I don't know what's gotten into me. I just keep thinking of plots and trying to put them in a story format. Seriously. I'm working on another one right after this goes up.
Please give it a chance!
"Have you misplaced your mind?" Glinda chortled happily. "Red is not pink."
"Aren't they close enough?"
She stared at me, trying to decide if I was serious or not.
"Glin, you'll look good in anything. Can we please just move on?"
"Hey, buddy," She pointed an accusing finger at me. "You promised that we could shop if I rubbed elbows for you. No one ever goes shopping with me. Ever. I have to break into tears just to get them to consider, before ultimately declining, going with me."
"Oz, I wonder why."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you over my considering unrubbing those elbows."
At her insistence, I put the red dress back on the rack and started looking for a pink pink dress again. When we were back at Shiz, I never really minded coming out on these excursions, but now they may as well have been torture. I lost track of how long we had been in this section after the first couple quarter hours. How long did we spend shopping back at Shiz? I didn't even think about it much at the time. Wake up in the afternoon, shop, drink, and dance. It was a simple life. Since when did Glinda wake up early to go shopping anyway? Who convinced her it was a good idea? I looked around for a clock, but there was none in sight. Maybe they set these shops up like gambling holes on the other side of the City: Set the aisles up like a maze and leave your customers without a clock. You could get lost in these places for hours. I should have bought that watch I saw yesterday. Or at least worn my own one today. We couldn't be in here too much longer, right? She had somewhere to be, I had people to see. I'm sure it wasn't even lunchtime yet. I was just overreacting to the pointless shopping experience.
I started to pick up a dress that looked pink enough, but Glinda barked at me to put it back. It was followed by a light giggle as a few patrons looked over at her brutal tone. She could be a real wicked witch when she wanted to be. I smiled along to keep the old crows from saying anything rude about their Glinda the Good. There was still so much to pick up on, living in the city, but the rules of high society here couldn't be that much different than the rules of royalty back in the Vinkus. Although, the high society in the City had no qualms in calling a Vinkun a Winkie. While a Vinkun was around. Or while having a conversation with a Vinkun. Other than that, though, everything seemed the same. Hand shaking and ass kissing. So I smiled a smile that always worked at the grey goons, and they blushed and tried hiding it by turning away and gossiping. Glinda rolled her eyes and told me, in a whisper, to get back to looking for her perfect shade of pink.
"I'm wearing a lot of blue, though, lately." She told me as we looked through the same rack of pink colored dresses. "Not Munchkin blue, like a blushy blue. The Wizard says it's much more appealing to the masses. So I save pink for when I'm not under public scrutinization."
Which was when?
"It brings out your eyes." I offered.
"That's what I keep telling myself." She sighed, holding up a pale pink cocktail dress and giving me a questioning look.
I shrugged. "You'll blend in."
Glinda turned to a nearby mirror and considered it for a moment before putting it back on the rack. I can't believe we used to do this for hours. And I do mean hours without complaint.
"Did you catch the news this morning?" Glinda asked after she checked something in her little bag and decided we'd spent enough time in this store.
"Depends." I muttered.
"The tragedy." She said. "I'm supposed to speak on behalf of the fallen, asking for redemption and for those responsible to be held accountable."
"What happened?"
"Honestly, Fiyero," Glinda rolled her eyes. "There was a hit on a group of Gale Force officers participating in a hush-hush mission. The Wizard is clinging to it to rally the citizens of Oz together." Her voice dropped some, "He's looking for a fight and those terrorists are practically handing him one."
"He's not looking for a fight," I snorted. If he was looking for a fight, he would have already started one. He's the Wizard after all.
Glinda shook her head. "They killed ten officers, Fiyero. In cold blood." Her face folded into a soft frown.
I waited til Glinda paid for her items to go on, "Who were they?"
"The doctors couldn't identify any of them. The damage was terrible. I can't believe someone would actually do that to another Ozian. You might not think the Wizard is looking for a fight, but surely you can agree that the terrorists are giving Oz a common enemy?" I gave her a noncommittal shrug but nodded in agreement.
"Is there any leads on who's involved in the organization?"
Glinda hummed, "There's a few guesses, but we don't even know the name of the organization. We ask Ozian about a terrorist, and they point to the nearest neighbor who upset them."
"Do you know what they're after?"
"Answers."
.
