I shouldn't be starting another series… I really shouldn't… oh Wicked, what have you done to my life?
I'm a bitch, I'm a loser baby maybe I should quit
I'm a jerk, wish I had the money but I can't find work
I'm a brat, I'm a selfish punk, I really should be smacked
My parents tried until they got divorced 'cause I ruined their lives
-Bad Kids by Lady Gaga
It had never occurred to anyone who resided in the Land of Oz that their Wizard had a descendent, namely one daughter. This could possibly be due to the fact that the Wizard himself had not played an active role in her life until one fine summer day…
"I can't take it anymore! You're impossible, and I'm tired of this behavior! You're eighteen; you shouldn't be acting like this anymore!"
Elphaba Thropp rolled her eyes at her mother's outburst. "Calm down before you hurt yourself. It's not a big deal."
"YOU STOLE FROM THE WIZARD!"
"Well anything sounds bad when you say it like that."
Melena sighed, hoping the pinobble leaf would take effect soon and keep her from strangling her older daughter where she stood. "Elphaba, this is unacceptable. You're going to be the next Eminent Thropp; you have to uphold the family name."
The green woman's eyebrows made a defiant V. "I don't want that title, and you know it!"
"It doesn't matter what you want. You will accept it… like it or not." Melena put a hand to her head. "I'm sending you to live with your father. Perhaps he can straighten you out."
Elphaba let out a snort of amusement. "The preacher?"
And that was how Elphaba Thropp ended up on the doorstep of the Emerald City palace, her suitcase in one hand and a very strongly worded letter from her mother in the other.
"… and I heard that she's such a handful, he's having her sent here!"
Galinda Upland's eyes widened at the proclamation of one Miss Pfannee. The news of the Wizard's daughter had traveled quickly, and now armed with the knowledge that she would be attending Shiz University, the blonde Frottican wasn't sure what to think. Her mind buzzed with so many questions, and what she imagined the heiress would look like.
"Perhaps we could befriend her," Miss Milla suggested. Being a Munchkin, she hadn't really had any experience with the higher classes, and one couldn't get any higher than daughter of the Wizard.
"If she were even the type to befriend," Miss Shenshen said. "I heard her mother sent her to the Wizard because she couldn't take her anymore."
"What could she have done that was so bad?" Galinda wondered aloud.
"I heard she set fire to a slaughterhouse in protest," Miss Pfannee supplied.
"I heard she stole a sack full of green pennies from the Wizard."
"I heard that she secretly possesses the plumbing of a man!"
Galinda's sapphire eyes widened further as she continued to listen to her newfound friends regale the scandalascious acts of the Wizard's daughter, who for some reason remained nameless.
It appeared that the four were not the only ones gossiping about the Wizard's daughter, for Galinda heard another girl ask, "How will we know when she arrives?" That question was answered shortly, for the doors to Crage Hall suddenly opened, and two of the Wizard's guards came marching in. A hush fell over the room, and several girls were almost barreled over by the headmistress as she quickly made her way over the assembled mass of emerald. A young man broke away from the formation, approaching the headmistress.
"May I present the Heiress of Oz, the Thropp Third Descending, of Nest Hardings, Elphaba Thropp."
The entire room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the appearance of Elphaba Thropp, but after a few moments, it became apparent that she had no intention of showing up. The young man who had made the announcement sighed, putting a hand to his forehead.
"Would you excuse me for one moment?" He disappeared from the room and returned a few moments later, dragging someone with him. At first, Galinda believed it to be a trick of the light; perhaps a reflection through the window from the vines on the adjacent building, but as the heiress pulled herself free, it became quite clear that Elphaba Thropp was green.
"We are honored to have you attending our school, Miss Thropp," the headmistress, an older Gillikinese woman called Madame Morrible said.
The green woman turned her attention to the headmistress. "Yes, and I'm sure the Wizard has made his intentions of sending me here quite clear."
"Yes, he did."
Elphaba crossed her arms, looking away. "Fine. Just give me the key to my room so I can start settling into this place." Truth be told, the green woman didn't hate Shiz; she'd longed to go to university, but with all these girls staring at her… and the added fact of the Wizard…
"Well, you'll be in room twenty-two on the second floor. Since you have no Ama, we'll have to pair you up with someone who does…"
"Wait. What? Pair me up?" Not with any of these girls!
"You father made it quite clear that you were to room with one other girl."
