Nessarose Thropp was pretty tired of being in a wheelchair. Though it facilitated the doting and sympathy she had come to enjoy, she wanted to, LITERALLY, kick up her heels every once in awhile. And there was something off-putting about being practically invisible and gawked at simultaneously. People would stare until they'd seen enough, and then she would become an unperson, and not only because she was usually accompanied by a walking celery stick.
Her sister, Elphaba, was green as a shamrock, but not quite as lucky. She was brilliant, and driven, but had been forced to wait to attend Shiz University until Nessa (who was two years younger) was ready to attend. Elphaba didn't have the same rights and privileges as her ungreen sibling. Their father, Frex, barely seemed to acknowledge that he had two daughters.
"Shiz," Elphaba breathed as she pushed her sister up to the large, imposing building. "Look at it, Nessa."
"She's not blind, Elphaba," Frex grumbled from behind them. "Let me push her."
Elphaba surrendered control of the chair immediately, and paused, looking back at the carriage that had brought them. Nessa's things (there were a lot of them) had been loaded up and were currently being carried behind them. Her things were nowhere to be seen. Grumbling, she marched back to the carriage and grabbed up her couple suitcases, trying to maintain dignity as, all around her, people had their things wheeled in for them.
Especially, she noted with disgust, a tiny blonde girl who rode in on hers. "Twit," she muttered.
Everyone crowded around the girl, oohing and ahhing, and Nessa was no different. Immediately drawn to the girl, she sat up a little straighter and craned to hear anything she might say, though it wasn't difficult. "Ooh, hello, everyone," she girl sang, announcing herself in a semi-shrill tone. "Dear Old Shiz," she sighed dreamily. "Wait," she said, catching sight of Elphaba. "What is that?"
Everyone turned to stare at the eldest Thropp sister, who rolled her eyes. "What? What are you looking at? Oh, do I have something in my teeth?" She sighed. "Okay, let's get this over with: no, I'm not seasick, yes, I've always been green, no, I didn't chew grass as a child -"
"Elphaba!"
Elphaba hung her head, briefly, at her father's barked interruption, remembering that she was here for her sister, and that she was probably embarrassing her. "Oh, this is my younger sister, Nessarose. As you can see, she is a perfectly normal color."
"Elphaba," Frex hissed. "Stop making a spectacle of yourself! I'm only sending you here for one reason..."
"Yes, I know, to look after Nessarose."
Nessarose. He beamed down at his daughter, who glanced around to find, thank goodness, that most people weren't looking at them anymore. Her fellow students were mostly congregated around the blonde girl.
"My precious little girl: a parting gift," Frex said, holding out a box.
"Now, father..." It really was unfair for her father to give her a gift right in front of Elphaba. But when the saw the sparkling shoes her father held toward her, she forgot to feel bad for her sister. "Jeweled shoes!"
"As befits the future governor of Munchkinland." Frex looked proud, as if Nessa being the future governor was by some merit of hers, as opposed to birthright. "Elphaba, take care of your sister. And try not to talk so much!"
The coldness of his tone numbed Nessa to the point that she barely felt the farewell kiss he planted on her head. Would she forever be in this position? Elphaba dutifully looked after her, looked out for her, despite being mistreated by their father as he lavished love and affection of Nessa, and there was nothing Nessa could do about it. She hated and adored being the favourite daughter. Perhaps, if she'd earned it. Perhaps, if her greatest achievement hadn't simply been managing to come out... ungreen. "Elphaba..."
"Well what could he have gotten me? I clash with everything!"
Nessa smiled sadly, trying to think of something snappy to say back. But Elphaba was the clever one...
"Welcome, new students!" An imposing and strange-looking woman was addressing the gathering of students. "I am Madame Morrible, headmistress here at Shiz University. And whether you're here to study logic, literature, or linguification, I know I speak for my fellow faculty members when I say we have nothing but the highest hopes for some of you. Now, regarding room assignments..." Elphaba and the blonde girl raised their hands at the same time. "Yes, is this regarding room assignments?"
"Oh, Madame, thank you for asking, but I've already been assigned a private suite..." The students around her seemed bitterly disappointed. "But you can all come visit me whenever you want!"
Nessa thought that was a very nice offer.
"How good of you," a girl praised
"You are so good," another added.
