A Field Trip Remembered, a wicked fanfic

Disclaimer: In my dreams I own all characters of "Wicked," in reality Gregory Maguire has that pleasure

Summary: Galinda and Elphaba have met before Shiz University in primary school. Though neither recognizes each other later in life, they do remember the incident very well. During good and bad times, the incident forms a foundation for conversations to come. This is a continuation from "A Field Trip."

A/N: Thank you ghostlybender for reviewing my last story and giving me this idea! Also, I want to thank everyone else who read and reviewed "A Field Trip." Writers, even as inexperienced as I, cannot be better writers without readers and reviewers!

A Field Trip Remembered

"You didn't have to call me artichoke in front of the whole class!" Elphaba shouted at her roommate. It was late into the night, but Elphaba didn't care if she woke the entire dormitory.

"Well it's true! Besides you didn't have to give me an entire lecture about differences and whatever else you said! How would you like it if the Professor kept mispronouncing your name?" Galinda could not believe that she was the one being yelled at when Elphaba had clearly started it in class.

"Frankly, I don't think it would be the end of the world!" Elphaba's voice was growing hoarse, for the two had been shouting for a good hour now.

"No, of course not! Because I forgot you don't have any friends to be embarrassed in front of!" Galinda shouted.

Her outburst was followed by silence. Had Galinda gone too far?

When Elphaba spoke, it was in a steely whisper. "I know you may loathe me Miss Galinda, and truthfully I don't blame you. Everyone has. Why should you be any different for regarding my difference?"

Galinda was silent for a moment. Did she loathe Elphaba? It was true that the green women needed dire help in fashion sense, and not to mention lessons on social etiquette as well! But, Elphaba's skin color? The girl's difference was painfully obvious. Her skin was an obscene force of nature that one could not take its eyes off of no matter how hard the effort. Yet, beings from all over Oz came in different sizes and color. Though no one was exactly green, diversity was all around them.

"I don't loathe you Miss Elphaba." No, that's not what Galinda had meant to say. "I mean, I don't mind you being different."

"Really? So is it the smell of my oil lotions that you hate?" Anyone could see plainly that her green skin was meant for loathing.

"No. Ever since I was little, differences didn't matter to me. I talked and helped anyone as long as they were nice to me. In fact I once saved a really scary, muddy, Munchkin girl from drowning in a pond."

"My, aren't you brave."

"I'm very brave when I want to be."

"I'm sure."

"You're mocking me, Miss Elphaba."

"No, I'm not." Elphaba's gaze was so intense that Galinda was forced to look away. "You're very brave Miss Galinda because it takes true courage to deal with people who are different."

Galinda stood in silence as Elphaba left the room. She tried to contemplate what her roommate had said but was soon lost in her own harrowing maze of thoughts

"Thank you for dancing with me today, Miss Galinda." Elphaba said somewhat shyly as they were changing into their pajamas. Rain against the window provided a soft euphony, an almost romantic melody.

"Oh no problem, it was one of my favorite dance routines so I decided to go along with it." Galinda said. Was this green stoic actually bashful right now?

"I didn't know you could waltz." Elphaba remarked with curiosity.

"Miss Elphaba, imagine my surprise when I knew that you could!"

"Elphaba. You can just call me, Elphaba," the green girl stated. "I hope I was not too terrible. As you can imagine, I don't practice often." There was a pause before the tall woman continued. "I was sure you were going to ask Fiyero. But I guess this hat really does charm blondes." She felt the rim of the tasteless pointed hat with care, a smile playing on her lips.

"Elphaba was that a joke?"

The green girl blushed. "Don't get too used to it. Sarcasm is more my forte."

"I hope I will get used to it though." Galinda added with a playful poke, "Your jokes are rather enchanting."

They gave shy smiles to each other and their eyes met. Their gaze, a mesmerizing moment lost in time, was held longer than necessary.

Suddenly thunder crashed outside. Galinda almost jumped into Elphaba's arm so near and loud was the thunder. Outside, strong bullet-like raindrops pelted the window.

"Oh, I never did like thunderstorms." Galinda said in a small voice.

"Me neither." Elphaba seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment. Memories of pain stirred in her. She then shook her head slightly as if remembering where she was at the moment. Trying to comfort her new friend she said gently "If you want you can sleep with me on my bed. That might be more comforting." She then added jokingly, "As long as I'm inside a room during a thunderstorm I tend not to be too irrepressibly frenzied."

Galinda smiled, imagining a hysterical, panic-stricken Elphaba. The image did not come easily. "Thanks Elphie. May I call you Elphie?"

Elphaba hesitated, it was a bit perky. "I'll live with it."

