Baton Rouge.

Chapter 11 - Suspicion.

As Louis tugged Melissa down the hill, Melissa snatched her arm out of Louis's grip.

"Wait!" Melissa scowled at him.

"Melissa, we are leaving!" Louis snapped. "Get in the car NOW!"

"I drove here, and plus we can't just leave Jionni here by himself!" Melissa yelled as she placed her hand up at him. "Can I at least take him home?"

Louis glanced up at Jionni, then started wwalked alking to his car.

"I'LL take him home. Text me the address to his neighborhood." Louis growled as he stormed off to his car. "When you get to your car Melissa, you better answer your damn phone."

Melissa waited as Jionni off of the hill, lazily pointing to Louis's car.

"Louis said he can take you home..." Melissa sighed.

Jionni glanced at Louis's car, then shook his head.

"Nah, I'll catch the bus." Jionni said, shaking his head.

"Jionni, I-"

"It's cool, Melissa. I walk home everyday, so it ain't a big deal." Jionni said as he started walking to the closest bus stop. "You take care."

Melissa watched as Jionni started to fade away in the distance. She took a deep breath and got into her car, driving and speeding in front of Louis. As Louis trailed behind her, Melissa saw her phone ring in the glove compartment. She slid her phone open, slapping it against her ear.

"I'm not gonna go anywhere else today, Louis!" Melissa scowled in irritation. "You're trailing right behind me. What else am I gonna do?"

"Let me tell you something little miss smart alec, if you keep on doing things that I tell you not to do, I am NOT covering for you anymore!" Louis snapped as he drove. "Do you understand me?"

"Wow, you sound just like mom and dad!" Melissa cheered. "Congratulations!"

"You skipped swim practice? AGAIN?" Louis continued. "And you're blowing your scholarship away for some boy you barely even know-"

"You don't even know him-"

"It doesn't MATTER if I don't know him! The point is you haven't known him for that long to be blowing your damn scholarship for him!" Louis scowled. "What if there would've been some sort of rat poisoning in that drug, Melissa? Then what? Hm?"

Melissa sat in irritation as she continued to take the path home. Louis scrunched his eyebrows, squinting out at the road as he turned the corner.

"Do you know how lucky you are? Do you know how many people would love to have a free ride to college at your age?" Louis whispered sinisterly. "Meanwhile you're blowing your chances like an ungrateful little brat-"

"I didn't choose to do swimming, OUR PARENTS DID! I didn't choose to read Shakespeare during my free time, OUR PARENTS DID! They just so happen to be lucky that I liked the damn book!" Melissa yelled. "I can't do anything without you guys breathing down my neck!!"

"I don't care about you going out and spending time with friends, Melissa! Why do you think I'm helping you do it?" Louis barked. "What I do care about is the people you hang with, and that guy is NOT the guy I want you hanging out with! Period!"

"Oh yeah well what fits your standards, dad?" Melissa scoffed sarcastically.

"What about that Chase guy at your swim practice?" Louis asked. "Is he a bad guy?"

Melissa paused. Chase wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't an "exciting" guy either.

"Why don't you choose to hang out with some people who have hopes and dreams instead of a guy who had large two tattoos on his upper arms at the age of 17 and who's lips seem to be a little darker than the average persons since he smokes so much?" Louis continued.