A Wicked Sibling Rivalry
Nessarose's POV
Elphaba hurried back to her room, after she slipped and dumped her entire lunch on Galinda's boyfriend, Fiyero—she couldn't stand that the people, who were in her class, were laughing at her, again. It looked like everything I did, everyone ended up laughing at me. Elphaba sighed and thought, Galinda will understand. She always does. Maybe she'll help me see how maybe it really was funny. Elphaba reached her room and as she opened the door, she heard my voice. She sank to her knees and pressed her ear against the door—she had to know what I was talking to Galinda about—she had a feeling that it was her.
"Galinda, I can't stand my sister. She's so overprotective of me. She threatened Boq—she said if he ever hurt me she'd kill him." "Nessa, be nice. Elphaba's had it tougher than you. She hasn't healed..." "What do I care?" "She's your sister, Nessa. She really cares, a lot, about you. She's still feels like you being stuck in a chair is her fault. So, you should care about her." "Yeah, well, have you noticed that she's a freak? She's green, for crying out loud. Sometimes I wish she wasn't my sister." "She's a really nice person, though, Nessa." "I can't believe you would want to be friends with her." "Nessa, Elphaba is the nicest person in this whole school. If anyone deserved to be in Madame Morrible's seminar, it was Elphaba. Besides, Elphaba's the one who got me into that seminar in the first place." "I still don't like her." "Nessa, someday you'll regret those words, when Elphaba isn't there to take care of you, 'cause she won't always be there for you." "I know. Which is why, once we graduate, I'm sending her away—as from as Munchkinland as possible." "Away from home? Nessa, that wasn't..." Galinda looked up and saw the open door and said, "Nessa, I think she heard you." "Elphaba?" I called. She closed the door and turned around. Where could she go? Suddenly Elphaba took off, and ran. Elphaba had always been the fastest runner in Munchkinland, so she figured she could get a good distance away from Nessa so she could heal. She found a tall tree and scrambled up it quickly.
Galinda said, "Nessa, why don't you go back to your room? I'll find Elphaba." "But..." "Go." I turned and said, "Good luck catching up to her. She's the fastest runner in Munchkinland, but that's her only claim to fame." Galinda nodded and found her sitting in the tree.
She peered up at Elphaba and said, "Elphie, come down from there." She stared down at her and said, "I heard every word Nessa said to you about me." Galinda said, "Are you gonna sleep in that tree tonight or you coming back to school?" "I can't go back." Just then Fiyero strolled over and casually said, "Elphaba, I told Madame Morrible that I tricked you into starting a food fight." She grinned and Galinda said, "Huh?" Elphaba climbed down and said, "I accidentally dumped my lunch on your boyfriend." Galinda stared at her and then they all started laughing.
Galinda suddenly said, "Fiyero go back to your own room. I'll take Elphaba back to our room. And I'll have to cancel tonight's plans, 'cause I've got a funny feeling that I'm going to have to spend tonight comforting Elphi—Elphaba." Elphaba stared at Galinda and said, "You don't have to do that, Galinda." "Yes, I do. My bestest friend needs me right now." She grinned weakly at her and said, "Keep me away from Nessa 'cause I know I want to rip her throat out."
Galinda and Elphaba returned to their room and Galinda said, "Anything about Nessa you want to get off your chest?" Elphaba nodded and said, "Nessa is a little ungrateful brat, for starters, and I practically raised her. I am the closest thing to a mother she's ever had. She never thanked me for anything I did for her. When Nessa was born, the doctor said she was going to die, but I wouldn't let that happen. I sat up, two nights in a row, guarding my sister—making sure she was still breathing. Father never forgot that, and put me in charge of Nessa when he was away, because he knew I couldn't bear losing my baby sister, but apparently she wouldn't mind losing me. When she was five, I thought she was getting murdered. Turns it was only a nightmare, but it scared me to death. For her birthday, I would plan such amazing parties. Of course, I always said, 'it was Father's idea.' On her sixteenth birthday, I managed to get Father to take her out to dinner. I then basically had all the servants help me decorate the whole house—our, I mean Father and Nessa's house is a mansion—except for the attic—and I made a cake and we got ice cream and, well basically, the servants did all the work, while I watched for Father and Nessa. When they were close, I called, 'They're coming.' The servants all disappeared and I ran out and said, 'How was dinner?' All Nessa said, was, 'I want cake.' I grinned at her and said, 'As you wish, Nessa.' Seconds after we entered the house, I signaled the servants and, all of us who had stayed home, said, 'Surprise! Happy birthday, Nessa!' I hugged Nessa and said, 'Happy birthday, little sister.' She smiled at me, and for a second, I thought she was going to say thank you, but Father stared at me and said, 'This is why you wanted us out of the house, isn't it?' I nodded and then I gave Nessa the corner piece with the rose on it. She didn't say anything and then everyone else had a piece of cake. Then I grabbed the ice cream and I gave her more ice cream than Father would normally let me and I said, 'What? It's her birthday. She deserves more ice cream.' Then she immediately opened her presents. She barely glanced at the one I had made for her—it was picture of her sitting in her chair, watching the sunset with Father. Anyway, it was really great, but I stayed up late, taking down the decorations. I couldn't pull it off ever again. I secretly hoped she'd do the same thing for me for my next birthday, but it was too much to wish for—it was the same for me—nothing special happened—no going out to eat, no cake, no ice cream—nothing. I was so mad and hurt. I locked myself, in my room, the attic, if you haven't caught on yet, and cried. That was the night I was also told that I had, and have, depression, which it made my birthday even worse. I've never had a birthday party before, ever. I really hate Nessa for what she said." "I don't blame you, Elphie, but you should stay away from her, for a while. When is your birthday anyway?" "Two months from today."
