Out-and-regretting-it comprehensive attendee Jayden Phillips turns his cast-iron plans for life upside-down by falling in love with private-school violinist Darren Peace, a sardonic boy with the craziest hair Jayden's ever seen.<br><br>But all is not what it seems, and Jayden's bullying problem becomes meaningless when he is confronted with what the music does to Darren. How do you stop a dangerous depression rooted in the same thing that makes someone what they are? Dark moods, blank apathy, and the undertow of self-loathing all simmer beneath Darren's dry and beautiful veneer, and Jayden feels powerless to stop them.<br><br>Then a mugging gone wrong takes the music forcibly away, and Jayden is finally given the chance to change Darren's life -- and, quite literally, his mind.

Vivaldi in the Dark

He didn’t, though. He caught up at the door, and they fell into step halfway across the lobby. The security guard—Darren had never caught his name over the insane accent—waved to them, and Jayden waved back, which surprised Darren a little. For all the word vomit, he seemed kind of shy. Certainly he made no attempt at talking until they actually reached the Costa counter, and only then to protest when Darren got out his wallet and slapped Jayden’s hand away from his own.


“Watch me,” Darren said and handed over a twenty to the giggling barista. She glanced between them, went pink all over again, and rang up the order.


“Well…um…thanks, I guess.” Jayden was as red as she was. It was kind of attractive.


“Um, okay. I mean, you’ll be…you stay back on Thursdays too?”


“I do now,” Darren said and watched Jayden go even redder. It was definitely attractive, he decided.


“Do you…I wouldn’t have taken you for the espresso type,” Jayden said.


Chapter 5