Galinda chuckled and jumped into Elphaba's comfortable bed.

As Elphaba positioned herself next to her she said, "Thank you again Galinda for being so kind tonight. Other than my family, I really can only remember one other incident when someone else showed the same amount of kindness."

"When was that?" Galinda asked somewhat breathlessly as Elphaba's arm snaked around her and rested on her hips. Her emotions filled with sympathy, and, was it desire?

"Oh a long time ago, when a class visited Munchkinland for a field trip…" Elphaba said sleepily, her hot breath searing the back of Galinda's neck. Galinda lay awake for a long time as Elphaba's even breathing matched the pulse of her heart.

They were on a hill overlooking a campus lake. Elphaba was leaning against an ancient mahogany devouring a rather dense book, occasionally flipping a fragile page after a few moments. Galinda was leaning lazily against Elphaba's chest, with Elphaba's left arm wrapped around her waist, pretending to read a book. Her page remained stationary as Galinda's eyes drifted over the same three sentences. Finally, she knew that she was not going to gain any more information and emphatically closed her book.

"I'm bored Elphie."

Elphaba emitted a sound of acknowledgement.

"I never did tell you that story of how I rescued the scary, muddy girl did I?"

"You look great Galinda."

"Elphie! You're not listening to me!" Galinda tried to playfully tug the book from her friend's hand.

"Of course I was."

"No you weren't! Now shush, I have a story to tell you."

Elphaba sighed, and, after marking her page, closed her book. Only Galinda could make her stop reading during the most interesting part of Kierkegaard's theory of existentialism.

Galinda gave a complacent smile that indicated the story would be a long one, but no less exciting. "I was skipping along the roadside one day when a large muddy being rose from the depths of Lake Oodlin…."

When Galinda had finished, Elphaba felt an eerie sense of familiarity. The story had been complete with the heroic blonde's own version of single-handedly hauling a mud-covered girl out of a large pond just in time before large subaquatic creatures would have captured the girl underwater forever. Had Galinda told her this story before?

Out of boredom from the day and the exhausting work of telling an animated story, Galinda soon fell into a deep sleep. Her blonde curls were gold bands against green skin. Before Galinda had fallen asleep she had found Elphaba's hand and wrapped her own around it. Her own emerald fingers were burning in heat against the pale white flesh. But unlike the blue-eyed beautiful body next to her, Elphaba lay awake for a long.

They could hear distant noises coming from the attic's floor door. The sounds of soldiers crying out for the blood of a wicked witch vibrated through the wooden walls.

Glinda shivered and felt like fainting from the overwhelming sense of fear. Panic seemed to be squeezing the breath out of her making the edges of her vision blurry and darkened. But one person kept her in focus.

"Elphie, please don't go. We can still talk with the wizard." Her blue eyes pleaded with her friend, her heart nearly giving out.

"No Glinda, I have to do this. Can't you see? I don't care if everyone thinks I am wicked. I don't care if they only see the wicked green surface. I just care about doing what is right-and that you will always be my friend."

"Elphie, how can I be brave with you gone?" Glinda hoped this would be reason enough for Elphaba to stay.

"Glinda, Remember that story you told me? About saving the muddy girl?"

"What do you mean?" Then Glinda paused. "How is that the same?"

"Why is it any different?" Elphaba continued gently, "You faced your fears and overcame them."

"But, Elphie," Her blonde curls swung wildly as she shook her head. "That was helping one person. Now, I will have to face all of Oz."

"Glinda, I should have told you this a while ago." Elphaba took a deep breath, "Whenever I needed to show a mask of bravery, which is more often than I let on, I think of you."

Glinda's shock momentarily made her forget her fear. "Elphie don't tell me that just to-"

"It's true, Glinda." The tall woman continued earnestly. "Yet, I don't think of just the kindness you showed me during Oz." Elphaba hesitated and then continued. "I was the mud-covered girl Glinda. You were the first to show me kindness. For that I am eternally grateful." Elphaba's small smile lit up the room darkened with despair.

Glinda stopped breathing. After all this time…

A moment passed. The green woman began speaking hurriedly as she moved to the window. Time was not on their side. "Now I must be brave to show the Animals kindness as well. I am willing to risk my life to give even the smallest fraction of compassion that you have given me to help others in need. Because of you, I am who I am today. During the darkest of times, you can be brave. Because, you see Glinda, you helped me to become the brave one after all."

"Elphie…" Glinda whispered, her throat tight with emotion.

"Glinda, know that you-" Elphaba paused. "You have been a true friend to me. I won't forget." With that, Elphaba turned and flew through the window. The night sky seemed to swallow her, forever keeping her hidden.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed will be kind enough to review! Both good and bad comments are welcomed!