CAPO

2. The Meeting.

Cleo was never one to laugh at Arabella.

But seeing her hunched over the toilet bowl and even laughing herself, Cleo couldn't help it.

It was the next morning and Cleo mentally thanked herself for not drinking that much last night. She merely had a deep, dull throbbing in her head but she was content with that after seeing Arabella nearly throw her lungs up.

Men bombarded them with drinks the second they got off the dance floor. They took them all, grateful. Arabella wasn't necessarily a lightweight, she just had different reactions to different drinks. Vodka made her happy, rum made her mad and tequila made her sad. Vodka and tequila then confused her body and she was laughing and crying after a few drinks, and that's when Cleo decided it was time to leave.

It was eight in the morning now and Marcus was still sound asleep in their bed while Cleo held Arabella's hair back and rubbed her back, cracked a few jokes in hopes it'll make her stop crying.

"I feel like a fucking squid,"

"That's specific," Cleo teased, making the girl laugh. Or cry. She couldn't tell. Arabella's phone went off and a second later, Marcus was in the bathroom, holding it out to Arabella.

"Who is that?"

"The school," He said.

Arabella paled, jumped up and rinsed her mouth clean, clearing her throat. "Hello!"

"Hello, miss Jones. We have some news. We're having a meeting today with the investor for the school and also with headquarters. Would it be too much of a bother if you came along? Miss Phillips came down with a nasty cold so we need someone to sit in for her."

Arabella held back a tired sigh as Mrs Taylor, the deputy headmistress of Primrose Primary school. Arabella cleared her throat gently, "That wouldn't be a bother. When do I have to be there?"

"Half an hour, miss Jones,"

Arabella mouthed a string of curse words, vomit burned bright in her throat. She muttered that she'd be there and a quick goodbye before she glassed the phone to Cleo, crouching down at the toilet again as she vomited.

Half an hour later, Arabella was dressed in a white skirt and a light blue blouse, her hair brushed and held behind her head by a clip. She brushed her teeth three times, just to make sure. Cleo did her makeup and left her car for Arabella, no matter how much she protested and said she'd take a cab.

She was sat in front of the school, downing a large flask of water. Her hangover had her by the throat and she wondered if she would even get through this meeting without throwing up.

She saw a few teacher pile into the large white school gates and she took that as a sign that she should get her shit together and make her way inside. And that's what she did. She walked quickly, her short heels clacking on the polished floors of the school yard. The garden was her favourite place to sit and whenever it was lunch, she would sit in the sun, munching on a bag of stale Doritos as she read a book.

She entered the office, greeting Doris, the secretary before she passed by her, making her way to the principals' office. The door was closed and anxiousness brewered in her chest on whether she should knock, just open it, or wait.

She waited.

She scrabbled in her purse for chapstick, completely unaware of the man turning the corner. She found it and applied the cherry lipbalm to her lips, thankful for thr moisture seeping into her chapped lips.

"Hungover?"

She yelped, slapping her hand on her chest. The man rounded her, now standing in front of her and she parted her lips in surprise. Her chest ached suddenly, making her exhale a long, straggle breath.