The Anatomy of a Broken Heart //Completed//

13. Caleb

For the rest of the week I walked in a daze, as if a permanent fog had fallen onto the earth and I couldn't step out of it. I couldn't sleep or eat or concentrate on even the most menial activities, and my parents had noticed. There was no way in hell I was going to tell them that Farrah had dumped me unless I had a plan to get her back.

"So, darling," mom began on Wednesday at the dinner table. "Have you and Farrah decided if you are going to your father's fundraiser together, or are you going to force her to skip it like last year?"

Damn. I'd forgotten completely about the fundraiser. Dad held it annually to gain funds for the hospital and the trials his patients participated in. I'd gone to every single one of these things since he started hosting them when he became co-director of the hospital when I was ten. They were boring as hell and the food sucked. Last year, Farrah and I had decided to skip it and host our own party at the lake house.

Mom's face was reproaching as she chewed her food slowly, waiting for me to answer. I gave her a noncommittal shrug and kept my eyes on my food. Luckily, dad was still at work, or he would have drilled me until I confessed that Farrah and I weren't going because in fact, she dumped my ass. The only reason mom didn't know about this yet was because she didn't get along with Mrs. St. James. They never talked on the phone or visited with each other, and as far as I knew, they only tolerated each other whenever they were together. Luckily.

"I haven't seen her around the house this week, Caleb. Is there something you'd like to tell-"

"Excuse me ma'am." Nanny came into the dining room. "There's a gentleman on the line asking for you. He says there's been a problem with the venue for Mr. Rosethorn's fundraiser next Saturday."

Mom rolled eyes slightly and sighed. "Well, then I better go see what's happened." When she was gone, Nanny came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. She was a few years younger than my grandmother but looked older. All those years of manual labor took a toll on a person, I was sure. Something I'd never have to live through, thankfully.

"Caleb, you're going to have to tell them."

"Not if I can get her back before Saturday."

"And do you have a plan for that?"

I didn't have a clue how I'd do it, but it was going to happen.

"Here's a plan: we ditch your dad's lame fundraiser and have another party at the lake house." Ansel and I stood in the school courtyard with Adriana and her twin brother Daniel. The sun above fought to break through the rainclouds above us and I pushed my hands into my pockets, hiding them from the cold air.

"And have a repeat of last weekend? I don't think so," I scoffed.

On the other side, Farrah was speaking to Mrs. Rodriguez about something, a huge folder in her hands. Mrs. R was the head of the Student Council committee, so I figured they were speaking logistics. The excitement in Farrah's face about whatever they were talking about stabbed at my chest. She seemed too fine, too at peace with everything that happened. Like she hadn't taken my heart and crushed it between her perfectly manicured hands. A cold blooded killer.

"Ew, tramp alert," I heard Adriana sing song beside me. Her eyes shifted towards the doors and I watched as Santana walked into the courtyard silently as a pretty brunette talked animatedly at her side.

"Look at her makeup. It looks like she has two black eyes instead of that awful purple eyeshadow," she laughed. Ansel turned to her and open his mouth as if to say something, only to snap it shut.

"I don't know, Audrey. I think she's kinda pretty," said Daniel.

"Ugh you would, Dany. You'd do anything that gave your ugly ass the time of day."

"May I remind you we're twins and look exactly the same? So, congratulations. You played yourself."

Thankfully the bell rang before Dany could bite back and we began making our way towards class.

"Mr. Rosethorn!" Mrs. Rodriguez caught up to me before I could jump into the safety of my morning Calculus class. "How are you today?"

"Doing great, Mrs. R. How about yourself?"

She gave me a pretty smile that I wouldn't have bothered returning on my best day. Her enthusiasm for life always seemed to overshadow everyone else's indifference, so she never actually noticed if we meant what we said. "Your mother called me this morning and asked me to invite you to help out on our next Student Council project. She said you could use the extracurriculars since you've yet to decide on a school.

"I...what?"

"So, we're opening the year with the production of West Side Story along with the Theatre students, and today after school, we'll begin working on set building. You're coming in a little late, but I'm sure we can find a spot for you to help out in." Again, her smile was so blinding, I almost didn't notice when she walked away, leaving me stunned and unable to thoroughly reject her offer, because hell no was I going to waste my time playing carpenter for some theatre nerds.

"Oh, Caleb. Miss St. James is heading the committee on this project, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask her."

On the other hand...