Thank you all for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! You all had some interesting ideas about the character death, but you'll just have to keep reading to find out.


Elphaba woke up early the next morning to the sun shining in through the window. Smiling, she pushed herself up and reached for her glasses. "Nanny," she yawned, looking over at the old woman.

Nanny snored and muttered something under her breath before turning over.

Sighing, Elphaba grabbed her pillow and hurled it at the old woman, successfully hitting her in the head. Gasping, Nanny bolted upright in the bed and turned to look at Elphaba, who was smirking.

"Good morning to you, too, Fabala," Nanny grumbled.

"Good morning, Nanny," Elphaba said brightly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Nanny yawned, getting out of bed, her old bones cracking. "Did you?"

"Yes, thank you."

Nanny smiled at the green girl as she gently wrapped her arms around her. "Are you ready for your first day of college?"

Elphaba nodded and Nanny helped her up into her chair and pushed her into the bathroom.

"Are you nervous, Fabala?" Nanny asked as she brushed Elphaba's hair.

"Everyone will stare at me," Elphaba whispered, playing with the hem of her skirt.

"Because you're beautiful."

"I'm hideous."

"Elphaba Melena Thropp, you are most certainly not hideous."

"Well, then, what do you call being green bean and stuck in a hideous chair with wheels?" Elphaba challenged, looking at Nanny through the mirror.

"Different. Just 'different'. And you are not a green bean. Green beans are food. You are a human being."

"A hideous human being," Elphaba muttered.

Nanny lightly slapped her arm and finished braiding. She gently cupped Elphaba's chin in her hand and forced her to look in the mirror. "You're beautiful," she whispered, kissing her cheek. "Just like your mother."

Elphaba turned away and looked down. "I… I'm not. I'm hideous. Ugly. An abomination."

"Don't believe everything your father tells you, Fabala. Sometimes I wonder about that man."

"Nessie thinks so, too."

Nanny froze. "Has she said that to you?"

"No, but it's obvious she thinks it. She avoids me when we're in public, and sometimes even at home. She's ashamed of me and I don't blame her."

"Fabala, stop!" Nanny said, gripping the green girl's shoulders. "If anything, I want you to remember that you are beautiful, no matter what other people say or think."

Elphaba turned. The old woman was kneeling beside her, her hand placed gently on top of hers. The green girl looked into Nanny's old eyes and cracked a small smile.

"Good," Nanny smiled, patting Elphaba's hand. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Elphaba nodded and the two of them headed out for the breakfast.

After breakfast, Elphaba and Nanny ventured to the History building for Elphaba's first class, Ozian History with Dr. Dillamond. She and Nanny were the first people in the room, seeing as Nanny always liked to be early. An old Goat was in the front of the classroom, organizing the textbooks.

"Excuse me," Nanny called politely.

The old Goat turned and smiled, seeing Elphaba and Nanny. "Hello."

"Are you –"

"Dr. Dillamond. At your service," the old Goat smiled, giving a small bow. His gaze turned to Elphaba and he smiled. "And you must be…"

"Elphaba Thropp, sir," Elphaba said, giving the Goat a small smile.

"Ah, yes. The Governor of Munchkinland's daughter."

Elphaba was surprised. She usually had to tell people that she was the Governor's eldest daughter. People usually thought of Nessa first.

"Y-Yes," she managed to say through her shock.

Dr. Dillamond chuckled lightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Elphaba," she said, extending his hoof for Elphaba to shake.

Shaking his hoof, Elphaba looked up at Nanny gave her a large smile. The day was getting off to a better start than she thought.

After taking a seat in the front, the other students began to trickle into the room. A few of them looked up and shot Elphaba hateful glances, but most of them just ignored her and walked towards the back of the room. Nessa came in, talking to Galinda, Lyssa and two other girls whom Elphaba had never seen before. The younger Thropp completely ignored her sister and went to sit in the middle row on the left-hand side.

Elphaba looked down at her hands. She felt Nanny place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she still refused to look up. Finally, Dr. Dillamond called for attention and the class began.

"First, roll call," the old Goat said, looking down at his attendance list. "Miss Pfannee?"

One of the girls who was sitting with Nessa raised her hand.

"Miss ShenShen?"

The other girl raised her hand.

"Miss Glinda Upland?"

"It's Galinda, with the 'guh'," Galinda said, sticking her pointer finger in the air. "Of the Upper Uplands."

"Yes, of course. Miss Gl… Gl… Glinda," Dr. Dillamond tried again.

"Galinda," the blonde sighed.

Dr. Dillamond simply nodded and continued calling out the names. "Miss Elphaba Thropp?" The old Goat smiled at the green girl. "Miss Nessarose Thropp?"

