What You Wished For
Alright I admit it, I don't own it. But I love it anyway!
Careful the wish you make . . . wishes come true
She stood on the veranda overlooking the crowd. Hundreds of faces smiled, laughed, danced and cheered. All for her. All for him. All for them.
But it was the wrong them.. Deep in her most secret of hearts she knew this, even acknowledged and admitted to it. She wasn't supposed to be here standing next to Horrible Morrible. She was supposed to be standing there with Elphaba, making good, just as they'd always dreamed. They could have been Glinda the Good and Elphaba the Enchanting (or something that had that same tone of wonderful silliness).
She probably shouldn't have been standing next to Fiyero either. She knew he didn't love her. She couldn't honestly even say she loved him. But she seemed to have developed a penchant for lying, or bending the truth at least. Even to herself.
Which was why she was able to stand on that stupid dias, under that stupid sign, and talk herself into being happy. After all, she'd gotten everything she ever wanted hadn't she? A good name, a good fiancee, a good job. She had a good life.
But she hadn't actually done anything good. She'd cowered out when she'd had the chance to do that. What was it, two years ago now? She remembered the night vividly, she'd never seen Elphie more determined about anything, or more beseeching than on that night. And while Glinda hadn't brought her down, she'd most certainly let her down.
That was the rub wasn't it? When all was said anddone that's what it came down to: she'd let her best-friend down. The only one who ever mattered, the only one who'd ever believed that she was more than dresses and curls. The only one in all of Oz who ever saw any hint of worth in Glinda aside from petty popularity that should have ended with school.
So why in Oz had it taken her so long to figure it out? And what exactly was she supposed to do?
She wished desperately that Elphaba would return to rescue her once more. Elphie would know exactly what to do. Elphie knew everything. Elphie was gone. And Glinda had missed her chance to chase the dreams she should have had all along. The throng of happy faces, jubilations, was the lying truth before her to prove it all. It was all fake, all a sham.
She could see that now but had no idea how to change it.
Glinda willed the tears in her eyes to ebb and not fall. She forced a happy smile on her face and wave toher adoring public.
We couldn't be happier, simply couldn't happier. 'Cause happy is what happens when all your dreams come true.
The crowds stopped singing for the most part, the band provided the only music. The dancing and laughing continued.
"Darling?" Fiyero said from behind her. He had a glass of water. Just as she'd said.
"Thanks dearest." She took the cup from him and downed its contents, searching for Morrible who had disappeared into the crowd. "You know what? I think I'll go home, I'm getting a headache and we still have our engagement ball to attend."
"That's probably a good idea then," Fiyero agreed. "Will you make it alright?"
"Oh yes," she replied with a smile. "I'll sneak out the back and go by bubble. I'll see you tonight."
She kissed him before doing exactly as she'd said.
Once she got back to the palace she crawled onto her bed. She'd intended to just have a short nap but ended up crying herself to sleep. She cried for everything she'd lost without realizing it and dreamt of what she could have had. She could have been unlimited, she might have found someone she could have loved. And she might have stood next to her best friend with pride and real goodness. Instead of the lies she stood for now.
She awoke hours later, in time to get ready for her engagement ball. She stepped out of her chambers when she'd gotten all dolled up once more. She was determined to get through the night with a happy face at least. She smiled again as she entered the ballroom, nodding to familiar and non-familiar faces in the crowd. She didn't know very many in the room personally. She probably wouldn't have invited them to her engagement ball if they didn't "love" her and the new Captain of the Guard so much. Speaking of whom she wondered where her dear fiancee was.
He wasn't anywhere in the room, she asked about it and found that he'd apparently left some time ago, not looking particularly festivacious. She realized then she wasn't the only one getting the raw end of the deal.
Love came at a high price. She wanted a refund.
I just got the Grimmerie and something Stephen Schwartz said about the song Thank Goodness gave me an idea, this is the result. I realize that I took some creative license (okay a lot) with the time line and character(s), and it's kind of a character study, you may have noticed :) I haven't seen the play and this is my first finished foray into the world of Wicked so be gentle with me, but I'd like to know what you thought about it so please review.