A/N: Right. So the original title was going to be 'What Is This Feeling', but I absolutely hate over-using things, so I changed it to this. Just...you know, throwing that out there.

I've had this sitting in a flash drive for a year or two with every intentions of posting it sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, life happened. (I also lost the little sucker, so there's that.) I enjoy receiving constructive criticism and positive reviews-they keep me going!

Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or any of the characters mentioned in this text.

Getting To Know You
Kirra White Tigress

Silence reigned over Room 22, as it did every night. Despite its two occupants, there never was a sound other than the occasional turning of a page on one side of the room or an indignant huff from the other. And despite the everlasting tension that grew every day, both girls seemed determine to maintain the current circumstances that had been subconsciously set.

Elphaba, being a regular recluse and an antisocial individual, seemed to enjoy the permanent quietness of the environment she had been forced to live in. This was the only time when she was able to hide within the confines of a book and get away from the constant chattering of annoying schoolgirls. The only thing she supposed she could do without at the moment was the presence of her roomie.

Galinda, however, couldn't stand it. Not only was she stuck in a room with this thing she called a roommate, but she was expected to keep her thoughts and words to herself. The madness of it all! There were so many things she wished to say—evil, vile things that could only be directed at the green girl—just to give her an opportunity to speak. She wanted to be the one to remind her of her place in society, to say that she would never matter to anyone in Oz, to make her suffer for everything she had done to her in the past month.

And yet…

The blonde ceased her negative thoughts to focus on a single phrase that struggled to complete itself. 'And yet' what? There couldn't possibly be something in her own mind that would be willing to contradict everything she believed! The very thought of thinking something good about the green girl terrified her. It wasn't expected—it wasn't right! Elphaba Thropp was the evilest, most horrendible girl in Oz—no, in all Worlds!—and did not deserve a single act of kindness that one might be bewitched into doing.

But…she does have some good qualities about her.

Galinda frowned and glanced over at her roommate. Her green skin did look almost radiant in the soft glow of the candlelight. Her brow was furrowed as if she was analyzing the text her eyes were scanning over. After a moment or so, Elphaba would rake a bony hand through her hair to pull it away from her face, sweeping it all across one shoulder to keep it temporarily out of her way.

Galinda supposed she did look pretty alright—not gorgeous but not too horrendous either. And the way she focused and committed herself to something was impressive enough… But she still couldn't understand her. Why was she like this? Education was the least of Galinda's concerns—she just enrolled at Shiz for the Sorcery Seminar, and that was taken away from her the moment she arrived. And Elphaba. She had nothing going for her in her life—she would never amount to anything, even with all of her devotion to her studies. Why did she try so hard when it was clear that she would never get anywhere?

Why do I even care?

She tried to clear her mind of these thoughts, but they just kept coming. It was so unlike her to think about something for so long. It was almost as if she was subconsciously trying to break the green girl down to better understand her. But it didn't make any sense. Galinda knew all she needed to know about her. What more did she need to figure out?

"You're staring."

Galinda was suddenly jerked back to reality at this comment. She blushed lightly and looked away, feeling more embarrassed than angry that the green girl had caught her in such an awkward situation. "Sorry," she murmured. Then she cursed herself. Sorry? Why would she be sorry? Everyone else did the same thing—possibly worse—and no one said a word about it.

The same thought seemed to go through Elphaba's mind; her green eyes suddenly flickered toward the blonde. Was everything about her that awful color? "What did you say?" the green girl asked, her cold voice unusually quiet.

The blonde's blush deepened. She picked at one of her curls, twirling it around her finger absent-mindedly as she considered telling her the truth or simply leaving it alone. Of course, there was no simply way of getting out of this, was there? Galinda frowned. "I said I was sorry," she repeated. She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling very self-conscious the longer Elphaba stared at her in turn. "I mean, if someone was staring at me, I'd feel uneasy," she elaborated. "So…I guess I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

Elphaba shrugged. "I'm pretty much used to everything," she said. Instead of going back to reading like Galinda expected, she put her book to the side. "After living with green skin my entire life, the comments and stares are almost expected."

Galinda frowned. "Then why do you lash out when people do those things?"

"Just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I like it."

"But that doesn't give you the right to make a scene about it."

"You react the same way when someone makes a rude comment about the way you look."

"That's not—!" Galinda caught herself before she finished, the words sinking into her mind. She had to admit that Elphaba was right… But there was a single major flaw in her reasoning. Galinda wasn't the one with the abnormalities, whereas Elphaba was. And didn't the green girl say that she was used to the words thrown at her? If so, she wouldn't be one to try to change the irreversible. It was pointless to do so, and she should be constantly reminded.

