Popular Chapter Four:
Galinda stared at herself in the mirror. She looked beautiful in her pretty pink fluffy dress that she loved to wear so much. Shen-Shen and Pfannee stared at her with adoration. " You look too pretty. You and Fiyero will be a knockout at the dance tonight!" gushed Shen-Shen.
Galinda smiled fully at her friends. Pfannee gasped in horror and she pulled out the hideodous hat that her Granny had given her for Christmas last year.
" Galinda, what in Oz's name is this... thing?" asked Pfannee horrified.
" Pretend you didn't see that! It's just a gift from my Granny, I'd give it away to someone but I don't think I hate anyone this much!"
Both Pfannee and Shen-Shen turned to each other and squealed, " Yes You Do!"
Galinda looked at them, knowing that they were talking about her roommate.
" Oh no. I couldn't!" she said nervously laughing.
" Yes you can!" encouraged Pfannee and Shen-Shen, and they left without another word.
Just then Elphaba came into the room, and said: " Galinda listen Nessa and I were just talking about you!"
" And I was just talking about you, Elphaba! I'd thought you might want to wear this hat to the party tonight. It's sharp, isn't it? And you know that black is this year's pink. So here, take it please. "
She held out the discolored black witch's hat out to her roommate. Elphaba took it, and Galinda left without saying anything.
At the OzDust ballroom, Galinda entered in with Fiyero on her arm. She beamed at her fellow classmates. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Boq talking to Nessa. Boq kept looking over at her and she smiled and waved at him. Then he proceeded to dance with Nessarose on the dance-floor.
Galinda felt a tiny bit bad about lying to Boq, but she waved it off as soon as Fiyero and her started to dance. After a while they got tired and faded off into a corner of the room.
Galinda was shaken when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.
She jumped and turned around to see Madame Morrible standing there.
" Madame Morrible? What are you doing here?" she asked surprised.
" I have something for you," she said holding out a training wand.
Galinda smiled widely and giddily, " Oh Madame! A training wand! How can I ever thank you?"
" Oh don't thank me dearie. Thank your room-mate!" said Madame Morrible with amusement.
" What? Elphaba?
" Yes, she asked me to include you in the seminar this very night or she would quit the class."
" But why?" asked Galinda fondling with the wand.
Madame Morrible snorted, " I have no idea, dearie. If you want to know my personal opinion, I don't think you have what it takes. I hope you prove me wrong!" she said passing by Galinda, " I doubt you will," she muttered under her breath as she walked away.
Galinda stood there, holding the wand and thinking. She gave that hideous hat to Elphaba and in return she had gotten her into the one class that she had wanted to take.
Fiyero wrapped one arm around her waist, surprising her, " What's wrong?"
" I got what I wanted," she said slowly as she realized the consequences of what she had done.
" So, what is it then?" pressed Fiyero.
" Nothing, nothing at all," she said after a moment.
" Good then let's dance!" said Fiyero as he dragged her out onto the dance floor.
A few minutes later, Elphaba walked down the stairs into the ballroom wearing a simple blue dress and the hat that Galinda gave her.
Everyone stopped and stared.
" Who is that?" asked Fiyero.
" My roommate, don't stare at her please," asked Galinda feeling awful.
" How can you not, she's green?" said Fiyero as he looked at her.
Then Elphaba began to dance by herself. Making movements with her hands with no music at all. Some people started giggling but she continued to dance.
" I feel just awful," whispered Galinda as she watched her. Fiyero frowned, " Why it's not your fault?"
It was then that Galinda decided to join her. Something compelled her to do that, and she listened. She gave Fiyero her training wand and walked up to Elphaba. She cleared her throat and Elphaba stopped.
" May I cut in?" she said.
Elphaba didn't answer, she just stood there. Then Galinda tried to copy some of the dance moves and soon enough she and Elphaba were dancing together. Everyone else caught onto the dance and everyone was having a great time.
During the dance, Galinda caught Elphaba's eyes and they both smiled, a real genuine smile at each other.
