Explosion and emotions
Chemistry class had started as usual. The students were divided into small groups, each busy performing a basic experiment. Red, focused, mixed her solutions precisely. Next to her, Chloe, who had never been very comfortable with chemistry, followed the instructions as best she could.
The task seemed simple: you had to mix two substances to create a moderate reaction. But for Chloe, chemistry was a real puzzle. As she poured a liquid into a beaker, a small explosion suddenly occurred. Although not very impressive, it had the effect of filling the entire room with smoke.
The students let out gasps of surprise and rushed towards the emergency exit. The teacher, making sure that everyone evacuated safely, couldn't help but give Chloe a stern look, who stood there, helpless.
Chloe felt a wave of shame wash over her. She wasn't used to feeling so incompetent, and this emotion, rare for her, devastated her. She hated this feeling of vulnerability and failure.
Red, observing Chloe's distress, tried to comfort her with teasing sarcasm. "Well, at least you managed to make the chemistry... explosive."
Chloe looked up at Red, his features marked by sadness and discouragement. His helpless gaze made Red falter. It was the first time she had felt so touched by someone else's emotions. She suddenly felt helpless, not knowing how to fix the situation.
Chloe, on the verge of tears, turned on her heel and almost ran back to their room. Red, panicked, quickly followed, eager to apologize and make amends.
When she entered the room, Chloe was sitting on her bed, her face buried in her hands. Red approached quietly. "Chloe, I'm sorry... I just wanted to make you smile."
But Chloe, on edge, burst out. "You don't understand, Red! I hate feeling so incompetent and ridiculous. And your joke only made it worse!"
Red, upset, tried to find the right words. "I... I didn't mean to hurt you, really. I'm sorry, Chloe."
Chloe, on edge, looked up at her with teary eyes. "Why is it so hard for you to understand that not everyone bounces back from life's blows so easily?" »
Red felt helpless. She had never been good at apologizing or comforting. "I... I don't know what to say, Chloe. I'm so sorry."
Chloe, still angry, let out a frustrated sigh. "Maybe you should go outside. I need to be alone."
Red nodded, her heart heavy. She didn't want to make things worse. "Okay. I... I'll leave you then." She left the room, feeling terrible.
Alone in the hallway, Red leaned against the wall, her heart tight. She thought back to Chloe's sad face, to her hurtful words. Why did it affect her so much? Why did she feel this pain in her chest when she thought back to her friend's distress?
She realized that Chloe's emotions affected her more than she wanted to admit. She felt responsible for Chloe's pain, and it troubled her deeply. For the first time, she wondered if friendship meant being so affected by the other's emotions. This discovery left her perplexed and upset, but she knew she had to find a way to fix things.
Red stood there in the hallway, thinking about the best way to help Chloe and regain her trust. She was ready to do anything to repair this budding relationship that was beginning to matter to her.
In the bedroom, Chloe wiped away her tears, her heart heavy. She felt guilty for having reacted so violently towards Red, especially knowing that her friend had clumsily tried to comfort her. But the shame and frustration she had felt in class were too intense.
Chloe felt torn between her emotions. On the one hand, she understood that Red had not meant to hurt her. On the other, she could not bear the idea of having shown her vulnerability in this way. She wondered if she had been too hard on Red, but at this moment, she needed time to calm her thoughts and soothe her heart.