Elphaba Thropp was having a hard time. Gathering evidence for the trial was harder than she'd bargained for, even if she had bargained herself two whole semesters to get prepared for it. To make matters worse, she also had a munchkin boy trailing her around, even when he was clearly interested in Elphaba's roommate. Elphaba found this annoyingly ridiculous and pointed it out to him whenever possible.
The munchkin had, in fact several times, tried to explain that he was on her side, but Elphaba had, each time laughed at him until he'd left her alone. She found this an efficient way to rid herself of him, even if he did run off looking depressed. Elphaba had had enough to deal with, and she didn't appreciate him finding her crying—one of the most vulnerable of things to be caught doing.
Elphaba wasn't quite one to express her feelings, so, on both incredibly surprising occasions when he'd caught her in distress, Elphaba had forcefully made him promise to never speak of it. But she was almost positive that it would leak out somehow.
Elphaba was studying law again in the library when she heard the newest gossip that, astonishingly, had nothing to do with her.
It was something to do with a young man by the name of Avaric. Apparently he was the new jack-ass on campus and a terribly absurd womanizer. Elphaba was faintly surprised that a story bigger than hers that was being told, but she wasn't complaining. She could also vainly hope the 'Talk-About-Elphaba' era was over, but as pointed out, it was a very vain hope. Her roommate, Galinda Upland, seemed calmer, though; as if she was happy her friends weren't laughing at Elphaba anymore, but instead obsessed about the current rumor.
They now ignored Elphaba, however, but she didn't entirely mind. At least the dorm room was silent a good twenty-five percent of the time.
The amount of time Elphaba had in the library, reading up on law, wasn't as much as she had hoped. On Saturdays she had a fair amount of time between her own pleasure reading, homework, and daily exercises, among various other things, but on weekdays, homework made for a busy Elphaba, and she couldn't afford not to do her homework. She had taken up going to church on Sundays, as well, praying for herself, her sister, and her family—even if she barely believed it would do much good. It was now in her schedule, though, and she had vaguely begun to feel better about the situation. . . .
So she kept going.
Her roommate also had curiously stopped trying to make conversation with her to, in all honesty, everyone's satisfaction. She hadn't been terribly surprised about this either, but some party of her regretted the isolation.
One day, though, as Elphaba sat in the library, on one of those rare occasions that she could study up on bylaws during a weekday, she was confronted by the new talk of the campus.
"So, you're the infamous Elphaba Thropp—alleged murderess, traitor, green as sin, and interestingly attractive beside the obvious color. . . ."
Elphaba turned around, positively furious, to find an infuriatingly attractive man smiling sourly at her. When she locked eyes with him he flinched and took at step back.
"Your fluorescence is too powerful for my mortal eyes," he claimed as Elphaba Thropp quickly packed up her things.
"You are an imbecile," she scolded, flinging her back over her thin back. "You think that I'm going to pay you attention—well you're wrong, Master Avaric." She knew exactly who he was, having reluctantly heard descriptions of him in the rumors—and oddly enough Avaric didn't seem to find it odd she knew who he was, as they never met before. But Elphaba didn't feel like hanging around to find out. She turned on her heel and strode in the opposite direction. She wasn't all too amazed to hear footsteps sounding after her, but didn't slow her pace.
"So," he drawled by her ear. "I'm throwing a party in a few days—you will be showing up, correct?"
Elphaba faced him steadily, grinning inwardly as she noted the height difference in her favor. "What makes you think I would attend your party, let alone any party?" She turned her back and continued to walk again.
"Ah," he said, obviously still following her, "well that is a good question. I've just figured that since we're both victims of a rumor it would be good to get to know another. And, besides, I figured that a girl who had guts enough to murder her sister would be able to have at least a little fun."
Elphaba froze and turned, quite ready to tell him off, to find that he was already gone. It was mildly disturbing to the green girl, but she let it go, hurrying off to her next class.
Although still mildly bewildered, Elphaba managed to get to her seat in the front without letting it show upon her face. She heard soft snickering and felt her stomach drop: had the rumors about her started up again so soon?
Scowling, she slammed her books on the table and sniffed. She took her seat in silence though, and, not a second later, the teacher Dr. Dillamond appeared, papers clamped between his two large hooves.
"Today," the teacher said, setting down the papers, "we will be discussing—"
Elphaba felt a slight prod at her back and became distracted. She sniffed again, trying to ignore it, but it persisted until she turned around in her seat.
"Please stop," she said loudly, interrupting the teacher, "and let me concentrate on the lesson." Elphaba glared at yet another of Galinda's posse, Miss Milla, and she stopped.
The rest of the class was silent except for the occasional sigh from behind her. Something told Elphaba that Milla desperately wanted a word with her—for what reason was impossible to decide.
