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I think you guys are gonna like this chapter ;) Enjoy!
Classes began picking up pace at Shiz, and Galinda found herself struggling to keep up. But while she began putting a little more effort into her work, her friends remained as laid back as always. In fact, they had started growing bored and were looking for the next big entertainment.
This came, of course, in the form of one poor green girl.
Although it was clear Elphaba was eating again, they had yet to find a shortage of rumors to spread about her. Since Galinda had fallen behind, Pfannee had completely taken charge of making the green bean's life miserable. She spent her days trying to find some big weakness, and when she came up with nothing, she took it out in smaller ways.
This was how Elphaba ended up stumbling into the room one evening, completely covered in mud and grass. It soaked into her clothes and dripped from her braid. Her frock was absolutely ruined, stained all over and torn to bits at the bottom.
Galinda looked up in surprise at the sight of her roommate, but before she could even form a sentence Elphaba had grabbed a nightgown from her dresser and locked herself in the bathroom.
The mud didn't burn as quickly or severely as water, but it still hurt. Elphaba poured one of her oils onto a towel and began wiping it off, ignoring the stinging across her arms and legs. She peeled off the frock and tossed it to the side, then continued cleaning herself off. She rubbed more oil through her hair, re-braided it, and then slipped into fresh clothes.
The green girl examined herself in the mirror. The nightgown was long enough to cover most of her arms and legs and hide the minor burns that were there. She glanced down at her ruined dress with regret. She didn't have that many clothes, and she couldn't afford to buy new ones. But what else could she do? Although she took care of both her father and Nessa at home, sewing had never been one of her strengths, and it would take a good deal of talent to fix the mess that was her frock.
With a sigh, she picked up the dirty old thing and walked back out into the bedroom. Galinda was sitting on her bed, scowling down at some homework. The blonde looked up at her as she walked by. "What happened? Did you fall into the lake or something?"
Elphaba clenched her teeth and tossed the frock over the back of her desk chair, but she chose not to respond.
"Are you just going to leave that there?" Galinda asked, staring at the dress in horror.
"Well it's completely ruined, so I'm not going to bother putting it with my other laundry. And since I'm already in my nightclothes I'm not going to take it outside to the garbage tonight. So, yes. I'm just going to leave it there."
"But it's filthy! Look at that old rag! How in Oz did you end up covered in mud, anyway?"
"Why don't you ask your obnoxious little friends," Elphaba said coolly. She climbed into bed and, much to the blonde's surprise, buried herself beneath the covers. "If it bothers you so much," she added, facing away toward the wall, "You can take it out yourself."
Galinda made a disgusted sound that the other girl didn't bother responding to.
It was strange, being awake with her roommate trying to sleep. Galinda thought of their early days together. How the tables have turned, she thought with a smirk. But Elphaba wasn't complaining about the light being on, or the scratch of Galinda's pen and the rustling of pages.
With a sigh, Galinda closed her books and went to pile them on her desk. She looked over once again at her roommate's ruined dress. Pfannee was behind it. Galinda had known that even before Elphaba said so. But still, Pfannee's actions had nothing to do with Galinda.
So why did she feel guilty?
The blonde turned to climb into bed, but something stopped her. Biting back a groan, she slipped on her shoes and grabbed the dress before darting out of the room.
She was almost to the trash bins behind Crage Hall when something stopped her. She looked down at the frock in her hands. Elphaba didn't have that many clothes to begin with, and now one of her only dresses was destroyed. Galinda kicked at the ground, mentally cursing herself for even caring in the first place. Why in Oz this mattered so much to her, she didn't know. But she did know that she wouldn't be able to do anything here, so she turned around and headed across campus, toward the sorcery building.
Unlocking the front door took nothing more than a quick spell, but once inside, Galinda had no idea what to do. How difficult was it to repair a dress with magic? The blonde set the frock down on a table and made her way to the nearest bookshelf. Surely there was something here about household spells…
There! She pulled the book down and began flipping through. Dusting, sweeping, doing the dishes, cooking, making a bed, washing clothes… Wait a minute, she thought, Oh, here we go. Mending clothes.
The spell wasn't that difficult. She carried the book over to Elphaba's dress and propped it up to where she could read, then grabbed the frock and spread it out over the table. After repeating the incantation in her head a few times, she spoke it out loud, her hand hovering over the dress.
Nothing happened.
Scowling slightly, the blonde held both hands over the dress and tried again, speaking the words a little louder this time. She felt a faint warmth in her stomach, but then it disappeared. The dress remained torn and covered in mud.
