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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The bachelor party made her only slightly depressed.
It was beautiful, it was. A beach front restaurant, music and a company of other beautiful girls. Some familiar faces from school, but most of the other local or expat girls. Daughter of important people.
They all finalized the plans for the champagne coloured bridal dresses, and reviewed the seating arrangements. It was half brainstorm session / half drinking session.
Then all the girls started talking about their 'partners'. That's right, Clementine thought, at our age they have all partnered up. What is this, gym class?
Clementine then flashed back to only a partly traumatic memory of being one fo the last ones chosen for the softball team in elementary school gym classes just because it wasn't her forte, even if ballet was.
She was convinced that ballerinas were stronger than soccer players anyway, but she didn't complain out loud.
Then they all started contributing their own tidbits, and Clementine wondered how much of a reveal would be socially acceptable if she had to share. She decided not much and decided to be quiet.
But somehow, the attention turned to her anyway, and she wanted to sink in the hole. Any hole.
Mina, being Abel to read her like an open book, sensed her discomfort, tried to mo e the subject away. But it did little effect, and a pair of 8 beautiful eyes were staring at her, waiting for an answer.
"I'm...single." She said finally.
There was a beat of silence, until Rosalia, the prettier one of the girls said apologetically, "oh well, don't worry about it. You'll find someone soon," winking at her too. As if this was the biggest goal here.
I already found someone, Clementine thought, and then I lost him.
She wanted to turn away and be alone, sitting I the thought that she would never be understood ever in her life, or at least feel that way.
But soon enough, the sky started chasing into a golden orange, which would thaw even the coldest of hearts, and the champagne began to flow more freely. The music grew louder, and the restaurant the they rented out did not feel as empty anymore.
They all even danced, making their way to the beach area, kicking off their shoes.
Clementine even paused, realizing that this was the first time in a long time since Zico and their break-uo that she felt a genuine glimmer of happiness. Her initial instinct was that his was dangerous territory, knowing by muscle memory how easy it fades. But she decided to give into this destabilizing feeling, and damn it she deserved some happiness like the rest of them after all, didn't she?
Somewhere near the end of the night, when Mina was significantly drunker than the beginning of the evening, she came up to Clementine and hugged her really tight. And right before pulling away, she leaned in and whispered:
"I'm keeping your +1 is still open, you know, just in case."
