The Anatomy of a Broken Heart //Completed//

66. Caleb

Farrah called me this morning. When I saw her face pop up on my screen I felt nothing but surprise. No pitter patter of my heart, no sweaty anticipation, just wonder at what she could possibly want. When I answered, her voice sounded like an automated machine. Like those recordings telemarketers use to tell people they've won a trip to the Bahamas to scam them into giving them their credit card number. Farrah was trying to scam me into helping out with the play. I'd made the commitment already, but I guess she hadn't notice how many times I'd shown up.

"Can you come by and help every day after school this week? We need all the hands we can get. I'm going down the line and calling everyone who's helped."

"Ah, so it wasn't to hear my angelic voice one last time?"

A pause. Then, "Can you make it or not?"

"Are you going to call Santana?"

"I figured you could do that seeing as you're practically married. What with you taking her to the cabin this weekend."
I could hear the rage in her measured tone. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as I would've liked. "Are you jealous Farrah?"

"Just be there." Then the line went dead and I threw myself back onto my bed while my wet hair seeped water onto my pillow.

I should've just said no and been done with it, but Ansel had actually already asked me to help. There were only six days till opening night and he was a mess of nerves. I think he really needed me there for moral support, even if he knew I'd tease him until his dying day about it. Still, I couldn't say no to him, so I got up, got dressed and went to buy breakfast before picking him up for school.

It was lunch time by the time I saw her, surrounded by her usual band of not-so-merry men. Santana sat atop one of the concrete lunch tables outside in the courtyard, huddled into her parka, her hair hanging like dark curtains around her face, but I'd recognize her anywhere. Just the shape of who she was, was familiar to me now, and I hadn't realized how much I was aware of her presence until now. Maria sat next to her on one of the benches, with Zealand and Marlow, chatting about something animatedly. Ansel walked ahead of me before I could stop him and went up to his girlfriend. I went after him, already feeling the heat rising in my neck. Santana didn't notice me until she looked up at the sound of Ansel calling Maria's name. Beneath her artificial blush, I saw her getting redder and realized just how awkward this post-kiss time was. Before, when we were at the cabin, we were in a state of limbo, where whatever we did had no impact because we weren't in reality. Now, everything had changed. At least for me.

"What's up?" I greeted no one in particular. They all sort of mumbled a vague acknowledgment and went on doing whatever they were doing before. Zealand had a sketch pad in front of him and I wondered what he was drawing as I stood there awkwardly, hovering above everyone sitting. I tried not to look at her but my eyes had a will of their own and kept sliding away from the pebble on the floor I'd trained them on and landed on her. She had a book open on her lap but I couldn't see what she was reading.

My hands were freezing and I pushed them into my jacket where I kept my phone. It buzzed about five times and I pulled it out and clicked open the texts from Farrah with numb fingers. "Great," I sighed and I noticed her eyes flicked up to meet mine for a fraction of a fraction of a second before going back to the book.

"I gotta go," I told my cousin. "Farrah needs help in the theatre. She said to take you with me."

"No, don't go." Maria wrapped her arms around Ansel's neck and held him tightly. He laughed into her neck and came up to give her a deep kiss.

"Ugh, could you guys save that for when I'm not here? Or extinct?" Santana finally spoke, looking disgustedly at her sister.

"It's just a kiss," Ansel said, grabbing Maria's face between his hands and kissing her dramatically, almost dipping her back for added effect. "Nothing you haven't done before."