Hard Wired Trilogy by DeAnna Pearce (smart books to read .TXT) 📕

then after a moment shrugged and stood up straightening his jeans. Dark, heavy circles hung under his eyes. Despite wearing sharp clothes and hair, he appeared drawn and tired. Ari was surprised that would show in a virtual when in the real world his body was healthy.

“Thanks.” Ari fell in step with him as they headed towards the exit. They cleared the bar and started back towards the school, the empty sidewalks lined with animated advertisements.

“You look like hell, Marco,” Ari stated as she watched him closely.

He shrugged. “Thanks for the love.”

“What’s going on?” Ari bit back her real question of why he wanted to run away from life to some artificial version of it.

He stopped and stared at her. “I don’t feel like a lecture from my little sister. Okay? So, if that’s what this is, then walk yourself home.”

“Sorry. I’ll stop.” As Marco stared at her, Ari searched for something, anything she could say that wouldn’t push her brother away. “It’s Reed.”

“What about Reed?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay with us going out together.”

Finally, Marco started walking again, and Ari let out a heavy breath.

“I was a little shocked at first,” Marco said. “But he’s Reed. He’s a great guy from our old neighborhood. Better than shacking up with one of these geeks.”

“Thanks, Marco.” Ari had never asked for his blessing or permission, but it was nice to know he approved.

“Don’t end up making out in our room, okay? I don’t think I can handle walking in on that.”

“Don’t worry, my bed is fine,” Ari joked, prompting an appalled look from Marco.

“Better watch it. I’m not past calling Mom.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day. You actually ratting me out.” Growing up it was always Marco getting into trouble and getting called into the principal’s office. Marco was always the wild one and Ari the scared one, according to the neighbors.

They finally crossed through campus security and headed onto the pristine campus as the lights flickered on.

Ari slowed as they approached her dorm. “You know you have to go back to school, right?”

“We’re already at school.”

“I mean really be at school.”

His gaze lowered with a heaviness that made Ari realize that reality was slowly setting in for him.

“I know,” he said with a pained expression that soon turned angry. “I have to graduate and get a job that I hate for the rest of my life to support my poor mom and crazy dad.”

“Would you rather stay hooked and let your sister and mom take care of your withered body?” It hurt Ari to imagine Marco becoming like her father.

“At least I’d be happy—blissfully happy—not in a career, doing a job I never wanted to do in the first place.” His eyes filled with tears. Tears Ari hadn’t seen since him cry since he’d broken his arm when he was ten.

“Are you happy?” she asked. “You know you’re still in here, right? Hooked to a program and still feeling the guilt from it all.”

Marco remained silent, unable to answer. His lips formed a strong crease as if he could hold everything in.

“You have to leave here. Mom needs you. I need you.” The fear grew in her. She would change this whole virtual into a living inferno that even the devil would be impressed with, if she had to. Anything to get Marco back.

He wouldn’t speak to her. He turned his back, and for a moment Ari thought she was going to lose him. She watched as his shoulders heaved with a burden Ari couldn’t see. Then he slowly disappeared before her eyes.

Ari thought she would be happy that she’d been able to pull him out without using any of her warper abilities. Instead, a hollow ache grew in her stomach after seeing her brother so depressed and discontented with his own life. He was supposed to be fun and crazy Marco. She willed herself out of the VR and wondered what kind of Marco would be there when she returned.

He didn’t have much to say when Ari went to his bedside. Reed tried to joke with him, but Marco ignored his attempts. Nurse Carey kept the atmosphere in the room positive as she buzzed around taking his vitals and ordering his meal.

“Hey, why don’t I go grab some dinner, and we can eat here with you?” Ari offered.

Reed stood. “I can get it.”

“No,” Marco said firmly, avoiding their gazes.

“It wouldn’t be much trouble. We can be back in a bit,” Ari said, a bit confused at Marco’s new attitude.

Nurse Carey interrupted, “Why don’t we let our patient rest for a while? You two can come back in the morning.”

Ari looked to Marco again to see if that was really what he wanted. He lowered his eyes, starting at his hand, the one with a needle attached.

“We’ll check in with you later, bro,” said Reed. “You have your HUB in case you need us. Call, okay?”

“Sure.” Marco kept his eyes lowered. Reed had to pull Ari’s arm to exit the room. She wanted to stay, to fix him somehow. She thought getting him out would be the hardest part, but now she wondered if that was true.

“I’ll get your dinner and be back in a minute, sweetie.” Nurse Carey followed Reed and Ari out of the room.

Ari stopped her once they were out of the wellness center. “What’s wrong with him?”

The woman took a deep breath and adjusted a curl in her hair. “Hon, why do you think people get hooked in the first place?”

Ari tried not to resent being spoken to as a child. “Because they don’t want to live in the real world.”

“Yes. And even if they come back, it doesn’t mean they want to be here anymore. It’s usually because of guilt that they return.”

Ari flashed back to her conversation with Marco, knowing what the nurse said was true.

Nurse Carey continued, “He’s depressed, which is a common symptom of what he has been through. He will need counseling and will probably be suspended