Plodding up the stairs with the hefty package in her arms, she tripped in the gloom and emitted a string of curses that would have made Avaric blush. Damn Madame Morrible, allocating them a room at the furthest end of the campus. Struggling to the top of the stairs, she steadied herself against the wall, chest heaving. She watched the flakes of Lurlinemas snow fluttering across the ebony windowsill in the pale twilight, and one finger idly traced the solitary word inked upon the plain green paper: Elphaba.
After a brief juggle of the keys, she finally stomped into the room, kicked the door shut and lowered the parcel onto her table. Glancing over her shoulder to ensure the door was locked (even though she knew Her Over-Cologned Highness wouldn't be back for hours), she ran her hands over the sides of the package and wondered what had possessed Frex; perhaps he was just taking advantage of the holiday postal rates.
One hand deftly slipped between the layers of paper and prised them apart. With great deliberation, she slowly peeled the wrapping off, pointedly averting her eyes from the wooden chest before her until she had folded a neat square and placed it to one side. She pounded invisible keys on the lid of the box, squinted for her reflection in its lacquered surface and fingered the metal fastening on the front, dryly entertaining the notion of going to make a cup of tea first; but no, this nonsense had gone on long enough. With a carelessness that belied the thrill rising in the back of her throat, she flipped open the catch and lifted the lid.
Upon the worn blue lining lay a threadbare pile of checked pinafores, some chunky schoolbooks and a handful of assorted ribbons. Nessa must have written home for the things she had forgotten to pack. Tucked into the corner was a folded note: Take care of your sister.
When Galinda returned late that night, dizzy from an evening of revelry, her roommate was already in bed with the covers pulled up tight around her head. Her desk was showered with a spray of shredded paper, as if a heavy green snow had fallen.