DISCLAIMER: The Wicked universe and the characters you recognise are not mine. The plot and all original characters are the creation and copyright of me.
Chapter 4
At the beginning of September, Elphaba started fifth grade at the local school. Annalie had been wary of how it would go, just from everything Nikita had said about how Munchkins treated her. But Elphaba returned home that afternoon looking calm.
"How was your first day, Fabala?" Nikita asked her as she entered the kitchen where Nikita, Annalie and Nessarose were baking cookies.
"Fine," Elphaba replied, sitting down at the kitchen table.
"Who's your teacher?" Nikita prodded.
"Miss Fairchild."
Nikita nodded approvingly and Annalie shot her a questioning glance. "Ismene Fairchild," Nikita explained. "Nice young woman, probably about your age. She's only been teaching a few years. She's the daughter of the librarian in town. Do you like her, Elphaba?"
Elphaba shrugged, taking an apple from the fruit bowl on the table.
"I guess."
That was pretty much a "yes" in Elphaba-speak, Annalie was learning.
"Do you have any homework?" Annalie asked.
"It's only the first day," Elphaba reminded her pointedly.
Annalie raised her eyebrow slightly.
"No," Elphaba elaborated, with a faint sigh. "But I have these permission slips that Father needs to sign."
She pulled out a few slips of paper from her bag which she handed to Annalie.
"I'll get your father to sign them before tomorrow morning," Annalie promised.
"Because I don't have homework, can I walk down to the library?" Elphaba asked. "My books are due back today, and I want to get some more."
"You can get four books and you have to be back in an hour," Annalie nodded.
Elphaba nodded and jumped up.
"Put your bag in your room first," Annalie called as she made to move. Elphaba grabbed her leather backpack and hurried from the kitchen.
It hadn't been a dramatic change in the past few weeks, but Annalie had been able to get more than a few sentences out of Elphaba now. More if Nikita or Nessarose was in the room.
Annalie looked at the permission slips Elphaba had handed her and raised an eyebrow, exhaling sharply. Nikita looked at her in confusion and Annalie handed her the papers over the head of a blissfully oblivious Nessa, who was happily decorating cookies. Nikita's own eyebrows rose ever so slightly and Annalie nodded knowingly.
"Nessa, why don't you go ask Elphaba before she leaves to get you a book or two?" Annalie suggested quickly. "Tell her it won't count as part of her four."
"OK," Nessa agreed and wheeled herself away.
"Aren't they too young to be studying sexual education this year?" Annalie hissed once Nessa was out of earshot.
Nikita frowned. "Well… I don't know. Now that I think about it, I think my boys were about the same age when they learned about it… maybe a grade older. And from memory, I think it's less about sex and more about puberty... the general idea. I think the actual details of how babies are made comes in the next year or two."
"I get the note about that," Annalie allowed. "Why do they need the parents' permission for religious history?"
"Political correctness," Nikita said knowingly. "Just covering all bases."
"The Governor will sign them, won't he?"
"Oh, I assume so. But Elphaba won't be happy about the religious part- even if it's just the historical aspect."
"Why?"
"She's an atheist," Nikita said matter of factly.
"She's nine. Does she even know what that means?"
"She does."
"But the Governor and Nessa are Unionists… when did Elphaba-?"
"When she was six. Just announced one morning at breakfast that she didn't believe in the Unnamed God. She hasn't budged on the matter since."
Annalie stared at the notes again, mulling over her thoughts. "Elphaba's almost about that age… for the talk, isn't she?"
"The talk? Oh, the Talk!" Nikita said with realisation.
"It's just… if they're going to be learning about this stuff at school, wouldn't it be better if she didn't hear it for the first time at school? I mean, if she has questions…"
"I see your point," Nikita mused. "I got lucky. Having three boys meant my husband handled that particular aspect."
"But… is it my place to have that talk with her?" Annalie asked, a little horrified at the idea.
"I would imagine it would fall to you or me," Nikita nodded. "I can't see the Governor doing it. But tell him anyway, it'll be his decision."
"Me? You've been here longer… you know him better…"
"Elphaba's under your charge," Nikita reminded her, and Annalie sighed reluctantly.
"Is he in his study still?"
"Should be. He had no meeting this afternoon."
Annalie made a face, and left the kitchen with the notes, heading for the Governor's study. She knocked on the door, and entered when bidden.
"I hope I'm not bothering you, sir."
"No. What is it, Miss Annalie?"
"Elphaba came home from school with these permission notes that need your signature. Just to get your approval on certain… things they're going to be studying this year."
Frex put down his pen and held out his hand, and Annalie handed them to him.
"Is she doing her homework?"
"She doesn't have any. Too early in the year, I think. She's gone to the library."
"And Nessa?"
"Helping Nikita and I bake cookies."
Frex skimmed the top note- the religion one, and signed it without hesitation. When he read the second one, he frowned. Annalie took that as her moment.
"Um, Governor… Elphaba's at the age where it wouldn't be… inappropriate for her to be given some information. She's going to be learning about these things at school soon, but I think it would be better she knows at least some things beforehand."
"Things?" Frex asked, sounding perplexed.
"Um, well. Puberty?" Annalie said, feeling her face grow hot.
An odd expression crossed Frex's face, a look that Annalie couldn't only describe as horror. "Oh."
"I wasn't sure if you wanted-"
Frex cleared his throat and signed the second note, handing them back to her. "I think it would be best if you handled it, Miss Annalie."
