(A/N: hello! thank you if you reviewed! Especially my tenth reviewer, I wouldn't have updated if not for you. I just saw toy story one and two in 3D in theaters, they were great, loved them! classics. I was also glad to see that I was not the only person there above the age of 6. Anyhu, here's this chapter and after the next chapter I believe EVERYONE will be enrolled in Shiz, meaning Fiyero, Shell and Elphaba, becasue of course they are all different ages and cannot enrol at the same time. Anyhu, enjoy and pretty please with a buzz lightyear action figure on top, review)

One Year Later

It was another one of those nights. It was an explosive night. Elphaba had been out late again at some party or other, Frex was furious and Shell was ridden with worry. Around one in the morning, they heard the door creak open slightly. Elphaba crept in, her long black hair fell in curled tangles down her back and she held her shoes in her hands so as not to make a sound.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Frex shouted as Shell heaved a sigh of relief.

"Out." was Elphaba's curt reply as dropped her shoes by the door.

"You know what happens when you stay out all night?!" Frex bellowed.

"Father--" Shell tried to calm Frex, but Frex wouldn't have it and continued bellowing.

"The servants find out and form their own nasty rumors about my slut of a daughter and soon the whole of Munchkinland will think you're some kind of--"

"Like your yelling will help matters?!" Elphaba shrieked, "I'm already green! How much worse could it get? It was a party for Oz's sake! I wasn't drinking or smoking or doing anything that might shame the family, it was a party and if it makes you feel any better, the rich kids and socially high ones were there too so you're not the only one with a daughter that goes to parties, just calm down!"

"I could use one day without the dramatics Elphaba." Frex growled.

"You're the one creating the dramatics!" Elphaba yelled. A few servants had poked their head into the hall to watch the shouting match, it wasn't a rare occurrence in the household. Frex grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward before flinging her into the wall and striking her across the face. The servants gasped and Shell quickly shoved Frex away from Elphaba before it got any worse. Frex rose his hand to strike Elphaba again but Shell grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch her again." Shell growled, shoving Frex backwards. Frex glared at Shell and then Elphaba. Elphaba wiped the blood from her lip and glared right back at Frex.

"Get out of my sight!" Frex roared. Shell quickly grabbed Elphaba's arm and proceeded to pull her up the stairs away from Frex. He quickly opened his bedroom door and pushed her in, closing the door behind him.

"I hate him!" she said.

"Why do you do things like that?!" Shell asked, "You purposely stay out late just to aggravate him!"

"You think I wanted him to hit me?!" asked Elphaba incredulously.

"Well I'm pretty sure it wasn't just an accident that you didn't come home until one!" Shell said, "Do you know how worried I was about you?! You should have told me where you were!"

"I didn't ask you to be my guard dog Shell, I can take care of myself!" said Elphaba.

"Oh, and that point was made perfectly clear downstairs when your lip got split open because Frex hit you!" yelled Shell, "Yeah, you can take real good care of yourself." he muttered sarcastically.

"Shut the hell up!" Elphaba yelled.

"Well then next time, tell me where you're going! For all I knew you could've been hurt and rotting in some godforsaken alley!" Shell said.

"Well I'm obviously fine, so stop yelling at me!" Elphaba said, she started towards the door but he stepped in front of it. His face had softened and she looked down, ashamed at yelling at him so.

"Elphaba, I'm sorry for yelling, I didn't mean to sound harsh or anything it's just that I care about you and love you, you're my little sister and I'm only trying to protect you." said Shell, taking her by the shoulders.

"I know." she sighed, "I know, I'm sorry for yelling too." she looked up at him and he offered her a smile and gave her a big hug. She smiled back and then suddenly remembered something, "Hey Shell, there was something you wanted to show me earlier, what was it?" she asked. Shell sighed.

"Well I--" he reached down and picked up an envelope, "Here." she took the letter and scanned through it.

"Shell! You got into Shiz! Congratulations!" she cried happy for him. He smiled back softly.

"Thanks." he said, he took the letter and sank down onto his bed, his head in his hands. Elphaba sat down next to him.

"Shell, what's wrong?" she asked, "You should be happy. You're going right?"

"Elphaba, after what I just saw tonight, I don't know if I can." said Shell.

"What do you mean?"

"Frex just hit you." said Shell, taking his hands away from his face and staring dead into her eyes, "He shoved you into the wall and hit you. How could I bring myself to leave you here alone? How could I just leave after I just watched him hit you?"

"Shell I—I'll be fine, it was nothing, really! Go to Shiz, don't worry about me!" Elphaba said, taking his hand.

"Elphaba think about it, if I wait two years, I could go to Shiz with you and you wouldn't be here alone!" said Shell.

