It has been more than 2 years since I've updated this, and I am sincerely sorry. I have no excuse.
It was Sunday morning and Elphaba was flitting haphazardly around her suite. What little grace her body possessed kept her from tripping. Normally, she would have been preparing breakfast for her father and Nessarose at that time of the morning; her internal clock had been programmed to wake her at six in the morning daily.
Deciding she needn't worry about fixing food when there was a dinning hall not even a mile away, Elphaba set herself the unsavory task of unpacking. Ten minutes and not even a box later, Elphaba had settled herself on the couch to read the first book she had the fortune to unpack.
I will read until half past eight and then I will return to unpacking, Elphaba promised herself: a promise she did not keep. It was when her stomach began to groan around noon that Elphaba finally closed her book. She decided it was best to find something to eat before her stomach had a chance to protest even louder. After a quick shower, she threw on the shorts Eia had given her the day before after making sure they were still clean and one of her own black, long-sleeved shirts to finish the outfit.
She was out of the dorm no more than thirty minutes later, toting her campus map, student ID, money card, and room key. With all but the map being shoved into her pockets, Elphaba couldn't help but briefly consider a fanny-pack, or worse, a purse. A gurgle from her still empty stomach prompted her to turn back to her task at hand: finding the dining hall.
After several wrong turns and asking three different strangers for directions, Elphaba finally found herself at the dining hall. As she stepped into the hall, she couldn't help but revel in the air conditioning that greeted her. Her thick, black hair stuck to her cheeks with sweat.
As her body returned to a normal temperature, Elphaba browsed the food selection. She had missed the breakfast foods, and now unfamiliar Vinkun foods sat in front of her, daring her to try them. Elphaba, however, was not one to try new things easily. As much as she was enjoying learning about the new culture she was thrust into, she was not so ready to partake in the country's food that was wholly unrecognizable to her. She managed to grab a muffin from the last of the breakfast foods being removed, and a black coffee to accompany it.
After paying for the food, Elphaba made her way to the seating area, quickly eyeballing an unoccupied booth in the corner of the room. Unfortunately for her, when she was just 10 feet from the booth, she was accosted.
"14G!" The man she had met the day prior stepped in front of her, lips stretched over his white teeth in a brilliant smile.
Elphaba decidedly ignored him, and resumed her walk to the empty corner booth. She had expected that he would take the hint and leave her alone. He didn't. Instead, he slid into the seat across from her. He looked impeccable. It was as if the heat had not touched him.
"Are you finding your way around campus okay?" he asked, shoveling food into his mouth and waiting for a response. Elphaba sighed but held fast to her silence. He waved his hand in front of her face like a child begging for attention.
"Elphaba, hey!" a familiar and friendly voice called out. Elphaba whipped her head around and gave an almost unnoticeable smile. Eia shoved Fiyero further into the booth and plopped down beside him. "Fiyero, I haven't seen you awake this early since," she paused, trying to remember, "ever. I've never seen you awake this early!"
Fiyero pouted and argued, "I'm awake by 12 all the time!"
Eia let out a disbelieving laugh. "Yeah," she said, "let me rephrase. I've never seen you awake, out of your bed, and functioning like a practical member of society before." Fiyero harrumphed but didn't respond, opting to shovel more food into his mouth instead. Satisfied with his silence and amused by the embarrassed blush that rose to his cheeks, Eia turned her attentions back to the girl she had originally addressed. "Are you finding your way around campus okay?"
Elphaba nodded and smiled, "Yeah, I can read a map pretty well and everything is labeled pretty well."
"I literally asked the same exact thing and you wouldn't even respond," Fiyero looked like a kicked puppy, but neither of the ladies showed any signs of having heard him.
Eia and Elphaba continued their easy back and forth conversation as if they had been long time friends. Fiyero was going mad! He could feel his ears burning. Never had anyone outside of his family so easily dismissed him as this green girl was. Girls were usually eager to fall on spikes if it meant they would get his attention. He was sure Eia must have said something to warn her against him. His cousin loved to mess with him.
He withstood the blatant cold shoulder for 10 more minutes before he shoved passed Eia to get out of the booth. As he walked away, he could hear Eia's laughter follow him. He grit his teeth and walked faster.