Under the Influence

Chapter Eighteen: Charlie's Angels

The next morning was dreadful. Absolutely horrible and full of anguish.

   I was upset for many reasons, the primary one being how I could’ve prevented this from happening, but I didn’t. There were about a million things I could’ve done to thwart this disaster, but I just didn’t. I was stupid and ignorant and now I had to face the consequences of my (lack of) actions.

   We had anticipated this months in advance, but nothing could prepare me for actually having to face the fact that Crawford Comics was closing—today.

   Scott wanted to have one last big blowout sale where everything was half-off before we officially had to close the shop up for good. I had no idea what we’d do with the leftover comics, but I guess we would cross that bridge when we got there.

   I asked Scott how much money we needed to keep the store open for at least another year, and when he told me I actually gasped. We definitely didn’t have that kind of money.

   We had no choice but to close the comic book store for good. I wish we could’ve done something, anything, but it was too late now and we were out of options. We were losing more by keeping it than it was bringing in. Scott said this would be for the best, but it sure didn’t feel like it.

   As Scott and I packed up everything in the back room to move to the front of the store for the sale, neither of us spoke. We didn’t have to, though, because both of us knew what the other was thinking.

   Scott barely even took his feet off the ground as he shuffled around the store at an agonizingly slow pace. Dark bags were under his eyes for the first time in days, and the way he moved made me think he was in some sort of trance.

   Maybe he was sleep-walking. The thought brought the faintest of smiles to my lips because Scott could actually sleep now. Nightly. On a regular basis. For hours. I wasn’t sure what happened, or why, but I was glad it did.

   Courtney entered the store a few minutes later and rushed right over to Scott after giving me a brisk, polite greeting. I returned with a wave.

   After my brother’s attempted suicide, he asked Courtney out and she said yes. It didn’t make sense to me at the time, but now I was just starting to get it.

   My brother had explained to me, after he got discharged from the hospital, that he had learned one of life’s most important lessons: life is too short to waste your time on things that don’t matter. If you don’t like something, change it. One day when you’re old and dying, you’re going to look back on your life and ask yourself, “Was my life worth living?” And if your answer if no, you’ve failed the ultimate test—life.

   I had never expected such wise words to come from my brother. And now, thinking about what he said, I realized how right he was.

   I guess Scott asked Courtney out to try to make his life better, because honestly, it wasn’t all that great sometimes.

   I wondered if Hunter knew about our siblings’ newfound relationship. We didn’t even have to play Cupid to get them together; it was all fate. It was hard to predict whether or not Hunter would be proud or disappointed at that.

   Courtney and Scott were taking it slow for now. She knew all about his past with Tiffany, and thought this was best for them for now. Scott agreed. They were cute together, I had to admit.

   Sometimes I wondered what it was like to be in an established relationship. Hunter and I, we were in that awkward transition stage between friends and something more. Sure, sometimes we kissed or cuddled, but we were friends and would remain that way until we talked about it. Or Hunter officially asked me out.