"Shell, you'll be two years behind your class." said Elphaba, "I can't let you do that, you've got to go to Shiz, you're ready, I'll be fine."

"Who's going to protect you? What if while I'm gone, things get worse? What if Frex does worse? I can't leave you here alone." Shell protested.

"Shell, listen to me, I will be fine, if you don't go to Shiz all because of me, I will never forgive myself, you need to go, I will be fine." Elphaba said, looking him in the eye. Shell was silent for a moment and he sighed before looking back at Elphaba.

"Elphaba, in order for me to go to Shiz, I'm going to have to know that you'll be fine without me." said Shell, "Ellie, you didn't come home until one in the morning! Do you know how much that scared me?"

"I'm sorry." said Elphaba, "It won't happen again, I'll behave." she smiled.

"If anything happens, you'll write to me and tell me, right?" asked Shell.

"Of course." said Elphaba, crossing her fingers behind her back. She couldn't blow anything for Shell. He cared so much for her and done so much, he deserved to go to Shiz. She could not stand in his way.

***************

They stood at the train station again, Elphaba and Shell. Nessa was with Frex, getting Shell his ticket.

"Elphaba, be careful ok?" asked Shell, "I'm not going to be here to protect you."

"I know," said Elphaba, "I'll be fine, don't worry!"

"You know I'm going to." Shell sighed.

"Shell don't be so glum! You're going to SHIZ for Oz's sakes! Cheer up!" Elphaba hit him playfully on the shoulder. Shell grinned.

"I hear Shiz has a wonderful night life." he laughed.

"Hey! I will not have my brother's morals shattered! Those night clubs are for finals week only! Got that?" she laughed.

"Uh huh, sure…" Shell grinned.

"Shell!' Elphaba said, shoving him. Frex and Nessa came back then.

"Here's your ticket." said Frex, "You'll be back for the holiday's yes?"

"Yes sir." said Shell.

"Bye Shell." said Nessa.

"Goodbye Nessarose." said Shell, giving her a one armed hug. He didn't talk to Nessa much, he was always so preoccupied with Elphaba.

"Bye Shell." said Elphaba giving him a big hug.

"Bye Ellie." Shell smiled, "Don't forget to write, I'll miss you." he kissed her forehead and hopped onto the train as the engine hissed and crackled to life.

**************

Fiyero was in his room, his textbooks sprawled about carelessly, he wasn't reading them. He had tests coming up yes and yes his parents expected him to get into Shiz next year, but honestly? He didn't stand a chance! He wasn't smart, he was failing many of his classes and who wanted to get into that pompous school anyway? He'd been grounded for the last party he went to and now his parents expected him to study? Fat chance!

Two days later

Fiyero stared at the test he had just been handed. It was easy. It was incredibly simple! Why would anybody need to study for such a joke? He figured he only failed all of his classes because he never did the assignments. He quickly picked up his pencil and bubbled in the answers. He was the first to finish and was quite proud of himself, even though he could tell the teacher thought he just bubbled in bubbles at random.

"Did you try your very hardest Master Tiggular?" the professor raised an eyebrow.

"My very hardest." Fiyero snapped at him.

"Very well." the professor drawled, obviously still taking him as a joke, "You are dismissed."

*************

"Fiyero! Your test results are in!" he heard his mother cry from downstairs. He lazily got up and went downstairs, he was greeted with a look of utter shock on his mother and father's face.

"These scores are good!" said his mother.

"Not genius of course," said his father, "But good enough for Shiz!"

"Great, I can leave after I graduate Vinkun High." said Fiyero, he wasn't happy and didn't bother celebrating with his parents. He remained emotionless to them just as they were to him.

********

It was a little hard to adjust to life without Shell. He wasn't there to walk with her to school every day anymore. He wasn't there to go to movies with or parties. He wasn't there to help her with homework (even though she hardly needed help) and go to concerts with. It seemed that at first, Frex was just taking advantage of the fact that Shell was not there to protect her. He hit her a lot and forced her to do things, but all of that died down after a while when he realized that she never really did anything to deserve all of this. Of course, this realization didn't stop it completely, but it lessened.

Dear Shell,

I hope you're enjoying Shiz. Life in Munchkinland is seemingly boring and dull. There is nothing to do here without you. Who am I going to go see the newest movies with? Frex and Nessa are well, but apparently not well enough to hang up their own coats when they walk through the door if you get my drift. I can't wait for the holiday's to come so that you can come back home. It's funny, now that I'm a junior in high school every time I go somewhere a teacher is always saying "Oh, you're Shell's little sister aren't you?". Well I'll stop my rambling, write back soon.

I miss you

Love, Elphaba