Annalie wasn't surprised, but her heart still sunk slightly. "Of course. Thank you, sir."
It was eventually decided that Nikita and Annalie would talk to Elphaba together. Once the girl got back from the library, they settled Nessa in her room with a book and requested Elphaba come into the kitchen under the pretext of getting her to help prepare dinner.
"What are we having for dinner, Nikita?" Elphaba asked the housekeeper as she sat on a stool at the kitchen bench and dropped her bag of books at her feet with a thud.
"What books did you get from the library?" Annalie asked her, admittedly stalling.
"Books for school," Elphaba answered.
Nikita frowned slightly. "What books?"
Elphaba reached down and grabbed the bag, pulling books out for them to see.
Nikita looked at the titles, sighed and looked at Annalie as though they should have expected this.
"Sex, Puberty and all that stuff: A Guide to growing up; My body, myself for Girls; and It's not the stork."
"We're going to be learning about it at school this year. I wanted a head start," Elphaba explained.
"Did you find these by yourself?" Annalie asked her.
"No, I asked Mrs Fairchild to pick good ones for me. I'm not sure if these are good ones, they might be a little babyish, but it's all I could do," she shrugged casually.
Annalie was flabbergasted. Would this child ever stop surprising her?
"This is actually what we wanted to talk to you about," Nikita told Elphaba.
She frowned. "I thought I was here to help with dinner?"
"We're multitasking," Annalie replied.
"Oh. Can't I just help with dinner and read my books?" Elphaba asked.
Nikita and Annalie exchanged a glance.
"If you'd prefer," Nikita agreed.
"But if you have any questions, you can always come and ask us," Annalie added hastily.
Elphaba nodded. "OK. Do you still need my help?" she asked Nikita.
"No thank you, dearie. You can go read, if you'd like. But don't show those books to Nessa," she warned. "She's too young for it."
Elphaba agreed and left the room.
"I didn't expect that to be so easy," Annalie breathed in relief.
"Don't be too relieved," Nikita warmed with a smile. "Nessarose won't be that easy when her time comes."
"That's at least three years away," Annalie said, unable to keep the thankful note out of her voice that it was so far away. "I may not even still be here then."
Nikita chuckled and returned to preparing dinner.
Late that night, Annalie headed upstairs to Elphaba's room. She no longer had to skip the creaky stair and Elphaba no longer had the deer in headlights expression in her eyes when she came to the door.
"It's nine o'clock."
Elphaba nodded. "I know. Um, Annalie?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
Annalie paused and then stepped into the room. "Of course. About your book?"
"Kind of," Elphaba said slowly.
Annalie shut the door behind her and sat on the end of the bed, hoping that she could answer whatever questions Elphaba had properly. "What is it?"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven," Annalie answered readily. It wasn't the question she had been expecting.
"Do you want to have children?"
Annalie hadn't been expecting that question either. "Oh. Well… I don't know. Maybe one or two, I think."
"Does that mean you're going to get married and leave like Miss Valeria did? Why aren't you married?"
Annalie let out a breath, wondering what to say. She didn't want to say nothing, if Elphaba was reaching out, she wanted to take it.
"I almost got married once," she confided. "I was with someone who I loved very much and that was our plan, to get married."
"Why didn't you?"
"Things changed," Annalie said with a sad smile. "Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you planned."
"What happened to the person you were going to marry?"
"He's married to someone else now."
Elphaba looked thoughtful.
"Does that answer your question?" Annalie asked her.
"Yes. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, come on, it's sleep time. You've got those signed permission slips in your school bag?"
"Yes. Goodnight, Annalie."
"Goodnight, Elphaba."
Feeling like a cup of tea, Annalie headed downstairs to the kitchen, but was surprised to find Frex in there as she entered. Usually by now he was still locked in his study.
"Hello, Governor," she greeted him.
"Miss Annalie. Have you had a chance yet to speak to Elphaba?" he asked.
"Yes, I have," Annalie nodded.
"It went well?"
"I think so," she said, lighting the stove to heat the kettle.
"Good, good," he muttered, sounding a little distracted.
Annalie said nothing as she bustled around making tea. She wasn't entirely sure how to act around the Governor. He was her employer, but had welcomed her into his home and trusted her with the care of his children. He was polite, but could never be described as warm. And then there was the matter of what Annalie knew from Nikita, and every time she saw him hug Nessa or give her a gift, whilst almost ignoring Elphaba; she had to bite her tongue. It wasn't her place to say anything, but it made her feel very uneasy.
"How is Nessarose getting along?"
"She's fine. No trouble at all," Annalie reassured them. "Neither of them are, they're both lovely girls, Governor."
"And you've settled in?"
"Yes, sir."
Frex nodded. "Well, if you need anything, my door is always open."
"Thank you, Governor," Annalie replied and he left the room.
Once she had her cup of tea, Annalie settled down in bed with a letter from her parents that had arrived this morning and she had not yet had the chance to read it.
It was full of news from Emelle and Annalie felt a small pang of homesickness and as she scanned her parents' words. She'd been doing very well so far, she hadn't really had any moments of feeling homesick, although she did miss her parents. She was still hoping they would come down to Munchkinland for Lurlinemas, but her parents weren't committing to any holiday plans just yet.
Annalie really wanted them to meet the girls. After all, her letters were full of stories about them. Her father didn't really like travelling long distance, but Annalie was sure she could convince her mother, who would leave Pim with no choice but to agree.
Lurlinemas was three months away still, however. Anything could happen between now and then.