The trio arrived at the Ozdust to find it already packed full with Shiz students. Many at the bar buying shots celebrating the end of term and the beginning of summer. Elphaba took a deep breath as Glinda dragged her through the entrance and towards the bar where Nessa, Boq, Avaric, Shen-Shen, and Pfannie were huddled together laughing and sloshing over their drinks.

Elphaba's grip on Glinda's hand tightened as she approached the group. She thanked the Unnamed God when Avaric turned his back to the group and made his way to the other side of the room towards his Rugby team.

"Okay, everyone, I'm here so the party can really start!" Glinda jumped over to Pfannie and Shen-Shen and the girls exchanged hugs and pecks on the cheek while admiring the other's hair and make up and dress.

Elphaba walked over to Nessa, bent down, and kissed her on the cheek. Nessa wore a look of disbelief, "Elphaba, you came-"

Elphaba immediately realized her mistake in greeting Nessa in such a way in public, "Sorry to disappoint, Nessa... It was Glinda's insistence that I'm here... I don't like it anymore then you."

Nessa frowned at this, "Elphaba, I didn't mean it like that. You never come out; I'm just surprised that's all... You look very pretty."

The evening continued, and Elphaba had to admit that she was enjoying herself. She sat on a stool next to Nessa, the two of them laughing as they admired Glinda and Fiyero on the dance floor. As the hours passed, Elphaba lost count of how many drinks she had, and by the time the Ozdust clock struck twelve, she didn't care. She was having fun.

The group had found their way to a circular booth table in the corner. Elphaba sat at the end of the table, Pfannie, Shen-shen, and Boq to her right, and Nessa to her left.

Across from Elphaba, Fiyero and Glinda were lip locked in an intense embrace. Glinda nearly straddling Fiyero, her arms wrapped around his neck as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He had had a few drinks, but was still in control of himself. Glinda, on the other hand, had drunk the most out of the group, and everyone was already fully aware that when Glinda drank, she became overly affectionate to everyone, but it was Fiyero who always received the most attention. Elphaba knew that she would have the room to herself that night.

The bartender announced last call and Fiyero ordered two rounds of shots for the group. They all downed the first, and picked up their second, raising their glasses, toasting to the end of the school year. As they were about to drink, they were interrupted by Avaric's yelling as he drunkenly stumbled over to the table,

"HOLY SHIT! What have we here?" He wore an evil smile as he stared at Elphaba. The whole group became quiet, turning their attention towards Avaric, "Glinda, I can accept the fact that you voluntarily choose to associate with the Artichoke, but inviting her out?"

Fiyero stood up slowly, his face no longer smiling but filled with rage, "Avaric, get the hell out of here before you get hurt."

"O, sit down, Fiyero, don't go making threats you can't make good on. "

Avaric then turned his attention back to Elphaba. He reached out and took a strand of her hair between his fingers, "Don't let this all go to your head, Greenie. You think that putting on one of Glinda's dresses, and having her attempt to make you look normal will make you any less repulsive?"

Elphaba's eyes that were at first burning with anger instantly filled with tears. It took all of her strength and concentration to not allow them to brim over and fall down her face. It pained her when Pfannie and Shen-Shen giggled in agreeance with Avaric's taunting.

He bent down bringing his face close to Elphaba's. She could smell the whiskey and ale on his breath, "Dresses and make up do not equal beauty or friends. You're still a green-skinned freak." He then tilted his glass of ale and poured its contents on the front of her dress. Fiyero instantly leaped over the top of the table and tackled Avaric to the ground.

He was able to land four punches to Avaric's face before he was torn from his victim by Boq and a hysteric Glinda. Pfannie immediately crouched down by Avaric's side, helping him to his feet. Avaric brought his hand to his lips and wiped away the blood that was dripping from his mouth.

He laughed then and looked up at Fiyero's enraged face as he was being restrained by Glinda and Boq, "Hell, Tiggular, I didn't know that the Artichoke had you all hot and bothered."

Fiyero broke out of his restrainers and lunged again at his taunter. Avaric was too quick and moved out of the way tripping Fiyero. He fell to the ground and Avaric followed with kicks and blows to Fiyero's body. The brawl went on for several minutes and attracted the attention of the entire bar.

Fiyero and Avaric were finally broke apart by several members of the Rugby team. Glinda ran to Fiyero's side with tears streaming down her face, "Are you all right? Look at you, you're bleeding." Fiyero's breathing slowed and he collected himself. Avaric was carried out of the bar by his teammates, and Fiyero sat back down at their table, letting Glinda bring a napkin to the cut on the side of his right eye. He looked around and noticed that Elphaba was nowhere to be seen.

"Glinda, where's Elphaba? Is she all right?" Glinda dabbed the end of her napkin into a glass of water,

"She ran out at the same instant you lunged at Avaric... I'm sure she's back at our room. Thank you for sticking up for her." She placed a kiss on his cheek and she helped him to his feet.

"Come on; let's get you back to your room." Fiyero placed his arm around Glinda's shoulders and the two of them, along with Boq and Nessa, left the Ozdust in silence.

Fiyero and Glinda reached the entrance to Crage hall, and he brought his arms around her and lovingly embraced her, "I'm sorry the way things transpired. I know you don't approve of violence," He whispered into her hair, "Elphaba doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that... Avaric had it coming."

