Trial & Error ✓

13 | caleb & teddy

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caleb & teddy

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THE DINNER HAD went well. Of course, the anecdote about my heritage and adoption was a little bit more of an extra touch than I had asked for, but I gladly was able to smooth it into something else that was more comfortable with me to talk about. Besides, Caleb was a lot more excited to talk about his workouts — a topic sure to make my mouth water — at the local gym. Maybe he didn't know how he was doing it or that he was doing it at all, but something about the way he was talking to me about it with such enthusiasm made it so easy to fall into.

Because in that moment, I think he's more than just a crush. I didn't know how much more, but it was there, the feeling that he gave me being unable to classify correctly.

When dinner had ended — or in other words, when Kevin snatched the last quesadilla before anyone else could — Laney said she had date night planned for tonight, so they left out to go to a movie. I, of course, knew that the date night she planned was meant for Caleb and I and that this was just another scheme on her part, but I didn't fight it. Not when things were going so well right now. Maybe sometimes you needed to just go with the flow.

And the flow had led to us sitting out on the balcony, continuing our conversation with the whistling of the cool, summer's night air and the sound of vehicle wheels rolling on the asphalt below.

"So you're there day in and day out," I asked, twirling a lock of hair around my finger as I watched him sit in the chair opposite to me. "That sure seems like a lot of time for someone with so little to work on. You look amazing, Caleb."

He blushed, directing his gaze out over the balcony. "Thanks, Marilyn, but there are some people out there who don't really seem to think so. A special someone in particular."

My heart fell into my chest, dropping like an anchor to the ocean floor. Of course, he was pining over someone else, it was just my luck. The guy was too damn beautiful to not be emotionally available, it just didn't work like that in the real world.

"My personal trainer is a piece of work," he added as an afterthought. "It's like nothing I do makes him think that I've reached my goals."

Okay, I was back in the game again. I felt my heart swell with joy from hearing that it was a trainer and not a lover he was trying to impress.

"Have you ever considered switching your trainer for a new one," I asked. "You don't want to over-exert yourself, or become one of those body builder types with the scary muscles and the horrid spray tans."

For some reason, at that, Caleb burst into laughter, doubling over at what I said although I only considered it to be on a light-chuckle level of funny. He was gripping the handles of his chair to keep himself from falling over and I didn't know if he really thought I was a comedian or if he was just laughing so hard in order to flirt with me and make me think I was hilarious. Either way, I didn't know what to do about his reaction besides fold my hands in my lap and watch him.

It begged the question: how well did I know Caleb? I wanted to sit there and think about it, but I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. When I withdrew it, I was met with quite a surprise in fact. It wasn't from Teddy or Theo, but my art professor from college. One thing I knew from my eighteen years in the American schooling system was that if a teacher was trying to get in touch with you, then that meant nothing good would be coming out of it.

Opening up the text to expand the details of it, I found that he had sent me a long letter that began with an apology. That only meant that this was the worst news possible.