Whispers echoed the hallways and notes were passed during class. Students stayed up late in dorms and could be caught creeping around campus at all hours of the day. What was all this excitement for? The Shiz Prom, of course! And the hype had touched every last corner of the university, the excitement unmatched and higher than what might've been displayed for any previous silly little frat party. This was so much more exciting because it was far larger, grander and fancier, school-sponsored where everyone celebrated by dressing up to the nines instead of trying to see how many shots they could take until the rest of the night would become a blur. Oh, sure, plenty of students were still planning on drinking instead of dancing, but because it was school-endorsed, there was a special sense of entitlement and pride that came with an event like this. The entire campus was ablaze with eagerness because there was something in it for everyone.
Or at least, almost everyone was excited...
"I don't see what's so exciting about watching people dance and drink in the dark for like eight hours before they disappear into the wrong dorms and come out the next morning, in each other's clothes and barely able to stand," Elphaba drawled, leaning against one of the taller, wider trees that overlooked the Suicide Canal. Glinda was sitting in front of her, resting upon a little blanket she'd brought out so the underside of her uniform wasn't stained by the grass or mud. Elphaba, however, was unbothered by this and sat in the grass, enjoying feeling nature against her skin.
"But there are so many beautiful outfits to see! And isn't the dancing just so romantic? And this alcohol is fancy stuff! It's not just cheap college beer!" Glinda cried. "I bought a new dress just for the occasion too! It's not a small event, Elphie."
"Of course you would buy a whole new dress just for one little night," Elphaba scoffed in reply. Glinda only rolled her eyes at her green-skinned roommate, sighing heavily. Elphaba just didn't understand the finer aspects of this university, did she?
"Nessa, be a dear and help me convince Elphaba to go to prom!" Glinda turned to Elphaba's younger sister, who was just resting against the tree right beside Elphaba, wheelchair only a few inches away. Before Nessa could reply, however, a new voice entered the conversation.
"Well, I'll be heading there for the ladies," Avaric, who was busy peeping at several girls on the other side of the canal, shouted to them, having overheard their conversation. He set his binoculars down to join them. None of the girls were trying to skinny dip today, so there was nothing for him to see. Nessa, Elphaba and Glinda all instantly stiffed up with dislike for the wild, uninhibited aristocrat. They relaxed, however, when three other men came over. It was Fiyero, Crope and Tibbet. They were all far more polite than the wolfish, cheeky and sexual Avaric.
"Are you all going to prom as well?" they asked, also having overheard the conversation.
"Well, I am, and it sounds like Avaric is, but we're still trying to convince Elphie here to-" Glinda jerked a thumb to Avaric and then to Elphaba.
"Stay at home," Elphaba interrupted, finishing Glinda's sentence for her. Glinda pouted at her but before she could speak, Crope piped up first.
"Are you sure, Elphaba? Doesn't prom just sound wonderful?" he gushed. "I mean can't you see it now? A dashing lad and glowing lass waltzing across the floor?" he began to sway as his eyes grew hazy with the idea.
"Or, in our case, one dashing lad and one really dashing lad," Tibbet said, gesturing to Crope and then to himself. Instead of getting offended, though, Crope only giggled before offering an arm to Tibbet which Tibbet gladly took. The two proceeded to waltz around Elphaba, Fiyero, Nessa, Glinda and Avaric, receiving five different expressions in response.
"To be honest, I think you should go, Elphaba," Fiyero said after a few moments of everyone just watching Crope and Tibbet dance suggestively around. His dark face, dotted with its blue diamond tattoos, was earnest as he looked down at the green girl leaning against the tree. "I know it may not be your thing, but we should at least see what it's like! I mean, what harm could it be?" he asked. Everyone gave the boy pitying stares, forgetting that he had come the farthest to be here. None of them were quite sure what it had been like for him back home in the west, but surely it was much different than Shiz. What could go wrong? That was spoken by a boy who had never seen a school dance before.
"You sweet summer child," Elphaba murmured back up at him, almost sympathetic. She had been pretty sheltered in the past too, but even she knew what havoc and trouble could come from a school-sponsored ball. Of course Fiyero would still be idealistic enough to think it would be traditional and old-fashioned instead of lewd and rude with a dash of glimmer and wine instead of beer. Everyone else was giving Fiyero the same pitying look, except Avaric, who looked positively predatory. No doubt, he was already thinking it was his sacred duty as a frat boy to tell this new kid all about party life, something the others were all firmly against. In the end, though, it was Nessa who spoke before Avaric could go too far. However, what she said was not exactly what anyone wanted to hear.
