I take no responsibility for this fic. It was all a conversation with Riti gone wrong, I swear! LOL. Just a little humor to break up the angst. Read and review!
For once in her life, Elphaba was determined to have a good day. The sun overhead was shining and she was sure there was no chance of a rainstorm. It was a Saturday which meant there was no need to go to class or communicate with anyone she didn't want to. She took her book and grabbed an apple from the cafeteria and sprawled out onto the soft grass beneath her favorite tree. She found her place in the book and began to contently read, munching on the apple upon occasion.
Her bliss lasted all of a half hour. That was when a certain Prince from the Vinkus cleared his throat, breaking her concentration. She yelped- he was standing over her. "What the hell, Fiyero? How long have you been standing there?"
He held his hands up. "Sorry Elphaba, the last thing I wanted to do was startle you. I just couldn't help but admire you." She couldn't help but notice how he avoided answering her question. She realized she probably didn't want to know the answer anyway.
She was standing, brushing the grass off of her black skirt. "Admiring me?"
"Well, yes. You don't give yourself enough credit. Laying there, so completely focused. You were so absorbed in what you were doing. It was the first time I got to get a really good look at you. Normally you fidget and chase anyone who gets close to you away."
"What makes you think I'm not an inch away from chasing you away?" She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to ignore the way he seemed to be memorizing her features.
"I just wanted to tell you that I think you're beautiful."
Well, so much for a nice, normal day. "Fiyero, I don't know what joke you think you're playing but it's not funny." Really, normally the boy was so sweet and mild mannered. He wouldn't spring something like this on her... He just wouldn't.
"I'm not playing a joke on you, Fae," he smiled as he reached forward to grasp at one of her hands. "I really do think you're beautiful."
She stood there, frozen for a minute. Even if he was telling her the truth, it was too much for her mind to take in at that moment. When he started to lean in, as if to kiss her, she ran off without even saying goodbye.
She was so focused on running away that she didn't notice when she plowed into Avaric. She braced herself for some sarcastic comment and wasn't disappointed when he spouted off, "Where's the fire, Artichoke?" He reached down and grabbed the book she dropped, keeping it out of her reach.
"Don't be an ass, that's the last thing I need at the moment, and although I know you hardly care if I'm happy or upset or ready to murder a prince, I'd really appreciate it if you weren't an ass just this once."
He gave her an odd look. "Elphaba, you are upset, aren't you? You always talk alot but that's a long sentence even for you." He handed the book to her. "Murder a Prince? What did Fiyero do?"
She groaned. He would have a field day with Fiyero's little love confession. "None of your business."
He shrugged. "Whatever it is can't be so bad. You know, you're kind of pretty when you're upset. You look less seasick and more like an emerald."
"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be a compliment?" She didn't even understand. First Fiyero saying she was beautiful, now Avaric comparing her to an Emerald? What gives?
"Not a very good one, I'm afraid. Listen Elphaba, I know I'm normally not so nice to you, but it's nothing personal. I have a reputation to maintain, you know? Everyone expects me to be a jerk. But I don't really think anythings so wrong with you at all." He smiled and leaned up against the building. "Actually, I think quite a few things are rightwith you." The way he looked at her was worse than the way Fiyero had. Fiyero had seemed to appreciate whatever beauty she may have had. Avaric was just undressing her with his eyes.
She hugged the book across her chest. "What?"
"It would be different, that's for sure. But who says different is a bad thing? Green was always a pretty color, I-"
"Oh Oz!" She exclaimed, cursing under her breath as she walked away from him. Surely he was just messing with her, could see that she was upset and wanted to get under her skin. She heard her stomach rumble. She'd abandoned the apple that had been her breakfast when Fiyero had approached. She made her way to the Cafe outside of Shiz and sat down at her usual table. Maybe everything in the world would make sense once she was no longer hungry.
She looked over the menu when she heard a voice. "Elphie! Is that you?"
