IN THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

This is in Nessarose's point of view at first, and switches to Elphie's, it goes back and forth. This is my first fanfiction story, so please review and tell me what you think!

"Nessa! Come to breakfast!" Elphaba yelled.

"I'm coming!"

"Great, I need help getting out of bed. Okay, first one leg, then the other." Nessarose said to herself. She often had trouble getting out of bed, but today was extra difficult. She used her arms to drag her limp legs over the bed, and into her wheelchair that was waiting patiently for her to occupy it for the day.

"ELPHIE! COME HERE!" whined Nessarose as she fell out of her bed for the 50 millionth time. "Why can't she come when I call her?" thought Nessa. Just as she thought those words, Elphaba ran into the room. Her dark black hair was braided around her neck as usual and she was wearing her traditional black sweater and skirt. "For one thing, why can't you wear something fashionable?"

"I don't have time for this Nessa! What do you want?"

"Are you blind? I fell out of bed and I can't get up! I feel so helpless and dependent. Why can't I be like you Elphie? I wish I could be like you. You're smart and very independent, and you don't care about what everyone else thinks of you! You're perfect."

"No. No I'm not Nessa; you don't want to be like me. Papa loves you so much, more than he could ever love me, and you have beautiful skin, and you are intelligent. I bet I wouldn't be able to get myself out of bed each morning, and not to mention, I'M GREEN!"

"Thanks Elphie, but I still wish I could be like you. Maybe not the green part though." Elphaba picked up her little sister and set her down into her wheelchair. "Thanks."

"Welcome. Is that all?" Elphaba looked very impatient this morning. What could she be up to? Thought Nessarose.

"That's all, you can go now." She watched her big sister of 13 years rush out of the room. "I wonder what Shell is up to," thought Nessarose. Although Shell was only 3 years old, he could still be fun.

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Elphaba sat on the patio in front of her house in Munchkin land. She was thinking hard about her plans for the day. First, she would read her book about Physiology. Then, she had been invited to a party by some popular kids who she found immensely immature, and she felt that she had nothing to do with them at all. She debated with herself whether she would go or not. Even though she knew that her invitation was probably a joke, she thought it might be interesting to study their behaviors, and maybe try to understand their mean ways a little better.

That night, Elphaba decided to go, and thought of it as an experiment. She called it "Operation Popular" even though it sounded really corny

"Hi Elphaba. Look everyone, Elphaba's here!" yelled Bella Phalli, the most popular girl in school, and in Munchkin Land. Everyone stared at her, and started rolling over in hysterical laughter. Elphaba pretty much expected this, so she was immuned to their jokes, and laughter. She just stood there quietly with an innocent smile on her face. "Okay everyone, we're going to play a game called 'Green Wonders.'" Everyone laughed even harder than the first time.

"Wow, this is really ridiculous!" thought Elphaba as she stepped inside. At that moment she seriously considered turning around and going home, but decided not to. She wanted to pull a little trick on these sick people first. Plus, Frex would question her, and antagonize her why she was home so early.

"Are you going to play?" asked Bella. "It's a lot of fun! We're dedicating this round to you!"

"No. Thanks. I think I'll pass." Elphaba was there to observe, not to play.

"Suit yourself." warned Bella. As she said those words, she took some Absinthe out of her refrigerator, the 'green wonder.' She took out 1 bottle, and gathered everyone at the table. She made Elphaba sit at the table with them, even if she claimed she wasn't playing.

"What are you doing with that?" asked Elphaba. "That stuff is illegal and not to mention extremely dangerous!" Everyone laughed at her remark, like they were long past that stage. The games went that everyone would go around in a circle reciting places in Oz going through the alphabet. A- Apple Press Farm, B-Broken Bottle, C-Cloister of Saint Glinda, and so on. If someone happened to hesitate, or forget a place that began with their particular letter, they had to drink a shot of absinthe.

"We'll start with me, and then it will go clockwise to Rotilla." directed Bella. "Okay, here we go, everyone got quiet. "Apple Press Farm—Bengda—Cloister of Saint Glinda—The Disappointments—The Emerald City—…ummm Fanara?" Everyone looked amazed. Frario, the smartest popular boy had just hesitated in the game he was best at! Everyone started chanting. "CHUG, CHUG, CHUG…" as Frario took a shot of Absinthe. Suddenly, his face turned a little green from sickness and dizziness rolled up in one from that one shot. Then, after a moment he started laughing uncontrollably. He starting yelling at a 'Green Fairy' and said, "look everyone! There's Elphaba…HAHAHA she's green and she's wearing a bikini!" Then he fell down unconscious. Everyone looked at him, and then at Elphaba, and they started laughing yet again. Everyone took advantage of this moment to dress him up in girls' clothes and sprayed whipped cream all in his hair. Elphaba had had enough, and got up to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home!" said Elphaba quietly.

"Oh really? I don't think so" threatened Bella. "I think you're gonna play this round with us. Remember, if you lose, you gotta chug a whole glass of this!"

"No! I'm leaving, you sick people!" shouted Elphaba walking over to the door. She was a little scared right now. Everyone was staring at her with hungry eyes, as they started to stand up. Elphaba quickly ran to the door and clutched the knob when she felt cold hands pulling her backwards into the crowd…