Disclaimer: You know the story... I am not Maguire... Being, um, female and all...
"I really don't understand how you can bare to be stuck with that stick of asparagus, Galinda, I really don't. I would be positively livid were I in your situation!" Shenshen shook her large head with emotion.
"Mmms" and "I completely agrees" were muttered within the small group, and each girl turned to Galinda with deeply sympathetic eyes. It was the first weekend break since term and classes had begun, and Galinda, along with Misses Shenshen, Pfannee and Milla were sipping delicately on china cups of tea at one of the many tearooms that had sprouted up near the campus of Shiz University.
"I just don't know how you get along!" Shenshen continued loudly, "To think, where she had been brought up, among those," here she paused, throwing a loaded look around the table, "barbarians in Quadling Country, she can't have learned the proper way to be civilised in company, can she girls?"
More agreement.
"So tell us, Galinda darling, is it utterly horrible? Does she even bathe?" Shenshen glared straight at the blonde.
No, actually, you empty-headed baubles! And I'd rather spend all my time with Elphaba than sit here with you painfully shallow society girls!
"Oh, yes," Galinda spoke, her eyes wide with injustice. "It's just awful. I mean, she doesn't do anything but talk about Animal rights- always blabbing on about some or other mistreatment somewhere across Oz. It's frightfully boring."
Pfannee responded giggling. "Well, it makes sense she'd be interested in Animals, doesn't it girls, considering she's close enough to one herself!"
The three girls laughed nastily, and Galinda forced the sides of her mouth upwards into what was intended to be a smile, but looked more like a grimace. She sipped quickly on her tea to hide the sudden fury in her eyes.
Speak up, you coward! How could you, her only friend, let them get away with talking about Elphaba this way?
"But there's even more scandolous things, I've heard," Milla piped up, "Do you girls know the story about her sister, Nessarose?"
Pfannee and Shenshen were on her like flies to meat. "Oh, no! Do tell us, Milla dear! Is she purple?"
Nessarose? Elphaba hadn't mentioned a sister...
"Well," Milla began enthusiastically, "They say her mother was deeply disturbed, infamous for having affairs left, right and centre, and the father is intensely religious- swallowed up by his faith. So when she, the mother, gave birth to the green bean," a pause for laughter, "Frex Thropp, her father, was certain that she was a gift from the devil himself." A series of excitable gasps. Milla nodded gravely and continued. "Nearly killed the child at birth, so I'm told. So when next the mother falls pregnant, she was terrified of birthing another monster. Ate Milk Flowers day and night, the rumours say. And then Nessarose came out, a lovely pink colour to be certain, but..." She had reached the crux of her story, and the group hung onto her every word, Galinda's eyes wide with pity.
"Well? What was wrong with the other sister?" Shenshen demanded impatiently.
Milla lowered her voice, as though confessing a shameful sin. "She was born without arms."
Stunned silence collapsed over the group for a moment, just a moment, then talking erupted at once.
"That poor family, to be so cursed..."
"What a shame, with such a title to their name as well..."
"I pity the mother, she must feel so hopeless, having to raise two such imperfect children..."
Galinda, however, said nothing and placed her hand lightly on Milla's arm. "But what happened to Elphaba's mother?" she said softly.
"Oh," Milla brushed away the question lightly, "I hear she died in childbirth, the poor thing."
Poor Elphaba. No wonder she's so broken.
Galinda stood up suddenly, and made her excuses to leave. After half-hearted protests, she was allowed to escape the stuffy air of the tea-room, and she half-ran the route back to her and Elphaba's dorm. She opened the door meekly, hoping her roommate had not decided to spend her Saturday at the school library.
There she is, as usual, sitting on her bedsheet, up to her elbows in work.
Elphaba looked up at the sound of Galinda's entrance, and smiled slightly at the blonde's dishevelled appearance.
"Goodness, Galinda, did you run here? Tell me, how was tea with the vultures? Do you feel sufficiently less intelligent?" Elphaba spoke lightly, but there was a real question in her eyes.
"Oh, Elphie, they're just awful." Galinda walked over to the green girl's bed and hugged her tightly.
"Galinda! Um, what are you doing?" Elphaba sounded slightly alarmed, unused to the sudden physical contact. "Have you been drinking?"
But Galinda didn't let go, and soon Elphaba heard quiet sobs through the fabric of her frock.
"I'm sorry," Galinda hiccoughed, but for what, Elphaba would never find out.