Glinda kept glancing towards the exit as we sat waiting for our drinks to arrive. We couldn't have been here more than a quarter of an hour, and she was already ready to go. She was worse than any child. She smiled at the wrinkled grape to her right, patted his hand affectionately, but always lost her attention to sweet freedom several yards away. Her elegantly painted nails drummed on the table softly, light enough as to not attract attention from the wrinkled grape; her lips were pursed in such a way that someone passing could have mistaken them as thoughtful; but her shifty eyes were giving her annoyance away. Finally, she sighed and gave up her hopes and dreams of getting out of this. Knowing her for so long, it was easy to hear the superficialness in her voice as she babbled on with the grape. He was talking about some event or another that they were supposed to be hosting in a couple of weekends. I'd have thought that she would have been all over the topic of a gala, but she just seemed interested in anything but what her significant other was talking about.
"That sounds splendiferous, darling." She said with a note of finality. "So, Nora, tell me about school? Are you liking Piorwai Prep? It's where Chuffrey and I would send our children if we had any." She turned her attention to Nor but shot the last remark at the wrinkled grape.
"I'm Nor." Nor answered with a look at me first.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear!" Glinda said in horror. Not that she was ever good with names. Biq. Boq. "You may have to remind me several times. It took me months to get the names of some of my dear friends right. I'm absolutely horrendible." Nor stared blankly at her, so Glinda moved the conversation along with an encouraging look.
"I like it enough." Nor shrugged. "The teachers are nice, and the kids are fine." But she missed being in the Vinkus.
"Did you make any friends?"
"I don't want too many friends." Nor told Glinda as a waiter set Nor's hot apple cider in front of her then did everyone else's orders. Chuffrey sniffed his coffee, frowned, and pushed it away. "My mom's comin' back for me."
Glinda gazed at me for a moment. "But you've made a friend or two?"
Another shrug, "People like me 'cause I'm a princess."
"You'll deal with that forever." Glinda nodded sympathetically.
"She shares her lunch with one boy." I provided, and Nor rolled her eyes.
"He is not my friend." She told Glinda seriously. "He doesn't like the food his mom gives him. So I let him have my food. Princesses share with the needy."
"Surely he can't be that bad of a person." Glinda took a sip of her hot lemon water.
"He's weird!" Nor protested. "He's in all of my rotation classes, but he's a year younger than me. What does that say 'bout me if I'm consortin' with the lesser class." Chuffrey opened his mouth to respond but thought better. "This one girl who sits next to me in art said he's super smart." She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't really talk to anyone, and only if he really has to. I only started sharin' 'cause he keeps throwin' his food out."
"What's his name?"
"I don't ask." Nor snorted.
Glinda giggled and took another sip of her beverage. Her husband took her break to speak up, "Best you do that, child." His old voice was so shaky and quiet. "Boys only grow up to want one thing." He tapped his nose. "Smart girl if you keep them at arm's length."
Nor held my hand, rocking our arms back and forth animatedly, as we left the cafe and roamed the streets randomly until it was getting near dinnertime. There would be times when she would be so wound up. She wanted to look in every window, talk to every stranger, smell every plant, and touch every animal or Animal we passed. Then, though, there would be times where she would completely retreat into her own mind. She would stop a sentence and just stare down at the ground, stopping all energy that had once been bursting from her tiny body. She would sniffle but never cry. And I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to make her pain go away, and that pained me. What kind of father was I if I couldn't keep my own child from hurting? So I'd pick her up or let her ride on my back, any little thing I could think of that would cheer her up. Even if for only a few moments.
I knew we'd need to talk eventually. But I couldn't do that when she was so emotionally unstable. I wasn't a genius, or a doctor, or anything remotely close to significantly intelligent, but I was smart enough to know the topic would come up when it comes up. And I would never forgive myself if I pushed it on Nor. She'd open up to me when she was ready, and I was a patient person. Patient enough. At the time, though, I just needed to work on getting her to talk about anything. It was good having Glinda around. If Glinda could make a recluse have full length conversations, the woman could do anything. She was Good because she brought out the good in the people she came across. She inspired it. She would have an influence on Nor. She would get my daughter to talk just as much as her. Even if it took a little time.
"Oh no!" Nor gasped, jumping behind me like I was a human shield.
"What?" I looked around, trying to see whatever she saw. People. There were people, but there were always people.
"It's that boy!" She hissed as she peered from my other side.