When the dance was over, Galinda accompanied Elphaba back to their room so giddy and happy.
Both girls sat on their beds facing each other.
" So wait, that was your first party ever?" asked Galinda in astonishment.
Elphaba nodded and Galinda squealed.
" I know, let's tell each other secrets! I know, I'll go first!"
She took a breath, " Fiyero and I are going to be married!" then she shrieked with delight, causing Elphaba to raise her eyebrows.
" Now you tell me a secret!" demanded Galinda getting more and more excited as they talked.
" Like what? I don't have any secrets," said Elphaba.
" Oh, everyone has secrets! I bet even Horrible Morrible has secrets! Actually I know she does," goaded Galinda.
Elphaba smiled at that.
" Why do you have a funny green bottle under your pillow?" asked Galinda, peering at the bottle.
Elphaba frowned and tried to grab the bottle but Galinda grabbed it first.
" It was my mother's now give it back!" shouted Elphaba.
Galinda did, and her bottom lip quivered, " That's not fair I told you a really good secret!"
" My father hates me," were the words that came out of Elphaba's mouth.
Galinda gasped.
" That's not my secret!" said Elphaba.
" Then what is?" asked Galinda.
" It's my fault that Nessa is in a wheelchair. When my Mother was carrying Nessa my father made her chew milk flowers day and night to prevent the baby from coming out green. But Nessa came too soon and Mother never woke up. And none of that would have ever happened if not for me."
" But that wasn't your fault. That was the milk flowers fault. Elphaba, that may be your secret, but that doesn't make it true," said Galinda putting one hand on top of her room-mate's green one.
" Hmm, I have an idea. You're my new project!" announced Galinda suddenly.
" Project?" repeated Elphaba with a clear look of distain.
" Yes, Elphie, you'll be my new project. Is it ok if I call you that?" she asked.
" Well it's a little perky."
Galinda laughed, " And you can call me Galinda!"
" What is this so called project?" asked Elphaba fidgeting in her bed.
Galinda pursed her lips, " Well since I'm so nice, I like to help out the less fortunate by making them popular. You'd be surprised at how many people are less fortunate than I! And I think that this is the perfect time for a makeover!"
" Makeover? I don't do makeovers!" protested Elphaba moving away from Galinda.
" It'll help you become popular! I'll show you proper ploys when you talk to boys little ways to flirt and flounce. I'll show what shoes to wear, how to fix that hair. Everything that's about being popular!"
" I don't know about this Galinda, will it even work?" asked Elphaba after an hour of Galinda showing her what to say and to wear and doing her hair and makeup.
Galinda, who was putting on Elphaba's lipstick, looked up at her new friend with a shocked expression on her face. " Elphie, you must not think that way anymore! Nobody who is popular thinks that way, it's what. other people do!"
" But-"
" But nothing! Elphaba, your whole life is going to change and all because of me! There are no buts! Now let me show you how to toss your hair."
She stopped putting on her lipstick and moved away from the bed.
" Toss, toss," she said as she tossed her hair with her hands, " Now you try!"
Elphaba tossed her hair and almost fell over.
" Ok, well we'll work on that later!" sang out Galinda as her roommate almost killed herself trying to toss her hair.
" Now stand up! Stand up!" commanded Galinda as she took out her training wand, " I will now transform that simple frock into a beautiful magnificent ball gown!"
Elphaba stood up and Galinda shouted, " Ball gown!" But it didn't work.
She tried again and it still didn't work.
Frustrated she left it alone, and then took out the finishing touch. It was a pretty pink flower clip. Galinda clipped it into Elphaba's hair and she took out a mirror.
" You look beautiful, Elphaba," she said meaningfully as she handed her the mirror.
Elphaba looked for a long time and suddenly got up and left.
" Well, you're welcome!" called out Galinda confused.
Galinda put down the mirror and cleaned up the mess.
As she went to sleep, she was kinda glad that she had become friends with Elphaba.
She had a feeling that they were going to become very, very good friends in the near future...