AN: despite the lack of response to chapter 1 here's:
Flying Solo – Chapter Two
So this is Shiz University, thought Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Vinkus. After the delightful Miss Galinda had disappeared in the direction of the girls' rooms Fiyero had gone exploring and found the place he was standing in now. A small garden hidden away on one of the rooftops where someone could look over the entire school.
Just like every other school I've been to over the last what? Seven years? Eight years? I don't even bother to keep count anymore. Why do I even bother coming to these schools? Because Oz is too small to disappear into, I suppose, relatively speaking, as long as my family knows where I am they won't come looking for me. Though Father did sound somewhat more impatient than usual in that latest letter. Don't know why he bothers sending them, I never reply. The only reason he even knows where I am is because I don't forbid Avaric to tell them when I want him to take me somewhere else. I really must stop doing that, it's not as if I can't catch the train or a stagecoach like everyone else. Besides, maybe if he's back home for long enough he'll get up the courage to confess his feelings to Kalira. Of course, knowing my sister she's just as likely to corner him and demand he listen to her feelings before he gets a chance to think of a way to 'accidentally' run into the Princess.
He heard the door creak and looked up, a girl in a dark uniform came through the door and sort of sidled off into the shadows. He didn't think she had seen him but just in case he leaned into the shadows of the tree he was under and concentrated on not being seen. It was an old Arjiki trick, he was very out of practice but his current level of skill was enough to fool the average person.
Of course he didn't know that the person he'd seen wasn't an average person and that was why she had disappeared into the shadows so quickly. The last thing Elphaba Thropp wanted was to get stuck being made fun of by, or worse talking to, Galinda's 'scandalacious Winkie Prince' especially after the rotten conversation she'd just had with her sister!
The whole school is talking about him and practically worshipping him already, I wonder what he's doing sitting up here all alone.
"Who's there?" called out the Prince, much to Elphaba's surprise. Now there was nothing to do but respond politely and try to escape without being seen.
"I didn't mean to disturb you, sir," she said quickly. "I'll just be going now."
"There's no hurry, Miss," replied Fiyero. He was intrigued by the girl's accent, mostly Munchkinlander but to the educated ear there was a hint of something beneath it, a hint that she had spoken another language at some point. Judging from the fact she had called him 'sir' and wasn't falling over herself to come out and meet him he presumed her to be a servant of some kind rather than a student.
" I was just admiring the view," added Fiyero, when the girl didn't say anything else. "This school is in a very scenic place. Don't you think?"
Is he actually interested in my answer, wondered Elphaba. Or does he really want to know what I think of the scenery? From what I heard already today he doesn't seem like the type to sit by himself admiring scenery…at least not the kind involving landscapes
"Do you not have any opinion on the landscape then, Miss?"
"Your pardon," said Elphaba, using Munchkin phrasing automatically. "When you mentioned the scenery I become involved in admiring it, sir. Shiz is very lovely, lovelier than a lot of Munchkinland."
"It's certainly more colourful than the last school I went to," continued Fiyero. It was sort of nice to be talking to someone who didn't pretend to be interested in every word he was saying, very refreshing. "That was up in the Gillikinese hills, nothing to look at but rocks and scrawny trees."
"It sounds lonely," replied Elphaba in a wistful, longing, sort of tone. The idea of hiding away in the lonely hills appealed to her immensely though she could se why he wouldn't like it.
"Well it's difficult to be alone when you're stuck in a complex of buildings with several hundred other people."
"You can be lonely in a room full of people," replied Elphaba philosophically, speaking from experience.
"Far too true," agreed Fiyero. Feeling uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, and being unable to get a good glimpse of the girl, he stepped out of his shadowy corner. "Well, as fascinating as this has been, Miss…what is your name?"
"Elphaba," she replied, offering no last name.
"Miss Elphaba, it was nice to almost meet you and, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go unpack, get changed, and be lonely in a room full of people. I hope you have a very good day."
With that Fiyero left the rooftop, leaving Elphaba alone though running into him and being polite had helped Elphaba's temper.
