Sorry it's been so long but I was working on my sequel to the musical ('Good')…for those of you who have also read Texting Through Life I assure you I will eventually get back to it…
"This is going to be so exciting!" Galinda squealed as she and Elphaba wrote their names on a signup sheet for ballroom dancing classes. "You actually came up with a good idea!"
"Gee thanks," the green girl muttered sarcastically. "At least my item for today isn't suicidal."
"It's not suicidal to want to be a lion tamer," the blonde insisted.
"Yes it is," Elphaba informed her with a characteristic eye roll.
"Hey guys!" Fiyero called, jogging over to them. "What's up?"
"Nothing!" the green witch told him nervously, stepping in front of the signup sheet.
"Stop it Elphie!" Galinda cried. "We're going to learn to ballroom dance."
"Sounds like fun," the Winkie commented with a grin. "Can I sign up?"
"Sure!" the blonde squealed at the same moment Elphaba shook her head 'no'. She did not want Fiyero watching her stumble and fall over herself. However the Winkie prince not only joined the class but also dragged Boq along with him. That wasn't the green girl's only problem though; she also had to find a way for her enthusiastic roommate to tame a lion. As she was fuming over the injustice of life a clever thought drifted through Elphaba's mind. Galinda hadn't specified between lion and Lion in her list.
***
It felt odd for the green girl to be out near the vast poppy field again; the place was saturated with so many vivid memories. Just thinking about Fiyero's hand on hers made Elphaba's cheeks redden. She wasn't sure where exactly to find the Lion Cub that had set so many things in motion, but this seemed like as good a place as any to start. "Hello?" she called, feeling somewhat silly. "Anyone out there?"
"Yes," answered a familiar voice from within the poppies.
"Fiyero?" Elphaba gasped. "What are you doing in there?"
"Same as you," the Winkie shrugged. "I'm looking for a Lion for Galinda to tame."
"How in Oz did you come up with the same stunningly brilliant idea as mine?" the green girl wondered, hiding behind insults as she always did around the prince.
"I don't know," Fiyero chuckled good humouredly. "Maybe it's the apocalypse." A loaded silence spanned across the bright red flowers. "Any luck?"
"No," Elphaba sighed. "Let's split up." She was desperate to be away from the distracting Winkie.
***
Fiyero was a skilled hunter, it didn't take him long to find a set of prints in the forest. This trail snaked between trees and led into the meadow of poppies, most of which stretched taller than him. With a shrug the Winkie loped into the forest of flowers. Before him was a set of fresh tracks, which meant the Lion Cub wasn't far off. Fiyero increased his pace and crouched low into the poppies when there was movement to his left. "Gotcha!" the prince cried triumphantly, launching himself towards the sound. Instead the mistaken hunter pinned a very surprised Elphaba Thropp to the ground. "What in Oz's name…?" the green girl gasped, eyes wide with surprise and something else.
"Sorry," Fiyero apologized, quickly rolling off her. "I thought you were the Lion."
"If that's how you'd capture a baby Animal maybe you shouldn't be helping," Elphaba sniffed. "You shouldn't try to tackle a sentient being like that; it's disrespectful."
"Do I look like a respectful kind of person?" the Winkie teased, earning him a withering glare.
"Do you know the way out?" the green girl wondered warily.
"No," Fiyero admitted. "We can probably just start walking in one direction until we find our way out."
"We should probably hurry," Elphaba warned, eyes flickering around. "These are Ozian poppies."
"So?"
"They grow taller than other kinds, and their scent has odd effects on the mind."
"Such as?"
"I'm no botanist," the green girl hissed. "But the most common effect is extreme drowsiness." Elphaba began to walk faster, as if voicing the threat made it all the more dangerous. She tried holding her breaths for longer periods of time, but the gasps of air afterwards only filled her body with larger amounts of the thick poppy scent. Slowly a heavy fog filled the green girl's head. "Fiyero?" she whispered, her throat having trouble making the proper sounds.
"Yes?" the Winkie replied, taking in her dim eyes with worry.
"Run," Elphaba commanded softly.
"I'm not leaving you," Fiyero insisted sternly.
"Yes you are," the green girl told him with a weak shove. "Get out of here and get help."
"You're coming with me," he pressed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Come on." Elphaba made an effort to run, but she kept tripping and wobbling. Before long the Winkie was practically carrying her. When Fiyero finally collapsed the green girl was still enclosed in his arms, and that was all she registered as her eyes slid shut. The next thing Elphaba knew little flakes of cool wetness were melting onto her skin. Awakened by the sudden chill she sat up moments before the Winkie. "What's going on?" he demanded drowsily.
"It's snowing again," the green girl explained. "Cold causes the poppies to temporarily close up; they were only open this morning because of the sun."
"Then let's get out of here," Fiyero urged. "Galinda will survive without taming a lion…or a Lion."
***
Due to their mishap in the poppy field Elphaba and the prince were a few minutes late to the dancing class. Galinda had been paired with Boq and while the munchkin was elated his blonde partner was…not. "Fifi!" she cried joyously as Fiyero made his entrance.
"I trust you have a good excuse for being so tardy Master Tiggular and Miss Thropp," the snot nosed teacher snapped.
"We got lost in a poppy field," Elphaba explained, gesturing at the bright red petals twined messily in her raven hair.
"That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard," the bitter woman sniffed. "But I'll let it go; you two can be partners."
"But…" Elphaba and Galinda protested at the same time.
"No buts!" the teacher hissed, turning up the music so as to prevent any further arguments. She taught the fuming students a simple yet elegant routine and then left them to practice it for awhile. The atmosphere visibly relaxed as she swept out the door. Elphaba was tense in Fiyero's arms; her hands practically trembled with nerves. He's just a shallow boy, the green girl scolded herself. Get a grip. However getting a grip became significantly harder when the Winkie gently pulled the poppies from her hair.
"You'll do better if you don't stare at your feet the whole time," Fiyero chuckled. "Watch my face and let me lead you."
"Since when are you such a dance master?"
"Since I'm a prince and am expected to know these things."
"Then why did you sign up for this class?"
"I wanted to watch you dance," the Winkie said with a mischievous grin. Elphaba purposefully stepped on his foot. "I guess I deserved that," he winced. The music changed, indicating that the green girl should step away and spin. She did and Fiyero's arms were tighter around her when she returned. Galinda watched with bittersweet eyes from where she and Boq were waltzing awkwardly. It was easy to see that she would soon lose Fiyero to Elphaba, if she hadn't already. The blonde was surprised to realize that this was ok with her, though the rejection stung a little. With a sigh he resigned herself to the munchkin's clumsy steps.
***
"So what's going on with you and Fiyero?" Galinda wondered innocently as Elphaba entered the dorm with a large covered box.
"Nothing," the green girl answered too quickly. "Do you want to see what's in the box?" Immediately the blonde witch was distracted.
"Yes!" she squealed. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Rather than answer Elphaba unlatched a door in the side of the crate, letting loose a flying ball of tawny fur. "Is it a lion?" Galinda cried, leaping up in alarm.
"No," the green girl admitted sheepishly. "But you can pretend he is." She scooped up the lion colored kitten and poured him into the blonde's lap. "He's yours."
"Oh thank you Elphie!" Galinda squealed. "I'll call him Pur."
Sorry that was kind of a lame-o chapter but the next one will be better…I've got to get back into the swing of Shiz-era since the fanfic I was working on before this was post musical…