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

Heather scoffed and preened. “Me? Never. I just want to meet him. Is he cute? What’s his name?”


Mike—a lanky six-foot tower of scrawny ginger teenager in the middle of an awkward growth spurt—blinked. “Seriously?”


“You know Darren?” Heather prodded.


“Peacemaker, sure. Didn’t know he was gay, though,” Mike said and whistled lowly. “Damn. Who knew?”


“I’m sorry, you actually know this guy?” Charley interrupted.


“Yeah, he’s in my German class,” Mike said. “He’s really gay? You sure, mate?”


Jayden reddened. “Pretty sure,” he admitted, and Heather giggled. But Charley narrowed her eyes.


“I mean,” Mike held up his hands. “To be honest, I always thought he was kind of…asexual or something. He’s not into girls, anyway. So I guess…I’m just saying you wouldn’t guess. Charles, don’t get pissy.”


“Is he closeted?” she demanded of Jayden, and Jayden shrugged.


“Kind of,” he admitted. “Not, you know, really, but he’s not really told people.”


Chapter 41