Flirting and rapprochement
Chloe was deep in thought about her chemistry homework. She tried to remember what Red had explained to her, but she still felt a little lost in the face of these numbers and equations that, to her, made no sense. Sitting at her desk, she stared at her notebook, her pencil hovering over the blank page.
Across the room, Red was immersed in her phone, responding to messages and scrolling through articles. She suddenly noticed that Chloe had been thinking without writing for several minutes. Frowning, she silently approached from behind and glanced over her friend's shoulder.
She saw the incomplete equation and Chloe's confused look. With a smile, Red delicately snatched the pencil from Chloe's hands and wrote the answer to the equation without a word. Chloe turned to her, her eyes wide with surprise.
"How...?" " Chloe began, but Red simply shrugged.
"Just a little practice," Red replied with a smile.
Chloe, baffled, pleaded. "Please, Red, help me. I really can't figure this out."
Red readily agreed. "Okay, I'll help you." She sat down next to Chloe and began to patiently explain each step of the equation, guiding her through the complex concepts with a clarity and passion that surprised Chloe.
"You see," Red explained, tracing lines and symbols. "This equation represents a chemical reaction where the reactants turn into products. You just have to balance the atoms on both sides of the equation."
Chloe listened intently, her eyes following every movement of Red's hand. She felt the frustration slowly fade, replaced by a dawning understanding. "Red, you really are wonderful."
Red, with less sarcasm than she would have liked, replied. "Thanks, but I'll never be as smart as you."
Chloe shook her head. "Of course you are. We just have different strengths. On the other hand... what's true is that I'll never be as pretty as you."
Red, seriously and very shyly, replied. "Stop talking nonsense, Chloe. You're beautiful."
Their eyes met, and a moment of silence settled between them, loaded with emotion. Chloe felt her heart beat a little faster, while Red felt a strange and pleasant warmth invade his chest.
Over the next few days, the girls continued to spend time together, not really realizing that they were flirting more and more. They exchanged smiles, compliments, and teasing, creating an atmosphere of complicity and tenderness.
One afternoon, while they were having lunch in the refectory, Chloe watched Red with a playful smile. "Okay, Red... let's play a game, try to guess what I'm having for dessert."
Red raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh, a game? Okay... I bet it's something sweet and soft, like you."
Chloe blushed slightly, but she couldn't help but smile. "I... I don't know if it's "like me". But you're right, it's a strawberry pie."
Red smiled, appreciating the complicity that was developing between them. "And so what did I win?"
Chloe, seized with a certain audacity, approached... and kissed her cheek. Appreciating Red's blush that followed. "That."
One evening, while they were in their room, Chloe showed Red a new outfit she had bought. "What do you think?" she asked, spinning around.
Red, her eyes shining with admiration, answered sincerely. "You're beautiful, Chloe. This outfit suits you perfectly."
Chloe blushed, touched by the compliment. "Thanks, Red. You know, you should try on some new outfits too. I'm sure you'd look even cuter."
Red smiled shyly. "Maybe I will, if you come with me."
Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "My pleasure."
*****
In their own room, Ella and Bridget were discussing what they had noticed. "Have you seen how Red and Chloe have been acting lately?" Bridget asked.
Ella nodded. "Yeah, they flirt without even realizing it. It's adorable."
Bridget smiled. "They're meant to be together. They just need to realize what they feel."
Ella nodded. "Yeah, but it's going to take time."
"Well, in that case... maybe we should... You know? Encourage them," Bridget suggested.