The green woman sighed in frustration, crossing her arms and shaking her head. The Wizard, who had conveniently stepped out of her life until three months ago… he acted as though he knew what she needed…
Madame Morrible looked down at her list, going through the names. "May I invite… Miss Galinda Upland of Frottica?"
The blonde froze. That was her. She was Galinda Upland of Frottica. And she was being chosen to room with Elphaba Thropp. The heiress of Oz.
"Galinda? Are you here?"
Miss Pfannee gave her a push, and Galinda picked up the one suitcase she had chosen to bring with her (the others were on a cart waiting to be loaded into her room). She slowly approached, trying to keep her shaking to a minimum.
"I am." Her own voice sounded much weaker than she remembered.
Elphaba would have made some snarky comment had she not been drawn in by the blonde's appearance. Perhaps it was the way the light hit her, or the way that one curl fell so cutely upon the side of her face, but the green woman did forget herself for a moment. She quickly shook it off by taking the key from the headmistress and fleeing, leaving a confused Galinda behind. She would have followed the green woman, had the headmistress not stopped her.
"Miss Galinda, I wish to speak with you in my office after I assign all these girls to their rooms."
The blonde could only nod, her mouth dry as she wondered how she could have possibly gotten in trouble already.
"Please, sit."
Galinda did, uncomfortably so, clutching her suitcase, the only familiar thing in the room. She looked at the headmistress, waiting for her to continue.
Finally, Madame Morrible looked at the blonde over the top of her glasses. "Now my dear, surely you are aware of Miss Elphaba's lineage?"
"She's the daughter of the Wizard."
"That she is, and she is also the great-granddaughter of Peerless Thropp. Do you realize what that means?"
"Um…" Galinda desperately wished she'd paid more attention in her history classes!
"Our Miss Elphaba is next in line for the Eminent Thropp."
Galinda understood then that Elphaba Thropp was a very powerful person. "I… I don't entirely understand how all this concerns me."
Madame Morrible looked appalled at that. "My dear, as Miss Elphaba's roommate, you will be responsible for her."
"Me? But I… my Ama…" She hadn't come to Shiz to babysit some emerald rebel!
"Miss Galinda, this is a tremendous honor. Think of the connections you could establish, the people you could meet! Befriending Miss Elphaba could help you… ascend." The headmistress's eyes were gleaming in a way Galinda found unsettling, and she began to wonder if perhaps there was an ulterior motive.
But she is the Wizard's daughter… and you're the first from Frottica to attend Shiz! If this could bring me to the Emerald City…
The Emerald City. A place she'd only heard of. She imagined walking down its glamorous streets, being adored by thousands… Before she could think twice, she was nodding.
Upon reaching room twenty-two, Galinda found her green roommate lying on the bed farthest from the window. She approached hesitantly, not sure if she should get too close.
"Afraid of catching it blondie?"
The Frottican wasn't quite sure how to respond, and her lack of one caused Elphaba to sit up, looking at her new roommate. "Did you have a nice chat with Horrible Morrible?"
"Miss Elphaba, you can't—"
"Can't call her that? Please."
The blonde was taken aback by Elphaba's blatant disregard for the headmistress. "You know, you aren't disproving the rumors that have been spread about you."
Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Rumors? Why, I hardly believed myself interesting enough to be talked about, but now that you have my interest, enlighten me. Miss Glinda, was it?"
The blonde flushed, a pretty shade of pink, Elphaba noted. "It's Galinda. I prefer the traditional Gillikinese pronunciation. And it's been said that you were burnt down a slaughterhouse in protest… among other things."
Elphaba's grin fell from her face. "Oh? Is that so?" She stood, approaching her much shorter roommate. "And just who has been spreading these rumors?"
Galinda was almost intimidated by the Third Thropp Descending, but she swallowed hard and stood her ground. "You're not exactly denying them."
"Well, why don't you tell me some more, and I can tell you if they're true or not."
Elphaba was giving her that grin again. Galinda shuddered involuntarily and quickly moved away from the green woman. "Is that the bed you want then?"
The heiress looked at the bed she had been lying on. "It's the furthest from the window, so yes."
"Why does that matter?"
"Are you always so nosy?"
Galinda bristled at that, and chose to turn her attention to the mountains of luggage currently arriving. It would take all day to unpack everything…
"Are you planning on fitting all that into our shared space?"
"Well you don't appear to have much," the blonde replied, looking towards Elphaba's solitary suitcase.
"And that gives you the right to use our entire room?" The blonde didn't reply, but opened the first trunk, revealing a colorful array of dresses. Elphaba watched as she began to hang them up in the closet, noting that there would be little, if any room, for her own clothing. The green woman soon grew bored with watching her roommate, so she started for the door.
