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

There was a thought. Had anyone ever shown any interest in Jayden before? Suddenly, Darren was willing to bet on ‘no.’


Texting filtered out too much.Meet outside ur skool? My round at newsagents ;)


He slid his phone back into his pocket as Miss West read out the homework assignments and steeled himself for Paul’s inevitable interrogation.


Darren made good on his offer. In the middle of last period, Jayden’s phone buzzed in his blazer pocket, and he slid it surreptitiously out in the middle of Mr. Mayfield’s poor attempts at explaining covalent bonds to a room full of teenagers who couldn’t care less, couldn’t understand if they tried, or both.


Jayden bit his lip to stay silent. Figured. Darren had probably never come further south than the town centre before.


Catterley Road. Other side of Catterley Lane Park from St. John’s, and the main gate is beside the fire station.


Chapter 19