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

“I couldn’t stop watching you,” Jayden blurted out, and he didn’t even change colour. He was flushed already, though, so maybe that was why. “I mean, you were just…this is going to sound really quite creepy and lame, but, I mean, I thought you were gorgeous the minute I saw you, even if you did try to cut off my head with a violin bow, but you on that stage being so cocky about it…I just…”


Darren thought about interrupting, or trying to actually work out what Jayden was trying to say, but Jayden cut himself off and kissed him again, holding Darren’s face in both hands so he couldn’t escape, and pushing him against the door again. Darren promptly forgot about his confusion (though not quite his wet hair, which was dripping down his neck and being quite gross about it thanks to the remnants of gel) and wrapped both arms around Jayden’s back, locking him in.


Chapter 38