Why Do You All Hate Me?

A few days later, Ray and Issac showed up looking for her.

“What do you want?” Matt snapped at the sight of them.

“Look asshole, we're just looking for Karissa. We haven't seen her and she hasn't responded to any of your calls and texts.” Ray crossed his arms over his chest.

“We're worried.” Issac spoke up, intimidated by Matt.

“What right do you have to care about my sister?” Matt got angry, he'd been on a short fuze since Karissa left.

“She's our friend. And from what we've herd we make her happier than you do.” Ray spat.

“Bullshit! She loves me!”

“Does she sing in front of you?” Ray asked, raising an eye brow.

Matt was bewildered. Had these pedo's got his sister to sing for them?! She never sings. Come to think of it, the last time he herd her sing was before he switched schools and started a band with Jimmy, Zack, Brian and Johnny.

Before they got to hurt her.

Issac pulled up a video on his phone and pressed play, showing it to Matt. He gasped as he saw Karissa smiling and laughing, then sit down at a piano. She played a song she must have written for Alice in Wonderland, she was great at the piano.

Issac pulled up another video and showed him.

Karissa sat with a cello sang a song and he instantly knew it was about him. The time he was supposed to pick her up from a park and it rained hard. He'd forgotten her because he was hanging out with his friends. So she walked all the way hope in the pouring rain. He remembered watching her come in sopping wet. He opened his mouth to apologize but she looked at him. “Don't.” she shook her head and ran up stairs.

He really hurt her that bad? While she sang he could see the hurt in her eyes.

Matt had forgotten how stunning of a voice Karissa had.

He never liked the Thorton brothers, he thought they were no good for Karissa. But now he saw them in a new light. Matt knew that if Karissa cared, and trusted them enough to sing for them they really meant something to her. And they obviously made her happy, something Matt himself knew he'd failed to do for some years now.

He introduced Ray and Issac to his friends and let them join the search for Karissa.

A day later Aiden showed up, Matt instantly disliked him but everyone else agreed to let him help.

_-Karissa

Leslie Nelson kept true to her word. She fed me, and talked to me. She tried to get me to stay with her in her apartment but I always refused. All she knew was that I ran away because of my brother. She didn't pry. She let me use her shower and while I did she'd wash my clothes and dry them.

Today she wanted me to carry her groceries at the store, so we arrived at Wegmans did her shopping and as we waited at the bus stop I over heard two women talking.

“Poor Heather Sanders. She was on her way back from Arizona when her small helicopter went down. Left two kids, a son and a daughter. I herd the son and his friends have been looking for her daughter because she ran away.” one said.

“I wonder why. The Sanders kids were always so close.” the other remarked.

Matt's friends have been looking for me? Mom is...dead?! NO!

I broke into tears and Leslie held me. “I'll take you home dear.”

“N-no. I'll walk t-there. It isn't f-far.” I sobbed, wiping my tears.

My mom was always there for me, she always knew what was best. She was there when I had my first and last bad break up, when I lost my first tooth and I thought I was going to die, every single one of my soccer games (I quit when Matt's friends came in the picture).

“Well, if you need to talk I'll be there Karissa. I've come to think of you as family.” her wrinkled eyes were sincere.

I nodded and handed her the two bags I was holding for her.

“Thanks for everything Leslie.” I mustered up a smile.

“Your welcome. And...I'm sorry.”

I nodded and frowned, then began my way home.

_--3rd person

Matt had his friends looking for Karissa everywhere. He got word of their mothers' death and felt so shamed. He couldn't even hold Karissa as she cried, in fact he doubted she even knew. Coming back and asking “Where's mom?” would break his heart more.
He felt guilty of what he'd been doing, how he treated her, kicking out his 15 year old sister who was not fat and ugly (A/N He's worried that she was 'touched' or taken advantage of here) and about everything his friends had done to her. He'd cried himself to sleep since he'd realized what he'd done. Not that he'd tell anyone, he'd started to cut. Each forearm had 3 scars.

He was sitting in her room when there was a knock at the door. He slowly made his way down the stairs and opened the door.

_-Karissa

His hazel eyes were dull when he opened the door.

“Matt.”

He looked down at me and his eyes widened, he scoped me up and hugged me tightly.

“Oh Karissa! I'm so so sorry! I'm a horrible, abusive brother! I didn't mean anything I said I was...” he put me down.

“Karissa I have a lot of things to tell you.”

I nodded and sat on the couch.

“Mom-”

“I know.” I cut him off, not wanting to hear it from his mouth.

“How?”

I waved it off.

“And...that day I..went berserk...I was...I was on drugs Karissa.”

