Hey, guess what? I finally got around to updating! So here you go, chapter 7!
Song used: "Falling Slowly" from Once the musical. (listen first, it'll make SO MUCH more sense!)
This chapter is dedicated to NellytheActress. (I finally used Falling Slowly. You're welcome!)
Oh, and NiatheWickedLover, I finally found Elphaba! :)
Fiyero decided to humor Galinda. So now, he was walking around campus looking for a certain green girl.
He had checked the library, the history classroom, the lecture hall, the cafeteria, the life sciences room, the hall of records. Shiz, he had checked everywhere! Where else could she be? Galinda wasn't kidding when she said it was like she disappeared. Poof!
So now, Fiyero was looking around campus. Shiz…what if I can't find her on campus? Aw, I don't wanna look over all of Oz!
Fiyero passed the main building. Glancing around, he didn't see anyone. Well, no one who was green, that is. Groaning, he trudged over to a nearby tree and sat down. It was only by chance that he decided to look up.
There, perched between the branches, sat Elphaba. Her head was rested on her knees, and Fiyero wasn't sure if she was awake or not. Well, she is up a tree…it would be pretty dangerous for her to fall asleep in that position…
Fiyero glanced up at her, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Um…Hey, Elphaba…"
Elphaba shifted her weight slightly, so that her back was to the Winkie.
"Go away." Came her muffled reply.
"Umm…Galinda said that she and you had a fight. A-Are you okay?"
Elphaba wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"I said, go away."
Fiyero groaned.
"Fine. If you're not going to talk to me, I'm not gonna stay here."
"Then leave." Elphaba still held her back to him, and she was still up the tree.
"Maybe I will."
Fiyero turned to leave, irritably shoving his hands into his pockets.
Then, they heard the snap.
The branch that Elphaba had been sitting on gave way, leaving Elphaba to scramble for another branch. Luckily, Fiyero heard the branch break, so he ran over to help her.
"Oh my Oz, Elphaba! You okay?"
Elphaba was currently hanging from one of the branches by her arms, and she was attempting to pull herself up.
"What do you think, Tiggular?" She reached for another branch, but that one snapped too. Swearing under her breath, she went back to trying to find some purchase.
"Soo…no, then?" Fiyero chuckled under his breath. This whole event was kind of laughable. I mean, it's not every day you get to see a green girl hanging from a tree.
"Do you need help?"
"No, Tiggular. I am-" She reached her foot down to another branch, but as soon as she put her weight down on it, it snapped as well. Swearing, she glared down at Fiyero. "-I am perfectly fine on my own."
Fiyero still stood under the tree.
"You always say that."
Elphaba was still dangling from the tree.
"E-Excuse me?"
"You always say that you're fine on your own.-" Fiyero stated, as Elphaba reached for another branch, but this one was just out of her reach.
"-I'm starting to seriously doubt that."
Elphaba shot him a glare.
He held up his hands innocently. "What? I'm only stating the obvious."
"Oh, do shut up, Tiggular." Elphaba tried to brace herself against the tree, but that idea didn't exactly work. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hang on, and on top of that, the only other option was…well…Fiyero. And Elphaba wasn't exactly one to ask for help. But, her arms were beginning to get tired. Ozdammit, this was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Awkwardness…
"U-Um, Fiyero?"
Fiyero was still standing under the tree, grinning at her.
"Yes?"
Groaning, Elphaba finally realized how tired her arms really were.
"W-Would you mind…h-helping me out?"
"What's the magic word?"
"Ozdammit Fiyero! I can't hold on much longer!"
"That's not the magic word." Fiyero walked around the tree so that he was directly under her.
"And maybe, if you asked for my help earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
"Fine, Fiyero. Just help me get down!" Elphaba was straining to keep hanging from her branch.
Fiyero held out his arms.
"Okay, jump."
"What?!"
Fiyero facepalmed. "I said, jump. You jump, and I'll catch you."
"Uh…how about we don't do that, and instead you go get a ladder or-" Elphaba tried to pull herself up, but she didn't have enough strength left in her arms. "-O-Or a trampoline or something?"
"A trampoline?"
"Yes. I couldn't think of anything else, okay?"
Fiyero rolled his eyes.
"Just jump, Elphaba. It's the fastest way down, and right now, it's also the easiest."
"Fine." Elphaba cautiously looked down at Fiyero, who was waiting for her to jump. She bit her lip anxiously.
Fiyero looked up at her expectantly.
"Uh, I don't mean to be a drag, but what's the holdup?"
Elphaba met his gaze.
"I-I'm scared, Fiyero."
Fiyero raised his eyebrows. Wow. It's not every day Elphaba admits something like that…
"Don't be. I'll catch you."
"But-"
Fiyero looked up at her.
"Elphaba. Just jump, Okay?"
"A-Alright." She got ready to let go. "If you tell anyone about this Tiggular, so help me I'll-"
"Elphaba." Fiyero held out his arms, urging her to let go.
"Okay, okay. I'm jumping, I'm jumping." She hesitated for a second, before letting go and dropping into his arms.
Fiyero strained under her weight. It wasn't that she was heavy, she was actually pretty light. It's just that you don't catch girls jumping out of trees every day.
Elphaba looked up at Fiyero. Curse his eyes. They should make laws against eyes that blue, I swear!
"U-um…u-u-uh...um…th-thanks, Tiggular." She stumbled to her feet, trying to avoid eye contact.
As she turned to leave, Fiyero tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, Elphaba?"
She rolled her eyes before turning around.
"What is it now, Fiyero?"
Fiyero looked at her.
"You're still coming with me tonight, right? For our date?"
Elphaba paled. She turned around, heading in the direction of the dorms.
"Oh, Um…about that…"
"Elphaba!"
"What?" She looked back over her shoulder irritably.
