Why Do You All Hate Me?

3rd person _--

Karissa spent the night in a park, knowing no one would be looking for her. She cried for hours and huddled under the slide. The next day she didn't eat and wished she knew where Aiden lived. She knew Issac and Ray weren't who she needed. They were always there to cheer her up, and make her feel loved. But right now she needed Aiden, who could understand her pain,who would let her vent without asking questions, who would not take her mind off her troubles but help her to work through them.

She was not angry with her brother, she figured he was going through a lot that she didn't know about. Then again, what did she know about him? She rarely saw him anymore, and when she did he barely acknowledged her.

Karissa never felt so alone. So abandoned and betrayed. Her mom would fix things when she returned from Arizona. In fact she was on her way, and should return in a few days. Karissa missed her mother, she was always supportive, a good listener, funny, mindful and an overall wonderful woman to her children. Aside from slapping Karissa that one time, she had never hurt anyone. She was always there for Karissa, going to her soccer games and helping Matt with lyrics sometimes.

Karissa left the park that afternoon and headed nowhere. She made random turns and ended up in the woods maybe 4 miles from her house. Recognition flicked in her eyes as she walked deeper into the forest.

_--Karissa

I know this place!

I went around a few trees until I saw it, a large thick tree with a half assed tree house in it. I remember when Matt and I built it.



“But Matty this is illigal!” Ten year old me cried as my older brother whom I looked up to shook his head.

“Nothing is illegal if you don't get caught.” He was a teenager, having that 'authority can kiss my ass' attitude.

He made his way up the tree, stopping every now and again to help me.

A few months later we sat in the same tree that now had a wood floor, walls four feet high around three sides with a thick curtain to cover it since Matt decided 'We don't need four damn walls!' The roof was shaped like a house.

Each wall had a square cut into it, and a piece of glass in each. They were supposed to be windows but at the age we were at, glass fitting into wood was as good as we could get it. The glass doesn't move it just balances stuck with old gum.
Yeah, gum.

“Look at that one!” I pointed to a set of stars.

“That's the big dipper.” Matt told me, smiling.

“What about that one?” I pointed to another constellation.

“Uh, the little dipper. Duh.” he ruffled my hair and I batted him away. We laughed.



I went to the other side of the tree and sure enough our make shift latter still hung. It was made of chains and ripped guitar straps for rungs.

We built this about 5 months before Matt switched schools because of being in so many fights and met his friends.

As I touched the cool steel I realized the felt exactly the same as they used to. Cold. I tugged on each one making sure they wouldn't break or fall before slowly making my way up the guitar straps. When I made it through the hole in the floor, I looked around noticing a few leaves had managed to get in, one window was cracked, one plank of wood had rotted and the curtain was discolored in a few places.

In the corner, I saw my old raggity stuffed bear. I crawled over to it and picked it up. A bit of stuffing was leaking out, the ears looked like they'd been nibbled on by a rodent and one of the button eyes was loose. Other than that it seemed intact.

I teared up as I held the bear close to my chest.

This is not just a stuffed bear. This is Herman, the bear that Matt made for me in his Home Ec class so long ago. I left Herman here because I didn't want to forget about this tree house, I loved Herman and thought I'd never forget him so I left him here so I'd have a reason to come back. I guess I did forget.

I curled into a ball in Herman's corner where another thing caught my eye. A carving on the wall.

Matt loves his baby sister

I don't remember him doing that, he must have while I wasn't paying attention. I traced the words ignoring as a few slivers jabbed me.

I don't care. I just don't. Sharp wood is the least of my worries right now.

If Matt loves me why did he call me all those horrible things? Why did he kick me out? Why didn't he protect me from his friends?

My stomach growled as I curled into a ball cradling Herman and fell asleep.

Later that day I went back into town in a desperate attempt to find someone who would give me food. I found an old lady who offered to feed me if I would walk her dogs. I accepted of course.

_--3rd person

Karissa had been gone for two days when Matt was called to the living room where all his friends sat around holding things behind their backs.

He expected them to play a prank on him but they looked eerily solemn.

“What?” he asked, sitting down.

“Matt, bro Johnny and Zack got things to show you.” Brian spoke.

“Okay, shoot.”

Johnny went first, taking Karissa's journal from behind his back and handing it to the larger boy.

“Why do you have her diary?”

“Read it.” Johnny replied.

They all sat in silence as Matt read everything in the diary. Even the last sentence written by Johnny that read:

I'm so sorry.

Matt bit his lip and sat the diary on the coffee table. He was aware that his friends bullied his little sister, but he had no idea how much they damaged her. Reading these things in his words broke his heart, if only he'd known earlier. He'd drop all his friends without a second thought if he knew how much they were hurting her.

Zack handed him his phone and hit play.

Matt teared up as he watched his little sister pick strings out of a puss dotted burn. His eye flicked to Jimmy who looked at his feet. He watched her whimper and cry as she bandaged the wound that had begun to bleed.

His tears slid down his cheeks as he handed Zack his phone. “Go home guys. I need to be alone.”

They frowned but nodded, leaving.

As the door closed behind them, Matt picked up the diary and went to Karissa's room. It was there he fell to his knees and broke into loud sobs of emotional pain. “I'm sorry Karissa! I'm so sorry! I'm the worst brother on the planet, I'm so..sorry!” he cried.

The next day he called his friends and they came over. They all stood around Karissa's room where Matt had not left for longer than ten minuets.

“We need to find her guys. I...I need her to know.”

“How much?” Jimmy asked.

“Everything.”