Funny story behind this. You see I wrote it around 2am after coming home for new years and needless to say I could barely walk straight so I'm surprised I even wrote something coherent! Didn't remember writing half of this when I read it in the morning. And of course the spelling and grammar was HORRENDOUS. But all fixed now. Nimby insists I put it up so, for her, here it is. Beta checked and approved. Thanks sis! ;)
Disclaimer: Being sued must suck.
Indubitably
It wasn't that Elphaba was unfriendly, antisocial, contagious or any of those other expressions her peers used to explain her altogether disagreeable disposition. She just merely enjoyed the company of things that didn't speak incessantly. Had her roommate been a mute, she was sure they would have been the best of friends. Unfortunately, fate had never been so kind to her. Therefore it was rare when she found herself alone, in her room, surrounded by warm and welcoming silence.
Galinda was off somewhere. Exactly where, Elphaba didn't care. Hopefully very, very, very, very far away.
It wasn't that she didn't like her roommate per se. They had, after all, become friends. It was just that being friends with one Galinda Upland required a sort of…sacrifice, so to speak. For being friends with one Galinda Upland meant never getting a moments peace. The girl would simply never shut up.
Elphaba closed her eyes, clearing her head. It wouldn't do to think about Galinda when she finally had a moment to herself. So pushing all thoughts of the blonde aside the green girl reached into her bag, extracted her History text, and began to read. She snuggled down into her pillows, relaxed. Quiet was nice.
However, Elphaba's relaxation came to an abrupt halt the moment a certain little bundle of bubbly blonde pranced through the door and, with dramatic flourish, draped herself across the end of the green girl's bed.
Elphaba tucked her legs further beneath her, and even further still as Galinda rolled towards her. Then away. And then back again. Elphaba wondered briefly if her roommate had accidentally enchanted herself into thinking she was a kitchen accessory. It wouldn't have been the first time.
But then Galinda opened her mouth and Elphaba realized that had only been wishful thinking.
"Oh Elphie!" Galinda sighed, finally coming to a rest on her back. She kicked her legs in the air, giggling. "I'm in love!"
Elphaba contained the urge to roll her eyes, and simply decided to ignore the issue altogether. Giving it attention would only spur further nonsense to spew forth from the bouncing body. And if the last time had been any indication, said spewing could go on till dawn.
Elphaba brought her textbook back up to her face, successfully blocking her roommate from view.
"Elphie!"
Unfortunately, the textbook did very little to block the blonde's exasperating voice.
"What?" Elphaba grunted. Glittering pink nails entered her line of sight as the book was brought down to her lap.
"You're not listening to me, again." Galinda pouted.
"And you're not letting me study, again."
Galinda narrowed her eyes at her roommate. Elphaba mimicked the expression.
"I'm more important than studying."
"Says the woman in love with a hairbrush."
Galinda scoffed, flicking her wrist in the air. "That was ages ago Elphie, I don't lov-"
"Actually, if I recall correctly, you said it last week. Right here, sitting exactly as you are now. And the week before that it was some air headed boy from the Vinkus, and the week before that a pair of shoes, and the-"
"I get it!" Galinda said quickly, interrupting before Elphaba could continue. "I just thought-"
Elphaba snorted. "Hardly."
Galinda glared at her. "Indubitably." And with the raise of one perfect eyebrow a smug expression settled itself upon Galinda's pretty face.
A challenge, Elphaba smirked. This'll be fun. She straightened her posture. "Imperceptibly."
Galinda sat up as well, lips curling devilishly. "Extensively!" She exclaimed as she pointed accusingly at Elphaba.
"Exiguously."
A blink.
"What?"
Elphaba grinned, bringing her hands behind her neck and reclining back onto the headboard. Galinda huffed.
"Fine," she said, sliding from the bed. "So you don't care what I have to say."
Elphaba sighed, "It's not that I don't care, Galinda..."
"Then what is it then?" She demanded, turning to face her roommate.
Elphaba paused a moment to take in the sight of the blonde girl. It was quite pathetic how slumped her posture had become after a period of less than five minutes. It was even more pathetic that this change actually had an effect on the green girl. Elphaba brought a hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. She would regret this, she knew it.
"Sit back down," She said, patting the space beside her. "I want to hear all about your wonderful day."
Galinda smiled, bounced on her heels, and proceeded to do exactly what Elphaba had said, much to the green girl's dismay.
