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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"Let me drive you home!" Finally, the one in the red shorts found her as she was getting off the boat.
She wondered if he was in the right condition, but at that point she didn't mind a free ride home.
Even though she came from a wealthy family, her parents essentially cut her off financially. This was part of their deal when she came back.
Clementine nodded and thought that maybe she herself was not in the right state of mind either.
"Buen," then getting his stuff, he whistled to the other guy, "we're leaving!" He touted across the beach.
And it occurred to Clementine that form an outsiders perspective, this whole leaving in cars with boys was emoting she did often but it really wasn't. She wax't quite sure why it kept happening to her as of late.
As she waited for the guy to gather his stuff, she remembered that she left Zico's latest message.
She read it again.
Ever heard of Daime?
No, of course not. She thought to herself.
As soon as she got in the car with the nice, random man, and as he started the ignition she asked him straight out, realizing she didn't care as much about him - so accessible and right in front of her- as about understanding Zico.
"Ever heard of Daime?" Clementine blurted out suddenly.
He looked at her for a moment and laughed, flicking the sunglasses from his nose to his eyes.
"Woah, girl, don't get yourself in deep water there," he said, pulling out of the club.
"Okay, well, you clearly know what it is and I'd really like to know what it is," Clementine said, wondering if she was coherent. She knew what she wanted to say but she wasn't sure why it was so hard to express herself!
"I'll make you a deal," he started, taking a road a bit unfamiliar to her, "you let me take you out to eat and I'll tell you all about Daime."
Clementine sat back in her seat and exhaled, "You mean and your deals!" Realizing she had nowhere else to be, she decided to go with the flow. "Fine." She said simply.
"Well, how do I explain it to you?"
The were sitting in a terrace restaurant that served large amounts of meat outside, and he was peering at her suggestively, as if she was supposed to be impressed that he took her here, like this.
"Daime," he continued, "is a sort of religion."
Oh, Clemetnine thought to herself, so he's religious? Some sort of missionary trip?
"Where the large focus of it is - erhm how do you say it - ayahuasca," he said, taking piece of chicken heart meat in his mouth.
"Oh," Clementien said, she's heard of it but it was not something she was expecting. So it's a bender, she thought to herself.
"Why so curious anyway? He inquired into her own curiosity.
"Nothing. I mean, I know someone, who is doing something like this. Right now," Clementine looked at all the meat in front of her and realized she was not so hungry anymore.
The guy across from her laughed, "well, this someone must be feeling really good right about now. But I wouldn't bet on it, the comedowns are brutal. And sometimes the trip lasts a long time. The ceremonies take weeks. And if you have a bad trip, its no bueno. Freaky."
"Have you ever done it?" She asked him, sticking to the vegetable selection, nibbling on a pepper.
"Me? No. I have some friends who did though. It's quite common for tourism around here though. We get people from all over the world to try it." Then, after a moment of looking at her, he pointed at her, "like you."
Clementine suddenly felt a deep sense of longing.
She had this boy in front of her, clearly trying to get her to be a full participant in this makeshift date, but all she could think about was Zico. He was a layer of mysteries. Why is he doing this? How does he feel? Where is he?
Clementine tried to smile through the rest of the meal, but felt a distance between herself and the present.
When he finally drove her back (she didn't tell him the exact address but the community - she knew better now), he kept the car doors locked and she panicked a little bit.
"Give me your phone," he said.
She handed it over silently, not sure where this was going.
He took it form her hands and started typing something.
"That's my number," he said, and handing it back to her he didn't actually let of the phone until he said, "call me. I mean it."
Clementine nodded again and then they did some awkward hug when he clearly wanted to kiss her, and Clementine slithering away like a snake left the car quickly.
She had a strange feeling. One of simultaneous gratitude and disgust.
The sun was already setting, and the evening blue was flooding the streets.
It got dark as soon as she reached her front door.
