The weather was perfect. Just the right amount of sun in the sky and the wind was just a cool breeze. Students were scattered among the courtyard, socializing in their own individual sat at under a tree with just the right amount of shade for her two other 'friends' Pfannee and Shenshen.
The two other girls were having a delightful trade of gossip while Galinda tuned out, tired of hearing the same old subject: Elphaba.
"I heard she's green all over!"
"Poor Miss Galinda, having to put up with such a creature,"
"It isn't even a good shade of green!"
"What do you think, Galinda?"
Galinda's eyes were cast down, her mind elsewhere.
"Galinda!" Shenshen gave the blonde a good shake on the shoulder.
Now out of her haze, Galinda looked up, putting on the smile she knew everyone adored, "Hmm?"
Pfannee giggled, "How was the first night with your new roommate?"
Rolling her eyes, she forced a laugh, "The vegetable was absolutely boring!"
The two friends exchanged curious glances before looking back to the blonde, "Just boring?" They asked in unison.
Galinda took a bite of her apple, "She had a knack for arguments." Shaking her head, she finished chewing, "Quite the mouth on that thing. Nothing but trouble if you ask me," Galinda knew her friends were one for gossip and wouldn't stop talking. She thought if she kept feeding them gossip, they would get so focused on the gossip that they'd leave her alone. For some odd reason, Galinda has lost interest in gossip. It was once her strong hand in things but lately everything has changed.
Plus, she wasn't fond of the company Shenshen and Pfannee gave her. Galinda felt that she had to be someone else when she was in their presence.
"Galinda!"
"What?!" Galinda cried, interrupted from her thoughts yet again.
Shenshen cringed at Galinda's outburst and her posture sulked, "Oh-I..." She cleared her throat, "Miss Galinda, are you feeling alright? You look rather pale..."
Galinda bit her lip. She didn't mean to yell in such a way to Shenshen. Massaging her temple, she took a deep breath, "Now that you mention it, I have been a bit under the weather," She tossed the apple aside, losing her appetite, "What did you want to tell me, Miss Shenshen?"
Shenshen went back to being giggly, "I heard that your roommate has a sort of allergy,"
The blonde's eyebrow raised, "What's so significant about that?"
"She's allergic to water!" Pfannee wasn't able to suppress her giggles.
"Water?" Galinda couldn't help but give a weak smile, "Now that's just absurd,"
"Oh but it's true!" Shenshen exclaimed, "Remember Milla from the summer gala we went to last year?" Without waiting for any sign of understanding from Galinda, she continued, "Well, Milla was walking by your roommate when a student thought it would be funny to fling water in the air. This of course wasn't funny until they saw the artichoke yell at the student for his 'stupidity'."
Galinda still didn't buy it, "Where did this all take place? Before lunch, about half an hour ago," Shenshen giggled, "They said she fled out of the room like a screaming child!"
"What's so funny about that?" Galinda mumbled, finding the subject rather horrifying than entertaining.
Pfannee tilted her head to the side, "Miss Galinda, you must really be feeling under the weather..." She pointed out, "You really haven't been yourself lately,"
Standing up, Galinda smoothed her dress, "If you would excuse me, ladies, I have an hour of free time before my next class. I'll go lay down for a bit."
Shenshen seemed rather disappointed, "Okay," She said flatly, "I guess we'll see you later then, Miss Galinda,"
Unlocking her the door to her shared room, Galinda plopped on the bed without even bothering to pull the covers over her small frame. Why was it that all she wanted was to be alone when being alone was what she hated the most? Why was it so confusifying?! Shenshen and Pfannee were her closest friends and now it seems that she doesn't know who they are anymore. Laying flat on her back, Galinda traced the pattern of the ceiling with her eyes.
You really haven't been yourself lately, how dare they make such a comment! But at the same time, she felt that what Pfannee had said was true. But one question bothered her: Was I really being myself in the first place?
