Chapter One: Just the Beginning

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Under The Influence © 2012, PureAwesomeness67

This book, “Under The Influence” including all chapters, epilogues and associated content is copyrighted. All rights reserved by the owner and creator of this work and any unauthorized copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution or selling of this work constitutes as an infringement of copyright. Any infringement of this copyright is punishable by law.

Disclaimer: Any references made from any TV shows, books, movies, poems, or music is not owned by me. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or locales is entirely a coincidence.

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“I had a feeling I’d find you here.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the chair across the table from where I was sitting being pulled out, swiftly turned around, and straddled. I didn’t even have to look up from my History textbook to know who it was. I could tell solely by the voice that it was my brother, Scott.

   An exaggerated “Shhh!” was aimed at my brother, and it had come from one of the few other students that spent their lunch period in the library, studying or reading.

   I used my index finger to mark the paragraph I was just reading so when I continued to read, it would easy to pinpoint exactly where I left off. I finally glanced up and caught my brother rolling his eyes at whoever just shushed him. His arms were resting on the back of the chair—one on top of the other, almost like he was crossing them—and his head was propped up on his arms. Scott stared at me, probably waiting for my reaction.

   “Scott, what are you doing here?” I whispered. It wasn’t every day that my twenty-two year old brother came to visit me at school.

   An amused grin lit up his face. “Are you—“

   “Shhh!”

   He sighed. “Are you reading you History textbook? For fun?” Scott asked incredulously, trying his best to tone down his naturally loud voice. Before I knew what he was doing, Scott flipped to the front cover just to check, and his lips pulled into a broad smirk. “You are!”

   I looked down instead of at my brother, because getting caught reading a textbook when it wasn’t actually necessary wasn’t the coolest thing to be caught doing, if you know what I mean. “What? No I’m not!” I replied a little too quickly. I was a terrible liar and we both knew it. “I, um, I have a test next period.”

   “Uh huh,” he said dubiously.

   “I wasn’t reading it for fun. I was reading it…for lack of better things to read.” Now that was true. What? Learning new things wouldn’t hurt.

   I could tell he was trying to stifle a laugh. “You are such a nerd,” he said, smirking teasingly at me.

   I couldn’t help but grin at him. He just had that effect on people. Then, I realized that he was acting like his regular, carefree self. It had been a while since he cracked a grin, and to be honest, I started to miss his smile. He hadn’t been the same after the accident.

   I noticed that when he smiled, his hazel eyes twinkled. I always found it weird how I had Dad’s looks and Scott had Mom’s, but when it came to our personalities, it was quite the opposite.

   “What and you’re not? Last time I checked, I wasn’t the one who stayed up late, bidding on a special edition Green Lantern lantern on eBay.” My brother was the only person I ever talked to like that. Because…well, because he was my brother.

   He furrowed his eyebrows, considering it. “Touché,” he conceded.

   “So, um, what are you doing here?”

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