Baton Rouge.

Chapter 4 - Mr. Nice Guy.

Jionni rolled his eyes and turned to the bus driver, watching her shut the door and drive off. Jionni's friends made funny faces at him as the bus pulled away and into the small school rush hour traffic. Jionni followed Mr. Bailey into the school, crumpling up the paper.

"So how long this 'sposed to take?" Jionni growled.

"Jionni, you've been to detention a hundred times." Mr. Bailey laughed. "Let's not act brand new."

While Mr. Bailey made his way to the detention center, he froze and began to walk back.

"What are you doin?" Jionni asked.

"I have to get my files out of the counseling center." Mr. Bailey said as Jionni followed him there. "You follow me so I can keep an eye out on you."

Jionni walked into the counseling center with the gym teacher, looking around. It was the only place that was quiet in the whole entire school. As Mr. Bailey walked into the back, Jionni looked around at the paintings, desks, and teachers that sat around the place. He took another deep breath, turning and looking beside him.

It was Melissa.

Melissa was sitting in the seat with her arms folded, huffing, puffing, and crying out of anger. Her face was scratched, the corner of her mouth was cut up, her cheek was puffed up, and her clothes were torn. Jionni gave her a shocked look, barely recognizing her. If it weren't for her clothes, he wouldn't have known who she was. He scrunched his lips, looking down and clicking his fingers on the table.

He actually felt bad for her.

"Melissa, your parents are on their way." The lady at the desk said to her.

But Melissa didn't say a word. She continued to stare out in anger, shaking her leg to calm herself down as much as she could. Jionni glanced at her once again, looking down.

"Aye uh, tell Coach I'll be right back." Jionni said to the women at the counter as he walked out of the center.

Jionni walked into the lunch room that was directly across from the counseling center, noticing that the lunch ladies were cleaning up. Jionni looked around, walking into the back area where the cooks were. The women looked up at him as he looked through the see through class.

"Can we help you?" The women snarled.

"Yeah, I'd like a plastic bag and some ice please."

2 minutes after Jionni left, he calmly walked back into the room with ice clutched in a small plastic bag. He took a deep swallow, walking over to Melissa and sitting next to her.

"Here, I got you a-"

"NO!" Melissa scowled as she smacked his wrist away from her, knocking the bag out of his hand. "Don't touch me! Don't TOUCH me!"

"Hey, I was tryna help you out!" Jionni scowled. "You the one who got the busted up face, not me!"

Melissa grabbed the plastic bag filled with ice and threw it all over Jionni, giving him a furious look.

"I don't need your help. I don't need ANY of you guys's help!" Melissa barked as tears spurt out of her eyes. "Get away from me now!"

"Jionni, let's go."

Jionni looked up at his gym teacher as he brushed the ice off of him, walking out of the room and following him to detention. As soon as Jionni and the gym teacher left, Louis and Melissa's parents barged through the door.

"Where is she?!" Maria whispered loudly. "Where's my daughter!?"

Maria, Louis, and Rodrigo turned to see a bruised and battered Melissa sitting in her chair. Maria covered her mouth in disbelief and started tearing up as she sat in the seat beside her.