The next couple weeks passed much in the same manner. Galinda would flounce into the room, proclaim her undying love for some frivolous fad and Elphaba would listen, willing herself to feign interest. Or at least remain somewhat interested. It seemed Galinda could tell the difference now. Having a best friend was rather taxing on a recluse.
One day after spending an unproductive afternoon in the library, (Elphaba didn't know what was worse, listening to Galinda talk incessantly, or listening to Boq talk of Galinda incessantly.) Elphaba decided to take her leave and return to their shared room. Perhaps tonight Galinda would spare her. She was even considering attending services with Nessa. At least there it would be quiet.
Whilst thinking this she opened the door to her room. A light was on. She distinctly remembered turning it off when she left. Confused, Elphaba glanced over to Galinda's half of the room. She was surprised to find the blonde curled up on her bed, a slew of textbooks spread out on the garish pink comforter.
Galinda flipped a page in her sorcery text, biting down on her pink pencil, concentrating. This couldn't be real. Galinda concentrating? Galinda thinking?
Elphaba blinked. Surely she was imagining things. But no, Galinda was ever so authentic. And ever so engrossed in her reading material. The role reversal was jarring. So jarring it simply couldn't go unnoticed.
Elphaba smirked. This would be fun. She threw her bag onto her bed, successfully grabbing the blonde's attention. Galinda began to smile, then immediately frowned as Elphaba pranced, skipped even, towards her. She watched, stunned, as Elphaba dramatically tossed her hair over her shoulder and fainted right on top of the book she had been reading.
"Oh, Galinda," Elphaba sighed dreamily, draping a green arm across her eyes and kicking her legs gleefully. "I'm ever so in love!"
Shaking her head clear, Galinda quickly decided this was surely a game meant for two. Beaming smile firmly in place she began to clap excitedly, and then grew even more excited as she noticed the façade Elphaba created had begun to slip. "So who is the lucky boy?" She trilled, poking her now stony-faced roommate with the end of her chewed pencil.
Elphaba let out a loud, frustrated groan as she picked herself up from the bed. This was not at all how she imagined it going. She turned her glare full on at Galinda. The blonde only smiled wider.
"Or is it a girl?" She ventured, wiggling her eyebrows.
Elphaba made another loud unintelligible sound as she stalked towards the door.
"Animal?" Galinda purred, absolutely enjoying herself. She giggled as Elphaba grumbled and slammed the door on her way out of the room. "I'm so funny," she mused to herself as she resumed studying.
After a couple minutes Galinda wondered where Elphaba had wandered off. After a couple of hours, she found it hard to concentrate. She'd worried her favorite pencil right in half! Galinda sighed. Perhaps the Animal quip had pushed her too far. Without second thought she abandoned her books, grabbed the two coats hanging behind the door and proceeded out into the night.
Damn, Elphaba thought, shivering. Stalking outside without her coat, let alone her keys, had been quite a dumb thing to do. Galinda would have been in the room of course, but it was the principle of the matter. Elphaba's simply don't crawl back with their hypothetical tails between their legs. Therefore her pride had led her to check on Nessa. Which was probably the stupidest course of action she'd taken thus far. It only resulted in her being dragged to chapel and made a giant spectacle of. Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. The bench she'd escaped to after service wasn't particularly comfortable. But it was off the beaten path. Nessa wouldn't dare follow her here.
And it was quiet.
She smiled. Quiet.
"Elphie!"
Maybe not so quiet.
"Here!" She shouted in the general direction she assumed Galinda to be in. A few squeals, broken branches and exclamations about thorns later and a very disheveled Galinda appeared in the small garden. She picked a few leaves from her hair as she made her way towards her roommate.
"Nessa said you probably fled over here. Though how you found here I'll never know."
Elphaba decided it best not to mention the manicured gravel path to her left. Instead she opted to move over, allowing Galinda room to sit. The blonde smiled as she took a seat and plopped a welcoming coat into her roommates lap.
"Thought you might need it," Galinda explained as Elphaba wrapped the coat around her shoulders.
"Thanks," She said, digging her frozen hands into the warm pockets.
An anxious silence settled over the two. Galinda distracted herself by peeling apart a leaf she had plucked from her stocking. Elphaba shifted on the bench. It creaked under the weight.
For once the quiet was not welcome.
"I'm sorry," They both said simultaneously.
Galinda giggled, "You first."
Elphaba shook her head. "No, you. I was the one acting ridiculous, running out without a coat let alone my key."