Well, if that's how you're going to be, Galinda thought, glaring uselessly at both the spell book and the frock. Now things were personal. Maybe magic wasn't her strong suit, but clothes definitely were. And if she had to, she would stay here all night to prove it.
Elphaba woke up the next morning and just lay in bed for a few minutes. A couple of places on her arms were still sore from last night's burns, but it wasn't anything too bad. It wasn't anything they would find out about.
With a quiet sigh, she pushed back her thin sheet and sat up. Something dark caught her eye, and she looked over at her desk. Her frock was still hung over the back of the chair.
Odd. She could have sworn she heard Galinda take it out the night before. Elphaba's brow furrowed as she stood and walked over there. Instead of just tossed over the chair, the fabric was neatly folded and, even more surprisingly, as good as new.
A green hand reached out to touch the fabric. The mud and grass was completely gone. She picked up the frock and held it out. The skirt had been repaired. There were no holes or tears—even the rips she had made herself over the years were gone. Somehow, the dress had been fixed over night. As if by…
Elphaba looked over her shoulder at Galinda's bed. The blonde was sleeping peacefully, buried beneath her covers. The green girl scowled in her direction. She didn't need anyone's help. And why should the rich girl help her, anyway? What could she possibly gain from this?
Shaking her head, Elphaba quietly went to her wardrobe and hung up the dress. She quickly got ready for the day and slipped out of the room before Galinda could wake up. This time, though, she was avoiding her roommate for an entirely different reason.
"What was she like when she went back to the room?"
Galinda shifted in her seat. Pfannee and the other two were staring eagerly at her. "She…she was obviously upset. She just went straight into the bathroom and changed."
"I thought it looked good on her," Milla said with a giggle. "Mud is definitely her color."
The girls all laughed, including Galinda. Although she had repaired Elphaba's dress, she was by no means on the green girl's side. It was just a bit of sorcery practice, mixed with her love of clothes—not that you could really count those disgusting frocks as clothes.
The blonde shook her head slightly, her curls bouncing around her face. She vowed then and there that the entire ordeal would never be mentioned again.
"Hey ladies!"
The girls all looked up at the sound of Avaric's voice. He was on the other side of the courtyard and heading toward them, followed by a small group of boys. Galinda saw Fiyero and immediately moved to straighten her dress.
"Master Avaric," Pfannee said as he approached. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Pleasure? The pleasure's all mine, Pfannee." As he spoke, his eyes left her face and travelled lower. Galinda scowled, but Pfannee seemed to enjoy the attention.
"Hello, Miss Galinda." She looked to see that Munchkin boy—Boq, was it?—smiling shyly at her. Her friends started giggling, and Boq's face flushed red.
"Oh. Hello, Master Boq."
"You're looking lovely today," Fiyero said, winking at her. Boq crossed his arms, but took a half step back. The two other boys with them both nudged him in the side, obviously stifling laughter.
"And who might you two be?" Shenshen asked them.
"I'm Crope," said the boy on Boq's left. "This here's Tibbett. Otherwise known as the two most dashing men you'll ever meet."
"Not to mention witty and charming," Tibbett added.
"Don't forget intelligent," Crope said, nodding at him.
"And sensitive." Tibbett batted his eyelashes at the other boy. Boq elbowed him.
"Knock it off, you two."
"Boq's just jealous because he'll never get a man half as good as me," Crope said, leaning on the Munchkin's shoulder. "Isn't that right, old chap?"
"Charming indeed," Fiyero muttered, shaking his head. But he was smiling slightly. He looked up and eyed the open spot next to Galinda. "Miss Galinda, I don't suppose there's room on that bench for one more?"
The blonde beamed and patted the wood. "Be my guest, Master Fiyero."
Galinda never mentioned the frock again, so Elphaba put it to the back of her mind. There were more important things to pay attention to.
Like their mysterious Madame Head. Elphaba didn't know what it was, but every time she saw Morrible roaming around campus it made her heart beat just a little faster. Something about the woman made her nervous.
Of course, nobody liked Madame Morrible. She was generally referred to as rude, unjust, manipulative, and disturbingly fish-like. But it wasn't the fact that she was an unlikable headmistress that bothered Elphaba. There was something else, something worse. The green girl just couldn't quite place what.
Perhaps I'm only being bitter, Elphaba thought one day, remembering the way Morrible had sneered at her on the first day of semester. She looked across the courtyard as the headmistress strolled through, barking at various students. When the woman looked back, Elphaba decided it was time to leave. She slung her bag over her shoulder and started away, heading toward the library.
"Miss Thropp," said a voice behind her.
