"Elphie guess what!" Galinda cried, bouncing on her roommate's bed.
"What?" mumbled the sleepy green witch, rubbing her eyes.
"We're gonna have a karaoke party!"
"Um…why?"
"Because number three on my bucket list is to sing onstage!" the blonde huffed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"You're kidding," Elphaba gasped. "That's mine too!"
"Cool!" Galinda squealed, jumping up and randomly spinning in a circle.
"Did you have a coffee or something?" the green girl wondered, taking in her friend's hyper antics.
"No I don't drink caffeine," the blonde assured her.
"Thank Oz for that," Elphaba murmured in relief.
***
The two friends spent the entire day preparing for the party. Galinda, who had more experience with such things, rented out a popular restaurant and made arrangements for food and beverages while Elphaba wandered around Shiz posting fliers. She was amused to notice that Pfannee and ShenShen were still dyed a mossy shade of green.
"A karaoke party?" Nessa mused, wheeling up behind her sister. "Whose idea was this?"
"Who do you think?"
"Galinda sure has odd hobbies," Nessarose sighed. "What brought on this phase?"
"It's a long story," Elphaba told her. "We both made bucket lists and today's activity is to sing onstage." The green girl looked nervous.
"Don't worry; you'll blow their socks off. I've heard you sing."
"I know; I'm more concerned for Galinda," the witch admitted. "I just hope she's smart enough not to embarrass herself."
"Don't hold your breath," Nessarose snorted. "She can be a real airhead sometimes." And with that the younger of the Thropp sisters rolled away.
"Need any help with those?" called a certain Winkie prince as he walked over.
"Sure," Elphaba shrugged, attempting to remain casual. As she handed a stack of fliers to Fiyero his hand brushed hers and she felt a surge of electricity tingle through her veins. "Thanks," she added belatedly.
"No problem," the smooth Winkie said with a smile that stopped her heart. He examined a flier. "Karaoke?"
"Galinda's idea," Elphaba told him. "Will you come?"
"Of course," Fiyero exclaimed. "I love karaoke."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I can't sing a note but I love to watch others," he informed her. "Galinda's got a great voice."
"You've heard her?"
"She loves to show off," the Winkie chuckled. "I like a girl with a voice." For some reason this made the green witch insanely jealous.
"You'd better have a front row seat tonight," Elphaba told him. "Galinda and I are gonna blow you away."
"You sing? Well?"
"Yep," the green witch sniffed proudly.
"Then I'll be watching," Fiyero informed her, grinning that boyish smile of his. Elphaba thought she might spontaneously combust.
***
The fliers had done their job; the entire school had turned up for Galinda's party. Students stood in clusters or sat in booths eating, chatting and telling jokes. Several were eyeing the ominous microphone on the empty stage. A few eyes held eagerness but most were filled with dread. No one wanted to be pressured into embarrassing themselves onstage. "Excuse me," Galinda began, tapping the mike. Immediately everyone was listening. Among the student body no one had more sway than the fashionable blonde. "Tonight, as I'm sure you all know, we'll be having a karaoke contest." A wave of murmurs rushed through the crowd. "Anyone who wants to sing can participate. A panel of judges will decide who our two finalists are." Here she gestured to a short table facing the stage. Sitting there, looking very important were Fiyero, Pfannee, Nessarose, and Boq; the judges. "The two finalists will sing together onstage," Galinda continued. "And then our judges will choose a winner." There were a few excited cheers and then tense silence as several students shuffled forward to write their names on a sheet of paper.
When contestants began to take the stage everyone gave their undivided attention. Most were people with modest singing talent who chose easy songs and were cheered on by their encouraging friends. Some had clearly been forced into this by their peers and squeaked their way through in terror. Unfortunately ShenShen didn't fit either of those descriptions. She was one of those individuals who clearly thought she could sing, but really stunk. Her voice sounded like a chainsaw, and that was an insult to chainsaws everywhere. There was a collective sigh of relief as she relinquished the stage to Galinda.
The blonde took a deep breath and began. She sang a popular song called Love Story. Her voice was effortless and graceful; the crowd went wild. "She's so small," Nessarose commented to Boq, somewhat envious. "Where does that voice come from?" The munchkin didn't answer, he just listened in awe. As Galinda crooned the final words everyone burst into rowdy applause. There were some wolf whistles and a few people started shouting for an encore. However the blonde just gestured for her green friend to take the stage.
"Great," Elphaba muttered to her. "How am I supposed to follow that?"
"Thanks," Galinda giggled. "You'll be great. Nessa tells me you've got an amazing voice." The green witch smiled. Elphaba's song choice reflected her personality. It wasn't bouncy or popular, in fact no one in the room had heard of it before.
"Hands touch," the green girl began, her deep brown eyes fixed on Fiyero. "Eyes meet. Sudden silence, sudden heat. Hearts leap in a giddy whirl. He could be that boy, but I'm not that girl." Elphaba's voice was strong and rich, pulsing with deep emotion. The audience was spellbound. "Don't dream too far. Don't lose sight of who you are. Don't remember that rush of joy. He could be that boy, but I'm not that girl." Her proud voice grew wistful. "Every so often we long to steal to the land of what might have been but that doesn't soften the ache we feel when reality sets back in." Fiyero was entranced by the girl on the stage. Her eyes, filled with profound sadness, held him captive. "Blithe smile. Lithe limb. She who's winsome, she wins him," the witch continued, her eyes flickering to Galinda for a fraction of a second. "Gold hair with a gentle curl." Elphaba fingered a lock of her own raven tresses. "That's the girl he chose and heaven knows I'm not that girl." There was a pause and the music swelled. "Don't wish. Don't start. Wishing only wounds the heart. I wasn't born for the rose and pearl. There's a girl I know." Here the green witch's gaze locked with that of her best friend and Galinda's heart ached with a mysterious feeling of guilt. "He loves her so. I'm not that girl."
As the final chords drifted away into soft silence Elphaba was unsure. The audience watched her with dazed eyes. For a moment they forgot that she was an outcast and began to cheer excitedly. Her singing talent had temporarily blinded them to the odd color of the witch's skin. Fiyero's deep blue eyes were full of overwhelming emotion. He wanted to run to Elphaba and sweep her into his arms, but in such a crowded place that was impossible. The Winkie prince settled with giving her a hug. "That was amazing," he whispered in her ear. She shuddered involuntarily at his breath on her neck.
***
The judges unanimously agreed that Galinda and Elphaba were the two finalists. Their return to the microphone was met with a crazed sort of affectionate screaming. They sang a beautifully harmonic duet to the song I'm Only Me When I'm With You. The green girl couldn't help but notice how wonderfully the lyrics described their friendship. "I'm only up when you're not down. Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground…You drive me crazy half the time, the other half I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true; I'm only me when I'm with you…and I don't try to hide my tears, the secrets, or my deepest fears. Through it all nobody gets me like you do." A roar of thunderous clapping greeted the end of the song.
Galinda gave the judges a minute or two to make their decision and then it was time to crown a champion. "I vote for Galinda," Pfannee announced. No surprise there.
"I vote for Elphaba," Nessarose exclaimed. Of course she would vote for her talented sister.
"I vote for Galinda," Boq cried, blindly loyal to his crush. Elphaba hung her head in defeat. Fiyero was the only judge left and he would surely side with his unofficial girlfriend.
"I vote for Elphaba," the Winkie exclaimed with certainty. Her head shot up and a grin broke across Fiyero's face. A moment later Galinda was hugging her friend.
"Oh Elphie we both won!" the blonde rejoiced happily. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Yes," the green witch murmured, still breathless from Fiyero's smile. "Wonderful."