The door was unlocked with a click and the green girl emerged, "Joy," She muttered under her breath as she grabbed a few items from her book shelf, "The weather getting to you, Miss Galinda? Too much sun?"
"Oh shush you, mean green thing!" Galinda held herself and adjusted herself in a more comfortable position on the pillows, "What are you doing here anyway?"
Elphaba grabbed an item from under her bed. A bottle of some sort. After pouring its thick contents onto her verdigris palm, she applied it to a certain section on her arm and face, "In case you forgot, blondie, I live here too,"
Galinda wrinkled her nose at the sight of the 'gooey', oily substance, "And what in Oz name I that?!" She pointed to the bottle.
After the green girl finished applying the oil, she looked up at the blonde with a sarcastic smile, "Does this disgust you, Miss Galinda?"
Galinda scoffed and turned her back to Elphaba, "I couldn't give a care in the world about any of it, Miss Elphaba," She spat.
"Well you asked,"
"Leave me be, vegetable,"
"Did your friends get bored of you, Miss Galinda? Are you so desperate to seek entertainment that you would pick on the green girl, is it?"
"What gives you the right to make such assumptions?"
"Because you're like everyone else. Picking on others to satisfy yourself,"
Bolting upright, the blonde whipped around, "For your information-"
Elphaba gave a small cackle, "Are you going to prove me wrong?" Elphaba crossed her legs in a rather unladylike fashion, "I'm all ears, Miss Galinda," She said her name with much disgust.
Galinda bit her tongue and crossed her arms. She could feel the heat course throughout her entire body, causing her face to turn crimson, "You know what, Miss Elphaba?" She asked slowly and made sure every word was articulated, "You know nothing about me, therefore, assuming who I am and what my intentions are, that's incredibly inappropriate! You think you know so much about people?"
"I know enough about people like you to-"
"I'm guessing you have no real experience with people do you, green bean?"
"Unlike you, I don't need people."
"Oh, and you assume that I do?"
"Yes, I do,"
Galinda was absolutely frustrated, "I don't think it's your green skin that bothers me so, artichoke. It's your attitude and sarcastic tongue,"
Elphaba smiled, "Is this the part of the conversation where I realize my awful ways and apologize to poor blondie?"
The two exchanged their own signature glares, "How can you even live with yourself?" Galinda let the question slip.
She just cackled, again, "I was going to ask you the same question,"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Galinda crossed her arms, feeling rather threatened.
Elphaba smirked crookedly, "So you're actually interested in my opinions for once?"
"Interested?" Galinda tossed the locks of blonde curls that covered her face, "I'm not wasting my time arguing with you, Miss Elphaba. You are nothing but a waste of time." Galinda fluffed a pillow and let her head sink into the cushion.
"Admit, this is the most intriguing conversation you've had all day,"
Before Galinda could huff at such a remark, the green girl made her exit.
Maybe...it was... Galinda's eyes fluttered before closing.
Elphaba sat in her history class, feeling rather anxious to enroll in an actual class. The chairs were arranged so that every student had to sit next to each other. This meant there were going to be one or two unhappy students that would be sitting next to the green skinned girl. Pushing these thoughts away, Elphaba took her seat in the front of the class and set her satchel by her feet. Impatiently, tapped her writing utensil against the wooden desk.
The entire class was empty. No professor, no students. The chalk board was covered in faded chalk, scars of last lesson. The only word that was evident was 'Life Science sciences'. Elphaba's posture straightened. Was she was in the wrong class? She could've sworn she was supposed to be in a history class...
A figure entered, causing Elphaba to anxiously look over her shoulder. The figure was a Goat towering high on his hind legs wearing a vest and matching dress pants. A vibrant robe pieced the outfit together and trailed behind him. He was the professor. The only Animal professor at Shiz university. Elphaba lit up with a grin, "You're the professor?"
The Goat turned his head to the front of the classroom. Elphaba waited for his eyes to go wide at the sight of a green woman. But he only gave a sly smile, "You're surprised?" He stacked the papers on his desk in orderly fashion.
