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

“You won’t be able to play the violin,” he said suddenly.


Jayden took a breath. “I want you to stop playing.”


“No, I mean…permanently. I mean, never take it up again,” Jayden barrelled on. He slid his thumb over the wasted fingers and squeezed as gently as possible. “I know it’s not the violin causing your…your illness, but it makes you worse. You know how I know you’re having a bad day sometimes? Because I come to The Brightside and you’re playing Vivaldi. You only ever play Vivaldi when you’re hurting and you’re miserable and I hate it because you’re not even letting off steam. You’re even more upset when you’re finished playing than when you started, and I…I hate it, Darren, I hate your violin. I hate your constant practice and I hate that you hate it, and I fucking hate Vivaldi.”


Chapter 101