Ch.2: Destiny's Beginning- Elphaba

Location: Shiz

Rating (for chapter): T+

Disclaimer: WICKED ISN'T MINE. Alas.

A/n: Thank you all for your kind reviews. I've planned and plotted and come up with something like this...

Please be gentle with criticisms of my descriptions. I haven't read the book in five years. And I was foolishly young then. I'm skimming the book for purposes of this story, but please note that I am taking some liberties where description is concerned.

"Your head looks like a hedgehog in shock, what did you do to yourself?"- Elphaba to Boq

The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, pg. 100

The sky slowly got darker as thick grey rain clouds blanketed the sun. Elphaba squinted up at the sky, securing her umbrella in her satchel and heading off down the cobbled streets. Students avoided her, dodging this way and that as if the green would rub off, as if it was contagious. Elphaba scoffed, sneering at them as she passed, not worried in the least bit about their approval. The strap of her bag dug into her bony shoulder and the green girl huffed as she shoved open the door to a dingy cafe. To one side of the cafe sat men in their suits, clouds of smoke hung in the air above them like grave omens; to the other side sat travelers and students like her, although no-one of high breeding would be caught dead in this place. She shuffled over to a large wooden booth where Boq sat, waiting. His hair was tied in that ridiculous ribbon again, his light hair pooling over it like froth.

"You did up your hair. Oh, just for me?" Elphaba feigned flattery, dropping herself into the bench opposite the munchkin boy.

Boq rolled his eyes. "I didn't order you tea so you could taunt me."

Elphaba shrugged, her black cloak rising and falling. "Well then you shouldn't have ordered at all." Digging a green hand into her satchel, Elphaba produced a book; she dropped it on the table in front of her friend.

"Was the text useful?" Boq took a sip of his tea, setting it down on the saucer with a clatter.

Black hair obscured her vision; Elphaba sighed loudly, watching a large chunk of her hair rise and fall. "I don't know. I merely dictate. I'm Dillamond's student handmaid, nothing more. Although, he did seem quite pleased during last night's session." She watched Boq stir his tea idly, not really registering the inane comments he made about his idiotic friends, Crope and Tibbett.

"Dillamond had a breakthrough then?" Boq pressed, seeming needlessly anxious.

The sky darkened, heavy grey clouds rolled past. "I suppose." Elphaba replied; her gaze was still fixed on the storm brewing outside. "Ask about what you really mean to discuss."

With a sigh of relief, Boq smiled. "Is Miss Galinda well? Has she mentioned anyone striking her fancy, as of late? How are her studies going?"

Elphaba shook with laughter. "Do you think of nothing else? It's a miracle that you even make passing marks. Your head is so full of her."

Boq frowned. "She doesn't ask of me?"

"Not once." Elphaba shook her head. "Although, she does seem a bit strange lately. She skips around, hums to herself, doodles in her sorcery notes. Why, one might assume..."

"That she is in love?" Boq interjected, his eyes sparkling with hope.

A spindly green finger came up to rest on Elphaba's equally green chin; she took this time to sip her tea, while Boq began to suppose all of the lovers' hearts Galinda could possess.

"Oh! Or what of that Winkie? The prince with dark skin?" Boq paused in his ramblings. "No, surely not him."

"Fiyero?" Elphaba mused. "Well, why not him? Or Avaric? Or Shenshen, or Pfannee for that matter." Her purple-tinged lips slid into a wry smile.

Boq hit her hand. "Don't jest so. You know Miss Galinda holds my heart." Boq looked off, mooning for the blonde.

Thunder rumbled shaking the tiny cafe so hard that the teacups rattled on their saucers. Elphaba stood quickly, yanking a large umbrella from her satchel. "That's my cue to go; Do find a new topic to obsess over before the next time we meet." Giving one last glance at Boq's lovelorn face, Elphaba hurried back off to Shiz before the rain could come pouring down.

xXxXxXx

"Just in time, Miss Elphaba." Galinda remarked, glancing out the window at the heavy rain.

Elphaba nodded, shrugging off her cloak and kicking off her unlaced boots. "So it seems." She glanced over at her roommate, finding the blonde sitting on the floor painting her nails a garish pink. Suppressing a laugh, Elphaba mused, "I assume this is what you've been up to all afternoon."

"Hardly," Galinda huffed, waving around some papers covered in looping handwriting. "I completed my sorcery paper for Monday." A bright smile lit up the blonde's face. "Better than spending all afternoon with that horrible munchkin boy."

Elphaba shrugged. "He's not that bad, when he's not infatuated."