What a fascinating enigma, she thought. Someone who seems to have everything he could want – friends, money, political power – and yet he seems so unhappy.
She leaned on the wall for awhile, long enough to see Fiyero sauntering across the courtyard like a completely different person to the one she'd briefly spoken to.
Well, she thought, when he had vanished into the boys' dorms. Staying up here isn't going to fix anything, I suppose. I should…no, I'll wait until tomorrow to apologise to Nessa. Talking to her now would just make things worse. I still want to thank Miss Galinda, though I don't know what motivated her to be so nice to Nessa. The fact that she was nice suggests that I have misjudged her character so I'm obliged to do something in return. I can't imagine what I could possibly do for Miss Galinda 'I have everything' Upland of the Upper Up…
Elphaba stopped mid thought as she remembered Galinda's first introduction of herself to Shiz University population.
"She wants to be in Madame Morrible's Sorcery class!" she exclaimed, clapping her hand over her mouth when she realised it had been out loud.
Surely if I ask Madame Morrible, if I explain that…that…well I'll think of something to say.
"Come in," said Madame Morrible when someone knocked on the door of her office, she was absorbed in a letter and didn't look up until the person spoke.
"I beg your pardon for disturbing you, Madame Morrible."
"Miss Elphaba!"
Madame Morrible seemed very surprised to see her though Elphaba couldn't really imagine why, she didn't notice the Headmistress hurriedly stuffing the letter into a drawer.
"Back so soon, my dear, did you forget something?"
"No, Madame, I wanted to ask you to do something for me."
"A favour is it? Well you may certainly ask."
Elphaba took a deep breath, she was still not quite able to believe she was about to ask this of Madame Morrible but her voice didn't falter as she said it.
"I want you to let Galinda Upland join your Sorcery class."
"Galinda Upland," repeated Morrible incredulously, wondering if the girl had suffered a blow to the head sometime between the end of Sorcery class and now.
"You know, perky blonde, quite short, very high opinion of herself. I believe she's sent you daily requests for a change in roommates since the beginning of the year."
"I am quite aware of who Miss Upland is, thank you Miss Elphaba, kindly restrain your sense of humour until you learn how to voice it appropriately."
"I beg your pardon again, Madame."
"If you had allowed me to explain I would have been able to tell you a bit sooner that I am surprised that you want Miss Upland in the class. She has been nagging me since the beginning of the year to let her even try the class but the main reason I have refused is that I believed your…dislike for each other would distract you too much. Do tell me what has happened that might change this?"
"I believe I can tolerate sharing a class with her, Madame."
"And what has changed your opinion of her so dramatically?"
"She did something very good, for someone I care about very much," explained Elphaba haltingly.
Something good for Miss Nessarose? Concluded Morrible accurately. I wonder what she could possibly have done that was so wonderful.
"I'm sorry, Miss Elphaba, you will simply to have to find some other way to show your…appreciation for Miss Upland's actions in some other way. If she were at all suitable for the class I would already have invited her to attend it."
"I really don't think there is anything else I can do for her, Madame."
"Then you must settle for verbal thanks," said Morrible dismissively, missing the danger signs of Elphaba trying hard to keep her temper.
"I really must insist, Madame Morrible," said Elphaba, losing her usual shyness for the moment and straightening up to look the Headmistress in the eyes. "I could not possibly concentrate in Sorcery class if I felt that I had not properly repaid Miss Galinda for her kindness to my sister."
"Very well, Miss Elphaba," replied Morrible stiffly, inwardly resolving to put certain plans into motion. "Since you are so insistent I will tell Miss Galinda this very night that she will be joining the class."
"Thank you, Madame Morrible, I'll leave you to work."
One down, thought Elphaba as she walked back towards the suite. And one to go.
Galinda, and her two closest friends at Shiz Pfannee and Shenshen, spent the entire afternoon deciding what they were all going to wear to the party. Naturally Galinda was last, having been invited by the host she was the one who would need the most time to find suitable clothing and get ready for the dance.
