Disclaimer: Okay, chapter... yes... Wicked is not mine, and I'm pretty sure you'd rather read the chapter than read me talk. -LostOzian
"What's up, Boq?" Fiyero asked. Boq swallowed. He didn't tell Glinda what he was about to ask Fiyero for fear she would kick him out of her plans.
"How to you keep a girl like Glinda?" Boq asked. Fiyero regarded the question a moment.
"Well… Glinda's a blend of popular and pretty," Fiyero started, trying to explain the girl he felt tortured by ever since he realized he was in love with Elphaba.
"I know that," Boq said, but Fiyero waved a hand.
"No, not who she is, what she likes. She likes things that are in and she likes things that make her feel beautiful." Boq nodded in understanding.
"She'd want to go to the hottest places in town, where everybody goes. Popular bars, a few clubs," Fiyero said. "But I've noticed she's not always comfortable there. She'd like to go somewhere brighter, fluffier," Boq tried to think of what Fiyero meant as Fiyero tried to find a way to explain it better. "Like gardens, parks. Those little dinky cafés with girly coffees."
"Pink roses?" Boq checked at Glinda's favorite flower. Fiyero nodded.
"Chocolates, but not too often, or fashion will dictate she has to refuse them," Fiyero added. "Strawberry fillings."
"Got it," Boq said, looking up at Fiyero. "And… thanks," Fiyero shrugged, a that's-what-I'm-here-for careless gesture. Boq checked at Glinda slightly; she wasn't finished, though he had no idea what she was trying to do.
"Though I was thinking," Boq said quickly. "What made you hook up with Raphablo so fast after Elphaba rejected you?" Fiyero smiled.
"As soon as he showed up at my door, I practically forgot about Elphaba," Not strictly true… but she's Raphablo for now, so when I think of her I think of him. Boq wrinkled his forehead slightly as Fiyero felt proud over his not-a-lie. I love loopholes.
"Though Raphablo said you two hooked up earlier today." Oh, Oz, the library!
"Oh… yeah… there was then..." Fiyero stumbled, trying to work Elphaba's story into his. "And I agreed to go out with him. He knew how pathetic I was feeling, a bad breakup, another girl rejecting me… He said he'd pick me up at eight. And I'm sure of it, we're in love."
"Well, uh… good luck together, then," Boq said. He noticed Raphablo stand behind Fiyero, heading toward them. "I think I'll go get a drink," Boq made up the excuse on the spot, not wanting to be in the same vicinity as Fiyero's newest love interest. Oz, Fiyero could have him, and Boq would send a thoughtful wedding card or something, as long as Fiyero took Raphablo far, far away to the Vinkus.
Elphaba stood by Fiyero's side, watching Boq retreat for a moment.
"It's so funny how he runs away from me," she said causally. "Glinda flirted with me, I told her to jump in a lake, basic procedure…" She couldn't help but stifle a yawn.
"Tired, Raphie?" Fiyero said, lacing his fingers in Elphaba's gloved hand. Elphaba smiled slightly.
"It's not often I stay out this late," she said. "Primp, proper, right-in-bed-at ten…" she rattled off. "And I think the beer has a little bit to do with it tonight."
"Well, I'm afraid your antics with Master Boq's awkwardity are over, then," Fiyero said, brushing a stray hair out of Elphaba's face. She raised one eyebrow.
"Awkwardity?" she questioned.
"Well, It's a word now that I've said it," he told her. "Though if you don't think tonight was... enough, I would go through another," Elphaba shook her head, finally and happily convinced Fiyero wouldn't intentionally lie to her.
"Miss Thropp will be waiting for you in the morning," she said. "In a skirt."
"How about a tube top?" Fiyero asked. Elphaba hit his arm good-naturedly.
"Don't push it," she told him, and the two left together.
Glinda finally turned around, seeing Raphablo leave with Fiyero. Well, this all boiled down to a nice pile of nothing. All she found out was that Raphablo was gay, even if Fiyero was only pretending. She saw Boq by the bar, and approached him.
"What's up with Fiyero?" she asked. Boq looked up.
"Oh… well, he says he forgot about Elphaba when he saw Raphablo," Boq said. "And Raphablo was sympathetic to his recent relationship… turmoil." Glinda kicked at a bottle cap on the ground, sending it spinning a few feet.
"Glinda…" Boq said slowly. "Maybe we should just accept it. I really don't like Raphablo, but if Fiyero does… what can we do?"
"Nothing now, they've left," Glinda told him. Boq seemed to have not known that, searching around the bar to see if they were still there, which they weren't. Glinda stared at the floor for a minute, trying to think of a logical explanation for everything that had happened that night. Searching for something to do, Boq placed a hand on her shoulder gently.