I gasped. “Matt!”

He hung his head in shame. “I know, I knew I was horrible for not standing up for you but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I used drugs to cope. It was wrong and I'm getting better. I've been clean since...then.”

“Keep it up Matt. I know you can. And we can get through everything and no matter what you do to me, I'll always love you.” I spoke the truth.

He looked up at me and gave a half smile.

“Where'd you go?”

“The old tree house. I found Herman also.”

He smiled. “That's still standing?”
“Yep.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Nah, I met a friend. She took care of me.”

He nodded. “I should tell them your back.”

“Them?” I asked.

“Well yeah. Brian, Johnny, Jimmy, Zack, Ray, Issac and Aiden.” he said Aiden's name with distaste.

“I got a better idea. Where's my phone?”

Soon I'd sent a text to the Thorton brothers and Aiden. I came back, come here

Matt texted his friends that I came back.

They all sent back saying they were on their way. I ran to my room and changed, it was evident that Matt had spent a lot of time in here.

Soon they arrived, practically breaking down the door. I was crushed in a group hug by all four of Matt's friends. I flinched, used to their touches being painful.

They all apologized so many times it got annoying. “Guys please, but me down.”

To my surprise, they backed away. Issac was the first to bound over to me, he picked me up and spun me around. “I'm so glad your okay!” I giggled and hugged him back.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” he kissed my cheek and Ray came over, hugging me tightly. “Good to see you Kari.” I smiled and hugged him back.

Aiden was last, striding over to me with his freakishly long legs. He hugged me affectionately, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head on mine. He said nothing but held me then pressed a kiss to my head before going over to stand with the Thortons.

The next few days proved to be good. Matt's friends stopped being mean to me, not that they were particularly nice. Each had their moments: Johnny bought me ice cream, Zack played his guitar for me, Brian let me play with his hair, Jimmy gave me piggy back rides.

My Aunt Stacy set up the funeral and kept us posted.

I was drawing, a new hobby of mine, a picture of mom when Matt came in.

“Karissa, mom had a will.”

I looked up.

“Apparently she thought she may ...pass because of a plane so she wrote a will in case. She...she wanted to you sing at her funeral. You don't have to but, it's what mom wanted.”

I don't really sing when I'm sad, but for mom I'll do anything.

“I'll do it. I'll write a song and everything. Mom deserves it. I should have sang for her more.” I do wish I had, mom loved my singing voice maybe more than Matt's.

__time lapse, the funeral_--

3rd _

Everyone gathered around the casket. The few remaining family members, close friends and even Matt's friends and Ray, Issac and Aiden were there for their friends.

It was a warm day in California, the people were dressed in the traditional black and ignored the sweat that beaded on their skin. The sun was high and there were no clouds, no birds cawed in the distance. They too seemed upset.

Everyone cried as Matt, Karissa and a few others spoke. Karissa was under Aiden's arm, Issac held her hand and Ray hugged her from behind.

“I understand that Karissa, daughter of Heather, has prepared a song as in her mothers will.” the director said.

Karissa nodded and wiped her eyes, clearing her throat and making her way up the stairs to the platform. A hired band sat on the ground, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer.

They played and she began to sing.

She looked at Matt.

“You're not alone. Together we stand,
I'll be by your side you know I'll take your hand,
When it get's cold and it feels like the end,
there's no place to go you know I won't give in,
no I won't give in,
Keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through,
Just stay strong,
'cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do,
there's no other way when it comes to the truth, so
keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through.”

She looked at the closed casket.

“So far away, I wish you were here,
Before it's too late, this could all disappear,”
She looked at Matt again and put her hand on her heart as if making a promise.

“Before the doors close,
And it comes to an end,
with you by my side I will fight and defend.”

Matt began to tear up again.

“I'll fight and defend. Yeah, yeah
keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through,
just stay strong,
'cause you know I'm here for you, I'm hear for you
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do,
There's no other way when it comes to the truth,
so keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through,”

She looked at the entire crowd of people in front of her, most of their eyes glittering with tears, a few with video cameras.

“Hear me when I say, when I say I believe,
nothings gonna change, nothings gonna change destiny,
Whatevers' meant to be will work out perfectly,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
la di da da ECT
Keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through,
Just stay strong,
'cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you,
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do,
there's no other way when it comes to the truth,
so keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

Keep holding on,
Keep holding on,
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do,
there's no other way when it comes to the truth,
so keep holding on,
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through.”

She wiped her tears as they applauded. She gave the microphone to the funeral director who patted her shoulder. She stood by Matt who gave her a sad smile and hugged her.

“You made mom proud.” he told her, kissing her forehead.