"Now do me up," said Galinda, having finally found the perfect dress. One of the girls obliged then Galinda decided: "Now I must accessorise myself for Fiyero!"
Shenshen picked up a brand new hatbox from the dressing table, thinking it must be something Galinda hadn't worn yet, and pulled out one of the ugliest items of clothing she had ever seen.
"Galinda! What in Oz name?"
"Just pretend you didn't see that!" exclaimed Galinda, grabbing the hat and holding it at arms length. "My granny is always sending me the most hideodeous hats! I'd give it away but I don't hate anyone that much."
Pfannee and Shenshen both turned and looked at the bare side of the room inhabited by Galinda's unwanted roommate, the same thought occurring to them at the same time.
"Yes you do!"
Galinda followed their line of sight and smiled ever so slightly.
"Oh no I couldn't!" she said, a token protest. "Could I?"
"Why shouldn't you?" countered Pfannee. "What has she ever done for you?"
"That's right!" agreed Sheshen. "It'll be a good laugh, Galinda, really. Give her that…hat and tell us all how it looks!"
"Better yet," suggested Pfannee. "Invite her to the party so we can all see how it looks!"
"Oh Miss Pfannee!" exclaimed Shenshen. "That is positively wicked!"
"I'll do it!" declared Galinda. "It would only be wicked if she didn't deserve it! Now you two go and get yourselves ready and I'll see you at the party!"
The girls got out just in time (in their shared opinion), they passed Elphaba in the hallway and giggled as they did so. Elphaba rolled her eyes at their antics and steeled herself to talk to Galinda.
"Galinda," she started talking as soon as she opened the door so Galinda didn't have time to leave or insult her. "My sister and I were talking about you and…"
"And I was just talking about you," said Galinda in a shockingly friendly tone of voice.
"You were?
"I thought you might want to wear this hat," Galinda held up the hat, Elphaba hadn't seen noticed it in her rush to get her thank you out. "To the party tonight!"
Mistaking Elphaba's stunned expression for a dislike of the hat equal to Galinda's the blonde girl put on her most persuade tone to talk her into accepting it.
"It's really uhh…sharp, don't you think?
"I would have said pointy," muttered Elphaba.
"You know," continued Galinda, not hearing a word of it. "Black is this year's pink!"
Does that make pink this year's black? wondered Elphaba silently. Sweet Oz I hope not!
"You deserve each other, this hat and you, you're both so…smart!"
Was that an actual compliment? I wonder if she's suffered a blow to the head since this morning.
"I know it would look just perfect on you," finished Galinda, holding the hat out to Elphaba with a flourish.
"No, I couldn't," protested Elphaba, she didn't want to offend Galinda but it seemed strange that the girl was offering her a present after spending months sniping at her.
"I'm sure you have friends who would be much more grateful to have a gift from you."
"Of course you can take it, you're the only person I could possibly want to give it to!" insisted Galinda.
"Well I…"
Elphaba sighed softly then decided that Galinda really did seem sincere in this sudden urge to give her a gift.
Perhaps I'm the only girl at Shiz she hasn't tried to 'make over' yet or something.
"Thank you, Galinda," said Elphaba as she took the hat.
"Don't mention it!" replied Galinda brightly then added seriously (in case Elphaba thought she was just being polite) "I mean really don't mention it, to anyone I know, I wouldn't want people thinking I like you or anything."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Elphaba knew there was no point bothering to be offended when Galinda was so obviously oblivious to how hurtful she sounded.
"Oh look at the time! I must dash, I'm being collected soon, try not to be too late!"
"Galinda before you go I…"
She spoke too late Galinda was already gone, Elphaba hugged the hat against herself, it seemed too impossible to be true but Galinda really was being nice to her!
Frowning thoughtfully she considered the sparse wardrobe she'd brought to Shiz and decided to wear her blue dress as it was slightly prettier than the grey one Galinda had once referred to as 'not fit for a rag bag'.
It's so much easier to make decisions about clothes and shoes when you don't have many choices, thought Elphaba as she changed her clothes and pondered how much simpler this was compared to what Galinda put herself through every day.