"I was the one who said you were in love with an Animal."
"And a girl," Elphaba added.
"Better than a hairbrush though." Galinda giggled.
Elphaba laughed. "Yes, better than a hairbrush."
Galinda smiled and wondered briefly when she had begun absentmindedly twirling a section of her dress between her gloved fingers. Fidgeting had been an awful habit, a way for her to remain silent during her parents' pompous dinner parties. Yet this wasn't a dinner party. This was her sitting on a bench with her friend. She was reminded that there was a reason why Elphaba hadn't returned home. Home? Galinda found herself smiling again. Home, she thought. Funny how that word so easily described their tiny room now. But something wasn't right. It wasn't home for Elphaba. Because of me. Galinda hesitantly looked up at her roommate. "I don't really… what I mean to say is, do I really...?"
"Act like a complete lunatic until you pass out from exhaustion?" Elphaba supplied.
Galinda grinned sheepishly. "Uh, yes?"
"Indubitably."
A smile. Albeit, one a bit too cheeky for her liking, but a smile nonetheless. Galinda relaxed. Perhaps not all was lost.
"I'll try to limit my lunacy to normal standards." She said.
Elphaba looked pensive. "Define normal."
Galinda blanked. "Um… not bothering you while you're trying to read, normal?"
Elphaba's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "Deal."
Galinda stopped fidgeting.
Quiet. Elphaba wriggled further into her coat, successfully obscuring her chin within the collar. She leaned back into the bench, contented, and stole a glance at her roommate. Galinda was curling her shivering legs beneath her; an obvious attempt to keep her thinly covered limbs from the cold. The girl was far rosier than when she'd arrived. Because of me, Elphaba thought, dismayed. Watching Galinda's futile attempt to warm herself was practically akin to watching a kitten starve. No, a Kitten. Far more depressing, thought the green girl. She continued to watch as Galinda folded her arms across the back of the bench. The blonde was about to place her head atop them when Elphaba finally realized why her roommate had come to be sitting here.
"I'm sorry I worried you." She said, quietly.
Galinda opened her mouth to speak, stopped, and then began again. "How did you know I was worried?"
"You wouldn't have come otherwise."
"Of course I would have," Galinda said, burrowing her head in her arms finally. Her eyes smiled for her. "I care about you, you know."
There was something exceptionally endearing about the muffled voice. Of course Elphaba would never say so aloud. Instead she opted to smile wryly and reply, "Exiguously"
"Indubitably." Galinda countered, nose crinkling happily.
"I'm too cold and tired for this game." Elphaba chuckled. "Anyway, you seem to be the only person who does care."
Galinda lifted her head from its warm nest. "That's not true Elphie, the Unnamed God loves you."
Elphaba leveled a blank stare at the blonde. Galinda nodded merrily.
Elphaba blinked.
Galinda giggled, shoving Elphaba's arm playfully. "I'm kidding!" She exclaimed, still laughing to herself. After a moment she calmed, sighing. "Oz, I'm funny."
"Hilarious," Elphaba deadpanned.
Galinda shoved her again, smiling wider when she noticed the hints of a grin pulling at the corners of a green mouth.
"You're my best friend Elphie," Galinda said, shifting closer to the green girl before enveloping her in a one-sided hug. When she didn't sense protest Galinda squeezed her tightly. "Of course I care about you."
Elphaba allowed herself to smile. "More than shoes?" She asked.
Galinda giggled and released her hold on the green girl. "Yes, more than shoes."
"And Winkie Princes?"
"Yes."
"And your own reflection?"
"Now you're pushing it."
Elphaba grinned. "Indubitably."
Galinda cringed. "I think that word should also be retired."
"Indubitably."
"Like, right now."
"Indubitably."
"You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"Indubitably."
"You wear pink panties and fantasize about Morrible."
Elphaba paused and then shrugged. "Indubitably."
"I'm fighting a losing battle aren't I?"
"Indubitably."
Galinda stuck her tongue out, sneering at her best friend. "Can we go home now? I'm freezing!" She whined bouncing impatiently on the bench.
"Indub-" Elphaba cut herself short after noticing the blonde's piercing glare. She laughed as she stood and extended a hand to Galinda. "Home sounds good."
Galinda didn't it let it show, she simply accepted the hand Elphaba had offered, but as she was pulled from the bench she had to stifle the urge to bounce and skip all the way back to their room. Back home.