"Surprised? No, sir, appreciated!" She exclaimed, adjusting the glasses that fell to the tip of her nose, "I'm Elphaba Thropp. I think it's so great to have an Animal professor,"
The Goat chuckled warmly, "I must say, it's delightful to see a young pupil appreciate the sight of Animals," The conversation was interrupted by students crowding in through the door, causing the once quiet environment to be a rowdy social hour, "Students, students," The professor took his place by standing in front of the chalkboard. The noisy students settled in their seats. The green girl didn't find it surprising that they looked back at her every now and then and giggled.
Every seat was taken except for the one next to Elphaba. Before she could relax, the door to the classroom was opened once again. This time with someone that Elphaba recognized with a roll of her eyes. Galinda Upland made her way through and immediately caught the green girl in her vision sitting next to, what seemed like, the empty seat left in the class.
As she maneuvered towards Elphaba, she still glanced around desperately in hopes that there was still an empty seat somewhere else. Much to her disappointment, she slumped into the seat with a furious exhale. The blonde waited for Elphaba to say some sarcastic remark or tease her for having to sit next to 'the artichoke'. But no words were said or glances exchanged.
"Welcome to History class, students. I am your Professor Dr. Dillamond.I'd like to start off the day with a partner assignment,"
Galinda was mere inches from pounding her head on the desk.
"If you could turn to your table partner, I'd like you to turn your textbooks to page 109," Dr. Dillamond instructed.
The blonde turned her head to the side to see Elphaba flipping through the pages of her textbook rapidly, "Don't bother," Elphaba muttered, "I'll do it,"
Galinda raised a perfect eyebrow in confusion, "You think I can't do it?"
"No, I know you don't want to," The green girl kept her eyes on the words of the text.
Galinda felt a small tug on her chest but Dr. Dillamond's thunderous voice interrupted her thoughts, "You and your partner will make a project timeline of the events listed in the chapter. I do ask for vivid detail and a visual aid. This assignment will be due in two days."
The students groaned in harmony.
"Get started now and I'll make it due in three,"
Every student got to work keeping their heads down on the pages below them, "Miss Elphaba, I'm perfectly capable of doing the assignment as well,"
"Which would you rather do? Suffer the agony of working with me or getting a good grade without lifting a pretty finger?"
"I-"
"Thought so," Elphaba got back to work.
Back in their dorm, Galinda glared at Elphaba as she worked on the assignment quietly, "I am very capable-"
"Don't get that pretty blonde head of yours in a bunch, Miss Galinda," Elphabe replied swiftly.
"If you want me to thank you, I'm not going to do it," Galinda pouted with her arms crossing over chest.
The other girl just chuckled, "I wasn't expecting any gratitude from you."
"Then what do you want?" Galinda sounded rather offended
"Well, some peace and quiet might be a great start,"
"Well how about you leave then?"
Elphaba turned the page with a flick of her wrist, "I think you rather enjoy my company, Miss Galinda," She wrote the information in her notebook and continued scanning the page.
"Oh?" Galinda scowled, "And what make you say that?"
"I haven't figured it out yet,"
"And yet you assume,"
Elphaba didn't respond, feeling rather tired of arguing, and jerked back to work. Galinda sat back in her bed holding her knees close to her chest, she rubbed the sheet's material.
"Well, if the old Goat confronts me for not inputting any effort in the project, I'll tell him that I attempted to help but you were quick to disagree,"
"If you can remember that mouthful of words, then go on ahead, blondie," After a few moments of silence, she spoke up with a much colder tone, "Oh, and he has a name. His name is Dr. Dillamond,"
Galinda lay back into the mountain of pink and purple pillows, "Yeah well," She yawned, "I'll remember later,"
"Goodnight, Miss Galinda," Elphaba said icily.
In response, the blonde just groaned and rolled over so her back was facing the green girl.
R/R, please! I'm anxious to hear what your thoughts are.
-Ophelia