Her Ebony Locks

A/N: I wrote this almost 2 years ago, when I was obsessed with the 2007 London cast, so I had Dianne's Galinda in mind when I was writing this.


The heavy slam of the door startled Elphaba from her book. It was very unlike her roommate, who treaded the very fine line between hyperactive and excitable, and a refined gracefulness. More startling for the green girl, however, was the single, slow tear that tracked its way down Galinda's cheek.

"Galinda, are you okay? What happened?" Elphaba's voice was concerned.

"Madam Morrible has suspendified me from her sorcery seminar! How in Oz's name am I supposed to practice sorcerification?" replied the blonde hysterically. "She didn't want me in there anyway, the witch, so who's to say she'll let me back?"

"I am," said Elphaba. "If she doesn't, then I'll quit." She paused for a moment, pleased to see that the other girl was beginning to calm. "Galinda," she began cautiously, "what did you do?"

Elphie was surprised to see the blonde girl instantly dissolve into fit of suppressed giggles. "Well, not a lot of students like her, Elphie, so gave her a book. Top Ten Ways To Help You Become Popular."

Elphaba let out a deep, throaty laugh. "And she didn't appreciate that?" she said sarcastically.

"No! She showed absolutely no gratitution." The subtle hint of genuine surprise in Galinda's voice did not go unnoticed by her roommate. Elphaba knew how deeply the blonde's desire to study sorcery ran, and this slight setback must have hurt her. For a young woman used to getting her way, each muttered "no" seemed to force the weight of the world to crash on her shoulders.

"Hey Elphie, can you make me feel better?" The dripping sweetness of Galinda's tone was enough to make Elphaba suspicious.

"What do you have in mind?" she slowly replied.

"You should let me do your hair!"

"No, absolutely not." Her voice was firm.

"Please?" Galinda stretched out the word, and the moment her lower lip began to tremble, Elphaba knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Fine," she sighed heavily. "But only this once."

The blonde girl's face instantly broke into a grin, and she squealed happily.

"Elphie, this is going to be the best decision of your life."

##

Galinda had always been fascinated by the green girl's hair. Elphaba's face was not particularly pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but it was framed with such raw, opaque beauty. She reached to touch it, carefully at first, but soon delved her hands into the ebony locks, reveling in their coarseness, that was also soft somehow. As she delicately pinned back each section of strands, she was inspired anew at the ridiculousness of the notion that the other girl seemed to hold of her ugliness. In that moment, there was something otherworldly, ethereal, about Elphie's appearance that the green girl would never let herself see. The sharp, pointed angles of her face may not on their own draw attention, were it not for their hue, they set off her dark, inky tresses beautifully. When she finished, Galinda held a mirror in front of the other girl's face.

"Look," she said, her voice hushed. "Elphie, you're beautiful."

If tears formed in Elphaba's eyes as she choked out a "Thank you," Galinda pretended not to notice.