A/N: Oh man. I know I have some explaining to do. Well, you see, I thought I was done with FF for good. But I just keep coming back. It's an addiction. I wouldn't be surprised if I've lost all my happy subscribers by now, but if I haven't, please review and let me know if I've still got it.
Disclaimer: It's totally (not) mine.
Pfannee was a little lost until she spotted a shock of blond hair and an angelically porcelain, upturned button nose strutting daintily through the crowd gathered in the courtyard. She and Shenshen had been sitting by the elegant fountain, discussing such important matters as the opening of a new shoe store in the Emerald City and the rumoured enrollment of a prince in Shiz, when they realized that they had no idea how to get to their next class, Ozian Law. Pfannee was hoping Galinda would know, or at least would feel socially secure enough to be seen asking such of an antisocial loser who knew everything about the school, like that Munchkinlander boy who kept following her around. But then again, she probably wouldn't deign to go near him of her own volition. She may have been secure, but she wasn't socially suicidal, Pfannee knew that much.
"Miss Galinda, dear! Miss Galinda!" She waved a manicured hand high in the air until the little blonde noticed her and turned in her direction, stopping to wait until Pfannee and Shenshen reached her to speak.
"Oh, thank Oz," Galinda said, "I desperately need a break from any...thing slimy and green and you two lovelies are the perfect antidote." She had pondered saying "anyone" but that would involve acknowledging that the green bean was well and fully a person, and her pride didn't quite allow her to do that.
"Is that worthless, vomit-colored bug at it again?" Shenshen grimaced in sympathy, as elegantly as she could. She could practically hear her mother intoning, Ladies of your status do not grimace, Shenshen! Galinda rolled her eyes and nodded, expressing just how fed up she was with the whole ordeal without saying a word. "It's ridiculous, really. You of all people should not have to suffer such indignity." Pfannee nodded along with the sentiment, all thoughts of class forgotten.
"Don't I know it. I've already complained to my parents, of course," Galinda tossed her curls, "So don't you worry about me, my dears. I'm sure this will all get sorted out and I'll be able to breathe again without worrying about catching one of...that thing's many diseases." Pfannee and Shenshen tittered and took to fanning themselves with their intricately adorned fans. "Now, on another note—I've wasted far too much breath even discussing that disgusting topic—how about that Miss Cathareen? I haven't seen her much before, but she doesn't seem to be without social potential. A bit snappy, though; it's not the most attractive trait."
"That is so true—" Shenshen chimed eagerly, still stinging from Cathareen's remark the other day.
"Oh, I know all about her," Pfannee cut in, "Her family is quite close with mine and her summer home is right to next to us, so we've had much interaction in the past. She's quite lovely. A little naive, but in a more charming way than anything." She noticed Galinda's bored expression. "She's fun to have around. But of course, no threat to you in any way."
"Of course not, Miss Pfannee! Do you hear the words when they come out of your mouth?" Galinda drew herself up a little more pompously than was necessary, being dramatic as per usual. "Or does Galinda of the Upper Uplands mean nothing to you?"
"You're right, I'm sorry."
"That's quite alright, dear Miss Pfannee. It was of no insult to me," Galinda tossed her curls again, out of habit. "However, I do think—" She was interrupted by a resounding cough. The short boy from the other day was standing there, working up the nerve to look her in the eye.
"Erm, Miss G-Galinda?" He was stuttering. "Er, uhm, well...may I ask you a question?" He seemed to be forgetting the process of breathing. Galinda would have felt sorry for him if she wasn't busy feeling sorry for herself for being seen in public with this imbecile. He obviously couldn't take a hint.
"Not much of a choice there, but ask away." Curse her inescapable manners.
"Would you, um, well...could you...do you think...errr...I really don't, um...I was thinking, uh..."
"Out with it, Munchkin," a familiar, bored voice intoned, "You really should have practiced this more." Cathareen swished into the group, smiling at the trio of girls and raising a slim eyebrow at Boq. Galinda felt herself nod slightly in approval at Cathareen's comment, perhaps for voicing what she had been too polite to say. She really needed to get out of that mindset—she was an adult now, with no parents to watch over her. A frightening reality, but a refreshing one as well. She could get away with so much more.
"Er, well, you see...uh...I'll come back..." Boq looked deeply regretful at ever approaching the girls. "Much later." He fled with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't a smidgen. Galinda let out a breath of relief, rethinking her doubts about the new girl. She seemed to have gathered her wits and social grace and applied them to the situation.
"I must thank you, Miss Cathareen. I don't think I could have sat through that ordeal again."
"Think nothing of it, Miss Galinda," Cathareen smiled, tossing her peroxide locks. While Galinda's locks were more of a corn blonde, Cathareen's were pure peroxide. "I couldn't help stepping in as my eardrums were being repetitively slaughtered. Has that dimwit never heard of sentences?" She smirked a little at her own joke, and Galinda giggled—a sure sign of approval from her if there ever was one, so Pfannee and Shenshen joined in. It was only second nature.
xxx
Boq was mortified for the second time in two days. That was undoubtedly some kind of record. Either he was delusional, or...no, he was definitely delusional. There was no way a girl of her class, her status, her looks—oh, her heavenly looks. Unparalleled, they were. More beautiful than any—
"Oof!" Boq felt himself blush again as he bumped headfirst into something hard and...bony? So it was definitely someone. He felt his overactive blood vessels make him blush deeper and wished he could just cut his own head off right there and save himself a lifetime of misery and embarrassment. "Sorry, I—"
"If you've actually thought of it, don't bother. The mere thought is acres more of an apology than anyone here has professed to me." An unfriendly voice said dryly. Boq rubbed his head and looked up into the sunlight, which was almost blocked by the towering, green spectacle of a girl he had seen earlier. She was naturally difficult to miss. He didn't bother acting like everyone else did: disgusted, scared. He was almost as much of an outcast as she was, and he knew what that felt like.
Elphaba was surprised that he wasn't shouting exorcism prayers or hurling obscenities at her. Marveling at the things she had to be thankful for, she held out her hand for the boy to grab on to and hoisted him off the ground with surprisingly little effort for her slim frame. But then again, he wasn't so large either. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by yet another eloquent sentence.
"Er, I'm Boq. Nice to, uh, meet you." Boq was back in awkward mode. Galinda was driving him insane.
"Oh really?" Elphaba was skeptical. It was so unusual for someone to glance twice at her without sneering somewhere in between.
"Um," Boq was stumped for a second. For Oz's sake, had his brain gone entirely to mush? He pondered this and regained some of his sensible conversational skills. "Yeah, really. You're the first person here who's been any measure of nice to me, who hasn't just tried to shut me up as soon as I started talking..." Oh, how joyful. Here he was, spilling his insecurities and frustrations to, essentially, a complete stranger. He didn't have much to lose, but it was disconcerting that he had sunk so low. And he used to be the lovable one.
"I could say the same myself," Elphaba's eyes had softened a fraction, though she didn't smile. "My name is Elphaba. It's—surprisingly—nice to meet you, too." She strode away, book bag awkwardly bumping against her hip, leaving Boq to wonder why the only girls that were nice to him were the ones he didn't care for.