Galinda's face flushed in mortification. "Oh, really. He can't still be on about that."

"But he is." Elphaba insisted, flopping down onto her bed stomach-first. She bent her knees, situating herself so that she could see out the window and glance down at Galinda with ease.

Despite her embarrassment, Galinda continued to lacquer her nails. "Next time you see the boy, tell him I'm infatuated with someone else. I insist."

"Who should I say?" Although not one for gossip Elphaba wanted to see what she could dredge up from her roommate.

Galinda's cheeks colored as bright as her nails. "Really there's no one. Couldn't you just make it up?"

"Your sorcery notes and your face say otherwise." Elphaba couldn't help but grin; it must be someone the blonde certainly was ashamed of.

"This is highly improper and none of your business." Galinda sputtered, trying to diverge the conversation she added, "There was a letter for you down at the postbox today." She gestured a shaky hand to her roommate's desk.

"A letter? For me?" Elphaba, who didn't normally get post, sprung up from bed and quickly tore open the letter. She scanned the text quickly, balling the paper up in her fist as she finished. "Perfect." She spat, shoving her feet into her boots and grabbing her cloak.

"What is it?" Galinda asked, hurrying to her feet.

Elphaba shook with fury. "Morrible has requested a private audience. I'm supposed to be there in a few minutes. Fine time to tell me I have post!" The green girl hurried for the door, slamming it on her way out.

Galinda's pink lips quivered. "Well, it wasn't my fault." She protested meekly to the empty room, sinking onto her pink covers in defeat.

xXxXxXx

Clomping hurriedly into Morrible's office, Elphaba nearly tripped over the annoying tiktok thing.

"Miss Thropp, you're late." Morrible tsked, glancing in annoyance at the clock. She gestured for Elphaba to sit and ordered Grommetik to bring them some tea.

"I apologize." Elphaba bowed her head, sitting down with a rustle of skirts. "I only just received your letter. My flighty roommate forgot to mention it this morning."

Morrible wagged her finger back and forth as if scolding a dog. "Ah, but you shouldn't blame your lateness on Miss Upland. After all, is it your responsibility to keep all of your affairs in order."

Elphaba bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a sarcastic comment. "Of course." The green girl nodded in agreement as the headmistress scrutinized her, clucking her tongue in disapproval.

The tiktok thing wheeled in some tea, setting a cup down in front of Morrible first, then Elphaba.

"Thank you, Grommetik." Morrible waved the thing off with a flick of her hand. "Now then, Miss Elphaba. I assume you know why you've been called to my office."

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Elphaba simply replied, "Actually, I haven't the slightest."

"Dillamond, of course." Morrible paused for a long sip of tea. "The faculty doesn't want you working with him anymore. In fact, his theorems are rather ridiculous and the other professors have been asking me to let him go."

Elphaba's eyes widened in shock and her knuckles went white as she gripped the arms of her chair. "Excuse me?"

Morrible held up her teacup and looked her student plainly in the eye. "Surely you are not hard of hearing, Miss Elphaba."

"I don't think that it's any business of yours what I do on my free time!" Elphaba shouted, standing from her seat and knocking over her teacup in the process.

Morrible sat, smirking in self-satisfaction. "When you are a student on my campus it is indeed my business, Miss Elphaba."

Unable to hold back her rage any longer, Elphaba threw her hands up in the air and began to pace. "On what grounds can you fire Dr. Dillamond?"

"Oh many, I'm sure. But actually that isn't quite the matter here. If you don't like what I'm proposing then you'll simply have to take your concerns to the Wizard." Morrible watched on with amusement, only causing Elphaba's anger to boil over even further.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Elphaba seethed. She watched as the headmistress set down an emerald envelope onto her desk and pushed it forward.

"If you can't ignore the things that are going on with our dear Dr. Dillamond, I'm afraid you'll have to take your complaints to the Wizard. I will not discuss this matter with you again." Morrible glanced over her reading spectacles and watched the green girl intently.

Elphaba snatched the envelope from Morrible's desk. "With pleasure." She spat, turning on her heel and storming out of the headmistress's office.

xXxXxXx

A/N: Morrible is being cryptic. It's what she does. Yes, the plot ultimately has to lead to the Wizard. Did everything stay in character? I feel like I didn't compose this chapter as well as the last. Ahem. Anywho, a heavy dose of intrigue and action next chapter, from Galinda's point of view. And those of you who are waiting for Fiyero, I threw in a brief mention of him just for you! If you enjoyed please review!