The next morning, Melissa's family started to prepare for another party. New Years. As they set up balloons, Melissa walked downstairs and scratched her head as Maria placed a small plate of food on the table.
"Here you go, dear." Maria said. "Breakfast from earlier."
"Thanks." Melissa sighed as Louis and Rodrigo placed balloons up around the house. "Where's grandma?"
"She's upstairs." Rodrigo answered as he grabbed another balloon and blew into it. "She's still getting ready."
Melissa got up from the table and walked upstairs, looking into her grandmothers room. When she walked inside, she saw her slowly blending down and look under her covers.
"Grandma, you know that you're not supposed to be bending down like that." Melissa sighed.
"I know dear it's just......I can't find my bracelet that your grandfather gave me..." Rosa said in a nervous and shaky tone. "I've been looking for it all morning."
"The one you always wear on your wrist?"
"Yeah. I......I thought I placed it in my purse last night..." Rosa stuttered as she looked around. "I misplaced it again."
Melissa started helping her look around as Rosa lifted up and placed her hand onto her forehead.
"I......I can't lose that bracelet. This is the second time this has happened..." Rosa mumbled, looking around.
"Here, let me go tell my dad."
Melissa jogged down the stairs, walking into the kitchen.
"Dad, I won't be down for breakfast."
"Why?" Rodrigo asked.
"I'm helping grandma look for her bracelet." Melissa responded. "She can't find it."
Rodrigo froze. He lifted up and gave Melissa a blank stare, pulling out his phone. Maria looked over at him, giving him a weird look.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Hi, I'd like to call and report about a possible thief." Rodrigo said.
Melissa's eyes widened as she rushed up to him.
"What are you DOING?" Melissa mouthed to him.
"I have a pretty good idea who it is, would you like me to call you when I get concrete proof?" Rodrigo said.
There was a little pause as Rodrigo nodded.
"Okay. Thanks."
Rodrigo hung his phone up as Melissa gave him a furious look.
"Is this about Jionni!?" Melissa scowled.
"I KNOW that that boy took my mothers necklace." Rodrigo scowled.
"Oh dad, cut the shit!"
"Melissa you watch your damn mouth before I come over there and smack it off-"
"Y'know what, no! I'm tired of this, mom!" Melissa barked. "Jionni's done some things in the past, but stealing from my grandmother? What makes you think that he'd do something that vile!?"
"I know that he did. I know." Rodrigo said in a serious tone. "And when you find out Melissa, you'll finally realize that everything I was saying was true."
Melissa didn't believe that Jionni would do ANYTHING like that and Rodrigo, Maria, Louis, or Rosa could ever convince her otherwise. She knew Jionni best.
Or at least he thought...
"How much you thank I can get for dis bracelet?"
Jionni stood nervously at the counter, tapping his fingers on the desk as the clerk glanced at the diamonds through a magnifying glass. Her eyes widened as she placed it down onto the counter.
"I'ma be honest, I ain't never seen diamonds so clean and pure. If you want to really get some money, you should go to a real diamond store." She said in a enthusiastic tone. "You can probably get around $20,000 for it."
Jionni's eyes widened as he gave her a dazed, yet shocked look.
"You serious?"
"As a heart attack. And to be honest, I usually scan people who come here." The girl whispered. "But I couldn't scam someone out of a $20,000 bracelet. That's just cold hearted."
Jionni took the bracelet, placing it into his pocket.
"Thanks."
As Jionni stepped out of the store, his conscience was eating him alive. He wasn't even comfortable with having it on hand. He took a long look at the bracelet, placing it into his pocket.
"I'ma just return this shit, man...." Jionni thought. "I can't steal from Lissa grandma like this."
Just as he was thinking of Melissa, he got a text from her.
"Are you doing anything for the New Year?" She asked.
Jionni sat on the bench outside, waiting on Jmo.
"I was gone go to Kisses place, but I don't feel like partying." Jionni responded. "Why?"
"Because I'm gonna be stuck here with my family and my grandma said that she was going to sneak you over." Melissa responded. "You wanna come over?"
Jionni thought about it. The only way he could return the bracelet without notice is if he got back to Melissa's. He cracked a small smile, texting back.
"Yeah." Jionni texted back. "I'll be over there tonight."
