Chapter Two: An Unnecessary Distraction

Elphaba sat atop her bed reading the piece of trash that had been assigned for her literature class. It was a translation of an old Ozian fable describing Kumbrica and Lurline and the man they both fell in love with – the original Oz. Of course, in the end, he chose Lurline and Kumbrica cast a curse upon them both. She'd learned this story as a child. Why was she being forced to read it again?

Across the room, Glinda cleared her throat. "Nessa wanted me to ask you if you'd join her at services tomorrow."

"Because she knew I'd say no if she asked me herself? What made her think that you asking me would get a different response?" She put down the book. "Should I tell her that I won't go or should you?"

"I think you should. If I tell her, she's going to somehow convince me to go with her instead. I don't know if I can sit through that again, Elphie."

"What if neither one of us told her?"

"Then she'd come in here demanding to know why."

"Good. Let her. Maybe we can handle it for once and for all." Elphaba didn't like the idea of Glinda being dragged into the religious battle that had been going on for years between her and Nessarose, but it appeared the only way to resolve the problem was to do just that. Nessa had already dragged the poor girl into it, anyway. "I'll tell her to stop asking, and that it's cruel to ask you to do it for her and put you in the middle."

"That sounds a bit confrontational." Glinda bit her lip.

"I think that's the only way it's going to get fixed, Glinda. I'm sorry she asked you in the first place. It was wrong of her."

"I don't mind going once in a while, but twice a week? That's too much for me."

"It's too much for anyone. I feel bad for Nanny having take her there. I don't think the old woman is much for religion, either, but she bears her burden in silence – at least around Nessarose." Elphaba kicked her book off the bed.

"You shouldn't treat your school books like that. It's childish."

"So is the book. I thought this was an institution of higher learning. Instead, all I'm doing in second-year literature class is reading things I've already read." She stood up and stretched out her limbs, closing her eyes as she felt her knuckles crack and her back adjust. "I'm going to the library. Maybe there's something more interesting to read there."

"Be back before curfew," Glinda warned.

Elphaba had a habit of losing track of time when she was reading. "I'll do my best." She grabbed her knapsack and headed out.

It was just past the point in the semester where first-year students had gotten used to her and didn't stare quite so long anymore. Occasionally a student pointed at her with a snigger, but she didn't even noticed half the time unless someone pointed it out to her. She liked to keep in her own little world and not concern herself with what was going on immediately around her. But a voice pulled her from her reverie. "Miss Elphaba, where are you headed?"

"To the library," she replied, looking at Fiyero. He'd been running to catch up with her, apparently, and he was breathless. She slowed her pace.

"I was headed there as well. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead. I don't make the best company, but you do what you want."

"I don't think you're so bad."

The Vinkun boy was almost irritatingly kind and equally naïve. Years ago, she might've found it sweet, but she was far too cynical by now to accept his amiable behavior. Still, she decided, he was so new here, and it wouldn't be fair to be rude to him quite so soon. "I appreciate that."

"What are you working on at the library?"

"I wasn't aware having classwork to do was a requirement. I had actually just intended on reading."

"Anything specific?"

"I'll find something, I'm sure."

"How are you doing today?"

That gave her pause. Only Glinda asked her that. No one else actually cared how her day was going. She looked at his eyes, the color of the beautiful diamonds on his skin, and they seemed genuine. "I'm fine, thank you for asking. I'm just avoiding my sister."

"I noticed your sister seems to have a soft spot for Boq."

"She'd like to pretend otherwise. Too bad he only had eyes for Glinda."

"And you?"

"I don't need that kind of distraction, nor do I want it." She eyed him suspiciously. "What kind of question is that?"

"People seem to talk about these things a lot," he observed. "I was just making conversation."

"Right. Of course." She wasn't sure why it mattered. "Well, I don't care to talk about it. I think it's silly and pointless. In the grand scheme of things, there are other things that matter much more."

"That is probably true." He opened the library door for her.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Out here, boys don't usually do that."

"What? The door? I was just being polite."

"Well, that's kind of you. But it's unnecessary." She strode inside and lowered her voice. "Look, we probably shouldn't talk too much in here. The librarian already has it out for me. I don't feel like angering her any further."

"We can share a table," he whispered.

She nodded and put her knapsack down in a chair across from the one he'd chosen. Maybe he needed help with an assignment but was too shy to ask outright. "What are you working on?"

"A paper for my beginning policies class." He answered, opening his notebook. "I think the books I'm looking for are right over there." Fiyero got up and headed over to a shelf on the far side of the room.

Meanwhile, she wandered the fiction novels. Of course, there wasn't a lot to choose from, as this was more an academic library. Usually she wouldn't mind, for she enjoyed reading essays and research just as much as fiction, but today she was in the mood for something else. There were very few books on these shelves, however, that she hadn't read before. After flipping through some pages, she finally settled on one and headed back over to the table.

Fiyero glanced up from his book with a kind smile and went back to reading intently, his lips forming words as he read. Perhaps he didn't need her help, after all. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and he began scribbling furiously.

Elphaba brought her knees up on the chair and wrapped her arms around them, placing her book in her lap and beginning to read. She cocked her head as the main character, a female, began talking about some boy she liked. Funny, it hadn't seemed like a romance novel when she'd glanced at it, and the title didn't indicate such, either. She decided to wait it out, see if maybe she was making an incorrect assumption.

By the time Fiyero cleared his throat and put down his book, she was completely engrossed in the novel. "It seems like you are enjoying what you're reading."

Her cheeks flushed. "Um, maybe." How had time gotten away from her like that? And why was she still reading this ridiculous story? It was exactly what she'd thought it was, and yet she'd been lapping up every word of it.

"Well, I'm about done. Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm? It's getting dark." He offered.

"Remember when I said that you opening the door for me was unnecessary?"

"Let me guess. This is also unnecessary?"

"You catch on quick." She laughed, covering her mouth when the librarian shot her a piercing glare over her thick glasses.

"I tried. What can I say?" He shrugged and gathered his things. "It was nice to talk to you, Elphie."

"It was nice talking to you, too, Fiyero." She watched him go, noticing there was a diamond tattooed to the back of his neck and that it almost shimmered as he stepped outside into the evening glow. She shook her head. Clearly, that romance novel had gone to her head.