Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.
If you have not read A New Home, read that one first so you know who Ellie is!
Ellie wasn't the average twelve year old girl in school. No, she was too into her studies and doing well to even consider hanging out with other people her own age, and to be honest, she just didn't want to hang out with people her own age. She was beyond them intellectually and it was hard for her to have normal conversations with them. So, Ellie found herself talking kids older than her. She did have a few friends in her classes, though. She was taking higher level courses than her age group required. After all, she had memorized the periodic table by age ten and began to study chemistry seriously by the time she was eleven. She was able to do calculus problems. She also learned proper grammar and spellings of words. Because she lived in the Emerald City Palace, she was well educated in Oz's history. However, most of her smarts came from her aunt, Elphaba.
But the thing was, she only had a limited number of friends. Most people would laugh at her and make her feel terribly for living with Elphaba and Glinda because of their relationship together. People would throw things at her, and they'd knock her books to the floor, maybe rip out a page or two of the book she was reading at the time. The sad part was, the people who said that they were her friends didn't really mean it, and Ellie knew that perfectly well.
Her so called friends would make terrible and mean jokes about her. A majority of the people would say that Ellie was gay because she lived with a gay couple. And since this had been repeated to her over and over again, she didn't know what her sexual orientation was. She didn't care to find out either, in fear that the students would be right.
In other words, she wasn't afraid to be gay, but she was afraid for them to be right. It was a confusing situation.
Ellie had never told her mother or Elphaba or Glinda about the hurt she received from school due to all of this. She didn't need Glinda and Elphaba to feel terribly about their relationship.
So, she would let them hurt her both physically and emotionally. She would do nothing about it.
However, this day would be different. She had heard those terrible remarks about Glinda and Elphaba for the last time. And she was sick of them, always throwing her apples away, or her lunch into the trash. Ellie snapped. She tackled one of the girls, the leader of the so called popular crowd, and punched her, kicking her hard.
Ellie wasn't that big of a girl, only at a height of four foot nine and weighed eighty pounds, much smaller than the other girls who were hitting five feet and one hundred pounds. But, she was somewhat strong, taking down the five foot Gilikinese girl. She was easily pulled off of her by one of the male teachers. Ellie was screaming at the other girl and letting her tears fall.
Ellie didn't really remember what happened on her way to the principal's office. She just remembered sitting down and not answering the blur of questions that were being yelled at to her. The principal demanded answers, but she wouldn't give them. He demanded she call her mother to inform her of what happened. But she wouldn't, so he did.
Waiting was something Ellie was good at. She looked just like her mother, Nessarose, but she didn't inherit her patience from her at all. Nessa was impatient while Ellie could sit in a room with nothing to do and be content, waiting for whatever it was she was waiting for.
The door to the principal's office opened and in came Glinda the Good, one of Ellie's caretakers. Since her mother was crippled, Glinda and Elphaba would do the things for Ellie that Nessarose couldn't, and apparently one of those things was to rush into the principal's office. "Pardon me, Lady Glinda," the principal said to Oz's leader. "What are you doing here?" Ellie was so invisible, the principal neglected to see where she even lived.
"I am here for Ellie," Glinda said and took a seat. "Her mother informed me that she had instigated a fight, correct?"
"Yes, but I need her mother here to disclose this information, legally speaking," the principal explained.
"Well, if there were accommodations here to enter the building via wheelchair, then I assure you, Nessarose would be here within a heartbeat. However, the entrance is all stairs," Glinda explained to him. "And I assure you, Nessarose sent me here herself."
"Of course," the principal said and got right back down to business. "Elena here instigated a fight with another girl in the lunch room today, breaking her nose and cutting the girl's lip deep enough to need stitches. I asked Elena what happened, and why she went to fight her, but she will not answer my questions. Therefore, I have to suspend her for three weeks."
"Three weeks? Isn't that a bit much?" Glinda asked.
"In these circumstances, no, I am sorry. She is a sweet girl, Lady Glinda, however, I cannot give her special treatment. I must follow the school's policy."
"I understand," Glinda said. She couldn't deny Ellie did it because there was a bit of dried blood on her dress. "Come on, Ellie, let's go. Thank you for your time, sir," Glinda said and led Ellie out of the school and onto the sidewalk. They walked side by side for a while and away from the school. They were silent for a while, until Glinda finally spoke up. "Care to explain to me what happened today? This isn't like you to start fights."
"I know," Ellie said, finding her voice. "But I can't tell you."
"And why not? I'm sure if you have a good reason, Nessa won't punish you too badly," Glinda said to her.
"I guess I'll be punished then. It doesn't really matter, anyway."
"What doesn't matter?" Glinda asked.
"Being punished. What can mommy do? Ground me? Make me do the dishes for a month? I don't have any friends, and I used to do more than washing dishes back in South Carolina," Ellie informed her.
"You do have a point. But I am sure you have friends," Glinda said.
"No," Ellie shook her head. "I don't. Why do you think I've never invited anyone over?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ellie," Glinda said and gave her a half hug as they continued walking instead of travelling by bubble. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"Yes," Ellie nodded.
