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’m talking to you!” Canning whirled him around by the shoulder, and Jayden frowned at him. For the first time, it occurred to him why Darren and Canning squaring off was tense: they were the same height


Which meant Canning was the same height as Jayden too. And he hadn’t been, last time Jayden had really let himself notice, back when this had all started, when Canning had guessed he was gay. Canning had been big then.


“Leave me alone,” he snapped and shoved back. 


Canning let go in pure surprise, and then a scowl morphed those ratty features. “Don’t you fucking touch me, queer,” he sneered. “Why the ugly face? Your boyfriend finally learn how to fuck a girl and dumped you?”


The dark, hot wash of anger in Jayden’s stomach was unfamiliar, and he clenched his fists. His heart was speeding up. There was a warm rush in his veins, like blood was running on the outside of his skin, and every muscle was bunching.


Chapter 93