Tap, tap tap
That insistent tapping, pounding in her head, its small beat multiplying in her ears, echoing, driving itself into her mind. She clenched her pencil tighter in the palm of her hand, trying to focus on the lesson. Staring straight ahead, trying to clear her mind of all thoughts. A muscle in her jaw twitched. That damned tapping!! She turned angrily to the seat next to her, where the bothersome noise had started in the first place.
A handsome Winkie prince sat there, pencil in hand, strumming it lightly against the wooden desk. He smiled at her. A cheeky, boyish grin that told her straight away he knew it irritated her. She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips together to form a face that mentally threatened him to stop. His grin widened. He gave her a wink, and laid his pencil down beside his completely blank notebook page. She smiled to herself, letting out a deep breath of air as she picked up her pencil from beside her equally bare paper. Concentrating her mind back on Dr Nikidik's words, she let her pencil go back to its usual classroom routine.
Tap, tap, tap
Her face immediately darkened, twisting itself to re-purse her lips and to re-narrow her eyes. She turned to give Fiyero such a look he squirmed in his seat and instantly dropped the pencil he had been using as a drum-stick. Her eyes still didn't leave him, daring him to do it again...damn she was good at sending mental messages!
"...Miss Elphaba! Are you planning on taking any notes this lesson, or is your main priority to stare at Master Tiggular!?" Elphaba flinched at Dr Nikidik's projected words, and her face flushed a darker shade of green. People around the classroom were stifling giggles and muttering amongst each other. Elphaba averted her eyes so as to avoid the glare of Dr Nikidik's.
"Have you actually taken any notes?"
"I...uhhmmm...no Sir..." People were actually laughing aloud now, enjoyed the humiliation of the green girl.
"I suggest you catch up then, before I am forced to send you to the Madame Morrible!"
"Yes Sir...sorry Sir..." Elphaba rushed quickly, picking up her pencil and lowering her head. She pressed her pencil to the still empty sheet of paper, ready to focus on Nikidik's continuation of his interrupted speech. Breathing out a sigh of relief, at least she could concentrate now.
Tap, tap, tap...