Barely five yards away was a little boy sitting on stoop of a building, staring out at all the people on the street as they passed in front of him. His small fists were under his chin and elbows in knees, and himself tucked position made him seem tinier than he probably was. He would focus on one person walking by, stare them down until he was satisfied then snap his attention back to find someone else. Nor let out a hissing sound and rejoined my side. There was no side streets for us to take. The boy blinked when he spotted us and recognition dawned on his face. He was sitting in front of an old building that looked like it hadn't been updated in years, although the buildings around it had all been modernized and titled by some sort of sign. It hardly stood out, but one did notice the lack of identity. A quick smile pulled at the corner of the boy's mouth when we came closer. It could have been a twitch, though. On second thought, I'm sure that's what it was.
"Hi, Avern." Nor waved timidly at the boy. There was something oddly familiar about him. I just couldn't put my finger on it.
I gave her a double glance.
"Hi." He muttered in response, looking over his shoulder. I didn't know if he heard something or was hiding the sudden rush of color to his cheeks. I'd bet on the latter.
"Why you out here by yourself?"
The boy, Avern, gave me a cautious stare as he answered Nor, "Waiting for my..." He trailed off uncertainly.
"Your mom?" She asked.
"Sure." He said simply.
"Is that your dinner?" She nodded to the brown bag next to him. "You can come and dine with us if you want." She told him.
"Nor-" I muttered but was ignored.
"We're royalty. We're rich." She explained matter-of-factly.
Avern didn't move, just gave us a look of pure hesitation.
"When does you mom get done?"
"She works a lot." He didn't really answer the question.
He didn't have to, though. No sooner than he answered, some shouts and slamming were heard from the other side of the door. Avern stood up immediately, grabbing his brown bag as he did. Before anyone could even mutter, a fury of black and green came out. Avern looked over at the woman standing in front of the shut door, kicking it roughly with her cloak draped over one arm and a point black hat clutched in her other. I froze as Nor gawked at the sight the temperamental woman made. Everyone else on the street paid her no attention, just kept on with whatever they were doing. It was like she wasn't even there. Or like this was a daily occurence. She mumbled something over and over again as she whipped around, glaring over her shoulder at whatever was on the other side of the door.
"I swear I'm going to-" She had started telling Avern until her eyes found Nor and me. "quit." She finished quietly.
"Is this your mom?" Nor asked excitedly. "She's green!" Avern and his mother gave Nor the same look as she shook my hand vigorously, stating the obvious. "Daddy! She's green!"
Avern straightened out his shirt as he started talking without much interest, "This is..." He trailed off uncertainly again. "Elphaba." Nor took a sharp intake of breath. "This is that girl-"
"Nor." Nor corrected him.
"Yes." Avern sighed. "They want me to dine with them. They can pay for it. They're rich."
"And royalty." Nor added.
Avern nodded, giving Elphaba a pained look. There was a terrible twist in my stomach as I tried pin pointing the similarities between the two. His nose was too rounded, his cheek bones not as defined, and there was something different about the shape of his eyes. They just seemed so similar, though. That could have come with living with her, though, right? I mean, assuming they lived together. The way he stood so confidently but small at the same time basically screamed Elphaba. His dark hair was the same color as hers, but many people had dark hair. Right? I tried keeping the frown off my face as I sorted their differences and similarities out.
"Long time no see, eh?" I smiled, bringing myself back to reality, at Elphaba as she descended the stairs with Avern trailing close behind her.
"Avern, this is Master Tiggular," Elphaba told the child at her feet. He really was as small as he appeared.
"Oh." Avern replied as if that explained everything. It sent a pang of nerves rushing through me.
"If you're not busy, we'd love to have company for dinner." I said. Elphaba raised her eyebrows at me, and I already knew the answer.
"You can choose the restaurant." Nor put in, as if that would make up Elphaba's mind.
"We have a lot of things to do tonight." Elphaba looked down at Avern, who nodded eagerly. "Maybe another time."
The two of them took off, arms crossed as they strode away from me and Nor. I stared after them for a while. They were a black away from us, but I saw the little boy reach out to grab Elphaba's hand, which she offered eagerly. Another jab went through my gut, and I took my own daughter's hand before leading her away from the building.
"Mama never liked green." Nor said offhandedly as we passed a cafe that made green coffee to match their green croissants.
"No, she didn't." I agreed.
"I think I like it, though." She grinned and I squeezed her hand.
"Nor," I pondered over my question before vocalizing it. "What's Avern's last name?"
"Tenmeadows."
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