The green girl had to stop herself from wincing at the name. She turned around, taking in overly-powdered wrinkles, dry, pursed lips, and a nest of short white curls. The headmistress's eyes didn't seem angry or suspicious or anything like that, but they were cold and hard all the same.
"Madame Morrible," Elphaba greeted her. "It's just Miss Elphaba, please."
Morrible waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes, whatever you say, Miss Thropp. Now tell me dear, how has your first semester at Shiz been going? I haven't had the chance to talk to you since that first day."
More like you didn't want to talk to me. So why now? Elphaba thought. Instead, she kept her face blank and did her best to answer politely. "It's been busy, Madame. But I'm enjoying my classes so far."
"Good, good." Morrible's smile gave the green girl chills. "And your roommate? How is Miss Galinda?"
Elphaba chose her answer carefully. If Morrible knew half the things that happened between her and the blonde, then she'd be kicked out of Shiz for sure. "I think she's doing alright in classes. And she really seems to like her group of friends…"
"Excellent. I know she struggles in my sorcery class, but that's not entirely her fault. After all, not many are naturally gifted in such things, are they?"
The green girl swallowed. "I wouldn't really know. Personally, I don't have much interest in sorcery."
Morrible's smile turned into more of a sneer. "None at all? Why, I could have sworn I heard somewhere that you were looking to dabble into some magic."
"Strange," she replied calmly. "Madame, I believe you were misinformed. I'm not surprised. Lots of rumors tend to come up about you when you have green skin."
The headmistress narrowed her eyes, but then nodded. "Of course. What a pity that is, too. I've heard from your professors that you're a bright young lady. I'm sure you would go far under my teaching."
Not if Oz depended on it, Elphaba thought. "I'm flattered, Madame. But my focus is on history and life science."
"Ah. You must be a fan of Dr. Dillamond's then."
"Yes, ma'am." What was that look on Morrible's face? Elphaba shifted her weight nervously. "Um, if you don't mind, Madame, I was on my way to the library."
"Oh yes, of course dear! But before you go, there is another reason why I wanted to talk to you." Morrible caught a hold of Elphaba's elbow before she could rush off. "The other day—oh, I'd say about a week ago—I found the door to the sorcery classroom unlocked. Now, I make sure to double check the building every night, so someone must have snuck into it. You wouldn't happen to know who, now would you?"
Elphaba just stared blankly at her. Did Morrible suspect her? That didn't make any sense, especially since she just said she had no interest in magic. But then, why was she asking? Why in Oz would Elphaba know who snuck into the building? Unless…
Galinda had repaired her dress by magic, yet even Elphaba knew she struggled with all but the simplest spells. Was it possible that Galinda snuck into the classroom, perhaps to find something that could help her? Why would the blonde go through so much trouble for her least favorite person on campus?
Although she didn't quite know why, the green girl shook her head. "I have no idea. Was there anything damaged or stolen?"
"No," Morrible said slowly, "There was just a spell book out on one of the tables. A simple text, really, about household spells."
That was definitely Galinda. But why? "So…no harm done," Elphaba said.
"Perhaps not, but breaking in and trespassing is still a crime, and I will not tolerate such disrespect at my school." Morrible's voice was stern, holding a hint of a warning. Elphaba resisted the urge to smirk. How many times had she broken into the library now?
"Well I apologize, Madame," she said. "Hopefully it doesn't happen again."
"I assure you, it won't." Morrible smiled slightly, a look that continued to disturb the green girl. "Thank you for your time, Miss Thropp. Have a good day."
Elphaba watched the headmistress walk away, then turned and went her own direction. She still wasn't sure why she had covered for Galinda. Maybe the blonde had repaired her dress, but that was nothing compared to all the horrible things she had done. If anyone deserved to be turned in to Morrible, it was Galinda.
But as Elphaba looked once more over her shoulder at the retreating headmistress, she decided that no one deserved such a thing. Not even annoying blonde roommates.
"What do you say, Elphaba?"
She looked at the Munchkin who stood before her. "Seriously, Boq? You really think it's a good idea to invite me out with your friends?"
"Oh, it's just Crope and Tibbett. They're not cruel like some of our classmates. I'll admit they're a handful, but then again so are you."
Elphaba shook her head. "This is absurd. Besides, being seen out in public with me would surely ruin your chances with Galinda. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Well, I…"
"Please. I know you're still trying desperately to woo her."
The Munchkin blushed, his ears turning bright red. "Why must you mock me so, Elphaba?"
The green girl rolled her eyes. "Because as much as you have tried to convince yourself otherwise, I am not nor will I ever be a decent person."
"Apparently not," he said heatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I'll have you know that I've simply been waiting for the opportune moment to ask Miss Galinda out."
