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...
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They slept through the early afternoon. A fact which Clementine judged by the changing light when she opened her eyes to find them still in the same position that they fell asleep in.
Whenever Clementine slept over anywhere with a man, she usually found herself never being able to fall asleep after. She would sometimes lie through the whole night awake, in a flimsy state of not being here or there. But this time, thanks to her deep sleep, even if for a few hours, she found her strength coming back to her.
With more clarity in her mind, she observed the surroundings with a new perspective. But it felt to her, that being in Zico's arms, she did't care where she was. She could be anywhere and she'd be perfectly content.
She felt him stir, and suddenly her breath picked up, both their bodies growing more awake.
They made love that afternoon, their skin becoming a familiar sigh to each other, growing more used to the touch. And yet, still feeling a novelty to it each time.
They lay there for a while after, his hand grazing her body naturally.
"Do you do it a lot?" Clementine asked, their legs intertwined on the bed, both uncovered from the heat in the room.
"Do what?" Zico asked her.
"Those kind of nights," she thought about the kind of stamina required to do this often.
"I'd like to say not really but I'd be lying," he said, continuing to stroke her thighs.
"You're a vampire, how do you not sleep like that every time you go out?" Clementine asked, though she remembered her own New York City nights.
Zico laughed, as if it was cute what she was saying.
"I do it for the music. And the people. It's not even about the drugs, you know?" He told her, as if it was a very open thing to discuss.
Then a few moments later, as she was pondering it, she asked more quietly, "how do you control it?"
"I don't need to because I have no choice," and at that he got up to go to leave the room ,muttering that he'll be back. And Clementine got up, feeling a little awkward now, as if she said something she shouldn't have.
She stretched out in the sun, and felt the life coming back to her body.
She heard Zico talk to the other people in the house, laughing at some joke.
Then he came back in the room to find Clementine sitting on the bed.
"You can come out, you know. You don't have to sit here alone," Zico put on a shirt in addition to his boxers.
Clementine nodded but first asked for the bathroom.
She noticed that it was a tiny room, and somehow connected with two doors, so she had to make sure both were locked before she proceeded to do her things.
Peeing, she realized that now she was thirsty.
So going back in the bedroom to put her dress back on, she then came out into the tiny living room, to find Zico and one of his roommates - the other one that was not at the party on the couch - they both turned to her and greeted her with a friendly smile. Clementine had the sense that it was not just her and Zico anymore, that some sort of sense of intimacy was lost between them.
Zico jumped up and told her to sit, handing her a glass of water.
"What do you want," he asked, "tea? Coffee?"
"Coffee, no tea. No coffee," Clementine wasn't sure why she felt so unsure of herself now.
"How do you take it?" He asked as he stepped into the connecting kitchen, also tiny.
"Milk and sugar is good," she had to yell but not too far considering the size of the apartment.
At that a she was left with the roommate.
He seemed alike to Zico's other fires, in that nonchalant casual friendly way.
He was also rolling a joint.
"Zico tells me you guys had a good time last night," he said as he was working on it.
Clementine nodded, sipping her water, not quite sure what else to say.
"I couldn't go, someone had to hold the fort down," he winked at her and proceed to lick the rolling paper.
For a moment, Clementine felt that she was in some sort of drug house, but was quietly relieved to see Zico come back with a coffee for her, and a tea for himself.
"Hope it tastes fine," Zico said, as he joined them on the couches.
Then, out of nowhere, Clementine realized that this was the same guy that was with the other friend, when she met them on the street during her walkabout from the beach club.
As if reading her mind, he then asked her if she has been taking any more beach walks alone, which made Zico look at her questionably, like he didn't know what his roommate was referring to.
"That's not always safe around here, Clementine," Zico said as if he was trying to keep his voice low but you could feel the thin veil of anger seeping through.
"I didn't, I mean...it doesn't matter," Clementine set her cup down on the small coffee table and instead took the joint that they started passing around.
She did't really want one, but also felt it would be rude to not partake in this with them, as odd as it seemed.
As soon as she took a hit, she felt a head rush and she was dizzy for a moment.
She handed it back to Zico, a bit unsteadily, and seeing her like that he quickly took a drag and handing back to the roommate, said, "Come on. We're going to take a walk."
