Clementine

chapter 3

3

Clementine tried to unpack, but it seemed her thoughts were nearly as jumbled as her clothes, and her jewelry was all just tangled up beads.

What now? She thought to herself.

Recently, she realized that she'd been going 60 miles an hour without any stop signs. 60 miles an hour until she crashed. Now, she'd have to figure out her next steps and she'd have to be smart about it.

Though she was lucky to an extent to come from a family like hers, her dad was right, she had nowhere else to go.

There were a few friends that offered her places to stay, but it felt like she couldn't totally trust any of them. Most of her friends were night owls like her and partook in the same debauchee activities.

There was also a boy. A beautiful, charismatic boy who loved and left her and then came back, until she had to leave him herself. Together they were the king and queen of the night. Until all of the fireworks exploded.

He was partly to blame, she thought. He introduced her to that otherworldly world of possibilities. Of false freedom.

But may it was only a matter of time before she'd get wrapped up in it all herself.

And even though she was determined to change her life, old habits nevertheless died hard.

She thought, no she knew, that actually a party, a little dancing would do her some good. Clear her head, maybe.

Nothing like what she used to do. Just some innocent fun.

She went out into the large garden, book in hand, but really hoping to find Laticia so she could probe her with some questions.

Luckily, she was tending to some bushes with the kind of exotic flowers you don't find in New York City.

"Hey Laticia," Clementine approached her with a smile.

"Hey there, chica, how's it going?" Laticia smiled, not stopping the work.

"Oh you know, not much. Except I heard there's a party tonight," Clementine said casually and at that Laticia stopped snipping the branches and turned to far Clementine.

"Clementine, you know your father wouldn't approve of that. Plus, you have an important dinner tonight," Laticia said with a worried look on her face, but Clementine could also sense some lenience behind her eyes.

"Yes, but it's not like he can control my every move, I'm not a child anymore. Please, will you think about taking me?" It has been a long time since Clementine sneaked out of the house the way she did when she was a teenager, but she felt she could still do it even though she felt silly doing so.

"We'll see." Pursing her lips, Laticia returned to her work.

Clementine opted for a light mint romper, and hair down. She put on her favorite necklace - a ruby stone from her mom - as it always made her feel better, and a little safer.

She would, after all have to 'put on a face' as her mom called it.

She knew this was an important dinner tonight, and she wasn't about to go burn down her whole family's reputation just yet.

Clementine had this nagging need to make herself useful, so she showed up to the kitchen earlier and just started to help set the table. Bringing the salad bowls from the kitchen to the dining room.

Since their house was on a hill, there were several place in their large house where you could see a striking view of the city and the water. The dining room was one of these places.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Ernesto attempted to stop her, but she just kept going.

"I'm fine, Ernesto," Clementine replied sort of annoyingly.

As nice as it was to have help around, she also hated not doing anything and feeling, well, useless.

"Laticia tells me you overheard out convo today, huh?" Ernesto was setting up the plates on the table and said quietly to Clementine, who paused and looked at him.

"Yes," she said, not sure how he would respond, but seeing that he wasn't angry she went on. "I was hoping you could take me," she said plainly.

"We're leaving at 11pm, after we finish cleaning up. Meet us in the garage," Ernesto winked at her in a friendly manner and that was all he had to say until her mother came into the room.

With a new assuredness about how her night was going to go, Clementine felt much better that she at least had something to look forward to and maybe this dinner was not going to be so bad after all. She smiled at her mother who looked concerned that Clementine was setting up the kitchen table.

"Just checking in to see how everything is," she scanned her eyes over the arrangements, and with a satisfaction nodded to Ernesto, "a drink perhaps?"

"Right away," Ernesto slid out of the dining room and into the kitchen to prepare the classic Brazilian Caipirinha, which he always did so well since he had a special way of preparing it.

"Now we don't wanna be off the rails when the guests come, but one drink wouldn't hurt now would it," Joy, elegantly sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "Oh drop the house making, and come sit for a minute, won't you?"

Clementine went over to her mother and realized how much she actually missed her from college.

"I missed you," she said, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Oh, I missed you too," her mother hugged her then leaned away, "but that doesn't mean I'm happy with your results. I may not know everything that happened up there, but I have a feeling it wasn't all books, now was it?"

Clementine looked away into the far away ocean through their window, feeling an invisible pull to find refuge in the sea.

"I just don't understand," her mother continued, "it is so unlike you. You were such a good girl."

To be honest, Joy didn't know the half of it. The excess with which she lived once she finally got a taste of freedom. Though, paradoxically, that freedom only further entrapped her.

Then, Ernesto walked in with their drinks, and Clementine took hers, cautiously.

"But then again," Joy said, taking a sip of her Caipirinha, " I guess that's what I get for keeping you caged up for so long."