After a cool, but quick trip to the Emerald City, Elphaba, Galinda, Nessarose, Boq and all the other students of Shiz went back to the school. They didn't know yet, but that winter would be the last one calm and peaceful. They didn't know yet, but these days would be the last ones before the revolution in Oz.
Lurlinemas was pretty closer, so the classes were more bla-bla-bla stuff than real and important things. Eminent Thropp had warned that he would be there in Shiz in two days to grab Nessarose and take her home, not Elphaba. The lizard-girl would be alone one more time on the Lurlinemas, without her sister, without Nanny, without her classmates, and without Galinda. Elphie used to talk with some other people, but all of them didn't like so much Elphaba because she was always interrupting classes and doing weird questions to the teachers, supporting the Animals, and of course, she was green. So Elphie didn't care much about the other persons, besides her little and loved sister. But the only person inside that persons of the university, there was Galinda. That blonde and rich gillikinese that Elphaba considers as much. Galinda and Elphaba didn't have a good start, but now, the green one had a friend on Galinda. At least, she used to think like that. Never before someone cared about her like Galinda does, not even her sister. She needed to admit: Nessarose is a crass. But not Galinda. Galinda was always so happy, smelling like wild flowers, with all those pink clothes, her blonde hair totally simetric and combbed, nails polished, showing a bright smile. Well, Galinda was a little "not-that-smart" as she could be and a little futile too, but this didn't matter, once she was the one to help Elphaba to be beautiful for the first time in forever, just to go to a stupid party on the hall, promoted by that guy, Fyero. He seemed handsome to her, but he was always cheating on Galinda, and distracting her through the classes, and well, Elphaba didn't like it at all. She wanted Galinda to learn news things to have a great future, she didn't want to her friend to be a frivolous princess who waits for her husband everyday. She knew that Galinda could do awesome things by herself, but sadly, Galinda was showing some kind of interest on that boy, and Elphaba could never, never, EVER say anything to upset Galinda, She didn't deserve any of this, so, if she wanted to be with Fyero, then Elphaba would protect them both.
"Okay, you stay here, Dad doesn't want to see you. Bye, Elphie. Have a good Lurlinemas", Nessarose shrugged to Elphaba, who was helping her to carry her bags, 'til an Animal shows up and take the bags.
"Oh, okay. By, Nessa. Take care, and send hi to Nanny"
" Fine." Nessarose disappeared, walking on among this huge garden in front of the University, and Elphaba went inside the building. She was distracted, looking to the floor while thinking some documents she saw on Dr. Dillamond's office when she felt a hand on her arms.
"Elphie? Where's your bags? Do you need any help? I can ask for one of my daddy's Animals to pick them for you." Galinda wore a pink dress with a good cleavage, no-so-high heels in light pink and a yellow little purse, with her hair on a ponytail.
"Oh, Galinda, hi." Elphie get a little nervous looking to Galinda and her bright beauty. "I, hm… I'm not going home for Lurlinemas… You know, my father just wanted to see Nessarose, so I'm staying this time." Elphie smiled and stowed her eyeglasses.
"Once again?" Galinda were suprised. She couldn't never understand how could a father do not care for his child? Her father was amazing, always buying this for her, always asking for her, and doing this for her, and loving her all the time. Why was everything different and so hard to Elphaba?
"It's okay. It's not a big deal, you know? They have a lot of good food here and I can study a little more of… that thing Madame Morrible asked us to do." Elphie whispered.
"Oh, please! Take a break, stop studying so hard! You'll go crazy! Do you want to come home with me? We have a big house, you can have a room just for you, and you can spend the Lurlinemas with us" Galinda offered, getting excited with her own idea.
"Oh, no, Galinda. Really, no. Forget it. I'm staying, there's no problem. And thanks for inviting me, but no."
"Oh, why not? Elphie! C'mon, it'll be cool, we can play some card games, and…"
"Galinda, it's very nice of you, but, not everybody deal good with a girl with green skin, you know?"
"Oh… I see.. Well, you're kinda right… maybe my parents wouldn't like this, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Elphie held her hand.
"So, are you going to stay here, all alone? At least, did you received any gifts? From your dad or nanny or someone?"
"I'm staying, but not all alone. There's the cleaning crew, and some of the kitchen too. I don't receive gifts. Never received, never will."
"Holy Oz, Elphie. Not even a pen?"
"Well, when I was younger, a man called Turtleheart gave me a piece of crystal, but Nessa broke it a few years ago. Hm.. I really miss it, but it was only a piece of shiny glass."
"Who's Turtleheart?" Galinda asked, but suddenly, a steward showed calling for Galinda Upland because her carriage was waiting for her outside.
"Story for another time. Have fun and Happy Lurlinemas." Elphaba dropped Galinda's hand and smiled, her white teeth, a little pointy yet, contrasting with her green skin.
"Come here!" Galinda hugged Elphaba tight and then, she went away. She saw Elphaba go upstairs to her room and Galinda went to her carriage.
