Thank you to all my reviewers, I love you!
elphaba-thropp- Yes, I did make up the symbols on the flags, and I thought they were pretty crappy myself. The dream was actually just a last minute bit of foreshadowing. So I'm glad somebody enjoyed it. :)
Arwen17evenstar- Galinda will be wearing green later, don't worry. ;)
I still don't own Wicked. Boo.____________________________________________________________4. An Old Friend and an Acquaintance
Upon entering the hall where the poetry reading was to be held, Galinda realized that she had made an amazingly intuitive decision with the color choice and cut of her dress. She took a seat in a cushioned navy blue chair, off to one side, but still dramatically centralized.
As soon as she had entered the room she had begun to scope out her competition. None of the other girls had thought to dress in bright colors with a subdued cut, and certainly none of them had thought to color coordinate their dresses with their chairs. Galinda lips curved into a small, self-satisfied smile, she had them all beat, as usual.
After seating herself in the most quietly seductive pose she could manage, she then proceeded to take stock of the male population which had entered a few minutes prior to her arrival. She found herself to be slightly disappointed. The students who had chosen to attend the poetry reading were not the best specimens of masculinity she had ever seen.
Most of them seemed a bit on the awkward side. They held themselves not with the poised gracefulness she had come to adore in her potential dates, but with an unsure shyness which did little to endear them to her.
In hopes of finding someone who would be even remotely up to her standards, Galinda allowed herself to peruse the rest of the college boys, all the way to the back of the room where the last stragglers had entered only moments before and took up a spot against the wall near the door.
"They're quite the spotty bunch," Galinda thought, slightly disappointed, when her eyes found the last boy in the room and automatically dismissed him because, though he was slightly nice to look at, he was a munchkin. And Galinda liked her men tall.
She was about to turn back around and make an attempt to find Pfannee and Shenshen when she noticed the munchkin boy's eyes grow wide. He was looking directly at Galinda. Despite her initial disdain for his height, she was loathe to ignore anyone who was impressed by her beauty, and so she primped and perfected herself in preparation for when he would inevitably come to speak to her after the poetry reading. At least he was dressed fashionably.
From across the room, she heard two voices calling her name, immediately followed by Pfannee in a frilly, sky blue dress, and Shenshen in dark pink. She put on a dazzling smile for her two best friends and waited patiently for them to make their way through the crowded room to where she sat.
"You look fabulous as usual, Miss Galinda," Shenshen commented with a smile.
"Indeed," Pfannee continued, "I hadn't thought to dress as subtly as you did. Do you think the lace is too much?" She asked pointedly glancing at the layers and layers of the stuff which filled out her skirt.
"Of course not," Galinda replied sweetly, secretly thinking how wonderfully she stood out with her friends on each side of her, both most obviously over dressed, "you both look wonderful!"
As usual, they took what she said like scripture, and immediately brightened up.
"Well," Shenshen began, a look of amused disgust decorating her pale face, "obviously we are not the only ones who think you look fabulous. The Artichoke has been staring at you ever since we got here."
"What?" Galinda asked. "Where?"
Pfannee grinned at the horrified look on Galinda's face. "Over there, against the wall," she replied pointing slightly behind Galinda and off to the side.
Galinda turned her head slowly in the direction Pfannee had pointed. Elphaba had indeed been watching her. She was leaning up against the window, the late afternoon sunlight causing her hair to stand out in stark contrast against her emerald green skin. She held herself with perfect poise, her hip against the wall below the window and her arms crossed beneath her breasts. She seemed oblivious to the stares and whispers of the boys on the opposite wall.
When Galinda's eyes met hers, she smiled a slow grin. Galinda wasn't sure how the green girl managed to make the grin both suggestive and loathing at once, but the multitude of emotions that one smirk brought to her was astounding. Her face of course grew red, but this time with something more than embarrassment. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.
After a moment she heard Shenshen's voice. "Um… Miss Galinda? Are you ok?"
With a growl, she threw herself around in her seat, and pointedly turned her chair so that her back was to the green girl. "I HATE her," she stated, her face still flushed with anger.
"Well of course," Pfannee sympathized, "who doesn't?"
Shenshen just looked at Galinda, a thoughtful look on her face.
Madame Morrible entered at that moment, a strikingly disturbing figure in dark purple and green skirts. She was obviously going for intimidating, "and she hit the ball out of the park," Galinda thought.
She almost immediately forgot about her roommate when Madame Morrible began to read. She began without preamble.
Her voice painted pictures both striking and horrible. There were gasps of affront, and embarrassed chuckles. There was shuffling of feet as some became horny, and others became angry, and still others became lost in the dreamlike quality of her words. She painted a spell over them which caused them to forget where they were and fall unerringly into her thrall.
When she stopped reading, it was quite abrupt; Galinda seemed to awaken, as if from a long sleep.
Galinda could not remember the words she had just heard, appearing in a stately procession from their headmistress' mouth, but she could feel the tears still running down her face from their intensity. When she finally realized that she was ruining her flawlessly applied makeup, she hastily wiped any remnant of the offending fluid from her face, and checked her reflection in the small mirror she kept in her pocket.
It took everyone else considerably longer to return to themselves than it had Galinda, and she took the opportunity to observe those around her. Everyone seemed to be in various states of disrepair, as if Madame Morrible's words had caused them each some physical damage. When her eyes found her roommate, she was surprised to find that yet again, the green girl was watching her. However, this time, to Galinda's horror, Elphaba walked over to her, in front of everyone.