Galinda nodded and Elphaba knew she was up to something. The next day, everyone was discussing some party, but I knew my sister didn't care if she was invited or not. That was when she heard that Boq and I weren't invited. She suddenly realized that it was Galinda and Fiyero who were behind this—they were going to do something special for her to get her mind off the hurtful things that I had said yesterday—that had to be it. She sat down at her desk and she still didn't know that it was for her.
Later, I went to talk to Galinda and said, "Why are Boq and I not invited to this party, Galinda? For being so good, you're really not that nice." "You don't deserve to come." "Whatever, if it's for Elphaba, I'm glad I'm not invited." "Good, 'cause I'm not changing my mind." Later, I wheeled in and whispered, "Galinda, here's some of a quilt, I've working on, sometimes for Elphaba. Father didn't know. This is kinda her present from when she was a kid, from me. It's not done yet, but it's her story. I need you to add to it. Then it will be finished." Galinda nodded and said, "I'll give to her." I nodded and said, "Say it was from you. And that I want to talk to her, soon. I owe her an apology and, a thank you." Galinda nodded.
The day before her birthday, Elphaba ran into me and I immediately said, "Elphaba, what I said, to Galinda, a while back, I didn't mean it. I don't deserve you as a sister. Galinda should be your sister, not me." She turned and said, "Nessa, it's fine. We'll always be sisters, no matter what happens." "You're right. See you later, and, uh, thanks," I said, and then I wheeled myself off to my next class. "You're welcome, I guess." she called after me. Then Galinda came over and she said, "Please tell me what just happened."
The weeks passed and Galinda said, "Come on, Elphie, I heard that tonight there's gonna be a party down at the Ozdust Ballroom. We can get in, at, I think it said seven-thirty, yeah seven-thirty. Please come with us. We'll all be there." I agreed to go and Galinda seemed overly excited, which should have tipped me off that something was up, but I didn't notice it until later.
That night, as Elphaba entered the Ozdust, she heard Galinda say, "Here she comes. Everyone get ready." She walked over to Elphaba and everyone said, "Surprise!" She hugged my sister gently and said, "Happy Birthday, Elphaba!" She froze and turned slowly to stare at her best friend. "This is for me?" Galinda nodded and said, "I want my best friend to have at least one birthday party. You earned it, anyway. This is why I wanted to know when your birthday was and this also was why I didn't invite Nessa and Boq. You didn't, did you?" "Nope," she said evenly. "Nessa and I, really haven't figured something out yet." "What?" Fiyero demanded. "How to get Father out of the house for a little party." Fiyero stared at me and smirked. Galinda calmly asked, "What do you want to do now?" Elphaba grinned and said, "Cake and ice cream and then presents and then we dance." Fiyero stared at her and she said, "What? We're in a ballroom. People normally dance in a ballroom, Fiyero." Then she gave him her best duh-face. He stuck his tongue out at her. Galinda sighed and said, "Your wish is my command." She got the biggest piece of cake and the largest amount of ice cream that night. She couldn't believe it. Elphaba sat next to Galinda and Fiyero and ate in silence. Galinda poked Elphaba after she was done and said, "You haven't said anything." Elphaba nodded and said, "I'm just so surprised that anyone would do this, do anything, for me." Galinda grinned and said, "It was the least I could do, for you, Elphie." Elphaba hugged her and said, "Can I open my presents now?" She grinned and said, "Elphie, for your first present, I need you to close your eyes." Elphaba nodded and closed her eyes. Galinda placed the quilt on my sister's lap and said, "Elphie, open your eyes." She opened her eyes and saw the quilt. She looked up at Galinda and said, "Omigosh, it's so beautiful." Then my sister noticed the writing on it and she read it aloud, "To Elphaba, the best sister and friend any girl could wish for. From Nessa and Galinda." Galinda handed me a note and said, "It goes with the quilt." My sister read it and then said, "I'll thank Nessa tomorrow." Fiyero sighed and said, "We have to go back to school before Horrible Morrible shows up." Elphaba nodded reluctantly and, that night, curled up with her new blanket.
The next day, she hunted down me and said, "Nessa, thanks for the new quilt." "You're welcome, but, see, I'd been wanting to give you that quilt for a while, it's just I had to keep it a secret from Father so I had to work on it on and off. Now you can add to it. It's your story—what I saw when I was a child, what Galinda sees now, and what you'll see later." She nodded and said, "Yeah, it goes away from the center, like in a spiral pattern. It's really cool and I really love it." "I wrote to Father, telling him about the quilt and if you came home that he can't take it from you. It's yours. I won't take it." She hugged me and said, "Why weren't you invited?" "Are you blind, Elphaba? I was a jerk to you." "You're still my baby sister." "I didn't deserve to go." "I wanted you to be there." "I didn't want to be there." "But it was my birthday." We stood around and glared at each other until Galinda arrived and she walked over and joined Galinda, leaving me behind.