"Then please tell me why you started a fight in school," Glinda pleaded. "No matter what it is, I promise I'm not going to get mad."
"I'm not afraid of you getting mad," Ellie admitted. "I'm afraid it might make you sad."
"It won't make me sad," Glinda said confidently. "Why would it make me sad?" Ellie took a deep breath. It was better not to lie.
"The kids at school don't like me very much. They don't like me because I live with you and Elphaba."
"Are they jealous?" Glinda asked, knowing that she was a very popular figure and the leader of Oz.
"No, well, at least I don't think so. They don't like what you and Elphaba have."
"What do we have? What are you talking about?"
"They don't like your relationship with her," Ellie said. She focused on the ground. "They always are saying bad things about you, vulgar things, and mean things. They are constantly calling me gay and say that I am because of your relationship together. Boys won't talk to me because they think I'll cheat on them with another girl. Girls don't talk to me because they don't want a girl hitting on them." She became worried when Glinda didn't respond for a good two minutes.
"How long has this been going on?" Glinda's voice cracked.
"Ever since I started school," she whispered. "I'm sorry." Glinda stopped walking and made Ellie face her. She lifted her chin up with her small hand. "Look at me." Ellie was forced to meet the teary blue eyes with her brown ones that were bloodshot from crying. Glinda ran her thumb over the twelve year old's cheek, wiping the lone tear away. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about; do you hear me?" Ellie only gave her a small nod. "How come you haven't mentioned this to us?"
"I didn't want anyone to get upset."
"Ellie, sweetie, you don't have to face the world alone. You have me, your mother, and Elphaba. When something is bothering you, let us know. If people are bullying you, let somebody know, whether it's me, Elphie, your mother, or even a teacher."
"But If I told mommy, she would have told you guys. And if I told a teacher, he or she would have told mommy, and then you guys would have found out. I didn't want you and Elphaba to be upset. I can handle myself, see? I did today."
"Ellie, I do not want you to use violence," Glinda said.
"Today was the first time I did," Ellie admitted.
"You've been going to that school for two years and just let them insult you?" Glinda asked. Ellie only nodded. "I'm sorry," Glinda said and hugged her, which Ellie returned.
"You don't have to be sorry, either. It's not your fault they're picking on me."
"But it is. It's me and Elphie."
"This is why I didn't want to tell you," Ellie said. "I never wanted to bring you into this. I can handle myself. I have before."
"But you don't have to anymore," Glinda said and held her tighter.
"Can we go home now?" Ellie asked.
"Of course," she said and conjured up her bubble and floated through the air and to the Emerald City Palace where they lived. Glinda walked Ellie into the area in the palace in which they lived. Nessarose was sitting in her chair. She looked concerned, but also unhappy about how her daughter had broken another girl's nose and split her lip. "Go to your room, Ellie. I'll explain things to your mother." Ellie obeyed, and was relieved that she didn't have to repeat everything. She felt bad that Glinda had to tell Nessa something that made her so upset, but then again, Ellie had to remind herself that she was only twelve and not an adult. She was finally able to depend on people for some things. So, laying on her bed, she fell asleep on the purple blankets.
Hours later, Ellie woke up from her nap that she didn't even know she needed. She looked over to her clock and saw it was around six thirty, which meant she slept through dinner. However, she wasn't really hungry. She sat in her room, and was startled when there was a knock at her door. She jumped, but said, "Come in." Elphaba entered her room with a small smile on her face.
"You feeling better?" she asked her. Ellie just shrugged. "I'm glad that you finally told someone. You should have told us when this started."
"I didn't want to upset everybody," Ellie replied. "Especially you and Glinda."
"I know how you feel," Elphaba said. "When I was your age, I kept to myself and let people pick on me, and I never told anyone. I don't want you to go through with any of that."
"I can handle it," Ellie said.
"And look how well that turned out," Elphaba said sarcastically.
"I just feel that I'm imposing on everyone here. I wasn't born in Oz, but in another world."
"You belong right where you are," Elphaba said and brought her into a hug. "Come on, you're going out."
"Where?" Ellie asked as Elphaba took her coat out of the closet. Ellie put it on.
"You're going out for ice cream."
"Isn't it a bit cold for that?" Ellie asked.
"Fine then, how about Nessa takes you out for some cheese cake? She wants some mother-daughter time."
"I'm not really all that hungry," Ellie said. She didn't really want to face her mother after today. In fact, she didn't really want to face Elphaba or Glinda, either, but she didn't seem to have a choice as Elphaba rushed her out of her room.
"Of course you are!" Elphaba said and led her down the stairs where they met Nessarose. She smiled at her daughter and the two were off to one of the many little cafés in Emerald City. She didn't really know which one they were headed to, but she pushed her mother's wheelchair where her mother said to go.