Not even for a minute Galinda could stop thinking about Elphaba and her loneliness at Shiz during the Lurlinemas, so, the night she arrived in her house, after a long day of trip, she went to her daddy's office and knocked the door.
"Daddy? Can I talk to you?"
"Sure, my princess! Come here. Tell me, what's wrong?" Mr. Highmuster Arduenna stopped absolutely everything he was doing just to pay attention to her beautiful daughter.
"Daddy, I need to go back to school. Today. Before Christmas".
"But… you've arrived a few hours ago! What do you need in school? I can bought you a new one, whatever it is!"
"No, daddy. I need to go, really. I need to… study. I mean, I'll have some tests right after the Lurlinemas, and I need to achieve a good grade, you know? You don't want me to be reproved, do you?"
"Of course not. My brilliant daugther can't be reproved… But… can't you study here? I stil have some books from university. I want you to spend the Lurlinemas here with me and your mother." Her father was begging her presence, and Galinda was almost buying it, but she thought about Elphaba all alone in Shiz.
"No, daddy, sorry. Your books are very old, and I need to concentrate on it. I love you, I love mommy too, but I really need to go back. I promise that after the tests, I come home and spend a lot of time with you." Galinda smiled, knowing her father's answer already.
"Well, if it's your desire, my little jewel, then, you must go. I'll talk to the steward. Go upstairs and say goodbye to your mother. She's probably taking her sun bath."
A half-hour ago, Galinda was inside her carriage, with the steward named Yackle leading the white horses to the Emerald city.
Knock, knock.
Elphaba heard a knock on her room's door, she thought it was very weird, because there wasn't not even one living soul but her at Shiw, but she dropped her book on the bed and went open the door.
"Galinda?! What are you doing here?" She said surprised.
"Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie!" Galinda hugged the green one and closed the door behind her, going to Elphaba's bed. "Were you reading Civil Rights? What the hell is wrong with you?
"What are you doing here? Weren't you at your house, in Gillikin Land?"
"I was, but… I couldn't be happy knowing that you were here alone. I'm not that mean, miss Elphaba."
"Are you here, just because of me?"
"Well.. yes. But as it seems, you didn't like my presence." Galinda got upset.
"No! No, sorry! That's not what's seems. I'm shook, actually. Nobody never did something like this for me before. Thank you… Are you in trouble for doing this? Your father and…?
"No. My father is okay with it. He thinks I'm studying." Galinda laughed. "And… You need to get used to it."
"Get used to what?"
"Get used to this. I mean, Elphie, you are not alone anymore. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Oh… Yes. Yes, we are, I guess."
"Good. Then, you are not able to be alone anymore." Galinda held Elphie's hand, and then, pulled her into a hug. " Oh, wait! I almost forgot! I have something for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Wait." Galinda grabbed her purse and started to search for a cute pink pack. Once she found it, she gave it to Elphaba.
"Is this for me? For real?"
"Yes. Open it. I hope you like it. It comes from Emerald city, because… well, because I guess you like there."
Elphaba opened gently the pack, keeping intact the paper, and found a little green velvet box, and inside the box, a beautiful necklace, with a mini crystal, which looked so much with the crystal that Turtleheart gave to her years ago.
"Oh, Galinda, this is so beautiful. Are you sure you're giving it to me?"
"Stop it, Elphie. Just use it, or… you didn't like it…?"
"No, absolutely not. I love it, this is so beautiful…"
"Let me put it on your neck." Galinda took the necklace and adjusted it on Elphaba's neck. "Done. You look so beautiful."
"Thank you so much, Galinda. I don't have anything like this to you. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to pay me back with another gift."
"It doesn't mean that I don't have anything for you."
"You do?"
"Yes." Elphaba hesitated a little while took a page from her notebook. "I wrote it for you last night. Hope you like it."
Galinda took the paper and spend a fez seconds reading the poem.
"L is for 'laughter' we had along the way.
O is for 'optimism' you gave me every day.
V is for 'value' of being my best friend.
E is for 'eternity,' a love that has no end."
"Oh, my Oz! Elphie, did you noticed that you formed Love with the firsts letters of each phrase? You're a genius! And this is very cute! Thank you!"
Elphaba wanted to laugh, because, well, Galinda was a little low but she couldn't do that, her smile discovering obvious things was the most beautiful thing for Elphaba and she never had seen such a beautiful smiled like hers. Galinda took off her boots, showing a green socks, and Elphaba took that as a compliment. Galinda never wore another color but pink and some shades of yellow, so green socks were a big deal.
"Elphie, come here!" Galinda was laid on Elphaba's bed, with the poem on her hand. " Lay here right now and tell me how could you write such a smart thing like this. I mean, all these words, they can rhyme each other! I think you should show this to Dr. Dillamond, it would give you a master level!"
Elphaba laugh and laid beside her, explain things about poems, why they used to rhyme, another poems she likes to read and write, and they spent the Lurlinemas together. From that moment, Elphaba knew that she would never be alone anymore, and she could finally feel like a real and loved person.