A/N: I know, long time no see, short chapter, blah blah. Blame school and three tests in one week. By the way, I know this doesn't move the plot along much, but it sort of shows how the characters are connected and all.
Please review!
Disclaimer: Ha! No.
Sitting in front of her vanity, Galinda primped herself for biology class. She had woken up, late, and thanked Lurline the green thing was gone. She didn't think she could possibly stand another minute with her, but Morrible would not be swayed. At least she had met other girls.
Satisfied with her make-up, Galinda stood and collected her things. Glancing around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, something caught her eye, something poking out from under her roommates's drab pillow. Moving closer, she saw it was a little emerald glass bottle full of green liquid, with a label taped to it. Miracle Elix-, it said, in hasty writing. It was easy enough to decipher the rest. Galinda wondered what it could mean, but didn't want to speak to her roomie. Or worse, be seen speaking to her. So she merely turned and left the room, trying to shift her thoughts to biology.
The students were chattering away, and Galinda was soon part of the din with the lovely Misses Milla, Pfannee, and Shenshen, along with another girl she hadn't known before, Miss Cathareen. No one commented on Galinda's lateness, as only coming to the sole class before lunch seemed tradition with the blonde. With some effort the young ladies also refrained from speaking of Galinda's unfortunate roommate so early in the semester, although they knew the gossip would bubble up eventually.
"I heard, Miss Cathareen," Milla addressed the other girl, her roomie, "that you come from the Eastern Uplands." Cathareen nodded. "How novel. I once spent a summer there in my cottage, and it was simply divine. You must be glad you needn't visit there, seeing as it is your home."
"Actually, Miss Shenshen," said Cathareen, feigning indifference at the subject, "it isn't currently my home. I thought you knew that it is my dormitory, considering you share it." This was not very quick-witted or hurtful, but Milla looked shocked. Cathareen chose not to add she didn't have a home in the Eastern Uplands anymore, but had spent the larger part of her childhood years sloshing around in Mudland, rather than drinking tea from exquisite china every day of the year. An awkward silence enveloped the girls, until Galinda felt she could not stand it any longer. So she invited them all to a get-together in one of the local cafes, just north of Shiz. The girls soon began speaking of useless, sparkly things, when someone arrived. Her. The artichoke.
Elphaba.
A silence fell on the crowd, save for gasps and mutterings, and Elphaba visibly rolled her eyes. Galinda was stunned at the girl's lack of grace, and her horrendodeous fashion sense. She cast an appraising eye over the green girl; she had on a black frock with a pleated skirt that reached just below her knees. Her long, black hair was in a braid. Her twiggy legs were sheathed in dark grey leggings, her feet in large, black boots. None of it even matched. Galinda wrinkled her nose instinctively, and turned her gaze away as the fashion disaster dropped into a seat near the front row. The silence was quickly shattered, mutterings and whisperings coarsing through the room, even when an old Goat clad in moth-eaten clothes swept into the room. Galinda wrinkled her nose again. What in Oz was happening to the fashion sense around here?
The Goat introduced himself as Doctor Dillamond, their Biology professor, or Life Sciences, as he put it. Galinda inspected her flawless cuticles as he began blathering and bleating about tissue and cell memory and such. Thankful she was seated in the back, Galinda struck up another conversation with Shenshen, who looked as bored as she was.
"How could anyone possibly pay attention to this useless ranting?" Galinda said to her friend. "Look, no one's even watching him, let alone--" Her eyes swept across the room, suddenly landing on her roommate. The girl was practically on the edge of her seat, hanging on to Dillamond's every word, her pen flying across her paper as she took notes. Galinda rolled her eyes. "Well, except for her, of course."
"Oh, the frog?" Shenshen said, meanly, or as meanly as she could. "Well, Goats need pets too, I guess." Galinda let out a snicker. They continued whispering for a while, until they were interrupted by a disapproving voice.
"Miss Shenshen, Miss Glinda, would you like to share something urgent with the class?" Doctor Dillamond said, and Shenshen felt herself blush as all eyes turned to the two girls. Galinda, however, reveled in the attention.
"It's Galinda, if you please," she said in her sweetest voice. Shenshen couldn't help admiring the girl's skills at smoothing things over so quickly and easily. "And we were just discussing how wonderful your class is. I am genuinely sorry to interrupt." The Goat seemed to grow less irritated, and mumbled something before continuing on. The girls erupted into giggles.
"Oh, Miss Galinda, you're too good," said Shenshen, and Pfannee, who had just noticed the whole exchange. Galinda fluttered her eyelashes modestly, and murmured a half-hearted protest. The girls gossiped until dismissal, then bustled off to the lunchroom, arm in arm.
They entered the lunchroom, and, after getting their food, chose a table by one of the many ornate windows. After some chatter and not much eating, Galinda, ever the smart one, noticed that Cathareen was not among them. The four girls scanned the room until Pfannee spotted the girl still scooping food onto her plate. Once she returned, dropping her tray on the table with a clatter, they began to needle her about her eating habits ("A full plate!") until a boy came up to them. He was silent for some time, all five girls staring at him; he seemed to be contemplating leaving. Eventually he worked up the nerve.
"Is-is this seat taken?" He said, gesturing to the empty seat beside Galinda. Naturally the blonde was dismayed. The boy introduced himself as Boq, or Biq or whatever. He had a shy, toothy grin and brown hair, not much to look at by her standards, but not painful to the eyes. But he was so short. Thinking quickly, a skill she didn't know she had, Galinda dropped her rose-coloured purse onto the empty seat. She smiled up at the boy, who looked dejected.
"Terribly sorry, but that is the case," Galinda patted her purse. "You can always sit there," she gestured vaguely to another table, at the other side of the room, empty save for Elphaba with her nose in a book, a blood-red apple the only edible thing in her presence. Boq looked unsure.
"Um, well--thanks, M-Miss Galinda," he took a deep breath, "I mean--um. A-a-another time. M-maybe," he was staring at his tray, a blush creeping onto his face. Galinda had a smile frozen on her face, waiting for him to leave. He seemed to give up then, realizing she wouldn't change her mind. "W-well, I'll..I'll just, I'll just go." He fled without a backward glance, mortified. She shook her head as he shuffled away, her blond curls bouncing. Some boys never learned.