Glinda pulled back and smiled up at him, "I'm glad you did what you did. Thank you for caring enough to stick up for her." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the mouth. Glinda pulled back slightly and whispered against his lips, "I'm sorry that Avaric killed the mood." She giggled seductively and Fiyero smiled and gave her body a squeeze,

"As am I... Tomorrow, perhaps?" She nodded and smiled back it him, and walked in to Crage and up the stairs towards her room.

Fiyero turned and made his way back to his dorm. He walked through the Shiz common area, and passed the lake that stood at the center of the campus. His concentration was suddenly broke by the sound of someone crying.

He turned and realized that the crying was coming from behind an oak tree that stood at the bank of the lake. He walked towards the crying and suddenly caught the glimpse of a hunched figure whose green arms were wrapped around her knees, with her head buried in her chest,

"Elphaba?" Fiyero hurried over to her. Elphaba was jolted out of her sobs and looked up. She was relieved that it was someone friendly, but embarrassed that it was Fiyero. "Are you all right?" Fiyero sat down next to her.

Elphaba instantly began to wipe away the tears that were streaming down her face, "Yes, I'm fine." Fiyero shook his head,

"Lying does not become you, Elphaba." He shed himself of his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. He didn't remove his arms right away; instead, he rubbed his hands up and down in order to warm her from the chill that was present in the air.

He was surprised when she didn't pull away, "I'm sorry that happened to you... You don't deserve to be spoken to like that... No one does-"

"I hate him so much." Elphaba muttered as she wiped the remaining tears away from her face, "I'm sorry that you have to see my like this. I normally don't let him get to me... But tonight... Tonight was different... He just, stripped me bare, and knew just what to say... And he's right. I mean, who am I kidding? " She motioned to the dress she was wearing and gave her hair a slight yank, "I wasn't born to be beautiful, and I'm just making a fool of myself trying."

"Whoa, Elphaba, calm down." Fiyero was now kneeling in front of her, his hands gripping her shoulders in an attempt to shake her out of her despair, "Don't talk about yourself like that. Just because the token asshole of Shiz insults you, doesn't mean that his words are true-"

Elphaba stood up at this, her eyes filled with anger, "Just the token asshole?! Fiyero, were you not in the same bar as me? EVERYONE thought he was right. Pfannie and Shen-Shen laughed, Boq didn't say a word, and my own sister looked away in embarrassment."

Fiyero now stood, and his fury matched hers, "Hey, I stood up for you!... And just because the rest of the people at that table didn't have the guts to stand up to Avaric, doesn't mean that they agreed with him!"

"Fiyero, look, I appreciate you being nice to me out of respect for Glinda, but-"

"Whoa, whoa. Stop right there." Fiyero walked towards her, and she backed up against the oak tree in fear. With her back now hard against the tree, Fiyero crept closer, and when he spoke his face was only inches from hers, " Is that what you think all this is? You think I treat you like a human being because it will win me points with my girlfriend?!"

Elphaba was frightened by his closeness. She felt trapped and did her best to look away from his burning gaze, but she could not. She searched his eyes for some indication of dishonesty, but none could be found.

"I can't believe you would think so little of me. Yes, I'm shallow and self-absorbed, but that does not mean that I am without an ounce of chivalry. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do!"

The fear and uncomfortableness that showed in her face turned to sorrow. She was not used to anyone standing up for her, much less anyone doing their best to comfort her. She had always assumed that people had an underlying motive for being nice to her... Glinda and Nessa were of course set apart from this group, and she had always assumed that Fiyero 's motive was Glinda, but at this moment, she realized that she may have been mistaken, and guilt began to filter throughout her.

When she spoke her voice was just above a whisper, "Fiyero, I-"

But he brushed her off, "Look, Elphaba, I like you. You're so much different then any other person I have ever met... And I don't just mean your skin." His expression softened then and he stepped back slightly, but did not break eye contact, "That day with the lion cub, maybe you were right about me, but that's not what we're talking about here. What I'm trying to say, is that you are the only person at this school who can look past my title and my money and be up front with me. That's the kind of person I want to be friends with." He paused then, allowing his words to sink in.

He stepped towards her and ran the back of his finger across her cheek, "I know that the majority of this campus is too ignorant to look past your skin, but you need to believe and understand that there are a select few who do not even see it as a flaw. "

Elphaba blushed her deep emerald color again, and gave a hint of a smile,

"A smile... That's better." He smiled back at her and removed his hand from her face and extended it towards her, "Friends?"

Elphaba smiled again and reached out and took his hand, "Friends."

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your dorm. "

They walked back to Crage Hall in silence, but when they reached the entrance to Crage Elphaba turned to thank him, but her breath caught in her throat when, under the lights, she noted the cut on the side of his face and bruise forming on his bottom lip, "Fiyero, your face-"

He smiled, "Don't worry, Avaric got worse."

Elphaba closed her eyes and winced in embarrassment, "Okay, now I really feel like a bitch... I didn't know there was a fight. I ran out the second he spilled his ale on me."

"It's okay... I've had worse. I would have felt even worse if I hadn't done anything."

Elphaba lowered her head in remorse, "I'm sorry for what I said earlier... I shouldn't have thought so low of you... I really do want us to be friends." She looked up at him and met his smiling face

"You're forgiven... But please don't dwell on it. We're friends, and friends forgive each other... Now get upstairs. I'm sure Glinda's worried sick; that is, if she hasn't passed out from all the alcohol she drank."

Elphaba laughed at this and turned to go in to Crage, "Good night, Fiyero... And thank you again."

"Anytime." He smiled back at her and walked off into the night.