"I'd like to try to be," Glinda said from inside the glimmering bubble, "Glinda the good." Her words felt unreal to her, as if they were a mask, as if she was just putting on a show for others. She felt as though her image would no longer allow her to be herself, and that was what truly hurt her. Pretending to be something she was not. Of course, she could never complain about the attention that she had received. But, underneath it all, something ached inside of her. And she realized that she could blame no one but herself for the pain. Only a while ago, when she had seen Elphaba at Shiz, she had only noticed her skin color. She couldn't exactly be blamed for that. After all, it was the first thing anyone had ever noticed about Elphaba. Who would have known that one person could change her life so drastically?
Here she was, standing on a pedestal to be admired by all of Oz. As a child, she had always dreamed of becoming popular, to have the adoration of thousands of people. Now that she had it, it seemed so frivolous and unimportant. She didn't feel as though she had truly earned it. Glinda had caused the murder of her best friend. When it came down to it, she was more than her best friend. Elphaba was her only friend. No one else had seen her for who she truly was, but Elphaba had seen past the façade, into the person she longed to become. But it was too late now. The one girl who had truly changed her life for the better had become a thing of the past. And, furthermore, everyone was glad for her death.
With each cheer of praise that erupted, Glinda felt her heart sink lower and lower, until it practically tore her apart. Still, she smiled and waved for the crowd, for it was part of the person she had become.
A part of her wished she could go back in time to change things. But, even if she could, would she have had the strength to go back and stand by Elphaba? Could she have supported Elphaba, no matter what? Her stomach sank as she realized she couldn't have. Strength was a trait of Elphaba's, and she had never had Elphaba's strength. Elphaba had made the choice to fight for what she believed in. And, in the end, that was what had split the two. When Glinda was offered the choice, she chose. There was no choice that was definitely right or wrong, yet she still felt as though she had made the wrong decision.
If Elphaba had survived, if Glinda had sided with her, would they both be dead now? Would everyone have turned on her, too? Or maybe, just maybe, she could have succeeded in saving her friend and making everything different.
But it didn't matter now. None of it mattered anymore, for Elphaba was gone forever. So Glinda's ears continued to hear the words of praise that were undeserved. And her arms continued to wave, and her lips continued to smile. But, underneath the bubble and gown, there was something more inside of her. Something that had only come out once, and would now remain forever hidden. Her love.