Moment of Weakness – Chapter 2
The soft mattress had swallowed my limbs during the night. I was blissfully cocooned by my duvet which enticed me to remain still just a little while longer and bask in its comfort. I longed to give in, but the brightness behind my eyelids dragged me out of sleep and scolded me with reminders that it was morning and I had a test to take.
Reluctantly I forced my eyes open and sat up, blinking and shaking off the lethargy. I was late, by my standards (which thankfully meant I was still on time), and Galinda was still asleep.
Catching sight of the bandage on her cheek, the only visible part of her save for a few locks of golden hair (the rest of her was buried much like I had been), I was reminded of the events of last night.
Fiyero, the stupid fool. Let someone hit him in the face and see how he likes the pain.
I must have been the only girl in the whole of Shiz who didn't have even an inkling of a crush on him.
I quickly bathed and got changed. As I pulled the tattered excuse of a plain, grey dress over my shoulders, Galinda shifted and let out a soft moan. I smirked at the irony of the fact that, in reality, I was from a wealthier background than she was. The silly airhead had no idea that the reason for my dire wardrobe was nothing whatsoever to do with an impoverished lifestyle.
A perfectly manicured hand made its way to Galinda's face and brushed over the thick bandage. She whimpered and opened her eyes and I felt a pang of sympathy.
I wondered: Which side of Galinda would I see today? The usual socialite or the vulnerable child from yesterday?
When I had finished changing I turned around and spotted her sitting in front of her mirror and dressing table. She hadn't made any move to get changed but was staring despondently at her reflection with a pout on her lips.
'Miss Galinda, much as I'm sure you love to bask in your own vanity, at this rate, you are going to be late,' I said.
She sighed again, and her finger traced the edges of the bandage.
'Well, Miss Elphaba, I'm sure you have better things to be doing than watching me while I figure out what to do about this,' Galinda retorted.
'I seriously doubt that anyone will care...'
'Since when did I ask your opinion, artichoke? Why don't you make yourself not late by going away to Doctor Dillamond's boring old Life Science class which you seem to enjoy so much, and leaving. Me. Alone!'
I hesitated. On any other day I would have done as she'd said and left the room for both of our benefit. But somehow I couldn't quite bring myself to return to the dynamic we'd had prior to last night. Before today, I hadn't felt anything much towards her, but now, as I looked at her, I felt somewhat protective of the small, blonde thing.
Instead of responding to her question I said, 'You need to change your bandage.'
'And what could a green bean possibly know of what I need?'
Now it was my turn to sigh. I felt frustrated that she would so quickly put behind the events of last night and behave as though nothing had changed. It had changed…hadn't it?
'Let me help you,' I said, approaching her, but as I reached out she slapped my hand away.
'You will do no such thing!'
'Just let me…'
'No!'
She whirled away and opened her closet, revealing racks of dresses and shoes, most of the pink variety with only one or two items in different colours. She sorted through them, trying to find something to wear, a tiny frown on her face. Her hand kept returning to the bandage and I knew she was in a lot of pain.
I wondered then if I really would have been better off leaving when I'd had the chance.
I busied myself by gathering my books for the day. Galinda got changed and then returned to her dresser. She picked up a tub of foundation but didn't make any move to apply it. She stared between the foundation and her reflection, her fingers peeling the edges of the bandage and the pout on her lips growing more prominent.
It hit me that she had not chosen to wear pink today. Instead she had chosen a simple, pale blue dress with less of the usual frills than she normally wore.
Finally, she peeled the bandage away entirely. The wound looked slightly less raw and the blood had clotted into a series of scabs which lay over the ugly bruise. She reached for the foundation and began to apply it – I realised, over the bruise – and I was quick to intervene, knocking the stuff out of her hand. She spun around, jaw dropped, eyebrows raised.
'Miss Elphaba! How unseemly of you to just take my personal possessions like that!'
'You might not have a perfect memory but mine happens to be very good, and I distinctly remember the nurse telling you not to put anything on that bruise except for the cream she gave you last night. So yes, I will take away your foundation so that you do not harm yourself further.'
She shrank back in her chair and I saw her eyes well up and her lip quiver.
'How can I let them see me like this?' she said softly. 'Everyone will know…'
'Then let them know,' I replied. 'Maybe then they'll all realise what a bastard Fiyero really is.'
Galinda shook her head.
'I look hideoceous.'
'You could never look hideous.'
'Even mean green things are prettier today.'
'Now Miss Galinda, I really must insist that you stop trying to usurp my title. I'm the hideous one, remember?'
I was pleased when a tiny smile appeared on her lips. She picked up the cream and started to apply it to the bruise, wincing slightly as she touched it.
'You are quite the cabbage. You are also late, which is giving me a migraine because it means you are still here.'
'Well if you really want me to go…' I began, as I turned around to leave. I had all but given up on this situation. But just as I placed my hand on the door handle, her voice cut through from behind, resonating through the room and causing me to pause.
'No, Elphie…'
It was one of the rare moments when Galinda said something and I knew that this was completely, one hundred per cent real – no masks, facades or pretences, just a genuine statement directly from her true self.
For all the protests, snide comments and insults, Galinda wanted me to stay.
Elphie, she had called me. It was really annoyingly, quirkily, cute.
She was crying again. I repeated the action of getting her tissues from the bathroom. I was beginning to understand what a big deal this was for her. If someone had hit me in the face I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I would have shown up with my bruise on display in all of its glory for the world to see. But unlike Galinda, I didn't have a reputation at stake. I also wasn't vain.
Someone as dainty and elegant as Galinda would never even fathom the idea of getting hit in the face, let alone being seen with a huge, ugly bruise. The idea that everyone would be talking about her visible deformity which so callously detracted from her beauty –
Well, Galinda would surely have a fit.
Even so, I found it scary how much it mattered to her. Did the girl not have any self-confidence?
'Then what would you like me to do? Because you seem to be rejecting any offer of my help, and yet you now claim that you do not want me to leave.'
She picked up a fresh bandage, placed it against her cheek and taped it down. She swivelled in her chair, trying for confident poise, but those blue eyes really were too wide and fearful to pull it off. Eventually she gave up and sagged her shoulders, and those same eyes met the floor.
'He'll be there,' she whispered, 'in class. What if he does it again?'
'He won't. I'll see to it that he never touches you again.'
I expected her to protest again on the grounds of not wanting to be seen as protected by the green girl, but she merely nodded and started to apply her lipstick.
'Promise?'
I nodded.
'Of course, my sweet. I promise.'
'You called me that again. You called me that last night.'
Her tone was not accusatory but acknowledging of the fact.
'You called me Elphie.'
'Well even a mean green thing needs a nickname!' she exclaimed, her voice suddenly more piercing. 'Now let's go before Doctor Dillamond has the most horrificus fit for being late that I have ever seen!'
'I seriously doubt that, my sweet,' I replied, but grinned because she had managed to regain some of her exasperating perkiness.
