Yvvaros: The Digital Frontier by Alex Mulder Read Free Book Online Page A

everything so that it could all fit. Then, he slipped open his window and silently climbed onto the roof of the garage. Shutting it behind him, he waited to make sure he hadn’t been heard before dropping down to the ground below.
    He’s too drunk for me to take any chances tonight.
    The moon was out, though its pale light provided little illumination compared to the double moons of Yvvaros. Luke shook his head. Comparing the two worlds was surreal. He walked as if in a dream until he reached the familiar park that he’d spent so much time in.
    Thankfully the benches on the edge of the field were empty. He came here often to escape his father’s rages, and occasionally they were taken by people loitering or sleeping. 
    Well, that is essentially what I’m here to do, too.
    Luke sighed as he lowered himself down onto a bench, setting his bag against the armrest and leaning his head against it. He was genuinely tired, not so much physically, but mentally. It felt as though he’d lived an entire day inside of Yvvaros. Now he was stealing what little sleep he could before the next day began.
    A couple of birds began whistling and chirping in the distance.
    So much for that idea.
    In the end, Luke did manage to get a couple of hours of sleep. He left the park early, right as the sun was starting to rise, and walked to school. The clothes he had on were the same ones that he’d worn the day before, but there was nothing he could do about that, other than preparing himself for the taunts and jeers of his classmates.
    The sun was still low in the sky when he arrived. Luke saw the assistant principal unlocking the front door and waited for her to head inside before he slipped in. The halls were empty, giving the building an eerie ambiance.
    He dropped his books and bag at his locker, the sound of the metal creaking and the door slamming echoed down the corridor. Then, he headed straight to his first class. The teacher wasn’t there yet, and neither were any of the other students. He found his desk and collapsed down into it, his eyes growing heavy as he rested his head on his arms.
    It’s Friday, if I can just make it through today I’ll have the entire weekend to...
    To what? He backed his thoughts up a couple of paces and realized that all he really wanted to do was to go back to Yvvaros. The experience he’d shared with Ben, the fighting, the exploring, even the virtual ale drinking in the inn, all of it had felt meaningful. But school had never felt that way for him, and his home life certainly hadn’t either.
    Is my dad right about me, after all?
    Without realizing it, Luke drifted off to sleep again. He awoke to the sound of laughter, and could feel the attention of the room on him without even needing to look around.
    “Well, at least he’s on time for once!” He heard the room erupt into a chorus of laughter. From the corner of his eye, Luke saw someone sit down next to him.
    “I guess we’ll need a new name for you, Luke.” His tormentor from yesterday was leering at him, tall and arrogant. “How about… Ass Hat?”
    The room laughed even harder. Luke rolled his eyes.
    Has the entire class regressed back to the mindset of a bunch of ten-year-olds?
    Brett slapped his hand on Luke’s desk and his books went flying to the ground. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Luke stood up. The jock was in his face in an instant, his cocky sneer made Luke’s blood boil.
    “Go ahead, fuck face,” said the jerk. “Do it. See what happens.”
    Luke couldn’t stop himself. Even though he knew it was stupid, he curled his hand into a fist and threw it forward. It caught Brett in the stomach and he doubled over.
    “You fucking bastard!” Another of his classmates, another jock dressed in his varsity jacket jumped up and moved toward Luke. Two more joined in, and before Luke had time to execute an escape plan, they had thrown him to the ground and begun pummeling him with blows.
    Worth it. Totally worth