Nessa slowly raised her hand and Dr. Dillamond smiled as he went through the rest of the names. Once he was finished, he gave a brief speech about how exciting Ozian History is and what to expect for the semester.

"Can't you see, dear students, what is being lost? How our dear Oz is becoming less and less… well, colorful. Now, who can tell me what set this into motion?"

"From what I read, it began with the Great Drought," Elphaba answered, her hand shooting into the air.

"Precisely, Miss Elphaba," Dr. Dillamond smiled.

Elphaba felt a sting of pride and accomplishment, though it quickly faded when faint whispers about her skin and condition filled her ears.

"Who's the green bean?"

"Did he say her last name is Thropp? As in… the Governor of Munchkinland 'Thropp'?"

"I thought the Governor only had one daughter."

"He's probably embarrassed to call her his daughter. And I don't blame him. I mean, look at her. Green and in a wheelchair? That would be enough to drive any farther away."

Elphaba tried her hardest not to let their comments get to her. She bit down on her bottom lip, struggling to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"Can anyone tell me what is meant by the term 'Scapegoat'?" Dr. Dillamond's asked, walking around in the front of the room.

Elphaba's hand shot into the air.

"Someone besides Miss Elphaba," Dr. Dillamond said, giving the green girl a small smile.

Surprisingly, Galinda's hand went up.

"Yes, Miss Gl… Gl… Glinda?"

"It's Galinda. I don't seem to understand. Everyone else seems to be able to pronounce my name correctly," the blonde frowned.

"Maybe perfecting the pronunciation of your precious name isn't the sole focus of Dr. Dillamond's life. Maybe he's not like everyone else. Maybe some of us are different," Elphaba snapped before she could stop herself.

"Well, it seems the artichoke is steamed," Galinda smirked at Elphaba, causing the rest of the class to burst into fits of laughter, all except for Nessa, who was giving her sister a hateful, disapproving glare.

"Class! Class! Miss Elphaba has a point," Dr. Dillamond said, continuing with the lesson.

Finally, after the longest hour of Elphaba's life, the bell rang and the class ended. Everyone hurried out of the room while Elphaba slowly packed up her books.

"Thank you, Dr. Dillamond," Elphaba smiled at the professor before wheeling out of the room with Nanny close behind her.

"You're welcome, Miss Elphaba," the old Goat smiled.

The rest of the morning passed slowly for Elphaba, with more whispers and comments about her skin. Once lunchtime came around, she seemed to have lost her appetite, but Nanny insisted that she eat something.

"At least eat a sandwich," Nanny said.

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm not hungry, Nanny."

"You're going to be starving before dinner if you don't eat now."

Elphaba sighed, but gave in. "Fine, I'll eat a sandwich. But that's it."

"Good," Nanny smiled before getting up from the table to retrieve their food.

Elphaba reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She slowly lifted her gaze and saw Nessa sitting with the same girls from the History class. She quickly looked back down and opened to a random page in the book, not fully reading it. Even though the cafeteria was extremely crowded and loud, insults still managed to find their way to her ears.

"I've heard that when she was born, her father tried to drown her in the Munchkinland River."

"I've heard she has razor sharp teeth like an animal."

"I've heard she's half animal."

"I've heard that she's adopted because her real parents didn't want her."

"I've heard that she's the reason her mother died."

Elphaba's blood went cold at hearing that. It was true. It was her fault. Her mother would still be alive if not for her. Shivering, she tried to go back to her book, but couldn't help overhearing what Nessa and her new friends were saying.

"I don't know why Dr. Dillamond can't just teach us history instead of always harping on the past," Galinda huffed.

Despite herself, Elphaba let out a small chuckle.

"And can you believe the green bean?" Galinda whispered, looking at Elphaba out of the corner of her eye.

"What was her last name? Thropp?" ShenShen asked, looking at Nessa.

The brunette refused to look up at the girls, developing a sudden interest in her salad.

"Nessa, isn't your last name 'Thropp' as well?" ShenShen asked.

"Yes," Nessa nodded.

"Then… are you two… related?" Pfannee asked, sending Elphaba a quick, disgusted glare.

"Us? Related? No."

"But… but you have the same last name," Galinda said, frowning in confusion.

"'Thropp' is a very common last name in Munchkinland," Nessa said calmly, eating a forkful of salad. She knew she was lying, her family was the only one with the last name of 'Thropp', but the last thing she wanted was for people to believe that she was actually related to Elphaba.

"It is?" ShenShen asked.

Nessa nodded. "I don't have a sister."

Elphaba slowly turned away, not able to believe that Nessa had actually denied their relationship out loud.

"Fabala, are you alright?" Nanny asked, returning to the table.

"Y-Yeah. I… I don't want to eat anymore," Elphaba whispered, placing her book in her bag and wheeling out of the cafeteria.

"Fabala!" Nanny called, but the green girl was already gone.