One Small Step Forward
Red sat in the hallway, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions. After Chloe had kicked her out of their room, she didn't know what to do. It was the first time she had ever experienced anything like this, and she felt helpless. Unable to make a decision, she had simply... decided to do nothing and stay there, motionless.
The hours passed slowly. Red mulled over every moment of the argument, berating herself for her inability to comfort Chloe and her clumsy words. She felt hopeless and alone, wondering how she could make things better.
When Bridget and Ella returned from their day of classes, they were surprised to find Red sitting in the hallway. "Red, what are you doing here?" Bridget asked, puzzled.
Red looked up at them tiredly. "Chloe kicked me out. She wanted to be alone, and I didn't want to make things worse by staying. »
Ella, realizing that Red had been there for hours, knelt down next to her, touched by her distress. "Red, how long have you been here?"
Red shrugged, unable to give a precise answer. "I don't know. A few hours, I guess."
Ella suddenly took pity on Red. She stood up and knocked on Chloe and Red's door, entering without waiting to be invited. "Chloe, can we talk?"
Chloe, still sitting on her bed, looked up, surprised by the intrusion. "What's wrong, Ella?"
Ella, arms crossed, stared at her sternly. "Did you really kick Red out?"
Chloe looked down, guiltily. "Yes, I asked him out. I needed to be alone."
Ella shook her head. "Do you know she's been sitting in the hallway for hours waiting to come back?"
Chloe was shocked to hear this. She thought Red would have moved, gone about her business, like school, and come back in the evening. She hadn't expected her to react like this. And now that she knew, she felt deeply guilty. "I... I didn't know. I thought she would do something else." She stood up hastily, her heart heavy with remorse.
Chloe went out into the hallway and saw Red sitting on the floor, as Ella had said, next to Bridget. Their eyes met, and Chloe saw tears welling up in Red's eyes. Without a word, she approached, gently took Red's hand, and led him into their room.
"Bridget, Ella, I'm sorry, but we need to talk alone," Chloe said. The two girls understood completely and left them in peace.
Once alone, Red curled up on her bed, feeling vulnerable. Chloe, saddened to see her like this because of her, sat down next to Red. Before she could even apologize, Red spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm really bad at comforting people. I didn't mean to hurt you with my sarcasm earlier. I just wanted to make you smile," she said, her voice shaking.
Chloe, touched by her words, apologized in turn. "I'm sorry too, Red. I shouldn't have kicked you out. I was just so frustrated and ashamed. But I never thought you'd be standing in the hallway for hours. Why didn't you move?"
Red shrugged, staring at her hands. "I don't know! I was helpless. I didn't know what to do, so I decided to just... do nothing."
The two girls exchanged a look, and a nervous chuckle escaped their lips. "That's typical of you, Red," Chloe said, smiling.
Red smiled back, feeling a little lighter. "Yeah, right. Sorry for being so clumsy."
Chloe, apologizing once again, dared to hug Red for the first time. Red blushed furiously at the gesture, placing a hesitant hand on Chloe's back. Chloe, feeling Red's warmth, blushed back.