An alternate explanation?

** THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

First post ever on imdb. Go easy on me.
I will start by saying that I loved the movie. Can't believe I didn't hear of it sooner.
Anyway, the second the movie ended, the first thought that came to me was: I'm pretty sure nobody actually died. There's no "real" evidence of that. And it was all so over the top.
I was watching the movie with my brother who was pretty confused. And I tried to explain.

I think the movie is about the intensity with which we go though our highschool years. And that's it. This is not really a murder mystery or a story about revenge. Sure, the details are important because they create am amazing story, but what if this is all just the way the teenage mind sees things?

Bear with me.
Brandon is not a detective. He's not even a cool or popular kid. He eats lunch by himself. He's probably pretty isolated and introvert. And he creates this universe around him, like we all do. We see the highschool crowd through his eyes (and that's important, because there are no scenes in the movie where Brendan is ever missing). He creates amazing characters that are based on actual kids, but end up being distorted, exaggerated.

He sees right through Brad, the jock, a bit of a joke, always going on about his big chance ("put me in the game, coach!"), being the centre of attention in the parking lot, wearing laurels on his head and a toga at this private party (where guys like Brendan are never invited). See the shock on Brad's face when he sees this nerd at a party he's not supposed to be at?

Brendan and Kara. So, we're supposed to believe that a girl that looks like Kara had a thing for him a while back? Isn't she the beautiful popular girl in every classroom that guys fantasize about? I think Brendan only wishes he could speak like that to her. He wishes he could be in control. The truth is, in highschool, someone like Kara wouldn't give someone like Brendan the time of day.

Should a kid like Brendan be able to beat up Dode? Or is Brendan just punishing Dode in his mind, because Emily left him?

OK, Tug is actually a bully. He's a little bit disturbed, maybe has an alcoholic father who beats him up or something, doesn't really matter. He can certainly beat up other kids if necessary. But shoot Dode point blank? Who does that?

The Pin? The "gothed-up cripple"? The scene with The Pin's mother offering apple juice to Brendan and a huge cookie to her son just made me laugh out loud. That scene was a shock and a realisation to me. The Pin, Tug and Brendan are just kids having cookies and thinking they are big shots talking about drugs and money and whatnot. I mean, come on, later on, Tug's "thugs" are upstairs having milk, served by the Pin's mother from her funny rooster jug.

There are no actual "gangs". They are groups of people that stick together. Like the jocks, or cheerleaders, or popular kids, nerds, call them whatever you like.

There are a lot of other aspects that tell you this is just in the mind of a kid.
- They actually think about the possibility that "tug" might be a vodka and milk drink? Vodka and milk?
- They don't really have their own cars. They always talk about borrowing some parent's car.
- Brendan asks Brain "does your mom still have that phone?".
- The way Brendan talks back to the Assistant VP would never be tolerated. It's just the way he wishes he could talk.
- There is almost no adult supervision. I read what Rian Johnson said about the lack of adults. I also believe they are simply not important. They feed you (cookies) and you could get in trouble if you piss them off (the VP scene), but the world that matters is not theirs, but your own.

Now, I won't pretend I got everything. I think I got 25% of it :) I'm still not sure what a "brick" is. I thought it was pot, but I'm not sure. Please don't say it's heroin... I have another theory but I'm not going to mention it here.
I'm not sure what happend to Emily. Maybe she got an abortion? Maybe the "tragedy" in Brendan's world is not that Emily is dead, but that he got her pregnant?
Not completely sure about what the tunnel is supposed to symbolise and the damned black bag. I haven't figured out Brendan's "sickness" yet (check out Brendan after Tug shoots Dode).
I'm not sure about the relationship between Brain and Brendan. It's obvious there's something there, but don't know if they are the same person or whatever.


Now. Don't get me wrong. No offense to highschool "kids". I used to be one of them and lived most of those years with the same intensity. Everything felt like life and death. The way some girl looked at me, a bully's threat, they all meant the world. Discovering sex. Experimenting with drugs. Fantasies and fears. When you grow older, you see things differently, you realize you were just being silly and most of the things that happened back then might not even matter that much. But when you're there, in the middle of it, it means everything.

So, do you think Brendan is a hardened badass detective seeking revenge for his lost love? Or is he just some introvert kid with glasses who eats lunch in the back of the school and makes up stories in his mind to feel better about himself?