But then again, she's a very headstrong girl, she unwillingly complimented. Maybe she just might be able to do something about this.

The blonde, suddenly wanting to keep up the conversation for reasons other than boredom, shifted her body to face her roommate. She tried to come up with something to say that wasn't potentially offensive—like that was possible!—something that would capture Elphaba's attention as well as her own. Finally she sighed, having found only one thing she knew would interest her roommate. It was worth a try. Galinda cleared her throat. "What are you reading?" she asked quietly.

"Was," Elphaba corrected—she gave what looked to be a small smile. She held up the book so her roommate could see; the quick submission surprised the blonde. "The History of Religion. I thought it would be a pleasant break from my homework."

"It still sounds like work to me," the blonde replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Yes, well, that marks one of the many differences between you and I," the green girl countered almost calmly. Elphaba set the book to the side once again and stretched. "Besides, I find that it's always best to know a little something about the world you're in rather than walking through it blindly."

Galinda nodded. She settled into a more comfortable position by drawing her legs up to her chest and locking her arms around them. She had to admit that she was a little bit intrigued by this. At last, she was able to see a deeper part of this girl! Maybe she wouldn't be so much of an enigma. "So what are you?" she asked. "Are you Unionist?"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" The blonde blushed lightly, having been caught off guard yet again. That was not an answer she was anticipating. Maybe a 'no,' would have been better than being countered with having to explain an innocent question! Pushing all of these thoughts aside, Galinda shrugged. "Well, I heard that it's the most popular religion in Oz, so…I was just wondering."

"You're correct about Unionism being popular among the citizens of Oz—" The blonde beamed at the thought of her actually being right, especially due to the fact that she was talking to a walking encyclopedia—"but compared to the pleasure-faith it's a dying race." The green girl's eyes seemed to harden at the subject, yet she continued. "Almost everyone in Munchkinland has stayed true to the Unnamed God, though some of them are trying out other faiths—I remain neutral on the matter. Quadling Country is questionable as to their beliefs, as is the Vinkus." Elphaba's expression shifted once again, back to one suitable for conversation. "As for Gillikin, I can only assume from your question that a majority of the country is Unionist."

Galinda frowned and lowered her gaze as she thought that over. "They used to be, I suppose," she answered slowly after a moment. "I'm not exactly sure…"

"What about you? What religion has your life fallen under?"

"My parents are Unionists," Galinda replied, "but they're not strict ones. They'd rather allow me to choose what I want for my life. But that didn't stop them from following tradition when I was born." She smiled upon seeing the look of complete interest on Elphaba's face, possibly from having come across something she didn't know about. Rather than rubbing it in the girl's face like she probably would have earlier, she went on to explain. "Though the religion might have changed in the region, it's almost an unspoken rule to give holy names to their children." The blonde sighed and the smile faded, her eyes shifting away uncomfortably. "So if I don't follow the right path, maybe my name will save me from the darkest pits of Hell…"

"Glinda, meaning 'pure one'," Elphaba clarified for her; the blonde could only nod, unwilling to speak anymore on the subject. The green girl seemed to take note of this, because then she changed the subject. "It's a pretty name."

The blonde smiled, her eyes glancing up at her roommate. "Galinda or Glinda?" she asked, hoping it was the former.

"Both," Elphaba answered much to Galinda's surprise. "Galinda is pretty and innocent to the ways of the world. But Glinda is more elegant and refined, a symbol of endurance through suffering. She's more knowledgeable in ways others are not, and that is what makes her so pure."

Galinda blushed, her eyes looking with her roommate's momentarily. Her heart suddenly rose in her chest, beating faster than she ever thought was possible. That was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard anyone say about her. And to think that she was supposed to hate this girl, who had just complimented her so wonderfully! Maybe there was something more to her after all…

"Of course," Elphaba said as she opened her book once again, "it'll take almost an entire lifetime for you to reach your name's true meaning. You're not even close to what you could be."

Almost immediately, the blonde's heart was crushed and plunged back into the depths of bitter loathing. How dare she speak that way! Who was she to say such things about her without even knowing her?

The Pot is calling the Kettle black.

Furious with her roommate and herself, Galinda turned away and lay down. Her body curled into a small, comfortable ball, and before she realized it, she cried herself to sleep.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Have a blessed day!