Chapter One:
Elphaba had by now gotten accustomed to the long flights that were required for her job but the one thing she had not gotten used to was the back pain she suffered afterwards. She had become a frequent flyer ever since she had taken this job at the Dauphine Bank right after college. So as an expert flyer she knew that the airport was no place to rest but at least there Elphaba hoped she could find some Aspirin or Motrin to dull the pain at least until she got to settle down at her hotel.
Dragging her luggage behind her body, Elphaba expertly maneuvered her way through the crowds of people, knowing just when to dive through a crowd and where to look for pockets of empty space. She was anxious and ready to get this trip over and done with. All she wanted was to go back home to her cat Malky and live her ordinary life of being a business woman by day and that lady who never leaves her apartment by night. But if she wanted to keep her nice business suits and pay for that expensive skin medicine that controlled her skin condition, work came before comfort. It wasn't that Elphaba didn't like her job working at the bank, negotiating with customers, filing deposits and filling and emptying accounts and such. It was that lately work had become her life. She went on all sorts of business trips, got called at ridiculous hours, and worked crazy amounts of shifts, the works. Elphaba didn't have a social life, not that she used to though. But it would be nice to have the opportunity to have a social life. Lately she hadn't even had time to call her sister and check up on her nevertheless hang out with her old school friends. It was tedious but in the end Elphaba knew it would be worth it.
Finally on her traveling she found a store, bought some Motrin, and then stopped in a restroom. She wanted to be sure, as she swallowed the pill down with a swig of her Coke a Cola, that she looked somewhat presentable before she went in for this business meeting. And it wasn't like she had time to get ready at the hotel. Her boss had given her strict instructions to get off the plane, drop the luggage off at the hotel, go to the meeting and then she could unpack afterwards. There was neither time nor room for error.
Quickly she checked her old leather wristwatch that she still had from her college days. It was noon exactly. She had about an hour or so to get to the meeting.
Sighing, Elphaba gave herself a once over in the mirror of the restroom and splashed some cold water on her face. Her hair, which was pulled back into a sleek high ponytail, was as good as it was ever gonna get. It shone like a black lagoon in the moonlight. Her eyebrows were plucked and shaped nicely forming little crescent shaped moons over her brown eyes, which were highlighted by the mascara that she wore, her lips were colored a pale rose, and her ears had simple diamond studs in them. This Elphaba Thropp was a vast improvement from college Elphaba Thropp who had liked to wear grunge and her hair down.
Her skin though was still a problem even though she used that skin cream obsessively. Her complexion, which was supposed to be a milky white, was tainted due to a birth defect. Her skin had a hue of green to it, and it was noticeable. She always looked sickly, as if she was about to throw up all the time. It wasn't just her face that was green, it was her entire body. Something had happened to her during her mother's pregnancy that no one could figure out.
Elphaba had gotten used to it over the years, sometimes she didn't even remember that her skin was that color until someone would point it out to her again. It was her curse, and it was one that she was trying so hard to get rid of, for along with the greenish skin came the water allergy. Yes, that's right. Elphaba was allergic to water, only if it came into contact with her skin. She could drink it, but tears and jumping into pools were not recommended. Elphaba had never experienced a full-blown water allergic attack and she didn't plan on it. The skin cream had been her best investment of her entire life. It dulled the green color and protected her from her unusual water allergy.
Finding herself looking presentable in her tailored blue suit with her matching high heeled shoes, Elphaba then exited the restroom and headed out towards the limos were a company car was waiting for her. The bright California sun was one Elphaba had seen many times over the course of her various excursions for work. But New York was the place Elphaba called home. Though she had come to the city a complete stranger, Elphaba had found her place among the skyscrapers and the business world. She liked having four distinct seasons and she liked how the city looked at night. She could never deal with the number of faked tans and blonde bimbos she saw in California on a daily basis.
While walking through the airport, there was a colossal traffic jam at the escalator, something that happened quite often in a busy airport like this one. Elphaba found herself to be standing still for quite a while so her eyes began to wander, trying to pass the time. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the handle of her suitcase and her eyes traveled from face to face, from TV screen to TV screen until something that was being displayed on the screen caught her eye. It was obviously a news show, with a reporter on the side talking about the current news. But it was not the reporter that caught her eye though; it was the headline that was being broadcasted in capital letters on the screen.
It read:
FAMOUS FASHION DESIGNER, GLINDA UPLAND NEE TIGGULAR, MURDERED IN STUDIO!
Elphaba's breath hitched as the news reporter was replaced on the screen by a photo of the woman. As soon as she saw the picture, Elphaba knew. She knew this woman, this Glinda. She had been her roommate in college, among other things. Glinda had been instrumental in shaping the woman Elphaba was today. Without her, Elphaba still would have been the reclusive, shy girl she had been when she had begun college. Glinda had been one of her only friends at college, and Elphaba had stayed in touch with the blonde after graduation. Elphaba had even attended Glinda's wedding to Fiyero Tiggular. They had been the best of friends, even more than friends some would say.
Seeing the blonde's youthful face on the TV, her glittering blue eyes, her full red lips, that infamous mass of golden curls that framed her pretty, heart shaped face, it all brought back bittersweet memories to Elphaba. Her throat felt dry and she didn't even realize that she had begun to cry until it was too late and tears were streaming down her face. Thank God that she had put on the medicine once she got off the plane otherwise, her skin would have burned like crazy. She tried to wipe away the silly tears, to tell herself to snap out of it but she couldn't. She felt an undeniable wave of guilt and remorse fill her as she just stood there, eyes locked on the TV screen. It was a horrible, senseless tragedy. Why did, out of all people, Glinda have to die? She was a sweet woman with the best intentions and the biggest heart. Elphaba felt anger rise up in her like a flame. How dare someone kill Glinda? How dare they take away her life when she had so much going for her, so much happiness, so much to live for? Elphaba hoped with all her might that whoever it was got what was coming for them.
Taking one last look at the TV screen, Elphaba summoned up all of her strength in one deep breath and moved towards the escalators. She was being strong, at least for now, now while she had work to do. There would be time to mourn, question, and grieve Glinda's death later but right now she had a business meeting to catch.
A.N:
Yay new story! I've had this idea for a while now and I'm really excited to see how it turns out. Let me know what you think!
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