"Fiyero, this is stupid." The green Shiz student protested, all her vocabulary lost in the moment only to be replaced by: "Stupid! It's just really really stupid!"
"What's so stupid about it?" Fiyero asked, a smile toying at his lips. Elphaba huffed and walked faster, leaving him trailing behind. Her worn down boots clicked and clanked aggressively against the cobblestones leading to the barbershop.
"It just IS, okay? I haven't had a haircut all my life, why now?" She asked, her long, raven hair giving plentiful evidence. "It's just something I've never done, and I seriously don't see why we have to-" "Elphaba would you just calm down for a moment?" She stopped walking. The air around them bellowing with silence. The cabs that speed down the street next to them, distant. "What, did you just say?" Elphaba offered, her eyes narrowing along with her fists noticeably clenching at her sides. "Just, calm down. It's a haircut. Sometimes people need a change-" "WELL maybe I don't want a change. Maybe it's something I've never come to think about." Elphaba snapped.
"You're being ridiculous." They began walking again, though neither one noticed. Fiyero chuckled all of a sudden. "When it comes down to it Elphaba... You're just like a little baby." Wrong thing to say. "I'M LIKE A LITTLE BABY?! If ANYTHING Fiyero Tiggular, you're the biggest baby of all!" "Elphaba." "You're like... 'Oh I'm a prince and everyone loves me! Why must my life be soooo hard!'" "Elphaba." "And it's REALLY babyish, when you don't study!" "Elphaba." "WHAT?!"
"We've been standing inside the barbershop for 3 minutes." She turned around, her and Fiyero were in the presence of two other Shiz students, a Gillikinese, and a politician from the Emerald City. "You could've told me..." Elphaba hissed, kicking Fiyero sneakily.
"Well hello there!" Their eyes shot up, a lively old man stepped out and offered a welcoming hand to Elphaba and Fiyero. "Are you two here for a haircut?" He asked. Elphaba's antics that took place just moments before seemed to escape her mind. This... This man... Something about him... He just seemed so warm, and friendly, it calmed her at an instant.
She could trust this man with her hair.
"Yes- I am." She stepped forward, glancing back at Fiyero. 'You happy now?!' She mouthed. 'Very.' He mouthed back, a smug look taking on his expression. He had won. Elphaba simply rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to the old man. "What do I do?" She asked.
"You? You don't do anything! I do all the work for you!" "Yes, alright, that sounds reasonable. But exactly, what kind of work?" "Styling your hair why of course!" "Okay okay, by styling do you mean changing? Like, what do you mean?" "It's up to you-" "How much is up to me-" "OH FOR OZ SAKES ELPHABA JUST LET HIM CUT YOU'RE HAIR!" Fiyero yelled in an outburst. The old man smiled, his eyes crinkling with delight. "First haircut?" He asked him. "Yeah." Fiyero ended up responding.
"Well, Miss Elphaba, we won't do anything to your hair that you don't want us to do. Come, sit." He lead Elphaba over to an open chair, sat her down, and moved her hair so it went down the front of her dress. "We might take... Two inches off?" He offered. "Perhaps four, or five-" "Five?!" Elphaba shrieked, she visibly tensed up and gripped the sides of the chair.
"Easy..." Fiyero tried to soothe her. "Here, have a lollipop." He grinned and plucked one out of a glass jar full of them. The Vinkus prince offered it to her. In response Elphaba snatched it and shoved it into her mouth, a sour expression written on her face. The barber chuckled, moving slowly to get his tools. "We'll try 3 inches. How's that? If you don't like it, it'll be the last haircut you'll get. Okay?" Elphaba grumbled in response. "She'll like it." Fiyero reassured him. With a smile, the barber slowly began his deliberate process.
"Is he done yet!" Elphaba shrieked, growing impatient. "Elphaba, he's trying his best." Fiyero sighed, marveling at the barber's wonderful work.
"Wow..."
"Wow? Wow what, wow it's ruined?"
"No, no no not that at all... Just... Wow..." Elphaba groaned.
"Ugh! You can be such an airhead!"
"Elphaba... You look beautiful.." A silence dwelled on them.
"W-what?"
"You're friend speaks the truth!" The old barber smiled and handed her a mirror.
"Doesn't she look good?"
"She looks beautiful..."
"No.. N-no... No I HATE IT!" Elphaba threw the mirror down and ran out of the shop, her boots pounding at the earth. Fiyero awkwardly slid the required payment over towards the old man. "She loves it, don't worry. You did a fantastic job." "Eh, don't worry. It's her first." The barber assured. With that in mind, Fiyero dashed out and down the street. He searched frantically, for any sign of green. ANYTHING. "ELPHABA." He passed a dark alleyway, yet stopped. Sniffling. He heard sniffling. Turning on his heel, he marched daringly down the enclosed space and searched for her.
"Elphaba...?" He spoke softer this time. "Go away..." His head spun around, his shoulders relaxed. "Elphaba, listen to me-" He tried, yet was interrupted. "GO AWAY. The barber ruined everything..." "I didn't know you were this self conscious about your hair..." Elphaba stared up at him. "Why'd you come here?" "Because. I don't think you heard me properly when I said-" "Said what-" "Said that you were beautiful." Silence. Like before. Fiyero sat down next to Elphaba, he pressed himself against the dark alleyway's wall and smiled. "You're beautiful." "Shut up." "But you are." "Prove it." So he did. He leaned in and embraced her in a soft kiss. She gave in and hugged him close. "I'm lucky to have you..." She murmured, once the kiss was broken.
"I know."