Fiyero tapped his pencil on his desk as his puzzled over his next math problem. Trying to remember the steps, his brow furrowed. Think, you idiot...think! Finally, he nudged Elphaba's back with his pencil, his eyes glancing up to see if anyone was watching. The professor was lost in her book. Her nose was so long and sharp that it nearly touched the pages.
"Number three?" He whispered.
Elphaba shook her head, her braid swinging from side to side. Fiyero huffed and stuck his pencil in her hair. If she wouldn't help him, then no one would. No one could, really. She may have been green, but she was definitely the brainiest.
She reached her long fingers back into her hair and pulled the pencil out of her braid, jerking it back to Fiyero's desk. He placed it back in, higher this time.
"Number three..."
Elphaba raised her hand.
"No! Don't tell! I'm sorry!"
She merely wiggled her fingers. The professor called on her, and she went up to her desk. Fiyero's heart pounded. He'd really done it this time.
The teacher nodded and Elphaba walked out of the room, waving to Fiyero secretly.
What? Fiyero's eyebrows furrowed again. He looked down at his paper. Number three...He worked out what he could in his head, then finally got it. Five! Elphaba's hand had five fingers! He planned on giving her the biggest hug ever when the professor called out that time was up. As he left the classroom with the rest of the puzzled students, he handed his test in and his instructor lifted an eyebrow.
"Only three done, Tiggular?"
"It was hard." Fiyero shrugged.
"I went over these for three weeks," She pointed out. She sighed as she took it in her skinny fingers. "Then again, it's you. Very well, move on."
The prince walked out of the classroom, ready to laugh his head off at his latest victory. Be careless wasn't that harmful.
Elphaba came out of the library, closing a thick book that looked so advanced Fiyero didn't even want to read the cover. He strode over to her and wrapped her in his arms.
"Eck. Don't get all gushy." She pulled back and lifted one side of her mouth. "You could be better, you know. At tests."
"Do I know that?" He joked, knocking his head.
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You tell me." The started down the hall and into the lawn, where Elphaba caught him looking at her again and sneered.
"Well, aren't we moody today?" The prince smiled. "I can do things, you know."
"Like what?"
"I can run. Race you?"
Elphaba's eyebrows crawled up her forehead. Racing Fiyero? He was strong and heavy and muscular. She was basically the description of a green stick. But she was light, which may have given her an advantage. "Okay. To the pond."
Glinda ran up to them, her curls flying. "Heya!"
"Glin, time us. I want to always remember the time when I beat Elphaba Thropp." Fiyero handed her his stopwatch and gave an overly dramatic stretch.
Glinda giggled and took his stopwatch as they both got into place.
"Ready...set...go!"
They leaped into action, both legs pumping fast as they darted past goggling students and teachers. Elphaba's hair fell out of her braid and Fiyero's hand balled into tight fists. Faster...faster...faster...
The pond came into view now, and both Elphaba and Fiyero rushed at it with all the might they could muster. Fiyero scolded himself in his brain...just beat her...
Elphaba darted a whole five steps ahead of the prince, and made it to the lake.
They fell to the ground, hearing Glinda's excited squeals from the courtyard.
"No fair..." Fiyero huffed. "You're a girl!"
Elphaba paused and stared.
For some reason, she felt like she'd been told that before.