take the risk in trusting you... don't make me regret it." ƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷƸӜƷ started : 11/07/17

Две сестри. Една душа. До колко можем да преодолеем смъртта на любим човек и каква е цената на щастието? А на успеха? Двете могат ли да съществуват едно до друго, или е необходима по-голяма жертва... Една история за погубващия перфекционизъм, менталното здраве и агонията от самотата.

Aletha and her brother William, lost their parents at a tender age and had to grow up in an orphanage. Eventually, they both decided to serve their country after college, William became an FBI agent and Aletha joined the army. Soon after, Aletha had to leave the army for some certain reasons to become a hitwoman and later on became a suspect to her own brother. Aletha soon after meets someone. She falls deeply in love with that person before realizing a secret he kept for so long.

This is an anthology of reflections and early drafts--little bits and pieces of things I'd like to make something out of, but may or may not be actively working on at the moment. Feedback on any or all of the pieces is greatly appreciated! Please let me know what their strengths and weaknesses are, plus any other thoughts or ideas you may have! Also, titles ideas would be lovely (it's always a struggle).

Too different not to fall, right?

Have you ever felt as if you where filled with demons? Mine like to take over my mind, before crawling down to my fingertips​ to write themselves out into the words you see here. Their own private way to remind me they exist.

"Perfection is a disease... And its slowly killing me." 16 Year old Madison Scott has an obsession with perfection. Breaking herself for it. Slowly loosing herself while starving herself. Keeping it a secret from everyone that loves her. Reaching for something impossible. Can Drew Davis save her from herself or is she too broken to mend?