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what, Fiyero?"
Fiyero grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.
"You're ignoring me."
Elphaba scoffed.
"I tend to ignore people in general. Why are you any different?"
"Because I love you."
I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
Elphaba's eyes widened. No one had ever said those four words to her. Ever. She couldn't even recall Nessa saying them to her. She instinctively laughed, pushing the comment aside.
"No you don't."
"Yes, I do."
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out
She began walking back to the dorms.
"Fiyero, you are obviously very confused. You do know who I am, right?"
Fiyero followed her.
"Yes, and it doesn't make any difference. I still want to go on that date with you."
"I-I-" For once, Elphaba had absolutely nothing to say. Oh Lurline, why did I have to go to Shiz? Why couldn't I go to Munchkinland State or Emerald City U? If I never went to Shiz I wouldn't be in this predicament…
"Umm…Earth to Elphaba? You still in there?" Fiyero waved a hand in front of the green girl.
Elphaba shook her head, shaking herself out of her trance.
"What? O-Oh…um, yes." She bit her lip, considering what she was about to say.
"Fiyero, I-"
I love you too... "-I-I have to go."
And with that, Elphaba took off running as fast as her legs could carry her.
Fiyero just stood there, watching her run.
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now
Elphaba ran back to her dorm. She unlocked the door and slammed it behind her, collapsing onto her bed. Panting, she stared up at the ceiling.
"Because I love you."
She shook her head, trying to shake those words.
"Because I love you."
Fiyero couldn't have meant that, could he? I-I mean…no one has EVER said that to me before. No one. But he did. She mentally reprimanded herself. She shouldn't have run; she should've stayed. She could remember all those times she'd waited for her Father, or Nessa, to say those three simple words to her.
"-I love you."
Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
The moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black…
Elphaba sat up, resting her head in her hands. Galinda was right. I AM in love with him. But, she still couldn't believe him. Something inside her kept telling her that he didn't actually mean it, that it just wasn't real. Sighing, she lay back down on her bed.
Fiyero walked up to the door. Raising his hand to knock, he hesitated. Was this really a good idea? I mean, this is Elphaba we're talking about…
Finally deciding to ignore the little nagging voice in his head, Fiyero knocked on the door to Galinda and Elphaba's dorm. Please let Elphaba be there, please let Elphaba be there, please let Elphaba be there…
After a few seconds, he heard a lock click, and Elphaba opened the door. Her eyes widened.
"F-Fiyero…"
"Hey, Elphie."
Elphaba was still so dazed, she hardly even noticed that Fiyero used Galinda's nickname for her. She opened the door slowly.
"Y-You wanna come in?"
Fiyero nodded, before walking through the doorway and turning to face her.
"Elphaba, I-I-"
But Elphaba interrupted him. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.
"Thank you, Fiyero."
"F-For what?" He asked, slightly shocked by Elphaba's reaction.
Elphaba shrugged, pulling away from the embrace.
"I don't know. Just a…general thank you…I guess." She blushed, retreating to her corner of the room and sitting down on her bed.
"Sorry."
"For what?" Fiyero walked over to her bed and sat down next to her.
Elphaba looked down at her feet.
"For hugging you."
Fiyero chuckled.
"Elphaba, you do know how many girls I've dated, right?"
Elphaba nodded, still looking down at the floor.
"Well, think about how many times I've been hugged by girls. A lot."
She looked up at him, smiling half-heartedly. Playfully, she rolled her eyes.
"I get it Fiyero, you're a hot-shot around Shiz. You've dated probably every girl enrolled here, except me." Suddenly she got up, looking slightly worried.
"Elphaba, what is it?"
"That's it, isn't it? The reason you wanted to date me."
"What is?"
"Th-The fact that I'm the only girl you haven't dated. That's it, isn't it? Why you said all that stuff." She said, still obviously upset.
"No." Fiyero got up and faced her. "Elphaba, is it...like, impossible or something that I might actually like you?"
"Well…"
Well, you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won…
"Elphaba, you don't actually think that I would say all that stuff just so I could say I've dated every girl in Shiz?"
"Well…" Elphaba looked thoughtful. "I suppose that the whole "date me on a bet" thing would cover that…"
"Yeah, so?" Fiyero urged.
"So… So…" She glanced up at him, looking uncertain. "So that means that…you…y-you-" She couldn't say it. She looked over at Fiyero.
"-Actually, genuinely like you, Elphaba Thropp." Fiyero finished off, looking back at her. He took a step closer to her.
"Elphaba, you're smart. Really smart. I mean, you must have the highest grade-point average in all of Oz! Why can't you just see the possibility that someone could actually…you know…like you?"
Elphaba, who had been kind-of lost in Fiyero's eyes, snapped out of her reverie. Hastily, she turned her back to him, hugging her arms tight around herself.
"Fiyero, I can't see that possibility because that possibility doesn't exist! My whole life, everyone made sure that I was unloved. My own Father called me an aberration and a disgrace to the family! He drilled it into my head, telling me every day that I was a monster; a freak not worthy of human acceptance! Heck, he said it to me so many times, some days I was sure that the world would be better off without me!"
Fiyero was shocked. He knew that the kids at Shiz had been less than accepting of her, but her own father?
"Elphaba, I-"
Realizing what she had just said, Elphaba sat back down on her bed, burying her head in her hands.
"I can't believe I just told you that."
Fiyero tried to lighten the mood.
"Neither can I." This comment resulted in a slap upside the head from Elphaba.
"I'm serious, Tiggular! I've never told anyone that before! Nobody! Not even Galinda!"
"Well then, I guess that I must be pretty special, huh?" Fiyero grinned.
Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, pretty special…"
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly
Sing your melody
I'll sing it now…
Well, what do you think? :)
Any ideas about where to go from here?