Clementine had become a wild child. Born in America but raised abroad, she now had little regard for the expectations of high society. But her reckless ways eventually catch up with her when she is kicked out of college in New York City and forced t...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
29
All at once, it was the weekend again and the morning of the day of the night of the party.
Her phone rang, and she was confused because it was a new phone number that nobody really had. Not even Zico.
"Hello?" Clementine asked cautiously.
"Clemy? It's me." She instantly recognized Mina's voice. "Mom gave me your number. And I heard what happened. Gee, it must have been horrible."
"Yeah, it was," Clementine relaxed hearing Mina's voice. "And now I'm grounded forever. Except for tonight. Mother thinks it's necessary for me to go out with the good society boys and girls now."
Mina's laugh lingered over the phone. "It'll be fun, Clem! Remember how it was?"
"Yes, I guess you're right," Clementine flashed back to their memories of high school runaway fun. "I guess what my mother doesn't realize is that good society girls and boys know how to have their fun too." Clementine fell back on her bed and put her feet up against one of the bed posts, twirling her hair around her finger mindlessly.
"So listen, meet me tonight at my house. Come a bit earlier and we'll leave together. It. Will. Be. Fun. Trust me, you need it."
Clementine sighed. "Okay, I'll meet you there. And Mina?" For a moment Clementine debated telling her about Zico, or asking her for help considering she still hadn't figured it out. Leaving it to the last minute or to fate or whatever.
"Yes?" Mina asked, in that inquisitive nature of a gossip lover.
"I'll see you tonight. Can't wait." Clementine changed her mind. Not knowing how to express herself anymore, she decided if it happened it'd be best in person anyway.
Getting up and getting dressed, she stepped into the sunlight and into the light to see Laticia in the garden.
"Laticiaaaa," Clementine moaned, going towards her, exchanging kisses on cheeks. "I need your help."
Laticia stopped smiling and looked sternly at her, "if it's about that boy again, I don't know Clementine."
"Why is everyone acting like this?" Clemeninte asked, more to herself.
"Like what?" Laticia exclaimed. "Like we care for your well being."
Clemenitne crossed her arms and looked away. If they cared, she thought, they would want what she wanted. She had a hard time understanding why it was so difficult for them to understand this.
Laticia looked up at the house, not wanting this to be overheard, she led Clementine around the path of the house.
"Are you ok?" Laticia asked her plainly, but it felt a bit like a slap in her face.
Was she okay? Clementine thought to herself, and she did't know. In the middle of a vortex, it seems calm. Why is it so easy to see the problem as long as its not happening to you? One its happening to us, its like we become blind by our own emotions and feelings and biases and what we think we know.
Clementine looked up to the sky, reminding herself of how the sky is the same everywhere. In rio...in new york...
"I'm fine," Clementine began, "its just hard being so...locked down," Clementine tried to come up with something to say.
Laticia sighed heavily, wiping her hands on her apron.
"This boy," Laticia began, "he should be taking you out on dates like a proper gentlemen. You shouldn't be sneaking out in the middle of the night going God knows where with God know whom."
This struck Clementine as something odd. She didn't see it like that, but maybe Laticia had a point. Maybe she deserved something like that.
But most times, ti seemed nearly boring to her. Something so accessible, could be obtained by anyone.
Maybe it was the strange circumstance that she was carrying out this affair with Zico that made it more exciting.
But no, she thought to herself.
She thought of him as the enigma that he seemed to her. She thought of the way that his unique gravitational pull calls out to hers so strongly. How she responds to it with a sheer force of nature.
"I can't help you anymore, Clementine. It wouldn't be right. Not to you, not to your parents." Laticia stated as if she was making some grand statement.
"Fine," Clementine said and stomped away.
She knew it was childish.
But she also knew she was going to have to do this herself, and nobody was going to stop her.
Almost all by herself.
As she ran back to her room, she picked up the phone and called Mina. As soon as she picked up, Clementine said "We're going to do a little detour tonight."
