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

And then Jayden had fumbled out an invite to stay the weekend, in the middle of Costa on Tuesday, and Darren knew it hadn’t happened. And if it hadn’t happened the last time, then maybe…maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe this—they—had a chance.


And Jayden was not the kind of guy who randomly had sex with people.


In short, Darren was in a good mood, the depression for once leaving him alone and the anticipation of the weekend ahead only raising the bar as he passed out of the town centre and down London Road towards Woodbourne Comprehensive. The road was silent; Woodbourne, as far as Darren could tell, didn’t do anything at all at the weekends, not like St. John’s. He didn’t see a single soul, not from crossing the lights onto London Road to opening the gate at 14 Attlee Road and ringing the bell.


The door opened before he even had time to pull back his hand, and Jayden caught the raised wrist to drag him inside.


“Hello to you too,” Darren said and watched Jayden go pink.


Chapter 70