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

Jayden grinned. “I think you’re right.” It was both kind of adorable to see Darren so fuzzy and slow, and painful. It wasn’t him


“Well, I think you’re high,” Ethan returned.


“He’s a fruit loop,” Ethan prodded Darren’s leg; Darren shifted and scowled.


“He’s a fruit all right,” Paul agreed.


The curtain slid back, and Jayden sniggered when Paul jumped like he’d been electrocuted. The nurse glowered at him and marched in to put down a tray on the side table unnecessarily hard. “Off!” She swatted at Jayden. “Right, I can’t have all three of you in here at lunchtime. You’ll distract him. It’s hard enough getting this one to eat as it is!”


Ethan opened his mouth; Paul grabbed his sleeve and shook his head. “We’ll go grab lunch ourselves,” he offered. “You coming, Jayden?”


Chapter 97