(Plot)
My brother is a psychopath. To clarify, I never had the greatest friends growing up. Hung out with the wrong crowd, you know? But, living in a place like Brine City, the Underground of the world, it's hard to find good people. If anything, you're probably better out hanging out with the wrong crowds; at least then, you have some of the weird people watching over you. Unfortunately, the wrong people really were the wrong people. Especially for my brother, Vincent. He was twelve at the time, I was sixteen. We were hanging out with my friends...
"Come on, Vincey," one guy, Davin, said. "You're not scared, are you?"
"Of course I'm not scared!" Vincent tried to be tough as Davin handed him a cup. "I'm just taking my time, give me a break."
Davin was known for dealing drugs to some of the kids on the street. Lately, he was mixing them with drinks, kinda like how you can make lean out of an energy drink and cough syrup. Except he was using straight-up drugs instead of medicine. Made me sick to my stomach the first time he got me to try it.
Vincent took the cup and drank it like a shot, and the guys cheered him on. I fussed at them, saying it wasn't right for someone his age to be doing that kind of shit.
"What, you a sissy too?" Davin teased me, trying to get me to join in.
"As if," I said. "I'm just worried about my brother. He's a kid for Christ's sake."
"So? We were his age."
"I just don't want him ending up like... hm."
"What? Like who, Rollan? Me?"
"Yeah. Like you."
Davin didn't like that. "Piss off, Rollan. Like you're any better."
"I am better."
"Then you're a pussy."
"Am not."
"Prove it, then."
"I will."
That was stupid.
I took a cup from Davin and poured the drink, mixing whatever drugs he was trying out this time. I glared at him and swallowed it all. Almost immediately, my head started swimming. I felt like throwing up. I tried not to let him know how sick it was making me. Vincent, being my little brother, looked up to me back then. So he did what I did. Before I could stop him, he downed another cup.
"Vincent, don't," I tried to say.
"Stop being such a buzzkill, Ro, the little dude's having fun. Right, Vincent?"
We turned to Vincent. His eyes were fluttering and darting around. He started swaying.
"Vince, you okay?" I asked. He didn't respond. "Vincent?"
Vincent's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground. Instead of being a good brother and taking him home, I did the asshole thing. Because I was sixteen and stupid.
"Davin, what the hell?" I shouted, shoving my so-called "friend."
"Hey, don't look at me!" Davin defended. "You're the one he was copying, not me. Little guy said he could handle himself."
"He's twelve!"
"Yeah? Well, maybe you should've left him home, huh? Not my fault you two are pussies-"
Oh, now he's done it.
I, stupidly, swung my fist at Davin and definitely broke his nose. After that, I picked Vincent up and went home. I got in pretty big trouble with my mom and should've apologised to Vincent when he finally came to. But, of course, I didn't. Because I was a prick. Mom told me I should've gone to a counsellor or at least apologised to Davin for breaking his nose. Guess what? I didn't do those either. I cut everyone off and shut myself in my room. And since I didn't tell Vincent to stop hanging out with my friends, things got worse.
