What goes down in the science lab

Chapter 10 ~ The confusion

"Hey blondie!" Kaeya spread his arms open as he welcomed the blonde and his energetic little sister.

"Thanks for the invite, Kaeya." Albedo stepped in and Klee ran up to him.

"Big bro Kaeya!" She squealed as Kaeya picked her up and spun her around.

"Hey Spark knight Klee!" He chuckled back at her before they went to the dining room.

"Hello Mr Crepus." Albedo shook the smiling old man before taking a seat. Diluc was already there, talking with Klee about Jean.

"Hello to you, Albedo. How's the project going?" Crepus sat down across Albedo.

"Good. Should be done soon." Albedo took an empty plate and began to fill it up with food. The dining room was filled with lively chatter, with Klee making the most chaos. Soon the siblings had to leave for their dorm.

The next few days, Childe has noticed that Zhongli has been avoiding him ever since he asked him to be his date. And Albedo's been trying as hard as possible not to throw every single thing at arms length at him, be it a book, pen or table if he must. That brunette has been rambling about how this wasn't going to work out and that Childe would call it off anytime soon. But they kept their patience with him even though eating was still a difficulty. Meanwhile, Kaeya also noticed the same thing with his friend's prom date and that Albedo was a lot more irritated these past few days, clenching his fists whenever disturbed.

"Hey, blondie. Is everything okay?" Kaeya glanced warily at him.

"Yes, it's just...Zhongli is being a fucking idiot!" Albedo slammed his head on the table. They were inside the science lab, waiting for class to start. Kaeya stared at the blonde mess of hair on the table, surprised that he cursed.

"How so?"

"Confidential! Which is why I'm so pissed!"

"How can I help?"

"We're trying our best but he can't even look Childe in the eye! How is he supposed to be his date if they can't even look at each other?!"

"Maybe I could talk to him? We aren't close but we're friends."

"Thank you!"

They stopped talking as the teacher came in. Kaeya listened but kept glancing at Childe, who sat a few seats behind. Zhongli wasn't looking nor talking or even acknowledging his existence. He saw how dejected Childe looked as he heard they finished their project last week so they had no good reason to talk with each other. The tense period went by and soon, it was over. Kaeya saw Zhongli bolt for the exit but grabbed his hand. Albedo nodded and then went up to Childe to talk with him.

"Wha-? Kaeya?" Zhongli turned to see who it was. Kaeya just pulled him over to an empty corridor. Making sure no one was there, Kaeya turned to face the brunette (Zhongli is shorter so the top of his head reaches Childe's eyebrows).

"Are you alright? Albedo told me you've been avoiding Childe." Kaeya placed a hand on Zhongli's shoulder as reassurance. When he asked this, tears welled up in Zhongli's eyes and before he knew it, he was crying.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this but yes, I've been avoiding him because I'm too scared that he won't like me or that I'm ugly or I mess up our friendship. I feel like a burden to Noelle even though she doesn't care and she reminds me of this yet and, and...my life's a mess!" Zhongli blurted all this out in the midst of sobbing hard. "I wish I was like Lumine! She's cute, pretty, perfect and rich! I-I...I'm just a stupid orphan with no purpose in life!"

Kaeya extended another hand in comfort but instead, Zhongli ran forward and hugged him.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. Um...can I tell this to Childe?" Kaeya looked down at the brunette.