"Come on," he said. "I'll walk you back to your dorm, though we can take a scenic route," Glinda looked up at him.
"What?" she said softly, not sure if he heard right.
"There's a garden," he said. "Sort of on the way back to your room. It should be beautiful at night."
Elphaba lay on her bed, feet on her pillow and head by the foot, pretending to be reading a book, even though Glinda wasn't back yet. Yes, she had promised Fiyero she would sleep, but she had to find out what Glinda thought about seeing Fiyero on a date with a guy, and was pretty sure Glinda would wake her up to tell her about it anyway. She had sufficiently hidden her Raphablo costume; the suit (Glinda would cringe) folded into the top hat's box with the hat itself, the shoes hidden at the bottom of the box of her knickknacks. Oh, that went far better than expected, in spite of Glinda's numerous attempts to prove Fiyero wasn't gay. Which he wasn't, Elphaba thought. He was with me the whole time.
She heard voices out in the hallway, and put a little more effort in pretending to read.
"That was nice, Boq," Glinda was saying. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Boq said, his voice shaking a little. His only flaw is he gets too nervous, Elphaba said. Otherwise Glinda would have been all over him the clock tick Fiyero dumped her.
That was all of the conversation she heard; there were a few moments of silence before Glinda opened the door. Out of the corner of Elphaba's eye, Glinda seemed calm, maybe even a tiny bit happy as she quietly closed the door.
That was all over quickly.
"ELPHIE!" Glinda shrieked. Elphaba wasn't prepared for that; she jumped, turning to Glinda. How in Oz can she shriek like that?!
"Oh, Elphie, tonight was sad and devastating and confusifying and difficult and wonderful and… and…." Glinda ran out of adjectives, plopping herself in her desk's chair and removing her shoes.
"Why?" Elphaba asked.
"Elphie…" Glinda said, staring at Elphaba much like she had when Elphaba had told her to jump in a lake earlier that night. "Fiyero was there. And he had a date!"
"So?" Elphaba said bluntly. Glinda whipped out one of her makeup remover cloths which she had not bothered to hide with the rest of her precious facial products and started taking off the day's makeup.
"He was on a date with a guy," she said miserably, wiping off her face. "Fiyero's gay."
Elphaba sat there for a moment.
"So?" she said again. Glinda almost fell out of her chair.
"So?! Elphie, how can you say so?!" Glinda burst. "He goes out with me, professes love for you, and then goes out with a guy!" Glinda stood, pacing with little quick steps.
"I can't help shake the feeling it's our fault," Glinda said. "He tries to be with women, but we're cruel and I didn't forgive him and you didn't go out with him, so he decides guys are easier!"
"Easier?" Elphaba said. "When you're in a relationship with someone, you don't go for what's easy. You go for what you want."
Glinda stopped a moment, looking at Elphaba strangely.
"Elphie, you just gave relationship advice!" Glinda bounced a few times, before continuing. "Though… does that mean he's not gay?"
"Well, he was on a date with a guy," Elphaba said. "What does that look like to you?" Glinda wrestled with that for a moment.
"Gay," Glinda admitted at last. "Though Boq and I tried to break them up!"
"You said his name right," Elphaba noticed. "Boq's name." Glinda's eyes widened.
"I know!" she said as if sharing the hottest gossip. "Boq walked me back and taught me to say his name right! I felt like such an idiot! Would you believe I was saying it wrong this whole time?"
Elphaba looked away, avoiding answering.
"So anyway, Boq and I try to find out what in Oz is going on and it's like impossible to get them apart! And they keep talking about being in love!"
"Did it ever occur to you that might be true?" Elphaba said. "That they actually were in love and you were being petty and rude?" Glinda sat there, stunned, for a moment.
"Well… yeah," she admitted sadly. "I… you're right. The next time I see Fiyero, I'll say I'm sorry." Elphaba blinked. She had expected more of a fight than that.
"All right then," she said. "Let's go to bed, Glinda," Glinda nodded, changing quickly and, most impressively, silently.
"Elphie?" Glinda said as she settled into her perfectly pinkified pillows. "What if you like something not everyone else does? Like, it's not in style or…"
"You mean someone?" Elphaba said, barely believing Glinda was asking for advice. Admittedly, she was apparently going out of her comfort zone in whoever she was talking about, but it was quite a reversal.
"Yeah," Glinda said, extinguishing the bedside candle. Elphaba smiled across the now dark room.
"Follow Fiyero's lead," Elphaba said. She sensed Glinda roll over. "If you want a person, go out with him. Or her," Elphaba added, and Glinda sent a pillow flying in Elphaba's direction.