She peeked out from the menu. Boq. Nice, normal, sane Boq. She waved him over. "It's hard to mistake me for someone else, my friend."
"That's for sure!" He sat down across from her. Something registered as wrong in his comment though she assumed she was just on edge. Just because Fiyero and Avaric were both apparently in love with her didn't mean Boq was. Boq loved Glinda. He always did and always would. The comment was innocent and it was true. He had simply agreed with her.
She put the menu down. She could have a nice, long talk with her friend. "Boq, you wouldn't believe the morning I've had. I think Avaric's up to something and he must have Fiyero in on it. They both claimed to love me! Isn't that ridiculous?"
But now Boq was getting an odd expression on his face, eerily similar to ones the other boys had worn. "Well, why's it ridiculous? You aren't half bad, Elphie."
Her mouth formed a perfect O in horror. "Oh no, you're in on it too, aren't you? Messing with my head?"
He reached across the table to grab her wrists. "No, I wouldn't trick you like that and I'm hurt you would think I would. I don't see why it's so unbelievable to you that people are attracted to you. The green skin is a little... exotic!" He let go of her wrists to grasp her hand instead.
Elphaba was out the door of the coffee shop before Boq could utter another word. She heard Crope or Tibbett call after her. "What?!" she yelped without turning around.
"You see, Crope and me-"
"Crope and I" Crope naturally corrected his lover.
"Right," Tibbett said. "Crope and I've been rethinking our stance on ladies."
"Or at least on one lady." Crope finished the thought.
She screamed in frustration and ran off. Something had to be in the water over at the boys' dorms. Some bug must be going around. Maybe they had all been fed tainted meat. There was no reason all of her male friends could suddenly fall in love with her.
She entered the Crage Hall dorms, eager to enter the normalcy of her room. In her room everything would be predictable and fine. Maybe it would all blow over. Fiyero, Avaric, Boq, Crope, and Tibbett would all regain their sanity and they could all forget the day. She turned her key in the door and opened it.
Horrified, she slammed it shut. Had she gotten the wrong room? Surely... surely it couldn't be her room lit with rose scented candles and dim light...She checked the nameplate... Sure enough, it held her and Glinda's names. She pushed the door open and realized not only were the flickering candles rose scented, rose petals were scattered on the floor.
They led to the bed- singular. The two twin beds had been pushed together in the middle of the room and recovered with white silk sheets. More red petals were on the bed. Also on the bed was a scantily dressed Glinda. She wore a pink little nightgown that left nothing to the imagination.
"Glinda... what the hell are you doing? Should I leave? Are you expecting someone-"
"Shhh!" Glinda climbed off the bed and pressed a finger to Elphaba's lips. "Silly, who else would I be expecting but you? This is all for you." She smiled wickedly, grabbing Elphaba's hands and placing them on her breasts. "All of this. I love you, Elphie. I was just afraid to tell you." Elphaba jerked her hands away and swallowed hard. Maybe... maybe this all wasn't a joke? She glanced at the mirror. She sure looked the same as she had the day before. "Elphie, c'mon. Don't you want to?"
"No. No I don't. No no no no no no!"
"Elphie-"
"No!"
"ELPHIE!" There was a brutal shake and the room spun. Suddenly, Elphaba was not in a flowery scented dorm room. Well, she was in her dorm room, but it was normal. Glinda stood over her, shaking her. Elphaba was pleased to note that the two beds were apart, as they should be. She was even more pleased to note that Glinda was wearing a normal, non sexual nightgown. "Elphaba, what's the matter? You were screaming in your sleep!"
"I-I guess I had a nightmare. Everyone was in love with me- even you!" She sat up. "It was all so strange."
"But you're alright?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm fine. Crazy dream, huh?"
Glinda shrugged as she climbed back into her own bed. "You never know Elphie, you never know." She winked at her roommate and giggled. Elphaba pretended to not hear anything.
