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.
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.
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.
Genre: contemporary, romance
Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Darren, Jayden
Sexuality:
Gay: Jayden
Bisexual: Darren
Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Jayden
Biromantic: Darren
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Darren, Jayden
Disability: Darren – major depression
Location: England
Trigger Warnings: mental health issues, self harm, history of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, homophobia/homomisia, physical injury
Ending: happy for now