Author's Note: See previous chapters for disclaimer. Thanks again for the lovely reviews etc. They're the only feedback I get and so it's really great to hear what you guys like! x So here's the new chapter. For you newbies, I update everyday Wednesday.

I loved writing this chapter. Galinda's breaking up with Fiyero was hard to explain, because obviously she is in love with him, but her originally unwanted perception does benefit her and of course her best friends. Enjoy x

"So, how about my notes then? Any good?"

Elphaba tried to suppress her blush while she turned her eyes and mind back to Fiyero's scribbling. Actually, his writing was immaculate. Embellished and almost theatrical in it's decoration. A product of his privileged upbringing, Elphaba was glad that at least something from his previous educational experiences had stuck. Unfortunately, curlicues and superfluities did not make his writing any more legible than her fierce penmanship and she could not decipher it. "Umm . . ." She began hesitantly, and looked up at him only to see his eyes fill with panic; he mistook her tone for disappointment. "I just can't read it very well." He released a nervous breath and shrugged, telling her this was a common problem.

He took back his notebook, running his finger over the words as if they would suddenly make sense to her. "Yeah, none of the professors here can read my writing."

Irritated, she grabbed it back. "Maybe that's a sign then that you need to change your writing because I'm not a professor and I can't understand you."

"What difference does it make if you can't read my writing? They're notes. They're supposed to be for my own private study."

"This is your own private study." She angrily flicked to the next page. Her eyes tore over the words, half-heartedly realising that they were generally coherent thoughts. "And for your information, if your own notes and study had been enough then we wouldn't be in this situation. How am I supposed to help you if I can't tell if your notations are good? You don't even look over them do you? At least most of the other people here do that much."

He leaned back, insulted at her old implications of his stupidity. "I'm not stupid. I understand things, funnily enough. I can come up with well-turned out thoughts and I can handle my own education."

She raised a speculative eyebrow and spoke softly, bringing the conversation into the small space that surrounded them. "Then why haven't you? Why have you never taken responsibility before and why are you doing it now?" He stared at her with an obvious yet genuine inability to answer her without lying. "This isn't the first time you have been assigned extra-curricular help is it?"

He broke eye contact with her and shook his head once. "No."

She stared at him with an infuriating expression. As if she was rubbing it in his face that she was right and he was wrong. Fiyero felt something sting inside him. His pride was hurt and he wanted to leave.

"I don't understand you. Why of all the times you have been told of your ineptitude are you investing time in your work now?" Elphaba felt her pulse pick up; she was almost desperate for him to explain that it was her he wanted to impress, but his next words confused her.

"I think that's enough for tonight."

"What?"

He carefully picked up his things and walked to the door, avoiding her face at all times. Elphaba was embarrassed; she knew she had pushed it too far. Her sharp tongue had wounded his self-image and friends didn't do that to each other, but she couldn't find the words. She just sat with his book still open in her lap and watched him say goodbye and walk away.

Galinda lay carelessly on her stomach, feet swinging up and then dropping down again with a soft thump on her pillows. From this position she could see out of windows and across the grass lawns to the shops and cafés that lined old cobbled streets. She loved the quaint yet intimidating architecture of this place; it made her proud to tell people she attended Shiz University.

Of course it was also a very good school.

She thumbed through a periodical bought at a Freestand on the High Street. Despite the implication in the name, Freestands were far from cheap in any sense but they had the most sophisticated journalism and were the most analytical of all the sheets on offer. Galinda thought that since she was at University, she should be reading a higher class of material and had since bought all of her papers from Freestands. She wished all of her texts were as interesting as her fashion plates.

The one she had in front of her displayed a spread of Emerald City fabrics that dazzled Galinda. Even at rest these people were ozmopolitan and so glamorous that she had always strived to emulate them. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she thought she had it down to a tee. Perhaps not the most sophisticated in Oz, but she was only eighteen and therefore could explain any inconsistencies away as being the result of the carefree hours of youth.

A click of the lock on the door alerted her to Elphaba's entrance and Galinda assumed her 'nonchalant' pose. "Hello, Elphie." She declared in a sing-song voice.

"Hello." Elphaba seemed deflated even in two syllables.

"You alright?" Galinda asked, knowing full well that her little plan probably hadn't fooled her perceptive friend at all.

Elphaba sat on the edge of her bed and let her bag slide onto the floor. Its landing was loud and Galinda almost winced in sympathy. "I was just a bit rude to Fiyero and I didn't get to apologise. That's not true; I didn't even try to apologise." She held up an unfamiliar notebook. "I need to give this back to him. He took really good notes."

Elphaba placed it on her desk along with about five or six other books and sighed into her chair. Galinda wanted to talk about Fiyero, but she wasn't interested in his ridiculous little tiff with Elphaba. Perhaps he had been in a bad mood because they had broken up? Galinda looked expectantly at her friend and tried to steer the conversation in a favourable direction. "So, did Fiyero talk to you about anything else?"

Elphaba nodded knowingly. Galinda cursed her own inability to even keep to her own plan. Elphaba would have brought it up anyway. "You broke up?" The blonde shrugged dismissively in the positive and sighed as though she had already become bored with the conversation. "Galinda . . ." Elphaba's serious tone made her look up, "don't lie to me. I know that you were confused about Fiyero, but why would you break up with him? I though you said you were going to get married?"

