When you think about a clementine, you picture a small, sweet fruit that can fit in the palm of your hand. They fill your tongue with a saccharine taste you practically have to smile at. Juice dripping down your hand and happy slurps to shed a light in the middle of a dark winter.

Clementine Sheffield, more often referred to as Clem, was anything but. She was tall, towering over me at close to six feet, and was more likely to fill your belly with laughter while she discussed her hatred for humanity than fill you with a sweetness. She was loud, eccentric, dressed in bold colors and patterns that made her look like she stepped off the pixels of an Instagram post (which she most often had, she was a wildly successful fashion blogger). She was sharp as a tack and wasn't afraid to use her knowledge against anyone. Impulsive, creative, imaginative. She was nothing like an actual clementine, which is why she stood as my best friend.

Clem was a presence, exemplified in her entrance into Mugs. She opened the door with a whoosh, complete with an enormous floral-patterned overcoat and teetering on black pleather heeled boots. She placed her sunglasses on her head and announced herself with a "Julia, darling!" before strolling over to the countertop which I stewed behind.

I know what you're thinking. Don't get me wrong, the first time I met her I desperately wished I hadn't. It was two weeks after graduation, two weeks after I had left home for the city. She had come into Mugs and someone had bumped into her, spilling her coffee straight down her designer blouse (yes, it was designer. I know Clem). I listened to her bitch for about two minutes before saying I would buy her a new one if she'd shut the hell up.

She turned to me, grinned wickedly, and said she'd very kindly take me up on that offer. We weren't friends then, no way. Well, Clem, I suppose, thought we were. Multiple times a week she'd come in and talk to me, insisting my cynicism was a perfect match for hers. Eventually she wore me down, and I started to believe her.

"Hey, C," I said while sweeping some stray grounds off the counter. "What's up?"

Her crimson nail pulled a hair from her chocolate-colored cheek. "Just finished Econ, such a drag. Why is it that there's always an obnoxious privileged guy in my class that thinks he's smarter than me?"

"Because men are vastly intimidated by you," I mused while occupying myself with other small tasks. Tim left a list he called 'Super fun things to do when there's no customers' and now was, unfortunately, one of those times.

"There was what, less than five minutes left in class? People were already packing up and he has the nerve to interrupt me to make a counterpoint to my counterpoint! Seriously! Just let it go! Even the teacher was giving me a look that said 'this fucking guy.'"

I gave her a knowing look and smirked. "You knew when you decided to do business you would be surrounded by straight, white guys who are incapable of being wrong."

"Business entrepreneurship," Clementine corrected. "And that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

My head leaned back towards the menu board. "What'll it be?"

She tilted her eyes towards the large chalkboard. "Raspberry mocha or cinnamon roll?"

"Raspberry mocha, always," I replied, turning my back to start pulling the espresso. Typically, I would make her whatever size she wanted but only charger her for a small, and Clementine took full advantage of the extra caffeine to get through her monster of a course load. In return she offered me some of the mail-in products her fashion blog brought in, if I had any interest. I was currently wearing a hundred-dollar perfume she had deemed too sweet of a scent for her.

"You know me too well, Bent." I handed her the drink and she sat down at one of the bar stools. "Tell me about your day." Somehow, Clementine had a habit of making you feel as if you were cast in a TV show dramedy instead of real life. I could never quite figure out why.

I gestured around me. "It's been this. At this point I'm practically bleeding coffee. I've got class in an hour and then rehearsal later."

Clem placed her chin on her hand. "Ooh, exciting. The inter-workings of Julia as she tries not to strangle anybody at the local coffee shop." Her eyebrows rose and fell as she took a sip from her drink. "Fascinating."

"Stop it, you're far too close to the truth. I nearly chewed a hole in my fucking tongue today I was biting it so hard."

"Don't do that, I'll have no one to rant about society with if you can't talk." She studied her long fingernails. "How's the play going? Is everyone still kissing little-miss-perfect's ass?"