"I, for one, agree with Elphaba!" she declared, almost haughtily. "All of this partying is most immoral! Nothing but rowdy, scandalous sin dressed up as a simple, school-sponsored event! I think we should all stay away from such a lawless and foolish debauchery and do something more wholesome with our time instead! Why waste a night getting drunk like peasants of the street when we could do something so much better?" she was almost preaching at this point and the pitying amusement everyone felt over Fiyero's remark changed to uncomfortable irritation in response to Nessa's. Nessa could actually be a very charming and friendly girl, one that everyone was more than happy to befriend, but whenever she dipped too far into the religious world, she set everyone else a bit off because none of them were nearly as avid a worshipper as she.
"Anyway!" Avaric said a bit too loudly, though this time, everyone welcomed his voice. "Who else is going?"
For a moment, there was only silence, but then when a certain little Munchkin went strolling by, Avaric recognized him on spot and made sure to call out to him at once, gesturing for him to come over.
"Hey! Boq!" he shouted, waving his arms. The Munchkin, Boq, hearing his name being shouted, turned in their direction.
"Avaric? Hello!" he cried, then he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him over to the snobby aristocrat and the rest of the students behind him.
"Ah! Good day to everyone else as well!" he greeted through heavy breaths, trying to bow politely to everyone else in attendance. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he continued to smile at and greet the others.
"What did you all call me over here for?" he asked once he finally had caught his breath again.
"We were wondering if you were planning on going to prom," Avaric replied.
"Oh! The prom!" Boq suddenly seemed to grow smaller, not really wanting to go, but then also not wanting to not go at the same time. It was just that the last prom he went to resulted in him nearly being stepped on at least 20-something times in the first hour, but he didn't want to be the one guy on campus who chickened out and stayed home while everyone else painted the town red.
"Oh, come on, you've gotta be in!" Avaric cried, catching onto the Munchkin's hesitation at once.
"Enough! Avaric! Don't pressure him!" Elphaba finally spoke him with a sharp voice, coming to Boq's defense. Then she turned to him, face softening just a little. "Don't listen to him, Boq," the green girl insisted. "Don't let him pressure you into anything!"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Don't worry! I'm going to go!" Boq insisted, trying to make himself look taller. It didn't work.
"Alright! Sweet!" Avaric slapped his back heartily, causing him to nearly fall face-flat. Elphaba watched it happen with a mix of amusement, disappointment and sympathy. It was clear she pitied Boq for being peer pressured, but she wasn't going to fight his battles for him, nor was she going to start anything with Avaric. Not today at least.
"So that makes everyone!" Glinda cried next, clapping her hands and putting on an overly large and cheesy grin. "The whole of our Charmed Circle! That means you will be going, Elphie!" she added next, turning to her roommate with a look that brooked no room for arguments.
"No she won't!" Nessa answered for Elphaba. "Father wouldn't approve!" she glared at her older sister. For about three seconds, the two Thropp sisters only looked at one another and an entire silent conversation passed between them. At the end of those three seconds, however, the conversation had already ended and Elphaba surprised them all with her next response.
"Actually, yes I will!" she insisted stubbornly, a glare on her face and her arms crossed tightly. She actually still would've preferred to stay home in the dorm like she'd told Glinda, but Nessa's boastful humbleness was getting under her green skin. Now she was going to prom out of pride, just to prove that she could and that Nessa could no longer preach her into submission all the time.
"Alright! Even our green girl is coming!" Avaric hooted in delight. Elphaba fought the urge to slap him for that remark.
"But Father wouldn't approve!" Nessa repeated, looking outraged that Elphaba had agreed to this night of debauchery.
"Yes, well, Father isn't here right now, is he?" Elphaba asked, narrowing her eyes. She usually never got mad at her sister, especially not like this, but for some reason, she was feeling unusually and unreasonably aggressive towards Nessa today. "I'm going to prom and that's final. There's nothing you or Father can say to stop me!"
"Yesss! Woo hoo!" the rest of the Charmed Circle hooted over the conviction of Elphaba's promise while Nessa only humphed in anger and tried her best to turn away from Elphaba. It didn't work very well, it being hard to shift her body around without arms.
A few weeks later, Elphaba was still making good on her promise, though her confrontational mood was long since over. She had actually tried to back out a few times before, but the entire Charmed Circle continued to pressure her into it, insisting that she'd already given her word and could not take it back. It was a silly insistence, but it worked, and Elphaba wound up going to prom anyway, despite trying to get back out of it again. Just as expected, it was nothing but a whirlwind of obnoxious and loud music mixed with strobe lights and gaudy outfits. It was nothing but rowdy, bawdy students drinking and dancing in the cramped room, speakers everywhere. In short, Elphaba's worst nightmare.
