Ruminations and Relationships
Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked. Anything you recognize is either owned by L. Frank Baum or Gregory Maguire. I just like to play in their sandbox!
Author's Note: Well, folks, this is a fic that wasn't planned. I sat down to write a new chapter of "Harry Potter and the Summer of Truth" and this fic came out. I don't really know what to think of it, but I do hope you like it.
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Elphaba laid awake that night, thinking.
She contemplated her life up until that night, wondering how her current thoughts came to be. She remembered flashes of life before Melena died; caring for Nessa, and then Shell, getting her sun-catcher, the wooden bird. She remembered the funeral; how, while everyone was sitting around, mourning a young life lost, Elphaba stole into Melena's room, taking the most precious object she owned – a green glass bottle. Melena had told stories about the man who brought the bottle, enrapturing her daughter with the tales. It was much later that Elphaba would scorn her mother for these perceived fallacies – it wasn't right to tell stories that weren't true. Elphaba learned to appreciate a cold hard fact and to scorn a fairy tale.
That scorn was learned from none other than her father, Frex. She remembered how he would drag her through the muck and marshland that made up Quadling Country, using her in whatever way necessary to try and convert the Quadlings to be Unionist. Elphaba detested this! She was not a Unionist, nor was she anything else. She had learned early in her life to only believe in herself, for only then would she have a chance to have her dreams come true.
Elphaba rolled on her side, facing the bare, drab wall of her room.
She pushed negative thoughts of the Quadling wetlands away, instead thinking of the teacher who had saved her life. Elphaba remembered that teacher, one of Shell's, catching her nabbing a book from the library when she was supposed to be retrieving her brother. Instead of calling her a thief, the teacher had sat down with the young girl and learned about her and what made her tick – her thoughts, her goals, her hopes, her dreams. She learned that Elphaba's one desire was to attend Shiz University. Every day after that, the teacher sat down after school and helped Elphaba learn all she needed to know.
Elphaba smiled.
That teacher was a direct catalyst for her current predicament. She had arrived at Shiz, happy and, for once in her life, certain of where she was going and what she was supposed to be doing there. She was a science major. Her allergy to water and resultant dependency on oils had led to her interest in plants – or more importantly, the medicinal properties of plants. So it was that, biology book in hand, Elphaba stepped into orientation, and left her old life behind.
She shook her head in amusement.
Of course, she couldn't have a completely positive day; something always had to go wrong. The snag that day was Nessa. Elphaba was sent to care for Nessa. How could she do that if Nessa was going to room with Madame Morrible? Fear gripped her at that thought; if she couldn't help Nessa, would Frex pull her from Shiz? The Headmistress was leading her sister away when Elphaba snapped. Words didn't work anymore, only actions counted. She had accidently unleashed her untrained magical powers, pulling her sister away from Morrible, and back into her arms. Thankfully, what could have been a terrible event was placated by the most unlikely of sources. Morrible herself congratulated Elphaba on her raw talent, and proceeded to barricade her into lessons in sorcery. It was only with some quick thinking that enabled Elphaba to continue with biology as well, although Nessa's living situation did bring up another problem for Elphaba. If she didn't room with her sister, where was she going to live?
Pondering that situation caused Elphaba to chuckle.
Enter Galinda Upland (of the Upper Uplands). Galinda was a high-society girl – perky, bubbly, a gossip, a lover of all things pink – in short, everything Elphaba was not, and she instantly set Elphaba's teeth on edge. Elphaba had noticed her from the moment she entered the room. How could she not? A whole half of the room was taken over by a cart with Galinda's luggage! Galinda herself making up wild tales or insulting almost everyone in the room.
Just when Elphaba thought things could get no worse, rooms were assigned. Due to a rather strange occurrence, Elphaba ended up sharing a room with none other than Galinda Upland herself.
Life with Galinda was strange and barely tolerable at first. Neither girl liked the other so most times; the tension in the room was tangible. This was the norm for the first few months until the party. Shiz hosted parties every once in a while, and Elphaba loved them. Oh, she didn't go. She loved them because Galinda always went. Elphaba could sit and read for hours without listening to her roommates' whining about how Elphaba always had her nose stuck in a book. No, Elphaba didn't go to parties!
And then was the OzDust. Almost everyone from Shiz was going, even Nessa! Elphaba didn't pay it any mind aside from planning out her quiet evening. Then Galinda Happened! Elphaba had come across Galinda crying one night, upset about not being in Madame Morrible's sorcery seminar. Feeling uncharacteristically bad for her roommate, Elphaba pleaded with Morrible to accept Galinda. She was to be told the night of the OzDust.
Galinda was in the room, dressing for the party, when Elphaba returned from the library. She sat and read while watching her fiddle with necklace and earrings and makeup. When Galinda was brushing her hair, Elphaba turned her full attention to the book in her hands. Hearing a cough, she looked up startled, to see Galinda standing over her, grinning from ear to ear. More surprised still was Elphaba, when Galinda handed her a pointed black hat and asked her to come to the party. In her shock, she accepted and acquiesced to her roommates' question. That night turned out to be one of the best in her life. Afterwards, Galinda and Elphaba actually ended up friends.
Elphaba rolled over, facing the bed across the way.
The OzDust had been two months ago, and now Elphaba was in a quandary. Ever since Galinda had become her friend, the blonde kept touching her. A hug here, a hand squeeze there, and it was driving Elphaba to distraction. Right now, as much as she tried to block it, the main thought in her mind was of her getting out of her bed and snuggling in with Galinda.
Elphaba rolled to her back, closing her eyes.
These thoughts had been plaguing her for months; she was yearning for a relationship with Galinda, despite the fact that she had absolutely no idea how to go about getting into one.
As her thoughts started to spiral out of sequence and control, Elphaba felt her bed sink. She opened her eyes to see Galinda crawl under the covers. A sound of surprise was silenced by the blonde's fingers on her lips. A soft head was rested on Elphaba's shoulder, a lithe arm dropped across her waist. She automatically brought her arms up around the girl, carding one hand through the blonde tresses and resting the other along her hip.
Maybe, Elphaba thought, this is the start of a beautiful relationship!
Contentedly, she drifted off to sleep; the blonde safely nestled in her arms, peaceful at last.
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Author's Note Redux: Please let me know what you thought of this, it is not my normal writing style.
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