"Spare me. The anticipation is brutal."
Boq opened his mouth to protest, but he never got the chance. At that moment, a crowd of students filed into the mathematics classroom. The Munchkin stomped off to his own table, and Elphaba sat back in her chair. She scanned the room, a look of vague disinterest on her face. Galinda and her pack of fools were sitting in their usual table, this time accompanied by Fiyero and Avaric.
She raised an eyebrow. Fiyero may have been brainless, but at least he seemed to be an averagely decent fellow. Avaric was simply despicable. Elphaba was surprised even those girls allowed him to stick around. Although if her roommate's sideways scowls were anything to go by, perhaps he wasn't completely welcome.
Then her eyes focused on the Winkie prince. She had to admit, it was sort of nice having another oddly skinned person on campus. Of course, he was considered exotic and handsome while she was considered a freak, but still.
The class went by uneventfully. When it was over, Elphaba took her time packing her things. She wanted to avoid bumping into any of her unfriendly peers on the way out. And since that was pretty much everyone—including Boq now, by the way he brushed past her as he headed for the door—she decided to simply wait for the room to empty.
"Pardon me," a voice said suddenly. The green girl looked up, blinking. The room had cleared out except for one person. One dark-skinned, tattooed person. "You're Miss Galinda's roommate, right?"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course. She should have guessed. "Is that even a question?" she asked. "Hasn't she complained all about me by now?"
Fiyero shifted his weight a little, obviously choosing not to answer that. "Um… I just, I don't believe we've been introduced." His face brightened a little as he figured out what to say. "I'm Fiyero."
Elphaba looked at his extended hand. "Elphaba," she said, shaking it warily. The green looked strange against dark skin. "And why, may I ask, have you insisted on introducing yourself?"
"Oh. Well, I…I was curious, I guess you'd say. I mean… well, you see…"
"Ah, your skills in articulation give you away, Master Fiyero." Elphaba smirked. "You must be another one of Miss Galinda's gentlemen callers."
It was amusing to watch the emotions play out across Fiyero's face, flickering from embarrassment to surprise to doubt.
"A-another one?"
"Oh yes, she's had a few admirers since the semester started." Elphaba waved her hand dismissively. "And those are just the ones I've heard about. Oz knows how many there have actually been."
What she failed to mention, of course, was that Galinda soaked in the admiration on a superficial level and never thought of the boys again. And in all their weeks here so far, the only other persistent boy had been Boq who—the poor soul—stood little chance.
Fiyero straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. "Yes, well. That doesn't seem like the Galinda I know."
Elphaba snorted. "Master Fiyero, if you were going to dismiss me so easily, why bother coming to me in the first place? It seems like a foolish move. And here I thought Vinkans had some common sense."
The prince scowled. "You are as terrible as they say you are, aren't you?"
"I should hope so," she told him cheerfully. "Wouldn't want to disappoint them, now would I?"
Fiyero chose not to respond. Instead, he shifted the strap to his bag and left the room. The green girl rolled her eyes as he left. "Really," she mumbled to herself as she slung her own bag over her shoulder. "What these people are trying to accomplish is beyond me."
Galinda fumed. It was one tiny little spell, just a simple charm, and she couldn't cast it for anything.
"Concentrate, Miss Galinda," Morrible repeated yet again. "Really, a minor healing spell isn't even that difficult."
Morrible had been going on the entire period, calling Galinda out for her inability to cast the spell. The blonde clenched her fists and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, she focused once more on the prop before her. All around the room, her classmates were hovering glowing hands over their own props, sealing up small cuts and making minor burns disappear.
Galinda held out her hand and stared at the fake flesh before her. She muttered the phrase that would cast the spell. She poured every ounce of strength she had into her voice, repeating the words over and over again. Nothing happened.
"Miss Galinda, really. Your classmates are doing just fine. What in Oz are you struggling with?"
"I just need more practice," she mumbled.
Morrible smirked. "Very well then. Class dismissed…except for Miss Galinda. You and I are going to practice."
The others packed up their things, casting sympathetic looks at the blonde. She just closed her eyes, ignoring the burn in her cheeks, and waited for the headmistress to speak again.
"Well, go on, my dear. Maybe you'll do better now that there aren't as many people here."
But she didn't do better. She couldn't. No matter how many times or how hard she tried, she couldn't heal the wound in front of her.
It was getting late, and Morrible still wouldn't let her go. Galinda could no longer see the sun outside the classroom's window. She was exhausted, in every possible meaning of the word, and her attempts were only getting worse and worse. Morrible wasn't helping any by inserting snide remarks to tear the blonde down. Finally, she'd had enough.