"Where are you going?" Galinda asked.
"Well, you're pretty boring to watch, so I'm going out to find some excitement." The heiress paused, flashing a grin back at the Frottican. "Don't wait up for me blondie."
Galinda didn't have a reply, and could do little more than watch her roommate disappear, only to be replaced moments later by the three girls she had met earlier.
"Well?" Pfannee asked.
"Well what?" Galinda turned away, resuming with her unpacking.
The three entered the room, eyeing Elphaba's bed as though the green woman might be hiding under the blankets, waiting to scare them, even though they had seen her run out only moments before.
"Tell us about the green bean! Are the rumors true?" Shenshen's voice shook with excitement.
"How should I know? We only talked for a few moments."
"How does she seem?"
Galinda paused in thought. "She's rather blunt… and rude."
This did not appear to be the answer the three wished for. "So is there any hope of befriending her?"
"I don't see why… she doesn't seem to care much for her title."
"What a disappointment," Milla said, effectively summing up the feelings of the group.
As darkness settled over Shiz, Galinda was forced to light a lamp in order to continue unpacking. Her roommate still hadn't returned (not that Galinda was worried), but she did know that they would lock the gates soon.
Well, that would show Miss Elphaba then… acting like she can do whatever she wants.
"Still working there blondie?"
The Frottican looked up at the sound of her roommate. "Where have you been?"
Elphaba gave her a half shrug, tossing a knapsack onto her bed. "Out."
"That's what you said earlier."
"And it's still the truth. Funny how that works, eh?"
The blonde scowled, but Elphaba wasn't looking at her, so it was wasted. "The gates were locked, weren't they?"
"Yep."
"How did you get back in?"
"I flew."
The Frottican actually turned to face her roommate this time, her hands on her hips and frustration on her face. "Miss Elphaba—"
"Please drop the honorific. I feel like we're going to get to know each other so well."
"MISS Elphaba, you are simply impossible!"
Elphaba sat up, giving the blonde a look. "I climbed over the garden wall. Happy?"
"Not particularly."
"Someone is cranky tonight."
"I just don't wish to get in trouble of your… hijinks and tomfoolery!"
The Third Thropp Descending let out a cackle, her sharp chin pointed at the ceiling. "Oh, Miss Galinda, you certainly are a card!"
"I'm being serious! Stop laughing, you awful thing!" The blonde chucked a pillow as hard as she could, hitting Elphaba in the face.
"How could you possibly get in trouble because of me?" Elphaba asked, holding the pillow in her lap, much to Galinda's displeasure.
"Because Madame Morrible said that I—" Galinda paused. Was Elphaba supposed to know about that? Should she tell her roommate she had been tasked with watching her?
The grin fell from Elphaba's face. "She told you to babysit me?!"
"No, that's not—"
"I can't believe this!" How quickly her temper flared! The green woman stood, tossing the pillow aside almost violently. "I am to watched by some… airhead!"
"Hey! I am not—"
"Shut up!" Elphaba advanced on her roommate with such ferocity that Galinda scrambled onto her bed, holding up a pair of heels as her defense.
"Back! Back, you horrid thing! These stilettos are very sharp, let me tell you!"
The green woman ignored the threat, instead grabbing the blonde by the front of her dress and yanking her close. Galinda couldn't help but shudder at the repulsion of being so close to the hawk-faced Elphaba.
"Listen to me. I do not need to be watched by you, or anyone else. If you even think about squealing on me to Morrible, I swear I will personally break all your fingers. One. By. One." She pulled the blonde even closer. "Got it?"
The Frottican nodded weakly, feeling as though she were close to fainting. "Y-yes…"
"Then we have an understanding." Elphaba dropped her roommate before returning to her side of the room. Galinda placed a hand over her racing heart, and focused on not hyperventilating. The green woman ignored her as she rifled through her suitcase, pulling out a bottle of sandalwood oil. "I'm going to wash up."
Galinda had crawled back onto her bed by now, and didn't reply. Elphaba rolled her eyes before going into their bathroom, shutting the door behind her. The blonde's eyes went up to the closed door, and a small idea began to wiggle into her brain. She slid off her bed and approached the door, listening for the sound of water. She could Elphaba undressing, but no water… odd. Galinda shrugged it off before grabbing the chair from Elphaba's desk. She paused, asking herself if she really wanted to do this… then she remembered Elphaba threatening to break her fingers.
I will not be intimidated by a vegetable.
