“March 19th 2000 well the last semester is here already here and it’s my last year in Franklin High School, and yet even though Karissa and I have gone our separate ways I still wonder why I ever let her go?” As kids, Karissa and I were close. The more I think about, she was hurting on the inside and yet she would always put a smile on her face no matter what came her way. As we got older, we grew more and more distance from each other. Karissa starting pushing me away and started seeking attention from others she was very desperate. After that, her personality changed even further. It got to the point where I felt as if my world was falling apart.
So I confronted her.
“What happened to you Karissa? You used to be filled with absolute joy and happiness, but now you’ve changed into something you’re not! You let others decide your fate!”
But by then it was too late for me. At that point she started pushing me away and had found a new friend. He’s smug moron who was full of himself all he was at was being a show off. Even if I tried to talk to Karissa he’d shove me to the ground trying. I’ll never forget face or his name. His name was Nicholas he was cocky, arrogant, and an ass. That’s all I have to say about him for that matter, but for some reason Karissa seemed to have fallen for him and because he was Mr. Popular or something along those lines. However something was off about him. The types of looks he would to me and sometimes even Karissa were very intimidating, not like the bully intimidating type of look but something else.
It’s 11:15pm as I feel asleep all I could think about was Karissa I kept having dreams about her I kept dreaming of memories of the times when I when we met. I dreamt of the time of when I first met her at a park it felt like it was real. She’d normally bring her bike over to come to the playground, I lived close enough so I just walked here. When I first met her, she didn’t think much of me at the time and neither did I, but I knew she was lonely, and it felt like she was hurting on the inside. I didn’t want her to feel so alone. So I’d take the first step in introducing myself it wasn’t easy cause she was very shy. Instead of trying to take things step by step I was more straightforward so I decided to I said,
“Hi how are you? My name is Isaac. What’s your name?”
Hesitantly speaking, “My name is Karissa umm sorry but can you leave me alone I don’t really want to be left alone.”
I said very firmly, “Why?
She replies hastily, “ Because I like being left alone!”
I got mad when I heard her say she likes being left alone because I knew that type of pain of being alone.
Furiously I said, “Ya know it’s not always the best thing to be alone and have no friends who care you! So I’ll ask you again, why are here by yourself !?”
She started uncontrollably crying and so I sat next to her unexpectedly she started holding on to me all she needed was a hug from someone, she told me about how everyone bullied her and used to make fun of her all the time.
In agony she says, “I hate being alone”
I told her, “Everything will be alright, and hey I can be your friend I promise.”
I gave her a smile to let her know that I will keep my promise.
When she was starting to feel better she said, “Thank you Isaac.”
All of a sudden Isaac’s name echoes, “Isaac. Isaac! Isaac!!”
“Wake up Isaac”
I wake and its my mom who woke me up. My mom enters my room and says,
“Isaac c’mon get up already”
“Damn it!”
My mother saw the look on my face and noticed already I wasn’t doing so well so she just left me be to myself.
First thing in the morning and my mom says
“C’mon you’re gonna be late for school so hurry up and get out of here.”
I reply,
“Yeah alright I’m up”
I leave for school and what was pondering in my mind was the dream I had it was so real and yet it was nothing but a dream. The more I thought about it the more it hurt me. In the very center of my body it felt like I was hurting because I knew I was losing and friend, but it was something more. The moment I arrive to school I already see Nicholas. I all see from was nothing but a cocky smile like it was some enjoyment for him to see me suffer. I saw Karissa behind him waving at me, so I kindly wave back and of course Nicholas would try to push me away from her so he just walks up to me and shoves me. The funny thing is he thinks he can win a fight against me when he can’t. I just chose not to fight him. For some reason Karissa starts talking to me again and I seemed a bit thrown off by it because the last time we talked was about six months ago and that was when I tried to tell her that she wasn’t who she used to be.
She was speaking happily saying,
“Hey Isaac, so I know we haven’t talked and Nicholas invited me to a party and said to bring anyone friends of mine so you’re my friend and I thought hey why not invite Isaac.”
In my mind I was slightly touched even after all we went through together she still considered me her friend. Unfortunately out of all places why does it have to be that dumbass’ house, reluctantly I accepted her party invite.
In excitement she said, “Great! I’ll see you there the party is Friday which is tomorrow night at eight oh and here’s here’s address.”
