. . . I had become adept at manipulating people, and I felt I was in the upper echelon socially at school. I had friends in every category--popular kids, jocks, nerds, skateboarders, punk rockers, metal heads, and mid-grade kids who weren't popular or unpopular. I rode a skateboard, I listened to punk rock music, I had long hair, I did drugs, and I was athletic. I was a well-known, popular person. But I also knew that at least part of it was a sham. It was me saying things that people wanted or expected to hear, and doing things and manipulating people to do what I wanted them to do. I was playing a part, pretending to be something on the outside when on the inside, all I felt was emptiness. I continued to try and fill the emptiness with chemicals. (from page 22 of Chasing the High by Kyle Keegan)
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