If there was one thing I hated more than my green skin, it was the fact that Galinda Upland was my roommate. Not because I hated her; that was only a pretense I put on for the world. It was because somehow, against all odds, I had managed to fall for her. Rather hard, in fact.
Galinda Upland had a sort of air about her. Like me, she put on a pretense around others, but when we were alone in our room, she almost turned into a different person. And that was the person I loved. Of course, I couldn't tell her how I felt, for that would only bring perpetual humiliation, no doubt. Still, a secret like this was not one a person could carry around inside, for they would surely implode. So, to spare myself the humiliation of telling someone, I chose to instead pour my feelings out into a notebook. Poems, songs, drawings, anything and everything I could do to express how I felt. In class, focusing was hard, for I found myself staring at the blonde from my seat in the back.
One this particular day, I was feeling rather simplistic, so I decided to be rather cliché and drew a heart, beginning to write in Miss Galinda's and my own initials in fancy calligraphy.
"Miss Elphaba!"
The sound of Dr. Dillamond calling my name caused me to look up. "What?"
The class laughed at that, apparently amused by the fact that I had been caught off-guard, which was happening more than I liked lately.
"Something is distracting you?"
"N-no…"
The Goat approached me, and I felt the eyes of my classmates following. Before I could hide my notebook, his eyes fell on it, and an eyebrow rose. I quickly closed the book, my face turning dark green, I'm sure.
"As I was saying…" The Goat returned to the front of the room and I let out a sigh, opening my book and continuing. I pretended he hadn't seen it, and I assumed he decided to join in my pretending.
After class ended, students filed out, and a few threw things at me, as was prone to happening. I ignored them, but didn't move, intent on finishing my drawing. It was turning out well… I just had to finish the U for Upland…
"Miss Elphaba?"
I froze. I knew that voice all too well. I looked up into sapphire eyes, the same ones that haunted me in my dreams. "M-Miss Galinda!" I practically threw myself onto my notebook, hoping she hadn't seen.
"Class is over… why are you still here?"
"I… um… was just finishing up my notes." I quickly closed my notebook, readjusting my glasses. "Can I… help you with something?"
Galinda was wearing an expression I couldn't read. I hated how the blonde could confuse me without even trying! Even more, I hated that it made me love her all the more!
"No… just wondering what you were doing." The blonde gave me a small smile, a kindness I could hardly believe I was receiving, before she turned and left the room, the floral scent of her perfume still hanging in the air. I sat there for a few moments, still staring at the spot my blonde apparition had once stood in. Finally, I stood, tucking my notebook under my arm before I too left the classroom.
That night, as I exited the bathroom after my oil cleaning, my gaze fell on my blonde roommate, sitting in her bed with a textbook in her lap, chewing on a pen thoughtfully. My breath hitched in my throat, and I quickly moved to my bed, reaching for where I'd left my notebook on my desk.
It wasn't there.
I tried not to panic as I began to search for it (not too frantically). Had I forgotten it somewhere? I remembered bringing it back with me from class…
"Looking for something?"
I turned towards the blonde. "No…"
Galinda nodded before holding up a black notebook… MY black notebook. "Not this?"
I could only gape, struggling to form words. "You… how… why…"
"Well, after Dr. Dillamond talked to you in class, you turned greener than usual… and then when I talked to you, you tried very hard to hide it from me. I would have ignored it, because I know how you like your privacy, but then I saw my initials, and I was curious… so I took it." The blonde turned to the page with the heart. "Is this really how you feel about me?"
My face was so hot, I'm sure it was about to catch fire. "Y-yes…" I barely whispered. "I… I never meant for it to happen…"
"Why are you so embarrassed?"
"Because of the situation! Look at yourself, Galinda! You're beautiful, and popular, and I'm… green and socially awkward. And we're both women… it's not right for me to… feel these things towards you."
Galinda set my notebook aside before she stood, approaching me. "Well… I must say, I'm rather appalled, Miss Elphaba."
"I'm sorry…" I knew this was coming… there was no way Galinda could ever—
"I'm appalled it too you this long."
"What?" My head snapped up just in time for Galinda to press her pink lips against my own verdant ones. A jolt of electricity shot through my body, and my arms awkwardly wrapped around the blonde, not sure if this is what I should be doing.
"Elphaba… I've known how you felt for a while…"
"You… you have?"
Galinda nodded. "Your poems are beautiful…"
"You… you knew about the notebook before?"
"Ever since you started writing in it."
"So… am I correct in assuming… you feel the same?" My heart was pounding, and I refused to let go of Galinda, as if doing so would keep her from saying no.
Galinda pushed herself up on her toes to kiss me again. "I'm not doing this for fun…"
I pulled the blonde close, feeling my happiness swell inside of me. "I love you…"
"I love you too, Elphaba Thropp…"
And I did… but it didn't matter. I still left… Glinda still married Sir Chuffery… and in the end, all that was left was a hat, a strange little bottle… and a notebook.