Jionni took a deep breath, relaxing a little. Once he returned the bracelet, he could finally lift this heavy weight off of his shoulders. Before the party started, Melissa also decided to ask him if he wanted to meet at the hill before he came to the party. He obliged. The two met up at the park and laid out on the hill, clearing their thoughts like always. Melissa grinned, trailing her eyes with the skies that slowly moved past her.
"Y'know, it's coming up here that makes me have deep thoughts." Melissa smiled.
"Huh?"
"Like, I wonder if when people go to heaven they ask God can they stay here with their families before they go. Mostly mothers." Melissa continued. "I couldn't imagine a mother who would want to be taken away from their children so early."
"Oh..."
"Y'know, today my dad was acting like such an asshole." Melissa continued. "Wanna know how?"
"Yeah?" Jionni said in a dazed tone.
"My grandmother lost her bracelet and he literally called the police to say that you stole it. I was like 'Seriously Dad!?' like you're so quick to blame everything on him!" Melissa said in an angry tone. "He really thinks that you would steal from my family like he's such a piece of shit.."
Melissa turned and looked at Jionni, giving him a weird look.
"Are you alright?" Melissa asked. "You don't seem like you're all here."
Jionni continued to stare off at the sky as he took a deep breath.
"Lissa, I fucked up......" Jionni mumbled.
"Whaaaat'd you do?" Melissa asked, lifting up.
Jionni shook his head, tucking in his lips.
"I cain't say, but listen....." Jionni murmured. "If I fucked up really really bad, would you forgi' me?"
Melissa gave Jionni a blank stare as she sat up.
"Oh God, Jionni...." Melissa sighed as she rested her arm on her knee. "What'd you do?"
"I cain't tell you right nah but I promise I will once I clean dis' shit up...."
"You didn't kill someone, did you?" Melissa gasped in a low tone.
"What? Hell naw!" Jionni laughed.
"Well you're scaring me, Jionni!" Melissa laughed. "What'd you do?"
Jionni glanced at her, lying back.
"I tell you as soon as I clean shit up, I swear."
For the new year, Melissa's family decided to break their tradition a little by ordering pizza, wings, and pop for the event. Everyone sat in the living room watching CNN as the countdown sat at the bottom of the screen. It was 11:38pm. While everyone was having a good time, Rosa heard the doorbell ring. Wearing her pink pajama gown, she walked to the door and saw Jionni standing there with a gray jogging suit on along with some plain white shoes.
"Jionni! You made it." Rosa cheered. "Welcome!"
"Yo." Jionni grinned.
"Hey Jionni!" Melissa cheered.
Melissa jogged down the stairs as they gave each other a kiss. When Rodrigo saw Jionni, his cheerful demeanor shifted as he walked to the front door.
"Mother, I told you that I didn't want him in my house." Rodrigo growled.
"Rodrigo, go back into the living room and finish eating pizza." Maria growled as she waved her hand at him. "He'll be here until the ball drops and then he'll be gone after that."
Rodrigo eyeballed Jionni as him and Melissa walked up the stairs. Rosa looked upstairs, turning to Rodrigo.
"The boy isn't bad. You need to GROW UP." Rosa growled to him. "The two are going to date and if you keep backing Melissa into a corner, you're gonna cause her to be more rebellious-"
"That boy isn't as squeaky clean as you think he is, mother." Rodrigo growled. "When the clock hits 12, I want him out of my house. No discussions."
Meanwhile up in Melissa's guest room...
"Are you hungry?" Melissa asked as she straightened up Rosa's room, cutting on the TV and turning it to CNN. "My grandma can get us some pizza."
"Oh I'm aight, Lissa." Jionni said in a serious tone. "Don't you gotta use the bathroom o' sumn?"
"No?" Melissa chuckled. "Why?"
"Nothin'." Jionni giggled.
Jionni was trying to hurry and return the necklace, but Melissa wouldn't leave the room. Melissa spent the past time cleaning her grandmothers small mess, trying to make her feel a little bit more comfortable. While cleaning for the next 15 minutes, Rosa came upstairs with a box of pizza.
"Hey youngins, I got us a whole box of pizza while we watch the ball drop." Rosa smiled, walking over to her bed and sitting down. "Do you want some?"
"Yes." Melissa smiled. "I'm starved."
"What about you, Jionni?"
"Nah, I'm not hungry."
Jionni knew that he had to hurry and return the necklace. And since they weren't leaving the room, he decided to get up to place it into Melissa's room.
"Aye y'all, I'll be right ba-"
But before Jionni could walk out of the door, he watched as two officers walked into the room. Rodrigo trailed behind them, pointing at Jionni as he backed away.
