I don't own wicked. Gregory Maguire does.
–
Green. And something musty. Glinda did not like reading, but even she recognized the smell of heavy tomes. But green went well with pink, her favourite colour, and if the person was really smart they might be able to do her homework or get a well-paid job, Glinda reasoned. As a firm believer of true love ( after all the maid often told her wonderful stories) and her appeal to others, she felt perfectly happy with what she got.
Well, mostly happy because Glinda still occasionally threw tantrums whenever she had to read another book. The people around her just picked the most boring ones, honestly.
It did not mean she loathed books or anything, there were just things she preferred over reading. Like talking or gossiping or walking in the gardens or directing people. And daydreaming about her soulmate, who would surely be splendid- if less so than her- and rich and smart and-
Oh yes, Glinda's daydreams just had her more and more convinced that her soulmate would be perfect.
Some true loves found each other early- even at birth- and Glinda was used to getting what she wanted the moment she coyly or demurely pointed out she wanted it. So really, when four years past and she still did not find her soulmate, she was mad . She had even asked for a soulmate on Yulemas and she had worked on that particular list for a really long time and used the prettiest ink she had and –
Only when daddy promised to buy her ten extra gifts and try getting a soulmate next year was she a little pacified.
Then the next year came and there was no soulmate-plus-pretty-bow on Yulemas, or on her birthday or when daddy had to go somewhere and promised to bring some gifts. Glinda had been looking for green everywhere and even forced the maid to take her to the gargantuan library Glinda normally avoided (and the maids avoided because of how Glinda reacted to libraries sometimes). But no, no soulmate.
Sixth birthday- a very important one, naturally- and Glinda had written down 'soulmate' in capitalized pink letters and underlined it with red (and red hearts and arrows all around it) so her useless parents couldn't miss it. Just to be extra sure, she had been telling them ( or actually the terrorized house staff, who had to tell her parents) ' a soulmate, papa and momma. Nothing else is good enough".
Still , her birthday came and there was no soulmate. Ghosts would have looked more tanned than the trembling staff that day.
Glinda kept writing down 'soulmate' (in pink/ green now and bold, capitalized letters) on every wish list she made and asked the stars very politely and even promised a reward (her prettiest dress) to whoever found her soulmate. But no, people were all useless idiots and no one found her soulmate!
She sent people to libraries – 'green! Just look for something green, is that so difficult- and scavenged stores for anything green and even went- okay, thought about it- to the forest that one time.. but no. the years passed and it Did. Not. Happen.
She was very displeased -especially when other people like the obnoxious neighbour that had far too many cats did find soulmates- but finally decided it would be University. It made sense that she meet her true love, her destiny, her other half there. Enough sense that she had already given some instructions, like what the wedding cake had to look like or who could absolutely not come.
Then Alma had to hurt herself and ruin everything. She was stuck with some green girl that was snappy and sarcastic and behaved like she was not pleased at all to have such a splendid roommate like Glinda and-
She was always absent , which later turned out to be because she was always holed up in the library and there were always books everywhere in their room because Miss Elphaba just had to take books everywhere, that insufferable-
It was right when things were starting to be slightly less hostile between them when Elphaba handed her a book (school assignment, of course) and the long fingers were touching hers as she reluctantly reached for the book and Elphaba looked almost- well , no not pretty but not ugly
Otherworldly might have been the word-
When she looked like that and she was not sneering for once, there was this nearly pleasant smell of musty tomes in the air and her pink sleeve matched that green arm so wonderfully-
When Glinda's brain basically went ping! And the quarter fell
Green. Books. Smart. Oh for the love of- NO!
As Glinda yanked her arm away, Elphaba stared at the falling book with confusion, then with even greater bafflement at her paling roommate.
The scent of flowers lingered long after Glinda was gone