Author's Note: This story takes place in book universe and explores the what-if Elphaba had not gone to see the Wizard. As such, it is rated M for both sexual situations and violence. The italics that follow are Gregory Maguire's words, not my own.
Two other notes regarding cannon: One, I've made Elphaba blush violet. In Wicked, GM states she blushes deeper green. I found that strange since unless her blood is green it wouldn't get greener. Since there is no mention of her blood being green elsewhere in the book, I simply disregarded it. Plus, violet is more dramatic. Two: In Wicked, Morrible's offer likely comes somewhere in the Fall semester of school. I based this on the fact that the morning Ama Clutch dies there's frost but that night there's rain. Considering there's no mention of snow, or winter break, or finals, plus the activities mentioned are primarily outdoor, it makes sense. However, I placed Ama Clutch's death in the middle of spring semester for plot purposes. Had it been in fall, the three girls probably would have ended up adepts if they stayed (Glinda almost certainly was one in the novel, and Nessarose could have been).
Also, for those reading Fighting For Happily Ever After, it is still my number one priority. This is an outlet for situations I have to veer from in that to maintain its T rating. This will probably be longer than that, but most likely will be split into separate stories. This first one will cover the last year and a half at Shiz, and maybe a year or two after that. Anyway, enough of my blathering. Here's the story.
A brisk rain had come and gone, but the streets were still noisy with runoff, and the lamplight glistened and danced in the silvery black curvetts of water caught among the cobbles. Imagining the possible brigand in the shadows, or the hungry wanderer lurking nearby, they stood close together.
"I've got an idea," said Avaric, putting one foot this way and the other that, as if he were as flexible as a man of straw.
"Who's man enough for the Philosophy Club tonight?"
"Oh, no you don't," said Nanny, who hadn't had that much to drink.
"I want to go," whined Nessarose, swaying more than usual.
"You don't even know what it is," said Boq, giggling and hiccupping.
"I don't care, I don't want to leave tonight," Nessarose said. "We only have one another and I don't want to be left out, and I don't want to go home!"
"Hush Nessa, hush hush, my pretty," said Elphaba. "That's not the place for you, or me either. Come on, we're going home. Glinda, come on."
"I have no Ama now," said wide-eyed Glinda, stabbing a finger toward Elphaba. "I am my own agent. I want to go to the Philosophy Club and see if it's true."
"The rest can do what they want but we're going home," said Elphaba.
Glinda veered over toward Elphaba, who was homing in on a very uncertain-looking Boq. "Now Boq, you don't want to go to that disgusting place, do you?" Elphaba was saying. "Come on, don't let the boys make you do something you don't want."
"You don't know me," he said, appearing to address the hitching post.
"Elphie, how do you know what I want? Unless I find out? Hmmm?"
"Come with us," said Fiyero to Elphaba. "Please, if we ask you politely?"
"I want to go too," whined Glinda.
"Oh, come, Glinny-dinny," said Boq, "maybe they'll pick us. For old times' sake, as never was."
The others had awakened a slumbering cab driver and hired his services.
"Boq, Glinda, Elphie, come on," Avaric called from the window. "Where's your nerve?"
"Boq, think about this," Elphaba urged.
"I always think, I never feel, I never live," he moaned. "Can't I live once in a while? Just once? Just because I'm short I'm not an infant, Elphie!"
"Not till now," said Elphaba. Rather smarmy tonight, thought Glinda, and wrenched herself away to climb into the cab. But Elphaba grabbed her by the elbow and pivoted her around. "You can't," she whispered. "We're going to the Emerald City."
"I'm going to the Philosophy Club with my friends-"
"Tonight," hissed Elphaba. "You little idiot, we have no time to waste on sex!"
Nanny had led Nessarose away already, and the cabbie clucked his reins and the equipage lumbered away. Glinda stumbled and said, "What did you think you were just about to say? To say?"
"I already said it and I'm not saying it again," said Elphaba. "My dear, you and I are going back to Crage Hall tonight only to pack a valise. Then we're away."
"But the gates'll be locked-"
"It's over the garden wall," said Elphaba, "and we're going to see the Wizard, come what may and hell to pay."
They hurried back to Crage Hall. As Glinda had said, the gates were locked and Elphaba did not want to risk checking in and out; Morrible may be having them watched. They scurried past the gates to the side alley where the garden wall was located. Elphaba had neatly hidden a ladder next to the stable in some bushes that grew defiantly out of the cobblestones. It helped her comings and goings. It was a good thing too; in her state she may been able to climb the wall but dainty, lady like Glinda might not when sober, let alone drunk.
She leaned her intoxicated roommate against the far alley wall, staying well clear of the manure laying around. Glinda promptly slid down the wall and giggled. Elphaba shook her head; Glinda would not be happy tomorrow about dirtying her dress. However, by then they would be off to the Emerald City and have bigger things to worry about. Elphaba went to get the ladder. Not seeing it behind the group of bushes, she started to feel around inside. Perhaps it had slipped. Not feeling it in the bushes anywhere she practically dove into them. She still could not find it. She looked up and down the alley way to see if it had been moved but could find no sign of it. She began to grow more desperate.
"What's this? A raven flittering around at this hour? What could it ever be looking for?" came a scraggily voice. Elphaba whipped her head around to see a withered old crone hobbling down the walkway.
"Keep moving." She hissed.
"Such tone! I who've lived such a long time and still no respect from the young people. Not a raven at all since they at least have manners enough not to barge in unnaounced. More like a crow. Always cawing about something but never looking about how it relates to the world."
"She's right, Elphie." Glinda hiccupped and Elphaba glared at her. "You were quite rude."