Angrily, Galinda shoved the chair under the door handle, making sure that it was positioned just right. She took a few steps back, examining her handiwork with a small smile before returning to her unpacking.
Inside the bathroom, Elphaba remained blissfully unaware of her roommate's actions as she massaged the oil into her skin. Of course, she had no intention of harming the blonde… but there was fun to be had in messing with her mind. Besides, she had better things to do at Shiz… still, she hoped that Galinda would take her threat to heart. She didn't need yet another adult watching her every move… and that Morrible seemed suspicious.
Upon finishing up, the heiress wrapped a towel around herself and went to exit… only to find that the door would not open. Elphaba shook the handle a few times, letting out a growl when it refused to budge.
"Galinda…" she growled. The green woman began to pound on the door. "Hey! I know you're out there! Open this door right now, or I swear to Oz, you'll be sorry!"
"You seem to swear a lot of things," came the blonde's voice.
"Very funny! Now open this damn door NOW!"
"Give me one good reason."
Elphaba laughed angrily. "One good reason… HOW ABOUT THAT HAIR OF YOURS STAYS ON YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD! IS THAT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON FOR YOU?!"
"… No."
"OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW YOU BLONDE BITCH!" Elphaba was pounding with both fists now, and on the other side, Galinda watched with wide eyes, hoping that the wood would hold. When it became clear that Galinda was not going to open the door, and the green woman was not going to be able to break it down, the Third Thropp Descending took a step back, trying to think through her fuming.
"Galinda…" Her voice came sickly sweet through the bathroom door, and the blonde tried to block her out. "I appear to be quite naked in here… surely you wouldn't begrudge a green woman her nightdress, would you?"
"Just… p-put on your other dress!"
"But it's dirty, and I just washed up."
"I never heard the water!"
"I don't use water!" Elphaba caught herself, taking another deep breath. "Could you just be a peach and bring me my nightdress?"
"N-no!"
"You could just open the door a fraction and slip it in… please Miss Galinda? I'm going to catch a dreadful cold standing here with nothing to cover myself with."
As much as she wished she could ignore her roommate, Galinda sighed, finally caving in. She couldn't leave Elphaba naked; that certainly wasn't right. So, the blonde stood and found the green woman's drab nightdress, returning to the bathroom door. She removed the chair before opening the door the tiniest sliver and holding the nightdress out.
A green hand shot out and clamped down on her wrist. Galinda looked up and saw Elphaba grinning at her, sharp teeth glinting in the light.
"You're mine."
Galinda couldn't even scream as Elphaba emerged from the bathroom, forcing her back up against the wall. The blonde struggled, her free hand catching Elphaba's face and leaving scratches behind. The green woman grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into the wall, causing stars to burst in front of Galinda's eyes. The heiress threw her roommate to the ground, and Galinda had just enough mental clarity to hug Elphaba's legs, bringing her down as well.
Elphaba was suddenly on top of her, and Galinda had a handful of that silky raven hair, yanking for all she was worth. The green woman had one hand on her shoulder, pinning her to the floor, while the other was cocking back, and the Frottican knew that Elphaba meant to give her a black eye, which would no doubt clash with all of her outfits.
"What is going on here?!"
The brass of their headmistress cut through the room, and Elphaba was yanked off the blonde by an unseen force, which then pinned her to the wall.
"Miss Galinda, are you all right?" Madame Morrible asked, helping the blonde to her feet.
"I- I'm fine."
"Go ahead blondie! Tell her about how I beat your ass!" Elphaba shouted, struggling to free herself.
"Miss Elphaba, I am well aware of who your father is, but you were sent here to receive an education. I will not have you attacking your fellow classmates."
"And I was so looking forward to doing so," Elphaba replied with a mock pout. "Whatever will I do for entertainment now?"
"You can start by getting yourself ready for dinner." Morrible released her student, watching her fall to the floor.
"No thank you. I'm not hungry," Elphaba replied, brushing herself off.
"You will attend dinner, or your father will be receiving a letter from me. Do I make myself clear?"
Elphaba's hands formed fists, but she managed to growl out, "Perfectly."
"Good. I'll see you both in half an hour." And with that, Morrible left the room in a flurry of colored robes and the smell of mothballs.
Galinda looked at her roommate, whose gaze was on the floor. She let out a small shriek when Elphaba's dark eyes suddenly flashed up to look at her.
"You and I… we are not done yet."
I know Elphaba seems means now, but I promise she'll get better! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!
-denpa wave chick saki