Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

and drawer pulls. The doorway opened to a room where dark leather couches surrounded a flat wall, completely made out of some sort of screen. It currently displayed a picture of a field of flowers, with a villa of some sort in the distance. Yet, it was fully loaded with sleek keypads discreetly stationed on every wall.

“First order of business, disable our trusty AI, Max.” Tessa threw her bags on the floor and headed down the hall to a control panel. “We don’t need a record of the weekend.”

“You weren’t kidding. Your dad is loaded. Is this whole wall computerized?”

“My current stepmom redid this after their honeymoon,” Tessa shrugged. She threw her large brown bag on the couch. “Tacky in my opinion.”

Ari slid into the soft couch and enjoyed the scenic view. “The couch in our dorm room will never be the same.” She didn’t want to add her thoughts about her own home which could easily fit into the entry room.

Tessa twisted her mouth in disgust, her cheeks squishing up into balls. “That’s the one I caught my dad on with his last wife.”

Ari immediately jumped up. “Really? Thanks for ruining that for me.”

“Yeah, trust me. It’s a memory I wish I could get rid of. I’m hoping we find a smoker who can burn a hole in it.”

Ari brushed her pants, though she was sure the couch would have been cleaned. She hoped.

“Hey, can your brother help me with the security system?” Tessa asked.

“Why? Are we not allowed here?”

Tessa played with the interface in the wall. “Relax. I have the code and everything. But my dad is jealous and a bit neurotic, so I’m sure they have some digital record of us coming in and out that I can’t even find. He’s on his fourth wife and never seems to be able to trust one of them.”

“I’m sure Marco can do it when he shows up tonight, or if Reed comes, he could do it too.”

“Oh, right, Reed,” Tessa smiled. “You may want to sleep in the room with the Jacuzzi in it.”

“What? I don’t need a bed. Well, in fact I do, but not in the way you are thinking.”

Tessa laughed at her. “Whatever. Let’s get dressed. You can raid my stepmom’s closet. You’re about her size.”

“I’m fine in what I have.” The idea of wearing other people’s clothes didn’t sit well, especially after the mental image with the couch.

“Come on. You’ll see.” Tessa lips curled into a smug smile.

Ari knew rich people lived in a different world but knowing and seeing were two different things. Tessa’s stepmother had over sixty pairs of shoes in a vacation rental. Ari counted them. The wardrobe was about the same. Shirts, dresses, and pants hung tightly together in every color, shape, and style that she could imagine.

Ari walked through the closet, touching the different textures. Even though it was an excess, part of her loved all the different colors and fabrics. All of her life, she had worn hand-me-downs or homemade clothing. There was no need for her colored dyes or pens in this closet. A large grin grew on her face at all the choices before her. “How can she even wear all of these?”

“She doesn’t. You should see her home closet, but she comes from old money.” Tessa grabbed a black jacket off the hanger. “One of the reasons she is wife number four.”

A small black dress called to Ari. When she moved the dress, a rainbow of colors appeared. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Computerized lights were somehow constructed into the soft material. Amazing, didn’t begin to describe it. “Won’t she know if we borrow her clothes?”

“Probably not. She’d be happy if she thought I could fit into one of those dresses. She’s been pushing me to go to a cosmetic doctor before school.”

“Ouch.” Most wealthy people paid doctors to change their size, color, or pretty much anything, but Ari was surprised a stepmother would be so bold as to offer it. It was one of the things Ari liked about Tessa: she was who she was with no apologies.

Tessa shrugged on the jacket. “But I can’t ever go to a doc, for spite, you know.”

“You don’t need to anyway. Who wants to be a plastic?”

“Hurry up. We want to get first dibs on team members.” Tessa grabbed a pair of tall purple boots and headed out.

“What team members?” Ari asked a now-empty closet and realized this weekend was going to be like nothing she imagined.

The girls exited the condo, and instead of getting in Tessa’s car, Tessa lifted an arm to flag down a cab. “Parking is a nightmare, so I thought it would be better to catch a ride.” She wore a bright neon green tank top under the black jacket, which held a variety of micro drives sewn into it.

Ari decided on electronic dress that changed color with every step. She pared it with a bright blue jacket and black dress shoes that crawled up her ankles in a myriad of straps. The three-inch heels had her towering over Tessa, who was already a couple inches shorter.

As they waited outside the building, someone crept out of the shadows next to them. She was younger than Tessa and Ari. Her small frame hunched over. Before the stranger could speak, an attendant appeared.

The young man wore a stiff uniform of blue jacket and pants. “You can’t beg here.” He waved the young girl off and then turned to Tessa. “A car will be arriving shortly.”

Ari watched the girl wander off into the darkness and wondered why she wasn’t in school. Suddenly the extravagance of their outfits sickened her and made her feel guilty. Their outfits could help that girl. Soon the quiet black car pulled up in front of them, and Tessa opened the door.

“Come on, Ari,” her friend motioned her into the car.

Safely tucked in the confines of the car, Ari questioned Tessa about the girl.

“People like that used to