After they were dismissed, Milla, as Elphaba predicted, approached her, looking slightly apprehensive, but determined. Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her, looking down at her reproachfully, but Milla bravely stood before the green girl, ignoring confused glances from all the passer-bys.
"Are you honestly going to Master Avaric's party?" she squeaked, obviously amazed. "He's told the whole campus he managed to talk you into it."
For a moment, Elphaba was shocked at how word of that could have traveled so fast. And then she was furious, for she had denied his proposal, not accepted it. How could a person be so pigheaded?
Milla was impatiently waiting for an answer, bouncing on her heels and looking around for her friends. Elphaba was amused to see that it bothered Milla to be talking to her.
"Tell Master Avaric that I said no such thing," Fabala responded stiffly, squaring her shoulders. "Tell him if he's so desperate to get me to a party, then he might as well learn to enjoy the frustration."
And Elphaba walked off, leaving Milla slightly frothing at the mouth.
* * * * *
Galinda was immensely frustrated because, despite her better judgment, she was about to intrude on the green girl's life once more. It had only been a week since she had decided to ignore the girl, so at least she had accomplished something. This, however, did not stop her from being bitter with her friends for talking her into it.
"Miss Elphaba!" Galinda exclaimed.
Elphaba Thropp, who had just entered their dorm room, blatantly ignored Galinda, walking calmly over to her bed. She began unpacking her bag as Galinda watched, ever-so-slightly amused.
"I need to ask you something," the blonde abruptly blurted.
"About Master Avaric, I presume?" Elphaba responded, calmer and more silent than ever.
"Yes," she said, accidently saying it rather loudly. "That's actually exactly what I wanted to talk to you about—how did you guess . . . ?"
"Miss Galinda, you're incredibly easy to read and," she threw a large book on her desk, causing it to emit a loud cracking sound, "I've only been asked the same exact question seven times today."
Galinda cleared her throat. "Well, are you?"
"That's terribly classified, Miss Galinda."
Galinda couldn't help it; she snorted with laughter. "Classified! Why ever is it classified?"
"Because, frankly," Elphaba said patiently, "I don't actually know if I'll go."
Galinda cocked her head with interest, and carefully moved herself to Elphaba's bed, sitting on the edge. Elphaba regarded her with caution, but didn't say anything.
"Do you want to go?" said Galinda.
Elphaba became incredibly defensive and turned up her nose pompously. "Why does it even matter?"
Galinda shifted uncomfortably, and made a nervous attempt to flatten her fluffy skirt. "I'm not sure—for the sake of innocent curiosity?"
"Innocent," said Elphaba. "Miss Upland, I am dreadfully sorry to be the one to break this to you, but you, of all the people, are most definitely not innocent." Then, with an irritated huff, Elphaba opened a book and read.
After a good amount of thinking, Galinda felt horrible again. It was obvious as to what Elphaba had been referring to, and Galinda felt more ashamed than before, now that Elphaba had expressed how much it had truly hurt her. It was here, in the small park, while she was pondering this that her friends all confronted her about what her roommate had revealed.
"Nothing," said Galinda.
"Oh, come on," said Shenshen angrily. "She said nothing?"
"I don't believe you," Pfannee said slowly.
"Of course we don't believe you!" Shenshen burst, throwing her arms up.
"Maybe I don't want to tell you, then," Galinda retorted.
"What, the elf girl's warming up to you?" Shenshen scoffed.
"Heavens no," the blonde said quickly, "I just don't think it's terribly important—what she said."
"What did she say, Galinda?" Milla asked quietly, patiently. "Please."
She thought for a moment, wondering whether she ought to tell them or not. Soon, she came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt anything. "She said that she wasn't sure," Galinda confessed suddenly. "She said that her response to whether she was going was classified, because even she didn't have an answer to it. And that's honestly it. . . ."
"So that's a yes?" Pfannee asked. "That is definitely a yes."
"Well," said Galinda, "It's a definite maybe."
"But at least it's a start."
"A start to what, Shenshen?" asked Galinda.
"A start to the new plan," she said casually.
"What plan?" Galinda inquired, nervously now.
"Well," Galinda's pretty brunette friend started, "It's obvious that she has an explicit desire to go to the party—otherwise she wouldn't have even bothered telling you that she wasn't sure, correct?"
Galinda nodded.
"Then all we have to make sure she gets to the party," continued Shenshen, looking at her nails all the while. "Because if the elf's at the party, then we'll have all the fun, won't we?"
"Why's that?" Milla asked, because, clearly, even she and Pfannee hadn't heard of this plan.
"Because, girls, if elf-girl goes to the party, there will be drinks there, and if there's drinks, then all we need to do is get her a little tipsy, and she'll want more." Shenshen smiled. "And more and more until—"
"Please, get to the point, will you?" Pfannee snapped.
"Until she spills all of her little secrets—like, oh, what she did to her sister."