Morrible tsked. "This isn't even the first time you've struggled with a simple spell. Are you sure you're cut out for this class, my dear?"
Galinda clenched her fists and groaned in frustration. "I'm trying, I—" She cried out, looking down at her hands. Instead of glowing with a healing spell, they were blazing with flickering orange flames.
"Miss Galinda, put that out this instant!" Morrible yelled, stepping toward her.
"I-I can't!" Galinda shook her hands, but she succeeded only in spreading the fire. She cried out as the flames bit at her left arm.
Morrible was there all of a sudden, seizing her wrists and muttering under her breath. The flames died out, but instead of letting her go, Morrible dug her nails into Galinda's skin and shoved her away. The blonde stumbled and fell to the ground. The burn on her arm screamed in agony as it hit the floor.
"You clumsy, pathetic fool!" Morrible screeched. "Get out of my classroom, and don't come back until you gain some ounce of self-control!"
The blonde clambered to her feet and fled the room, barely remembering to grab her bag on the way out.
Outside, the campus was dark and empty. Galinda hurried back to Crage Hall, fighting back tears the entire way. She stumbled into her room and stopped when she saw Elphaba sitting on the bed. She sniffed, willing herself not to cry in front of her roommate. The blonde knew she should have gone to the infirmary, but she just couldn't.
Morrible's voice still echoed in her mind.
Clumsy. Talentless. Pathetic. An excuse for a sorceress.
It wasn't fair! Galinda was trying. She really was. To go to the infirmary now would be admitting defeat. Besides, she should have been able to heal herself with magic.
Madame Morrible was right.
She bit back a sob as pain throbbed through her arm again.
"Miss Galinda, are you going to just stand in the doorway all evening?"
The blonde jumped slightly but gave no response. She was sure that if she opened her mouth, she would start crying for real.
Elphaba shifted on her bed and glanced up from her book. It was immediately clear that something was wrong with her roommate. She probably lost an earring or something, the green girl thought, smirking. "Is something wrong, Miss Galinda?" she asked innocently.
"Leave me alone," the smaller girl said, but her voice came out as nothing more than a whimper. She hugged herself and made her way across the room. Elphaba raised an eyebrow. There was definitely something off about the way her roommate was moving.
Galinda opened her wardrobe and started looking for a nightgown, gritting her teeth at the pain. Suddenly, the wardrobe fell shut, rubbing against her arm. She sucked in a sharp breath.
"Miss Galinda?" The green girl had no doubt now that Galinda was hurt. But what had happened?
"I said leave me alone, Elphaba," the blonde snapped. But there was no point hiding it now, so she just slid out of her clothes and pulled on her nightgown, only half-bothering to conceal the fresh burn that covered most of her upper left arm.
Elphaba watched with a neutral expression. Part of her wanted to say screw it, the blonde more than deserved this. But the other part—the one that was still thinking about her frock, and how she had lied for Galinda—wouldn't allow that. It was the part of her that took constant care of Nessa. The part of her that was throbbing in sympathy, because burns were something she understood all too well.
Oz damn it all, she thought to herself as she got out of bed. Galinda cowered when she passed, but she just ignored her and went to dig through the bathroom. Where was it? And why did her roommate have so many bottles of makeup and perfume and other useless things?
Finally Elphaba found what she was looking for. She went back to the room and tossed the bottle of cream onto Galinda's bed.
The blonde simply looked at it for a moment. Was this some sort of trick? Slowly, trying not to let her fingers shake, she reached for the bottle. A label wrapped around the glass, and on it someone had written in thin, slanted letters, "For burns."
Galinda opened the bottle and dipped two fingers in. She bit her lip as she dabbed the cream onto her arm. The pain immediately died down as her skin cooled beneath the salve. It was all the blonde could do not to moan in relief. When she finished, she replaced the cap on the bottle and set it onto the table between their beds. She looked over at her roommate, suddenly realizing that she would have to thank her.
But Elphaba was already lying down and facing the opposite way, her blanket wrapped tightly around her skinny frame.
Galinda huffed. If the vegetable didn't want to stay awake to hear her gratitude, then fine. She wouldn't say thank you at all. In fact, why should she thank her in the first place? She had done something nice to the green girl first. This just made them even.
Elphaba smiled to herself as she heard her roommate sigh in frustration. There was a rustle of blankets, and then the room went dark. She had managed to help Galinda and annoy her all at once. Now that nagging thought about her mended frock at the back of her mind could go away, and the two girls could continue to be enemies without any feelings of guilt. Everything was back to the way it should be.