"I don't think my manners to some random ancient on the street matter right now."
"You might be right, crow, but could they matter later? For young people, everything is always an emergency; yet they only often see a piece. Yes, a piece only." The old crone sighed.
"And what do you know of the world, you crazed old bitty?"
"I know one should only trust those closest to them."
"That's obvious."
"Is it? Is it dearie? People trust all sorts of things they never meet. Books, education, institutions. All have lies that are willing to mislead the easily duped. One must always look for the truth beneath the face."
Elphaba opened her mouth to retort but closed it after a second. Something had started to develop in her brain. The wheels began to turn, began to make connections that were not there previously. It was not anywhere near formed but it was starting to coalesce.
"Elphie, I've never seen you speechless before." Glinda giggled. With that Elphaba snapped out of her thinking.
"Perhaps it will do her some good." Said the old crone who began to shuffle on her way.
"Oh, by the way, dearies," she called over her shoulder, "if you're looking for a ladder, I had the stable hands put it inside. Nearly tripped over it and killed myself. That'd be a sight. Old Yackle killed by a ladder, after…"
Elphaba watched the old crone turn the corner and disappear. She went over to Glinda and sat next to her. She was exhausted from the day's events, and though she would never tell anyone, she was at the end of her strength. She gave up trying to right the world's wrongs, at least for that night. As Glinda put her head on her shoulder, Elphaba marveled at the closeness of her friend who did not seem loathe coming in contact with her. She also was awed at her beauty (though she would never express that sentiment out loud), and at how their friendship had grown. The closeness she was experiencing right now was tempting, and Elphaba could not help but want to forsake everything simply to keep it.
"Elphie," Glinda said, pulling her out of her reverie, "this is nice, but where are you going to sleep?"
"I don't know, Glinda. I'll figure something out."
They stayed like that until they both started drifting off. Elphaba jerked her head up when she heard a chorus of voices coming from the street that held Crage Hall's front gate. She nudged Glinda, who murmured and turned her head, but Elphaba dug an elbow into her ribs. Glinda startled awake, and they followed the voices. As they turned the corner they saw a group of five men and three girls who they knew.
This is good¸ thought Elphaba, we can get in without being noticed too much.
"Boq?" she said tersely, "what are you doing here? I thought you were all going to the Philosophy Club?"
Boq turned. "Elphie? There you are! Some mean old dwarf wouldn't let me in. Said I was obviously a child trying to sneak in."
"And that," said Avaric, "was one too many insults against my good friend Boq! We quit that place at once, and bade the ladies home. Against my wishes, I should add."
"No need." Elphaba replied and Avaric smiled at their banter.
"The gates are closed." Glinda said, pointing out the obvious.
"Such they are. But the porters are there, and they'll let you in if you make enough noise." With that, Avaric started yelling at the top of his lungs. Soon, the others did too, and Glinda joined in giggling. Elphaba stood silently by, shaking her head at her drunken friends' actions. After a few minutes of nothing happening, they died down.
"It seems more extreme measures are needed." Avaric said, and then yelled. "Fine! If they won't let us into the Philosophy Club, we'll make our own right here!"
With that, Avaric promptly began to strip down. Elphaba raised an eyebrow, as it was quite cold out, and doubted the others would join in. However, the boys soon were shirking off their clothes while attempting to do some sexy gyrations. Elphaba's lip curled at such a crude display, but the reveal of Fiyero's tattoos across his chest sent an odd rush of heat through her body. She concealed it, but Glinda let out a soft coo. Soon, the boys stood there in nothing but their underwear.
"Now the ladies!" Avaric yelled, and even in their drunken state, the girls hesitated. Then, with encouragement from the boys, the slowly began to strip the complicated layers of lacing and lace. Glinda giggled and started to join Pfannee, Shenshen, and Milla; when Elphaba didn't join, she scolded her.
"Come on, Elphie, don't be a spoilsport!" Glinda said.
"Yeah! I always wondered if you were different shades of green, like we're different shades of pink." Avaric said
"Or brown." Fiyero added.
"Absolutely right, Master Tigelaar."
This elicited glares from Elphaba for the both of them. Glinda giggled and began to approach Elphaba will undoing her bodice. Elphaba felt a return of that heat.
"Please Elphie," she whispered and shed her bodice, "for me."
Elphaba wavered and opened her mouth to reply, but a voice cut her off.
"Oh no you don't!" and Nanny came barging out of the porters' door. "They'll be no stripping in the street. And that goes for you ladies too! Now shoo, up to your beds before I get your Amas."
The group groaned, for they were having so much fun, and Elphaba let out a sigh of relief. She told herself she would not have taken off her clothes but a little voice inside her scoffed at that. Pfannee and Shenshen gave Avaric a kiss on both cheeks, and Glinda, feeling mischievous, blew Boq a kiss. He blushed, and Milla's giggling kiss on the cheek caused him to turn a darker color. Fiyero turned to Elphaba.
"Don't you look at me, Master Tigelaar, you'll gain no ground on this quarter." She said, and stalked inside with the other girls following. The boys laughed good naturedly, and Avaric threw an arm over his shoulders.
"Maybe if Nanny was younger." Nanny added, throwing him a wink. This caused Fiyero to groan and roll his eyes, and the boys to collapse into fits of laughter. She walked through the porters' door and closed it behind her.
"Don't sulk, Fiyero." Crope said, after he was able to breathe again.
"We'll cheer you up!" Tibbett added, and both proceeded to jump on him. He went down, and Avaric and Boq collapsed again.
"None of that! Go home before I call the constables!" came a gruff voice from the porters' window.
They went home, if not directly then eventually.