Eventually, the two were sitting across from each other at the café. Ellie picked at her cheese cake, still a bit upset about the day's events. Glinda had cried, and that had really bothered her. She thought it was because of her. If she never came to Oz, then the kids wouldn't be picking on her because she lived with an alternative couple. "I think what you did today was very brave," Nessa said to her daughter. "Elena, why didn't you tell me what was happening?"
"I don't know," Ellie shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to be a burden."
"You are no such thing," Nessarose said.
"Then how come I feel like one?" Ellie questioned.
"I don't know. Why do you, Elena?"
"Because I wasn't born here, in Oz I mean. I was born in another world, raised in South Carolina by mama, I mean Dorothy. I came here for selfish reasons."
"You can still call Dorothy mama. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. But why do you think you came here for selfish reasons?"
"Simply because I wanted to run away from my problems. If I didn't come here, I would have gone to a foster home. I should have just stayed. I mean, at least people would have been making fun of me and not Elphaba or Glinda."
"Elena, you do not know how happy I am that you came to Oz," Nessarose said and took her hands in her own. "You are everything to me. You're my baby, and you are not a burden and you are selfless. I will do everything in my power to stop those kids from hurting you; even if I have to drag myself up those stairs into the school. And you didn't run away from your problems. You came to the place where people love you."
"Then why do I feel so terrible?" Ellie asked.
"If you turn all of those negative thoughts about yourself around, then you won't. Try it. Say something positive about yourself."
"I'm smart."
"That you are."
"That's about it."
"No it's not. What about you're pretty, you have a good heart, you think about others, you are the best daughter a mother could ask for. Elena, I can go on and on about how great you are."
"You're my mother," Ellie pointed out. "You're supposed to say those things."
"I don't have to, Elena," Nessa said. "Besides, I have something for you." Nessarose reached into her pocket and took out a small rectangular piece of paper. She handed it to Ellie. Ellie looked it over and saw her name was printed neatly on it, and it was a ticket for the RMS Ozmania, the newest luxury ship that was rumored to be perfect and flawless. Elphaba and Glinda were supposed to be going on it for some political and social event, but Ellie and Nessa were going to stay home so that Ellie wouldn't miss any school.
"Is this a joke?" Ellie questioned for lack of better words.
"Well, we thought that since you're suspended from school, you should go and have a good time," Nessa explained. "You should thank Elphaba. It was her idea in the first place."
"I don't think I can go," Ellie said and put the ticket on the table.
"And why not?"
"Because you'd be lonely."
"What if I tell you that I'm going, too?" Nessa smiled and showed her her own ticket.
"Shouldn't I be punished?"
"Oh, sweetie, you are so uptight! Sometimes, we've got to live a little. And besides, I know you've wanted to go ever since Glinda announced that she and your aunt would be going."
"So I'm really going?" Ellie asked excitedly.
"Mmhmm," Nessarose nodded. Ellie couldn't contain herself and got up from her chair, bringing her mother into a hug.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed.
Upon returning home, it was quite dark out, so Elphaba and Glinda were sitting by the fire place-Elphaba reading as usual, and Glinda was attempting to talk to her, but like usual, it wasn't working out. She seemed to look relieved when Ellie and Nessa arrived in the living room. "Elphie! They're back!" Glinda exclaimed. Ellie took a seat on the couch next to Glinda and let the older woman give her a hug.
"I wasn't gone for that long…" Ellie pointed out.
"She's right," Elphaba spoke up.
"So you can hear what's going on around you!" Glinda said.
"Of course I can. I just choose not to respond."
"Elphie!"
"Anyway, thank you for taking me and mommy with you," Ellie said.
"No problem, my pretty," Elphaba said, still reading her book. "It's better than Nessa's plan which was to go to the school and get you unsuspended." Nessarose then blushed at the mention of her idea. "And Glinda's was to buy you things. I figured you'd appreciate the RMS Ozmania a bit more than those things."
"What would I do if you weren't here?" Ellie joked and crawled onto Elphaba's lap. "What are you reading?" Ellie glanced at the text and noticed she had read that over the summer. "Oh, the History of the First Ozians. Not my favorite, although it was well written."
"It's better than the last book I read," Elphaba said.
"Why do you ignore me and not her?" Glinda questioned with a huff, crossing her tiny arms.
"Because unlike you, Ellie doesn't just talk about shopping, clothes, and gossip."
"Elphie!" Glinda whined. Nessarose just laughed at Glinda's frustration. "Nessa, not you, too!"
"What are you talking about?" Nessa questioned innocently.
"So, when are we leaving?" Ellie asked.
"Not for another week, my pretty," Elphaba responded.
"Well then, I should go start packing!" Ellie said excitedly and slipped off of Elphaba's lap. "Glinda, have you started yet?"
"No, I haven't!" Glinda said, all worried. "I should start as well!" The two ran up the stairs as fast as their little legs would carry them.
Okay, you don't want to know how many times I wrote and deleted this chapter. At first, I was going to make Ellie 15 and popular. Then, I rewrote it, making her an innocent, loner, 15 year old. Then, I made her 10 like in the other story. Finally, I typed up this one. I am satisfied with the way this chapter turned out. Hope you are as well!