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Elphie. We're all different people since then. I was serious at the time, but it was delusional and stupid. He doesn't like me like that and I don't see the point in staying with someone who makes me feel like second choice."

"Second choice? To whom?"

"You know what I mean. He wasn't eyeing anyone else or anything, but neither was he eyeing me. His inattentiveness was hurtful, but he can't help it. And I would rather be with someone who is perfect and wants to be only with me."

Elphaba smiled and accepted her. "Alright then." She said, finally.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe you."

"You do?"

Elphaba nodded, stood and picked up Fiyero's book and her bag again. Though she did empty it first. "Uh huh." Galinda was surprised and failed to act as though she had expected this reaction. Elphaba walked over to the slightly broken porcelain face. "But how well will you handle it if he is the first one to be with someone else?" Galinda looked away from Elphaba and felt herself begin to panic. Elphaba sat beside her and took her hand. "Galinda . . . I don't want you to be unhappy, but I think you should know that Fiyero wasn't upset by what happened between the two of you. He seemed to think it was a long time coming."

Galinda searched Elphaba's eyes and then dramatically threw her whole body back onto the bed in a heap of curls and tears. "Oh no!" Elphaba jumped and was at a loss. "What have I done? Elphaba!" She sobbed heavily. "I'm so stupid and I always make ridiculous decisions . . . based," another sob, "based on phases my boyfriend is going through that don't mean anything."

Elphaba tucked wayward curls from her friend's red and salt-stained face and handed her some tissues. "What do you mean by 'phases'? I would have said you were the one going through the phase."

"What?"

"Galinda, not three nights ago you said to me that you 'wanted to keep your options open' and now you've broken up with Fiyero. Well done, Galinda."

She sat bolt upright, a hilariously amusing frown on her face; she was just so cute when she tried to be serious. "I wasn't the one who was ignoring me, Elphie. Just because I wasn't in love with him doesn't mean I wanted to break up."

"Then why the hell did you?"

"Because . . . ! Because . . . well . . . I . . . I don't really know. I don't know what happened. The whole thing got away from me." She shuddered a little and wiped a few tears away. "Alright. Don't laugh at me because now I regret it and I'm sad." Elphaba nodded, schooling her features into a solemn expression. "I guess I was trying to get him to tell me that he loved me. I just wanted some reassurance. It backfired a little."

"But you don't want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love you. And you shouldn't." Elphaba smiled and handed her more tissues. "When you said he was going through a phase, what did you mean? What made you feel like you needed reassurance?"

"He's been really distant lately. Actually, ever since that day that Dr Dillamond was fired." Elphaba's heart dropped. Oh no. Since the day Dr Dillamond was fired. Since the day she and Fiyero had first touched. Since the day she had begun to fancy her only friend's boyfriend. "He's been moodified and he's been thinking. Both of which really worried me. Especially when he started taking up tutoring with you, not that it was your fault or anything. I think it was mean of Morrible to pick on you like that."

Elphaba just sat there feeling her guilt increase with every word and wondering that there was room at all for her feelings for Fiyero. This is awful and it's entirely my fault. What was I thinking?

Galinda looked at her green friend sitting next to her, handing her handkerchief after handkerchief and displaying honesty but with actual concern for her, not just clucking out platitudes like her bands of other friends would do. "You know, Elphie, I think I'm going to be alright."

Elphaba studied her carefully. "Oh really?" Galinda nodded confidently. "Why is that?"

Galinda squeezed Elphaba's hand and smiled. "Because you're my best friend."

A big smile graced Elphaba's face and she locked Galinda in a fierce hug. It was oddly comforting though, and Galinda returned it. "I've never ever had a best friend before."

"You know, neither have I!" Elphaba giggled. "It was a rash decision, breaking up with him. But it was a good one. Neither of us would have been happy in the long run."

"He loves you, though."

Galinda sighed. "I know. And I love him, too." Elphaba nodded and threw away Galinda's used tissues. The blonde noticed her limp bag on the bed with Fiyero's book hanging out of it and a thought struck her as being absolutely selfish. "Oh, I forgot! How awful! I've distracted you from your little task. You have to take this back to Fiyero." She handed her bewildered friend her book bag.

"Oh, Galinda, no. I can stay here with you. He'll wait."

She shook her head, her curls dancing about her face. "No no. What kind of a tutor are you? And you said to me that you were going to apologise to him which you should do. You know what they say, never go to bed angry."

This is so wrong. She just broke up with Fiyero because I did something to him and now she is pushing me to go to him. Elphaba felt herself being walked to the door and turned, grabbing Galinda's shoulders. "No, I'm not going to go."

"Elphaba, why are you being so weird? What's the big deal? It's just Fiyero."

"I –" Elphaba stopped again; she considered that violent protests against going to see Fiyero looked more incriminating than just sucking it up and getting it over with. "Fine then. See you later." Galinda nodded. "You'll be alright?"

"Oh for Oz' sake, yes!"

Elphaba was pushed out of their room and heard the lock shift behind her. Oh well. She would have to go now. She would have to go and apologise to her best friend's ex-boyfriend.

Thoughts? Review please!