"Glinda! Give me the room key! I'm going back to our quiet dorm!" Elphaba screamed over the blaring music about 30 minutes in.
"No! Stay!" Glinda shouted back. "You promised!"
"I promised to come! Not to stay!" Elphaba hollered back.
"No! Wait! Please!" Glinda sounded genuine and even though the dim strobe lights made it hard to see clearly, Elphaba could see earnestness on Glinda's face. Against her better judgement, she asked.
"Alright. Alright. What?" she demanded.
"Just stay and give me one dance? Please? Then you can go straight home! But please, just one dance. Please?" she asked.
Upon being offered a dance from Glinda, Elphaba paused. She might've despised this prom and everyone and everything in it, but she couldn't deny that the thought of getting to share a dance with Glinda was actually quite attractive. Although she had never given any indication of it, Elphaba was a little bit in love with her roommate and although she was certainly no romantic, even she could appreciate the idea of getting to glide across a polished dancefloor to a gentle and steady song with her beloved on her arm...
"Ok. Fine. One dance!" Elphaba tried to look firm and discipling, but Glinda literally began to jump up and down in excitement.
"Yes! Let's go! There should be a slow dance song coming up soon!" she cried, then without warning, she dragged Elphaba to the floor.
Half an hour later, Elphaba felt woozy as she finished another drink with Glinda. Somehow, after sharing that one dance with Glinda, she was goaded and tricked into another, which then became a third and then a fourth and then they needed to stop, catch their breaths, and grab a drink. Then, as with the dances, one drink became much more than that and, eventually, Elphaba was slipping into the land of drunken revelry. It was all that Avaric's fault! He was the one who wouldn't stop pouring the drinks! Speaking of Avaric...
"More refreshing adult beverages?!" Avaric, in his fancy, immodest outfit, cried loudly, holding up another champagne bottle.
"We'll take some, good sir!" Crope and Tibbet cried dramatically. Avaric topped them off well. Despite being drunker than Crope and Tibbet combined, he didn't spill a drop as he filled their large glasses again. They giggled in delight, starting to drink the second Avaric finished pouring. Meanwhile, Fiyero took a swig of a Vinkus draft that his tribe in particular was known for making and he smiled contentedly as it burned down his throat. Boq also reached out to Avaric, requesting a bit to drink.
"Just a bit of light wine!" Boq requested, but of course, Avaric gave him something heavy.
"I want some!" Glinda cried next. Avaric, having no qualms on corrupting students regardless of gender, topped her off just as well, to her pride.
"Glinda. I don't think you-" Elphaba began, sighing wearily at the sickening sight of all of this drunkenness. Elphaba did drink, but it was very rare, so this level of indulgence was repulsive to her.
"Let me have my fun, Elphie!" Glinda interrupted before toasting the party with the others and taking a swig. Elphaba could only sigh, yet she still found herself being suckered into another drink as well.
Finally, though, the prom began to reach its end. There was one last thing to do, however: announce the Prom King and Queen.
"Ahem!" Headmistress Morrible's voice boomed outward and the whole ballroom fell silent at once. "As you all know, it is now time for the announcing of the Prom King and Queen!" she said. The students instantly flocked around her eagerly. She had to push a few of them back and snap at them before she continued on. At last, however, the crowd was quiet enough for her to try again and make the announcement. "I shall first announce the Queen!" she said, holding out a tiny pink sheet of paper. She cleared her throat again before calling out a name: "Glinda Arduenna!"
She fell silent, then, as a roar swept over the entire prom. It lasted for three whole minutes, though nobody was surprised that the cheers lasted for such a duration. Glinda was already one of Shiz's little queens, so for her to receive this more formal nomination was not only a surprise but seen as something almost like a coronation. Now all the students were eagerly participating in this mock-coronation, clapping and cheering for their pretty little queen in the pink dress enlaced with all kinds of precious gems and metals. Glinda, meanwhile, was over the moon, curtseying and giggling and just trying to look as adorable as she could.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you very much!" she giggled sweetly, scrunching up her nose and tilting her head a little.
After those three minutes, though, when the students finally started to stop cheering, Morrible announced the Prom King. She held up the little blue paper, opened her mouth and then... closed it again and raised a long, well-done eyebrow in confusion. For a moment, she wondered if this wasn't a mistake, prank or joke. She even considered asking just because the name on the king's paper made no sense. But then she remembered that she didn't really care. Just as long as the students were obedient to her in the end, what they did in the little and unimportant moments like this was something she could ignore. So she shrugged to herself before opening her large mouth again and bellowing out.
