As the week went on, school arrived.

Elphaba found that she loved all of her teachers, and enjoyed watching her sister being educated in all the ways she was.

On the third day of September, the Physical Education teacher announced that there would be a ball next year, the big ball of the entire school. Fiyero and Nessa exchanged wondering glances. They wanted to go with each other.

She folded her hands in her lap and tried to ignore the tears that begged to fall. No one would want her. No one would ever even need her. She was much too sinful, much too ugly, much to green, for Oz sake. She studied her fingers. While Nessa's hands were gentle and slender, not to mention normally colored, Elphaba's hands resembled slugs. Thick, oozy, green slugs. Hands that would never hold her imaginary son, Liir. Hands that would never hold the man of her dreams…

She would have to give everything to Nessa. Always and forevermore. Until the day she died.

As she wheeled her sister home, her feet trudged through the thickening snow, as it bit around her stockings and soaked them. Fiyero walked beside her, laughing and talking with Nessa and not giving Elphaba the least bit of attention.

This proved to be something good and something bad. On the downside, Elphaba longed for something to talk about to distract her from the snow around her ankles and her arms aching from pushing Nessa's wheelchair. As the years went on, Elphaba could always remember how old her sister got with every push of her wheelchair that got heavier. On the plus side, Fiyero wasn't paying her any attention, which meant her cheeks would be red only from the cold. And it gave her time to think.

No matter how much Elphaba tried to doubt it, push the thought far, far back into her mind, drowning it in all other thoughts, trying to squelch it every time it came up, she couldn't get over it: she loved the prince with all of her heart.

And instead of being content with the talk she'd had with him the day before, her heart cried out for more…

She'd had several crushes growing up, but she'd gotten used to the fact that every boy would never love her…but this….why couldn't she get over him? Why?

It'll pass soon…she'd tell herself over and over in her mind, But it didn't. It couldn't. It wouldn't.

And she knew—she knew—that she'd love him for the rest of her life.

During dinner, she stared blankly at her meal, spooning her peas and letting them fall back on the plate. Oh, how many more days must she go through this? How many more days must she listen to his voice, sit with him, talk to him, host him, meet his every need….

"…Well, she's very smart. Elphaba will help."

Elphaba's head came up at his remark. He and Nessa were looking right at her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't hear…"

"Well, of course you didn't!" Fiyero laughed—like jingle bells—his laugh was like jingle bells—so beautiful— "You haven't been very talkative today."

He reached out and patted her arm, smiling brightly at her. "Come on, where's the Elphaba we all know?"

"I'm right here," Her eyes narrowed a bit. "And since when have you cared? You both ignored me entirely today."

She groaned inwardly. She hadn't meant to bring that up…through her life, she had learned many important lessons…one of them being don't tell others what you're feeling. Like she'd made point of before, she hated being fussed over…she generally had been raised to care for others…

"Oh, Elphaba, I'm so sorry," Nessarose smiled sympathetically. "We've been so busy, with the dance and everything."

Oh, Nessa. Please don't bring the dance up, please!

"Are you attending the dance, Miss Thropp?" Fiyero asked her. His eyes showed simple curiosity, not like the other day when he'd asked if she was going out on the ice with them—today they were just asking. No sparkle in his eyes showed that he wanted her to come, nor wanted her not too…

"I'd imagine so," Elphaba said, pulling her arm away from under his warm heavy hand and returning to her meal. "Father will most likely want me to. But it's mostly up to Nessa, I suppose."

"Oh, please!" Nessarose smiled brightly. "The last dance to came to was when we were ten. It'll be fun."

"When we were ten…that wasn't such a long time ago, Nessa…"

It wasn't. And it was humiliating. Ten years ago, when Elphaba was 12, and Nessarose was nine, they'd gone to the spring dance. Nessa agreed to dance with a boy that had asked her, and she disappeared into the crowd. Nessa was Elphaba's shelter. She was pretty, mostly popular, and adored by many friends. As long as she stayed around her older, ugly, green sister, nothing could happen. But the moment Nessa left, Elphaba had ice shoved down her back, she got kicked in the leg, and called cruel names. Winding thought the tormenting crowd, she found her sister, and quickly got her home.

Her father had hit her with the metal part of a belt when she'd arrived, telling her it was no good to bring Nessarose out of her dance and she didn't need to let children get to her. Kids were kids. She didn't get dinner for three days.

Elphaba shuddered at the thought of repeating a humiliating night, especially one where Fiyero was involved...

Wasn't the near drowning enough?

She looked at Nessa. Slowly shaking her head.

"I don't want to. And besides, it's next year." But she knew, it one way or another, Nessa would get what she wanted.

She always did.

She excused herself from the table, and set to homework in the living room.

She needed to get her mind off things; today had been so overwhelming…she wasn't going to that dance…ever…

"Hey."

And she definitely wasn't going to pay any attention to that voice….

"What in Oz is that?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Of course, he wouldn't know. He was far too brainless to get everything right.

"It's calculus." She replied, almost sharply. Watch it, Elphaba…you'll probably regret this later…

Oh, just listen to her! In a fuss about….him….

"All I see is a squiggle on a cross," Fiyero frowned and sat down next to her.

"It's not just a squiggle on a cross, so you call it," Elphaba gritted her teeth. "See? There's X. You need to find X."

Fiyero pretend to yawn and lay down on the ground, his hands behind his head.

"So, how do you find it anyway?"

As Elphaba opened her mouth, Fiyero held up a hand. "Forget that." He smirked, bringing it back behind his head. "So, what are you currently reading?"

"Like you care about books." Elphaba turned back to her homework, making more numbers and variables and other things on her paper that Fiyero didn't understand in the slightest.

"Ouch." He grinned. But his smile faltered when Elphaba didn't look up. "Maybe I do care about books." He tried again, but he got no attention. "Seriously, what are you reading?"

No reply.

Fiyero always liked attention. He liked having her roll her eyes at him. He liked having the Thropp girls to laugh with…OK, maybe just Nessa most of the time. But still.

"Where's Shell?" he asked.

"At a friend's house for dinner. I have to pick him up soon."

Fiyero pouted. He wanted something fun to do.

"You have a very big house," he finally said. Elphaba looked up, forgetting she was mad at him, and almost panicked at his mischievously happy grin.

"I suppose. Why?" she tried to return to her work, but he grabbed the pencil from her.

"Come on, Thropp. Let's play hide and seek."

Elphaba's eyes cast down. "I do not play."

"Me, you, and Nessarose." Fiyero stood, holding out his hand. "Come on. It'll be fun." He batted his eyelashes comically.

Elphaba bit her lip to keep from laughing, and hesitantly gave him her green hand. Fiyero pulled her to her feet and grinned.

"Nessa seeks us first."