The blonde bounced around, looking practically spastic. "No I'm not!" She clearly didn't believe herself.
"Yes you are," the chimed in unison.
"Now stop," the girl said, swishing her hair. Nessa wished she could swish her hair, that she could be that... beautiful.
"Do you have a question?"
The girl froze, brought back to reality by Morrible's question. Nessa was disappointed.
"Yes, you see, I am Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands... I've applied to your sorcery seminar, and indeed that is my sole purpose of attending Shiz; to study sorcery with you. Perhaps you recall my essay, 'Magic Wands, Need They Have A Point?'...?"
Morrible looked as disgusted as Elphaba felt. Nessa thought it was kind of clever. "Yes... However, I do not teach my seminar every semester, unless, of course, somebody special were to come along."
"Well, exactly!"
"We have not yet received our room assignments," Elphaba piped up.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Morrible's eyes found Nessarose. "Oh, you must be Miss Nessarose, the Governor's daughter. What a tragically beautiful face you have!" Nessa blushed, and shrugged. But then, just as it had been so many times before, the moment was over, as Morrible spotted Elphaba. "...And you must be..."
"I'm the other daughter, Elphaba. I'm beautifully tragic."
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you're very bright."
"Bright? She's phosphorescent." Galinda laughed at her own joke.
Nessa hated being in the middle of a comment like that. One the one hand, it hurt her to hear someone make fun of her sister. On the other... now she could be out of favor with these popular girls because she was related to someone they considered so beneath them, they'd mock her in public. Defend her sister? Side against her? Instead she did nothing. As usual.
"I don't seem to have you on my list. Oh, well, a slight gulch, but not to fret! We'll find someplace to put you."
Galinda was talking to her little group. "Y'know, I don't even think she read my essay."
"That's so unfair," one of the girls said.
A tallish (for a Munchkin) boy added, "You should say something!"
"Should I?"
"Do it!"
"Now, which one of you young ladies would like to volunteer to share with Miss Elphaba?" Morrible's question might as well have been: 'Who likes having teeth pulled?'
"Madame Morrible..." Galinda said.
Jealousy. But why? Sure, it would be nice to be part of the popular clique, but that wasn't quite it, and Nessa knew it. But that didn't mean she knew why the idea of Elphaba sharing with Galinda raised a bitter chunk of jealousy in her throat.
"Thank you dear. Oh, how very good of you!"
"What?" Clearly, volunteering to room with Broccoli Girl had not been Miss Galinda's intent.
"Miss Elphaba, you may share with Miss Galinda," Morrible purred.
"Huh?" Galinda still couldn't comprehend it.
"The governor made his concern for your sister's well being quite clear. So, I thought it would be best if she share my private compartment where I can assist her as needed..."
How pathetic! Nessa couldn't imagine having much of a social life living with the headmistress. Oh, Elphaba, get me out of this...
"But Madame, I've always looked after my sister -"
"Everyone, to your dormitories." Morrible grabbed the back of Nessa's chair, and the girl felt doomed.
"But Madame..." She didn't so much as pause. "Let her go!!!"
Nessarose groaned as her chair ripped itself from Morrible's hands and wheeled itself back to Elphaba's green fists. Here we go again...
"How did you do that?" Morrible's question wasn't nearly as accusatory as that question usually was.
"How did she do that?" Galinda had seen. Curses.
"Elphaba," Nessa said, looking defeated.
"You mean this has happened before?"
Elphaba replied to the headmistress' question. "Uh... Something just comes over me sometimes...I'm sorry, Madame."
"What? Never apologize for talent! Talent is a gift! Have you ever considered a career in sorcery?"
"Sorcery?" Elphaba looked surprised.
"I shall tutor you myself, and take no other students."
"What?" Nessarose felt bad for Galinda, and, cautiously, wheeled herself toward the girl in time to hear her say, "That's the first time I didn't get my way..."
What were her chances of getting to know Galinda now?
Alright, I know it seems like just a re-hash of the play, but the challenge I chose is musicalverse, so I wanted to set it up in a context we'd seen, and, also, give Nessa some thoughts in that opener. We mostly pay attention to blondie and greenie in the show. Anyways, it'll start to go more its own way in the next chapter. If I can write a next chapter. Thanks for reading! Oh, and THANK YOU, in advance, for REVIEWING wink