Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.
Note: Rated for mature themes; they aren't really present, but alluded to.
Positive, Negative
By Elizabeth Odessky
"Dammit, Elphaba."
Nessarose cursed her sister for what felt like the thousandth time as she maneuvered herself down the long hallway, avoiding the angry looks of students who had to leap clear of her way as she rushed past. It was cruel, really; Elphaba never should have left her alone with that woman.
She shuddered involuntary, remembering the feel of those hands, those lips, on her, as she came to a stop in front of the pair of rooms that she, Nanny, Glinda and, until recently, Elphaba, all shared. She bit her lip to hold back tears, reaching up to try straightening her blouse with one shaking hand.
Before Nessa could reach for the doorknob the door swung open, causing Nessa to start, looking up with frightened eyes. Glinda, dressed in the blandest casual outfit Nessa had ever seen on the girl, stared down at her, pressing a hand to her parted lips, speaking through her fingers.
"Nessa?" The other girl didn't respond, avoiding Glinda's gaze. Something was definitely wrong, so Glinda took the initiative and knelt down to Nessarose's level. "Nessa, what's wrong?"
Nessa just shook her head, making to move out of the hallway and into their room. Glinda stood and backed out of her way and, almost as an afterthought, took several steps towards the door to Nessa and Nanny's adjoining room. "I'm going to get Nanny." She turned to knock on the door but Nessa reached out, catching her by the wrist.
"Please don't." She pulled Glinda away from the door. "Please," she repeated. "I don't want her to see."
Glinda paused, and then nodded, really looking at the other girl for the first time that evening. Her hair was pulled partway out of its pins and several buttons were missing from her blouse, seemingly having been pulled open. Nessa flinched when Glinda reached out to lift her chin, revealing small welts peppering her pale neck.
Glinda's free hand flew to her mouth again, gasping. "Nessa." She stopped, not knowing what to say or how to say it. She settled for bluntness; no use jumping around the subject. "I thought you went to see the head. What boy did this?"
The younger girl released her grip on Glinda's wrist, her hand falling limp into her lap and cheeks coloring with shame. "I didn't— it wasn't a boy," she muttered, eyes glued to the floor.
"Then—" Glinda paused, giving a discreet cough before starting again. "Then, Madame—"
Nessarose cut her off. "Just stop!" She began fidgeting, folding and unfolding her hands, looking anywhere but at Glinda. "Please." It came out as a whimper.
Glinda bit her lip, at a loss. Nessa didn't want Nanny, but Glinda simply had no clue as to what to do or how to comfort the other girl. Elphaba would have known what to do, and Glinda mentally kicked herself for not dragging her lover back to Shiz kicking and screaming.
"Do you think—" Nessa flinched when Glinda caught her gaze as she spoke, and she faltered, swallowing hard before continuing, "—I'm filthy?"
The poor girl was obviously fighting back tears, and Glinda was quick to respond. "Of course not." She spoke quickly, almost harshly, and softened her tone before speaking again. "None of this is your fault." Whether she meant Elphaba leaving or Nessa's current situation she didn't know, and she realized then that it didn't matter. Tears started to fall, and Nessa, unable to hold them back any longer, brushed them away as quickly as she could.
Glinda knelt down, reaching out to still Nessa's shaking hands in her own as Nessa tried to stop the tears, hiccupping as she gasped for air.
"It's okay to cry," Glinda whispered, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind Nessarose's ear. Nessa looked startled; real sympathy was the last thing she had expected from Glinda, thinking that the other girl would offer a shoulder to cry on temporarily before scurrying off to gossip with her society friends, but the blonde showed no signs of moving, shifting only to settle more comfortably on her knees.
Glinda was almost relieved to see the other girl let go, letting out a strangled sob and doubling over, her breath coming in panicked gasps; it showed that she wasn't going to recede into shock, something that she wasn't sure she could handle without the help of an adult.