"What do you make of this, Miss Galinda?"
Apparently because they had spoken before coming here Elphaba thought that she was allowed to speak to her in public. Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed the green girl was talking to her as if they knew each other; Galinda was relieved to see that everyone was still in a weird dreamy state of consciousness and paying no attention to anything but themselves.
"I don't know, Miss Elphaba," she replied hurriedly, anxious to get this conversation over with.
"Shit, Galinda, stop looking around as if you're going to get attacked. I don't enjoy talking to you anymore than you enjoy being seen in public with me, but that's just the point, look at everyone around us."
And then Galinda realized that everyone in the room except for herself and Elphaba seemed lost. None of them seemed to realize where they were, though some of them by now seemed to be coming to their senses. She looked up at Madame Morrible. The horrible old woman was watching her and her roommate with a strange glint in her eye.
"Elphaba…" she began, turning back to her roommate.
"I know. I came out of it even before you did, and she has been watching me ever since." Elphaba looked at her, and Galinda watched her back. Neither of them said anything, but for once there was no animosity flaring between them.
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By that time, the people around them had begun to return to themselves. Shenshen glanced over at her best friend and the green girl, looking intently at each other as if they were trying to figure something out. The look in Galinda's eyes was decidedly odd, but Shenshen decided to ignore the two girls and not say anything for the time being.
Her decision did no good however, as a moment later; Pfannee realized who Galinda had been talking to.
"GALINDA..!" She gasped in horror.
The beautiful blonde blinked as if just realizing where she was, and stepped back from where she had been standing almost within touching distance of the green girl.
Shenshen sighed. "Oh, shut up Pfannee. Miss Galinda, Miss Pfannee and I are going to go get a cup of tea, would you like me to bring you one back?"
Galinda glanced at her as if confused. "Why yes, please, Miss Shenshen," she replied, not looking at the green girl.
With a smile for Galinda and an angry glare at Pfannee, she stood up and pulled Pfannee to her feet.
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As the two girls made their way through the crowd of people to where the refreshments were laid, Galinda looked back at her roommate. Obviously the moment had passed, because Elphaba was back to her usual brooding glare, and Galinda felt the general disdain she always felt for the green girl returning.
At that moment, the munchkin boy decided to appear at her side. For lack of any other way to extricate herself from her embarrassing proximity to the green girl, Galinda smiled her most welcoming smile and introduced herself before the munchkin boy could even work up the nerve.
"I am Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands." She did not add that she was Gillikinese as she thought it obvious from her perfect appearance. "And who is this that I am allowed the great pleasure to meet?"
"I am Master Boq. I am here from Briscoe Hall, though I originally hail from Munchkinland, as you can well see," he joked with a grin. Then he turned to Elphaba. "And Miss Elphie, imagine seeing you here!"
Elphaba, who had been in the middle of making a quiet exit, turned back around with an expression of utter disbelief painted across her face.
Galinda, who had been ready to bask in Master Boq's inevitable praise of her beauty, flew immediately through anger at the spotlight being taken off of her to surprise at the fact that this well-bred Munchkin not only knew Elphaba, but was obviously on friendly terms with her, as provided by the nickname.
"Miss Elphie…?" she questioned sarcastically. She was a bit surprised at the acerbity of her own voice, but left it at that.
Both of them ignored her.
"Master Boq." Elphaba replied.
"Oh, Elphaba, no need to be so formal. You and I have known each other since we were in diapers. Do you not remember how we used to play together?"
Galinda felt herself growing annoyed at the familiarity Boq was unembarrassed to show for her roommate.
After a moment of hesitation, Elphaba gave a slight smile and with a nod replied, "It's good to see you, Boq."
"And you, Miss Elphie," he said with a wink.
Galinda gave a slight cough, unused to being ignored, and upset that the green girl was getting more attention than she.
They both looked up, and Boq, in an attempt to include Galinda in the conversation asked, "So how do you two lovely ladies know each other?"
Elphaba…lovely? Galinda thought with a hint of dismay.
She missed her chance, and Elphaba answered for her. "We are acquaintances."
"Well, my old friend and her acquaintance, would you like to join me for some tea?" Boq invited with a smile.
Elphaba hesitated with a look at Galinda. It surprised the blonde girl, because she had never seen her roommate hesitant about anything.
"I think I will pass tonight," Elphaba replied finally. "Fresh dreams, all," she finished with a smile for Boq. She did not even glance at Galinda.
As she watched the green girl walk away, Galinda felt almost upset that Elphaba had refused the invitation. She had been almost pleasant after her initial shock had faded when Master Boq had appeared. It was interesting that her roommate had a part of her other than the sarcastic, perverted side she shared with Galinda.
Pfannee and Shenshen arrived soon after she left, Pfannee applauding the fact that Galinda had "run the celery stalk off." Shenshen simply watched Galinda while Pfannee rambled about how horrible Elphaba was.
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Boq watched Galinda thoughtfully for the rest of the night, noticing that she never once defended Elphaba to her friends. This surprised him because he had seen the way Galinda had watched the green girl when she left the room. But then Elphaba had said they were only acquaintances.
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When Galinda returned to their room later on that night, she found Elphaba already in bed, pretending to be asleep. She made no effort to be quiet as she readied herself for bed, and huffed loudly as she threw herself under her pink comforter, annoyed that she could feel rejected by the green girl.
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