Baton Rouge.

Chapter 5 - Mismatch.

Melissa thought about what Jionni said, taking it all in. Though she wanted to stay in the counseling center, she felt like a coward. She felt sheltered. She felt that she really wasn't facing her problems by hiding where the teachers were. So instead of staying inside of the counseling center, Melissa grabbed her tray and headed out to the lunchroom. When Melissa stepped inside, a lot of eyes shifted right to her. Some people started laughing, some people gave her a funny look, and some people started to gossip.

"Damn!" One of the boys laughed. "Her face all fucked up!"

Melissa heard him, but she acted like she didn't hear it. She took a deep breath and walked over to the table that was off in the corner of the lunchroom, sitting by herself and eating. By this time lunch was starting to end, so people were walking by her, giving her a funny and comedic look.

"Damn...." Another boy whispered to his friend. "Britt Bratt REALLY fucked her up."

"She might snitch again!" One of the girls joked as a lot of people in the lunchroom started laughing. "Y'all better chill!"

Melissa continued to eat, sitting in silence as people continued to say small comments. Chevy looked over at her, turning to Jionni, Ross, and a few of their other friends.

"Guess her ass finally decided to come out the cut, huh?" Chevy laughed as he sat around his girlfriend.

"Guess so." Jionni shrugged.

Ross smiled as he placed a crumpled up piece of sticky apple pie and threw it at her, watching it splatter all over her clothes. Melissa jumped and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as Ross gave Chevy a handshake.

"AAAHHH SHIT!" Chevy laughed. "You ain't shit for that, Ross!"

"Aye y'all, chill." Jionni scoffed lowly as he closed his eyes, placing his hand out.

Ross and Chevy gave Jionni a funny look, not believing what he said.

"What?" Ross laughed.

"Don't y'all think that she done had enough?" Jionni said in a slightly agitated tone. "Chill, y'all."

"Shit, you better than me." Chevy's girlfriend scoffed as she turned to Chevy. "Cause if she got my relative suspended, I'd be giving her ass nothin' but hell."

Even though Melissa was getting picked on, she was numb to a lot of the stuff that the students were doing. Even though it bothered her, it felt so much better to face her problem rather than to hide from it. After finishing her lunch, Melissa grabbed her napkins, wiped her face and hair off, and headed out of the room.

After school, Melissa headed off to swim practice. It felt so good to be in the one place that she felt free in. Once she arrived, it felt like it'd been a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders. Her mood brightened as soon as she got in the locker room. When she walked inside, she snatched off her headphones, walking past the many girls inside of the locker room and walking up to her friends.

"Hey girls!" Melissa smiled as she opened her locker, taking her bathing suit and towel out.

Camille, Raven, and Hazel gave each other a weird look, smiling back at her.

"Uh......hey?" They all chuckled.

"I tell you what. You guys have NO idea how excited I am to be in swim practice!" Melissa panted as she shut her locker. "I've been dreaming about it all day!"

"What's with your giddy giddy attitude?" Hazel grinned as she wrapped her towel around her waist.

"Nothing!" Melissa panted as she turned to everyone. "Just.....excited!"