Glinda whispered sweet nothings in the younger girl's ear as she shook, rubbing circles on the palm of Nessa's hand with her thumb, her other hand rising to brush the tears off of the brunette's cheeks.
Abruptly, Nessarose sat up, her cheeks flushed and eyes unfocused, but obviously coming out of her panicked state. Glinda didn't break the silence, instead leaning back to look up at Nessa, admiring the other girl. While polar opposites in belief and personality, Nessarose looked remarkably like her sister; her facial features were softer, kinder, than Elphaba's, but they shared the same high cheekbones and proud jaw line. Pale skin accentuated striking hazel eyes.
Nessa's tears had finally stopped and Glinda looked up at her, questioning. "Should I fetch a nurse?"
Nessarose shook her head; a negative.
"Contact your father, maybe?"
Another, more violent, headshake.
Glinda let go of one of Nessa's hands to hold the other tighter. "Would you like me to leave?" Maybe she simply wanted to be alone, to think this all over.
Nessarose tightened her grip on Glinda's hand, another no, brushing hair out of her face with the other. "I feel so dirty," she muttered.
Glinda paused, watching Nessa fidget with the hem of her skirt, which she now realized had stretch marks from where Morrible had pulled at it. "Would you like me to help you bathe?"
To her surprise, Nessarose nodded, looking up at her gratefully as she ceased her fidgeting and clasped her hands together. Glinda helped her into the powder room on shaky legs, braces helping with the task, and assisted Nessa with undressing with little fuss, adverting her eyes out of propriety and discarding the other girl's skirt, blouse, and undergarments in the waste bin, making a mental note to buy the other girl another set on her next trip into Shiz formal. Glinda kept the silver shoes, though, frowning; surely heels like those didn't aid her in her difficulty walking at all and wondering if there was anything she might be able to do about them.
Glinda helped the other girl into the bath and made to go fetch some aspirin from the pharmacy, but Nessarose called out to her, innocent and frightened. "Please stay."
She turned to smile at the younger girl, grabbing a footstool from beneath the sink and moving to sit at Nessa's side. They sat in silence for several moments before Glinda spoke. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Nessa pulled her limp legs up, knees to chin, and wrapped her arms around them to hold them in place, resting her chin on her knees. "No."
They fell back into silence. It reminded Glinda of how she and Elphaba had started out; companionable silence, neither speaking because there wasn't really anything to be said. Nessa began to fidget again, shifting back and forth in what seemed to Glinda a very uncomfortable manner. Glinda stood, retrieving a wash cloth from the linen closet and running it under the cold tap. Returning to Nessa's side, she brushed the girl's long hair off of her neck and replaced it with the cloth, beginning to hum in what she later realized as an attempt to calm both herself and Nessarose.
"Will you help me out?" Nessa didn't look at her when she spoke.
Glinda obliged, helping Nessa out of the water and over to the sink, wrapping the other girl in a warm towel and helping her up to sit on the counter, stepping back once Nessa was settled to take a look at the other girl.
Nessarose had nail marks trailing from her chin down her chest, diagonal lines disappearing underneath the towel, and a bruise was beginning to appear on her cheek. She looked so helpless, pitiful even, that Glinda couldn't help but retake the space between them and press her lips to Nessa's softly. She lingered for a moment before pulling back, ready to spit out an apology, but Nessa clung to the collar of her blouse with both hands, keeping Glinda from moving very far.
"I'm not Elphaba," she whispered.
"I know." Glinda paused, pursing her lips and trying to think of the right words. "But maybe it'll help us forget," and she kissed her again.
Glinda always was one for lost causes.
-
"I had to put up with Madame Morrible all by myself, for two more years. Glinda was a help for a while, then she graduated and went on."
Feedback would be much appreciated, flames aside. And just so you know, I in no way support the Nessa/Horrible Morrible thing - that quote just stuck in my head and prattle poured out.