"Elphaba Thropp!" For a moment, there was only silence. But wait a moment! Elphaba was a girl! How could she be king? But then...
"WOO HOO! GO ELPHABA!" two drunken voices echoed the silent hall. It was Crope and Tibbet. "GET IT, HONEY! GET US THAT GAY REPRESENTATION! WOOT WOOT!" they pumped their fists, stumbling over one another as they cheered.
"Alright! Why not!? They're both sexy enough!" another voice agreed, not wanting to miss out on the chance to show off and shout out for the entire college to hear. This, of course, was Avaric. He joined in Crope and Tibbet's congratulatory cheering. Wolf-whistling as loud as he could while they continued to ramble on about what a beautiful and handsome king their Ms. Elphaba would make and what a good husband she would be to the lovely Glinda Arduenna. They were over the moon.
Slowly but surely, then, the rest of Shiz began to cheer on King Elphaba and Queen Glinda as well. Crope, Tibbet and Avaric's cheering became infectious, spreading across the entire dancefloor until the whole school was stomping and rioting with delight. Glinda stood basking in the praise, that serene smile still upon her pale, painted face. Meanwhile Elphaba slowly joined Glinda up on their little shared stage with a subdued expression, hardly able to understand what just had happened, let alone believe it. The thunderous laughter and delight was dull as she looked to Glinda then to the crowd then back to Glinda again. Glinda, at last, caught sight of Elphaba's confusion and gave her one sad smile.
"What's wrong, Elphie?" she mouthed, but Elphaba could only shrug in reply as she and Glinda received their plastic crowns.
After the coronation of the Prom King and Queen, a few more dances were held along with a last chance to get refreshments before the students were sent to bed, the prom finally reaching its official end.
"Tell me how your night session goes!" Avaric cried as he staggered from the ballroom.
"I'll get him," Boq mumbled as he staggered along after Avaric, only slightly more sober. Fiyero simply smirked at the mess and guided the two men away. Although he had been drinking too, he actually had quite the high tolerance and was probably the most sober of them all.
Glinda and Elphaba returned to their dorm together. Nessa poked her head from her own once to give the pair a disgusted look before Nanny came out and bade them rest with gentle scolding over going to a wild party. She then gently pulled Nessa back into the room, shutting the door and bidding Elphaba and Glinda goodnight as well. Still subdued, Elphaba got ready for bed in a silent haze and it wasn't until Glinda, who wasn't as drunk as anyone thought, got into bed, spoke up first that any words were exchanged between the two of them.
"Are you ok Elphie?" Glinda asked finally, wondering about Elphaba's strange silence. Elphaba nodded.
"No you're not, don't lie," Glinda frowned, angry, hurt and worried.
"I just wasn't expecting it," Elphaba admitted then, unusually vulnerable because of how shell-shocked she still was.
"So you aren't pleased?" Glinda asked, voice soft and almost upset.
"No, that's not it. I'm just scared this isn't real," Elphaba said quickly, then she dared to explain her crush on Glinda...
"Oh, Elphie," Glinda's voice softened even more in amazement and sympathy. Although, inwardly, her heart was pounding at the idea of Elphaba having a crush on her, she knew now wasn't the time to go crazy with delight. Instead, she fought to remain calm and collected, trying just to bring Elphaba back around. It hurt her heart for her to think that Elphaba was genuinely worried this was all only a dream. "I assure you it's real, our crowns can be proof," Glinda insisted, gesturing to the twin pieces of plastic that sat on the nightstand between them.
"Ha! Cheap bits of plastic vanity," Elphaba muttered, a bit of her wit returning. Glinda smiled at this and replied with her own piece of banter.
"Don't disrespect them. They really are quite pretty!" she said, but then her face grew serious. "And you know, they are kind of a symbol... of us... and our... love..." Glinda sounded sheepish, fingers crossed that being so forward as to say "love" wouldn't turn Elphaba off. Lucky for her, it didn't. It seemed that Elphaba was starting to come back around.
"I guess they are," she replied with a huge grin. "And do you know what else is?" she asked, suddenly uncharacteristically daring.
"What?" Glinda was genuinely confused, but then she caught on quick the moment Elphaba slowly rose out of her bed to walk to Glinda's.
"This," the green girl replied, then she leaned down to kiss the little blond full on the lips. Glinda responded passionately.
"Oh, we'll certainly have a full report for Avaric," she chuckled as her new lover swooped in for another, passionate, kiss.
AN: I know college proms aren't as hyped over as high school ones were, but I still wanted to write something similar to "Dancing Through Life", but with the book characters instead.