Once Upon An Enchanted Ball ( A Rise of Red/Glassheart Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Chloe and Red's Semi-Day Off

"And then I thought she was going in for a kiss! A kiss! Of all things! I'm so fucking stupid."

Chloe was pacing around her dorm room, her movements quick and erratic, as if the walls were closing in on her. Her hands were tangled in her curls, tugging at them as if they might help her untangle the mess of thoughts running through her mind. Her face was flushed, a deep shade of red that rivalled even the tomatoes served at the school cafeteria.

And Bridget was enjoying every second of it.

Red would coin what Chloe was going through right now as a 'Bridget Moment'. Stressed over something that probably wasn't as consequential as the other pile of worries within her life, or the world around her. And with the subject matter at hand, Chloe was glad Red had been taking her sweet time to visit that day.

After that interruption, the walk back to the dorm between the two was silent. Tension between the two seemed to be as thick as wood before Chad's constant whining caused Red to call it quits for the night.

It was officially the day before the big night and to say Red's silence was slowly driving Chloe crazy would be an understatement. It was hard not to overthink when all she could think about was Red.

It's why at this moment, early on a Thursday morning, Chloe finally confesses what happened a couple nights prior and Bridget is more than happy to hear. She was right, afterall, what's more exciting than hearing that?

Bridget is sprawled out comfortably on Chloe's bed with a bag of chips in hand. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched her friend's dramatics unfold. "First of all, no swearing in the dorm. Do you kiss princesses with that potty mouth?" she quipped.

Chloe shot her a glare, though the effect was lessened by the way her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Bridget, this isn't funny! I made a complete fool of myself, and now Red probably thinks I'm insane..or a pervert."

Bridget raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, please. If anything, Red's type is insane. I'm sure she's into you either way."

As much as Bridget would find great joy in shaking Chloe's shoulders and telling her just how much Red really did like her, she had an oath to stick by. She was going to have to keep this to herself, no matter how much it was killing her.

Chloe's face somehow managed to turn even redder at the comment. "But she's not into me." she protested, her voice taking on a higher pitch. "And even if she was, I blew it by acting like a complete idiot..."

"I mean maybe if you just acknowledged your feelings for her earlier-"

Chloe groaned, flopping onto the bed beside her. "Bridget, this isn't the time for jokes. I'm serious! I thought she was going to kiss me, and I was ready for it! But then she just... wiped something off my shoulder."

Bridget softened slightly, reaching over to pat Chloe's shoulder. "Look, I get it. You were caught up in the moment. But freaking out about it isn't going to help. Maybe Red was just as nervous as you were?"

Chloe buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled. "I don't know what to do, Bridget. I can't stop thinking about her, and now I've probably ruined everything. We haven't talked in like a day, and that's a lot for us."

"I'm sure she'll come around." Bridget sighs. If this is what Ella had to go through during her meltdowns she seriously owed that girl an even bigger apology than she had already created.

"It's the night before the Ball anyway, not like she can avoid you forever."

Chloe lifted her head from the bed, hair tousled and messy. "I really do hope you're right."