Hey! I hope you like my first Wicked fanfiction! Different from your typical post-musical Glinda fic, I hope!
Glinda Upland was not feeling like herself. So far, her day had sucked. Her week had sucked. It had seemed like the past year had sucked, to tell you the truth. What made it so unbearable?
What a question. First was her fiancee dumping her for her best friend. This was the least of her worries, and you'll see why soon. Next was that very same guy getting killed by his own men. Hey, she still cared about him! Then the worst part... her best friend dying. She had been thinking of little else for the past year. And she still had to be a public figure. She had to grin and bear it. Her popularity had given her a false sense of security, made her think she was unbreakable. Only now did she realize she wasn't. Her vanity had blinded her before now, and she had shaken it off. Now she only wished she could get it back. To stop the pain at least by a little bit. Anything to get rid of the empty feeling inside of her. She blamed herself for Elphaba's death. It wouldn't have ever happened if she had left with Elphaba after finding out how wicked the Wizard really was. Now Glinda was stuck ruling Oz, and had to mask her grief. After all, she could never tell the other Ozians that she was best friends with the Wicked Witch of the West. Her life had been nothing but miserable ever since.
The only exception to this was meeting Shaila. Shaila was one of the palace servants, and she had been very sweet to Glinda. In fact, Shaila was the only one who knew Glinda's secret. She had heard Glinda cry at night and comforted her, though she didn't know why Glinda was crying. Eventually, Glinda grew to trust her and explained everything. Shaila was a reliable person and Glinda had been right to trust her. She hadn't breathed a word to the others.
Tears were streaming down Glinda's face at the mere thought of her old friend. She was sitting in a comfortable chair turned against the window. Shaila would be here any minute. A knock at her bedroom door confirmed it.
"Come in," Glinda's voice was choked.
Shaila burst into the room. "Glinda," she said quietly, "I've got an idea."
Glinda looked up at her friend and shrugged. "Anything helps, really."
Shaila put an arm around Glinda. "I swear it will help. We're going for a walk."
Glinda looked at her like she was crazy. "You're confusifying me. How... why..."
"Take a walk, clear your mind. It's an old saying." Shaila explained. "Maybe you'll feel better."
Glinda shrugged again. "Maybe it will. You have helped me a lot already. I see that I was right to trust you, at least."
She grinned weakly. Her friend smiled. "Good to know someone trusts me," She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I miss my best friend too, you know."
Glinda frowned. "Let's not talk about our deceased friends for now."
Shaila's best friend Naretha had been killed in a carriage accident the year before. Shaila had found work in the Emerald City shortly after.
Later, the two friends, broken but mending, walked through the Emerald City, blanketed in darkness. They spoke quietly about things that shouldn't have mattered. Neither of them paid any attention to the screaming coming from a couple houses down.
In the house, a woman was doing the screaming. Her husband's eyes were filled with rage as he opened the door, casting her out onto the street. She clutched a tiny child to her chest as she fell down the front steps.
Cliffhanger. Muahahaha. Do my names sound Ozian enough? I made up the name Shaila, it's pronounced Shy-luh. And Naretha is an Aboriginal name I liked. A new character's name in the next chapter will also be Aboriginal. I love the way they sound ^_^
