You squint around, looking for… there. Wyrr sits alone, book before him and comfortably immersed in its contents. He usually has a look of stress of discontentment on his face, but out on the school grounds with nobody around, he seems completely lost in the world of whatever the pages before him contain.

  Off a ways to your right, you see the figure of Mr. Euss striding slowly, but purposefully, towards the parking lot. You spare a moment of confusion for his behavior before shaking your head and moving in the opposite direction, towards the tree under which Wyrr sits.

  As you get within twenty feet or so of Wyrr, his head rises and he meets your eyes. You stop, hesitating, and Wyrr raises an eyebrow in challenge as he recognizes you. The two of you lock gazes for an extended moment, then Wyrr seems to come to a decision. He rolls his eyes, then scoots to the side, making room around next to him that you might sit with your back to the same tree.

  Steeling yourself, you step forward, walking the rest of the way over and plopping down in the space provided for you. You lean forward, taking a look at the cover of the book he’s reading: The Climb and the Fall. You haven’t heard of it.

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