Baton Rouge.

Chapter 40 - "It's a partaaayyy!"

After school, Melissa waited until she saw Jionni by himself until she decided to approach him. She didn't get to see him at lunch since he had to make up a test with one of the teachers. She got into her car, driving up to him near the curb as he started making his way home.

"Hey Jionni!" Melissa smiled as she pulled to the side of the road, honking her horn at him.

Jionni leaned in her window, smiling at her.

"Wassup, Lissa?" Jionni smiled.

"You wanna come over Louis's with me while I get ready for Trav's party?" Melissa asked. "He isn't home!"

Jionni shrugged his shoulders, getting into the car.

"Fuck it."

Once Jionni and Melissa got to Louis's place, she immediately started getting ready. Jionni sat on the guest room bed and watched as Melissa rummaged through her clothes, shoes, and other accessories. Melissa slicked her hair into a high ponytail and leaned in the mirror of her room, grabbing the earrings and turning around.

"So which ones should I wear?" Melissa asked as she held them up. "These hoops, or the dangly ones?"

Jionni scrunched his eyebrows at them, shaking his head.

"Neitha...." Jionni groaned. "You should wear da studs you always wear...."

"Ugh. Studs are so boring."

Jionni glanced at Melissa as she stood in her underwear and bra, placing lipstick on. Jionni got up and took her skirt, dress shirt, and stockings out of the closet and placed it on her bed. Melissa turned around and gave him a dazed look, keeping the lipstick on her bottom lip. She glanced down at her school outfit, looking back up at him.

"Why'd you take that out?" Melissa asked.

"I thank you should wear dis' to da party." Jionni nodded as he placed his hands into his pocket.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Jionni?" Melissa cackled as she placed on some gloss over her lips. "I barely want to wear that to school. Why the hell would I wear that to a party?"

Jionni took a deep breath, glancing down.

"Lissa, I don't like yo' new style."

Melissa scrunched her eyebrows at him, placing her lipgloss on the table.

"......why not?" Melissa asked.

"Cause ion' like allat skin you be showin'." Jionni murmured as he sat back on the bed. "You just look betta how you originally dressed at da school...."

Melissa rolled her eyes and placed in her hoop earrings, walking over to her closet and watching as Jionni started to text on his phone.

"Are you coming?" Melissa asked as she picked out some shorts and placed them onto the bed. "To Trav's party tonight?"

".....nah.." Jionni said in a dazed tone, not paying attention as he continued to text on his phone. "I'm goin' somewhere else toniiiightt..."

"With who?" Melissa asked, still rummaging through her closet. "Chevy and the boys?"

Jionni paused, looking up a little.

"Kiara."

Melissa turned to him, giving him a wide-eyed look as she turned back to her closet.

"Oh." Melissa murmured.

"Lissa, don't say it like dat." Jionni said in a disappointed tone.

"Like what?"