Used to daydream in that small town
I don't remember when I first met him. He was always there. Growing up in the Dukes of Hazard era, he and his older brother were the real-life Dukes in our small rural town - red necks in a fast car, always just.this.side of the law.
Things got weird in middle school. I must've been in 5th grade, he was in 8th. I asked his friends if he liked me; he probably found that odd at best. I wasn't asking because I thought he was cute or anything like that - we were suddenly step-siblings and I just wanted to know if we were going to get along okay. And by suddenly, I mean that one of my teachers told me my dad had married his mom (dad was on the school board). None of us kids knew.
It was quite the shock to the system. My mother always made sure we experienced big city cultural events even though we lived in a very rural area. I don't think he could even spell 'refinement'. That isn't to be mean or say he was stupid - he just had better things to do with his days than school.
College wasn't in his future. His older brother went into the service. The tale of the older brother ended when the older brother OD'd. The circumstances were sordid and not worth writing about. I think a bit of him died with his older brother, as he never really found his way. He married, had a kid, divorced, survived.
He OD'd this weekend, leaving behind a teenager, friends and family. And a very sad step sister. That side of my family has suffered so many losses that I just don't know what to say to my stepmom.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I'm sorry for your loss. 
Do you know what drug he took? Heroin contaminated with Fentanyl has been so much in the news since Philip Seymour Hoffman died, that's what comes to my mind.
I had a friend, a young doctor who was doing his residency in the 80's, who we were told had an allergic reaction to cocaine and his heart stopped. It somehow was a tiny bit of relief to realize he wasn't intentionally killing himself; perhaps they could tell by the amount of the drug in his system.
You write well, MissB. It might be good for you to write more of his story.
I looked up death of a sibling or step-brother and there are some good articles about experiencing grief.
I don't know what else to say. I know your heart must be very full just now and so many memories are flooding over you. I send you a virtual hug and pray for healing for all who knew and loved him.