I rolled my eyes. I had told Clementine about Julie after the initial argument at the audition, for no other reason than I wanted to have a good laugh at the girl that almost got cast in my play. Now that my nightmare had come true, Clem was more than supportive and ready to shit on Julie at a moment's notice. "We have a truce now, kind of."

Clementine nearly spit-up her raspberry mocha. "Sorry, I thought I was talking to Julia Bent. She's the current nominee for the 'Rest of the World Sucks but Especially Julie Abbey' Award."

I looked at her pointedly. "You've done better," I said dryly, referring to her retort.

She pouted. "I know. Econ class asshole has me off my game."

"Bastard," I said supportively before continuing on. "Hoffstadt kicked us out of the auditorium yesterday. I was waiting for the bus and we kind of talked. We agreed to cool it for the sake of the show." The show, my show. The one I still couldn't understand why I had to compromise on.

Clementine feigned shock. "You talked? What the hell did you and Julie Abbey even talk about? Is she even capable of talking about anything else besides her theater awards and the fact that she doesn't know how to condition her hair properly?" After I called to rant Clem had stalked Julie's social media accounts accordingly, concluding that Julie needed to leave the stage for more than five minutes at a time and that she had bad split ends in desperate need of a deep conditioner

"Hamilton."

Clementine snickered. "Ah, musicals bringing people together in the modern age. Perhaps the Golden Years are still here, yet!"

"You're hysterical, really."

"And you're a dork. What is it with you theater people? I swear I never hear anything but show tunes coming from your phone." On multiple occasions, Clem also noted that I, too, needed to "Get the hell out of the theater sometimes" and wasn't afraid to call me out on it. I chose not to mention that Tim allowed us to play our own music on the sound system and that 'One Day More' was currently ringing through the atmosphere.

"I prefer the term 'Theatrically Well-Rounded. Besides, successful directors have to be obsessed with all this stuff."

Clementine scoffed. "Oh please, you work harder than anyone I know. I'll be walking down your red carpet before you know it." I had no doubt that her fantasy also included numerous photographers shouting 'Who are you wearing?' at the top of their lungs while she walked by. She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe that you and Bubbles actually talked. I can't believe she even said something that someone else hadn't written for her on a script."

After I had told the story of Julie's audition to her, Clem had gotten a real kick out of my 'Miss Bubbly Princess' comment. Ever since she had decided it was the perfect nickname, shortening it to Bubbles and using it freely in reference to Julie.

"It was fine, really. Slightly awkward and felt like she was trying too hard, but not terrible." I pulled my apron over my head as Gary walked in to relieve me of my shift. "I've had worse conversations with bigger assholes."

"Story of my life," Clem replied, raising her cup of coffee before grabbing my arm as we strolled out of the coffee shop.

Ahhh I'm so sorry this took so long I had an absolutely insane few weeks and this chapter was really hard to write because it was more about the characters than an event and yah. Speaking of which what did you guys think of Clementine? She's really fun to write about so I think I'm going to include her more than I intended but we'll see. Let me know in the comments what you think do you like her do you not what do you think of her and Julia's friendship?  I also added to the cast list for her she's played by Michaela Coel (shoutout to all the Michaela's in the world we rock) 

Just because March was literally hell for me I just want you all to know that you're wonderful and great and congratulations you made it to April go you! <3

Song: Girls by The 1975

If you like this book don't forget to vote, comment and share it with all your friends (because yes I have no shame)! I give dedications to everyone who comments so get on that shit. Speaking of which...

Super delayed because this took so long to post but dedication to @DarkWolf13 for their comment on the first part of this story!

PSA if anyone reading this has also read my book Once I just posted something the other day about a fun thing I'm doing involving me writing a one-shot for that book that you guys get to pick so if you liked that book go ahead and check that out!

Love, 

Michaela