“Tomorrow. Cool yeah sounds good guess I’ll see you there.
So Thursday rolls on by and it’s already Friday. After school is over I go back home. I’m feeling conflicted because she seems to be interested in Nicholas, and yet she still wanted to keep in touch with me since I grew up with her. So as the hours go by I am just thinking what do I say to her it’s been so long since I last talked to her. It’s about seven fifty and where the house is isn’t that far away. So Nicholas lives in the same neighborhood as me and his house was right across from where I first met Karissa at the park. Just as I arrive at the house Karissa was already there waiting for me.
I ran up to here, “Hey if I knew you were getting here early I would’ve arrived sooner.”
Hastily she says“Oh no, don’t worry about it I usually like getting to the party a bit early.”
Karissa knocks on the door and of course Nicholas opens the door. He greets Karissa with a big smile and gives me either some tough act or he tried to give me death stare.
Nicholas asks, “Why’d you bring him here?”
Karissa responding quickly, “He’s my friend and you’re the one who said, ‘invite any friends you like.’”
Nicholas lets us in and we wait til more people come. Eventually more and more people come and the party starts. Karissa and I finally get the chance to reconnect and yet it never felt so awkward in my entire life. Even if I tried to look at her I would get some giant knot in my stomach. We talked for a bit about what we’ve been doing since we hadn’t talked in over six months now. She and I we’re starting to get along, it almost felt like we were never apart. A song that we used to listen to when we're little kids came on.
She picks me off of my seat and is begging me to dance,
“Come on it’ll be fun”
So I go and dance with her, I was a bit nervous at first, but it was an amazing time. After we finished dancing we decided to go upstairs head outside on a porch and talk some more. She talked about how everything is going to be changing once we graduate from Franklin High. That wasn’t the only thing changing as well I knew that somewhere inside Karissa kept hiding her real self the one I remember.
So I asked, “Why did you change?”
She looked at me very confused, so I explain to her what I meant, then she finally puzzled it all together.
“I did change because I hate the old me, Nicholas was the one who helped me change he was the one who helped me when no one else would.”
“I tried to help you, but all you did was push me away!” I said back furiously.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
I was going to confess to her that I loved her “But Karissa I…”
Before I couldn’t even finish one of the people from the party told her that Nicholas was looking for her. She said that she’d return. So I waited outside on the porch waiting for her. Next thing I know I see Nicholas grabbing her by the arm taking her away into the park.
I heard her yell, “ Nicholas what are you doing!? Let go of me! Someone help!”
I rush down there as fast as I can, worrying what might happen to Karissa and I was concerned with what Nicholas was plotting. I rush down to the park and I see Karissa getting kicked down to the ground by Nicholas.
I charge in “Get away from her you coward!”
I get a punch in there and I start beating him up however Nicholas was starting to turn things around. Next thing I know he throws punches and starts beating me to the ground Karissa terrified not knowing what do tries to help as well. Nicholas pulls out a gun and is pointing right at me.
“DON’T MOVE!!! I’ll kill you, you piece of trash”
My heart starts pounding I wonder what I can do he has the gun pointed both at Karissa and myself. Not even thinking I just charge at him hoping he misses. A gun fire sound is shot the bullet hits directly at my left arm but I had to keep going. I tackled him to the ground and started throwing more punches harder and harder, until Nicholas loses consciousness. Karissa calls 911, in a matter of minutes the cops come and arrest Nicholas.
Karissa starts to cry,
“I’m so sorry for all of this I really am I should have just stayed away from you and none of this would have happened.”
I comfort her,
“Hey everything will be alright. Ok?”
She gives me a hug holding me tightly, it had almost felt like the time when I first met her. I said to her meet me here again tomorrow morning. The medical team checks up on my arm and patches up, they said it would take about a week for it to recover. Saturday morning comes I meet up with Karissa at the park. She still blames herself for the incident that had happened. I tell her again not to worry about.
“Look Karissa we never really got the chance to finish our conversation. I know that people can betray you and expect you to change but you can’t let them do that to you. Deep down I know that you miss the old you the one that cared for people instead of being one desperate for attention. Karissa I… I love you.”
Karissa was astonished and yet she was in love with me too. So she holds on to me she and I kiss and I it felt like everything was finally back together. I felt happy and I knew that she was happy as well.
“I love you Karissa”
“I love you too Isaac.”