"You don't have to walk me home," Nessarose insisted. "You can go back to the party if you want to, you don't have to baby-sit me."
"Nessa, if I'd wanted to stay at the party I would've. And I'm not baby-sitting you. I thought we were friends?" Galinda stopped pushing the chair and stood in front of Nessarose. "What's the matter?"
Nessa looked down into her lap. "It's just... Boq only dated me because he pitied me. And you encouraged him to do that. I know you mean well, and that your heart is in the right place, but I don't want your friendship just because you pity me."
Galinda was appalled, but she could understand her logic. "Nessa I promise it's nothing like that at all. Don't you believe me?"
After a minute she nodded. "Yes."
Satisfied, the blonde said, "Good." She took the handles of the wheelchair again, took a few steps and groaned. "It's starting to rain," she whined.
"Let's go to your room then, it's closer... if you don't mind me staying the night, again."
"Of course I don't mind!" She said, exasperated until she realized Nessarose was kidding.
By the time the girls had reached Galinda's dorm room, they were both thoroughly soaked to the bone, despite Galinda's best attempt to hurry inside. Galinda ducked into the bathroom to get a towel for her hair. She came out after a minute and dropped the towel she had retrieved for Nessa.
She was standing- clearly unsteady, leaning on the chair, but standing. She also had quite a proud smile on her face. "Nessa!" Galinda heard herself squeal. She ran over to the other girl, stopping just short of her. "Nessa, this is wonderful... I'm proud of you, I knew with just a little work.." She wrapped her arms around Nessa, giving her a tight hug. She pulled back to smile at her. "Really. You did this all on your own. No one helped you, not me or your sister or anyone."
"I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't put the idea into my head that I could. I mean, I haven't been able to walk at all, but..." She slipped a little a grasped onto Galinda's shoulder for support.
Galinda didn't know who started it, or exactly when or how it happened. She did know that the fluttering feeling that had been in her stomach for the past few weeks intensified when they kissed. She felt Nessarose tense up. She gave the girl's middle a reassuring squeeze and rested one hand on her back. She could feel a tentative hand brush against her face, another on her shoulder. Thoughts of what everyone else would think clouded her mind for a moment, but she pushed it aside, let herself enjoy the kiss.
Nessarose pulled away suddenly, sinking into her chair. Galinda tried to protest, but Nessa put a fingertip to her lips and pointed to the door. In the quiet, Galinda heard two voices, one angry, the other apologetic. "Please, please let me explain. Just because I didn't know I felt the way I do about you doesn't mean-"
"It's not even that Fiyero, it's the fact that you lied to me. Everyone lied to me. I thought you felt the same way as I felt about you."
"But I do! I was too stupid to realize it before, but I do know it now. Please calm down, please!"
"No! I will not calm down. Everything was some joke. How am I supposed to know that you weren't in on it the whole time, and are only trying to embarrass me now?"
"Elphaba, I wouldn't mess with you like that! You can't think I would! Believe me."
"How am I even supposed to know what to think anymore? You were never nice to me until after they made me think you liked me.. it was all some joke wasn't it?"
"No! No, it wasn't! It was everyone else, not me. They tricked me to, but by then I was so caught up in you, I didn't realize I-"
The door opened. "Just go," Elphaba said quietly in a tight voice.
"Please, let me explain. No harm was meant, I-"
"Go!" She stepped in, slamming the door behind her. Her eyes were wet and she squeezed them shut to try and keep herself from crying. She sank down to the ground, hands covering her face.
Galinda and Nessarose exchanged a look. Eventually Galinda went to Elphaba's side and reached for her hand. "Elphie?"
She wiped the tears from her face and looked up. "What?" she asked in a thick voice.
Galinda pulled her up, but Elphaba shook her off. "Elphie, what's wrong?"
She crossed the room to her bed. "As if you don't know... you lied to me!" She took a deep breath. "He never had a crush on me. But you made me think he did. Everyone did. And he went along with it all. At the Ozdust, Avaric said something like, 'Hey, they've been together for over a week and still haven't killed each other. Maybe they did like each other all along,'"
Nessarose wheeled over to the bed. "Elphaba, are you really going to throw everything away based on something Avaric, of all people, said?"
"Fiyero never denied it. And neither have you two. So why shouldn't I believe it? It's the only reason that makes sense for him being with me anyway; a joke."
The other two girls exchanged a look. Galinda eventually spoke up, "No one was ever supposed to get hurt. Elphaba, please, I even talked to Fiyero. He told me the same thing he told you- he's attracted to you, even if he had never considered being with you before... we just put the idea in his head!"
Elphaba didn't respond, only turned away from them, falling asleep quickly. Once they were sure she was asleep, Galinda helped Nessarose to bed, whispering, "About what happened before-"
"Don't. I can't think about that right now. What we did wasn't right."
Galinda reached for Nessa's hand; she pulled it away. "But that didn't happen for nothing!"
"Shh! Galinda, I'm sorry. But it wasn't right. It wasn't normal. I.. I don't know if we can really be friends until this gets sorted out. I'm sorry." She rolled over and didn't acknowledge Galinda after that.