"It's him." Rodrigo said in a serious tone.
Melissa gave her father an angry look, gazing evilly at him.
"You called the POLICE, Dad!?" Melissa said in a loud tone.
"What the hell Rodrigo Franklin Rodriguez!?" Rosa scowled as she stood up. "What the hell are you doing?"
One of the officers grabbed Jionni's arms and placed him against the wall as the other dug into his pockets. After the officers dug, one of them pulled out Rosa's bracelet.
"Is this it, sir?" The first officer asked, holding it up.
Rosa stood up, gazing blankly at her bracelet. She looked over at Jionni as his face flushed with guilt.
"That's......that's my bracelet, officers." Rosa said in a shaky, angry, and disappointed tone as she gave Jionni a furious look.
"I knew it." Rodrigo growled. "He's thieved before, why not do it again?"
"Rosa, Lissa, I swear I 'bouta return it....." Jionni plead as the officers handcuffed him. "Das why I was 'bout to leave the roo-"
"Why the hell did you steal from my GRANDMOTHER!?" Melissa scowled angrily at him. "She was the only person who looked out for you!"
Jionni had no choice but to come out with what he did. He closed his eyes and sighed as the officer that was pinning him down handcuffed him.
"Me and my momma low on money. She ain't takin' no cash from Jmo o' anybody else in out area no mo'. Da only way I sought out was da' bracelet...." Jionni sighed. "I was thinkin' bout sellin' it, but I gave out cus my conscience was eatin' at me. I came ova' to return it when y'all wasn't 'round, which was why I was 'bout to do."
Jionni could see in Melissa's eyes how angry she was, but the thing she could see was that she was hurt. He also knew that she didn't believe him.
"You don't belee' me nah, Lissa?" Jionni scowled at her.
"You could've asked me for some money, Jionni!! I have a ton of it in my account that my dad gave me!!" Melissa scowled. "I'd expect you to steal something from my parents, but my grandmother!? My grandpa have her that bracelet!"
"This is what happens when you don't listen, Mother! He almost took fathers bracelet!" Rodrigo snapped. "I told you I didn't want him in this damn house!"
"Rosa, I'm sorry fo' takin' yo bracelet. I did take it, I admit.." Jionni continued as the officers locked his handcuffs. "But I swea' on my momma I was gonna return it..."
"Do you believe this, ma'am?" The second officer asked.
Rosa was so angry that she couldn't speak. She sat there and continued to stare viciously at him as the officer turned to Melissa.
"What about you, ma'am?" The first officer asked, looking at Melissa. "Do you believe that he would've returned it?"
Melissa stared viciously at Jionni, looking down.
"No, sir..." Melissa said in a low and sinister tone.
Jionni's eyes widened and face went blank after what Melissa said. The officers took him off the wall and started reading him his rights.
"Sir, you have a right to an attorney-"
"So you thank I would steal some shit from you and yo' family without returnin' it?"
"You stole from my damn grandmother, Jionni! Don't ask me if I think you would do something you've already done!" Melissa barked. "You're a thief! You've stole before..."
"You sellin' me out now?" Jionni scowled lowly at her as the officers continued to read him his rights. "Das' how it is, Lissa?"
"Y'know what, that's it." Rodrigo groaned, waving his hand. "Get him out of my sight."
Jionni gave Melissa an angry look, shaking his head at her as he was led out of the room.
"D'juan was right." Jionni whispered in disgust as he was led out of the room, referring to Melissa selling him out and believing that he was a criminal at heart.
Melissa sat on her bed, staring blankly at the wall as Rodrigo walked out of the room. Rosa looked at her, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Melissa, are you alright?" Rosa whispered to her.
"No, are YOU alright?" Melissa said, turning to her.
"I'm fine, sweetie." Rosa nodded. "I got my bracelet back and I'm fine.."
Melissa went back to staring into space, shaking her head with her mouth creaked open.
"My father was right all along.." Melissa mumbled. "He's never gonna let me live this down."
A minute after Melissa said this, herTV chanted.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's 2014!" The woman cheered as everyone in NYC clapped and celebrated. "Have a GREAT new year!"
Melissa was gonna have to deal with the lecture of her parents and family, also with the fact that there was a high chance she wasn't seeing Jionni again. As for Jionni, being that he just got off of house arrest, this meant that he was more than likely going to jail for a while since he was on probation.
2014 was already a bad year.