A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews I've gotten this year! This could probably be bookverse or musicalverse.

Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked nor do I own the reference that the title makes to a certain 80s film.

Pretty In Pink

Galinda Uppland never truly experienced affection from either of her parents. It wasn't that they were cruel or that they were never home. They simply were too busy living to pay much attention to their lovely daughter. Galinda never really knew what she was missing in both of her parents. To her it seemed that all parents should be this way.

However, that being said, she took anything her parents said to her straight to heart. Especially when it was her mother saying something. Watching her mother prepare for her busy day always fascinated Galinda. The way that she poured through her large closet to find the perfect outfit and the careful amount of time she took applying makeup to cover up imperfections was something that Galinda memorized and put into practice any time she was allowed to dress herself. She was a young, impressionable little girl who idolized her beautiful mother.

One day, Mrs. Uppland noticed her daughter's increasing interest in fashion. She decided that with Galinda approaching the age of seven it was time to discuss with her the importance of appearances from this point forward in her life.

"Here Galinda," her mother told her, "Try this dress on. It will be absolutely darling on you." Galinda accepted the beautiful pink dress and immediately went to a dressing room to try it on. She had been delighted when her mother took her to a store to shop for a new wardrobe and was soaking in every moment spent in her mother's presence.

Once the dress was on, Galinda came back out to show it to her mother. Mrs. Uppland gasped upon seeing her daughter in the dress and immediately began to praise her. "Oh, Galinda. That is the best dress we've tried on so far." She walked toward her daughter and examined the overall fit of the dress before stepping back and nodding approvingly. "Pink is a good color too. It's my favorite color."

Galinda looked down at the dress and then looked back at her mother, beaming. "It's my favorite color too," she agreed although she had thought no such thing. Before this her favorite color had been green.

"This dress is perfect," her mother continued. "The sequins on it really make your eyes sparkle." Galinda then believed that anything that sparkled on a dress was a necessity for fashion.

"I love it," Galinda squealed and hugged the dress closer to her body. "I've never loved anything more in the whole world!"

Galinda's mother smiled. "Smile, sweetie," she instructed. "Smile and it pulls the whole outfit together." Galinda obediently gave her mother her biggest smile and immediately felt herself become happier. It was then, at the age of six, that Galinda decided that there was no point to feeling anything but happiness. What would the use of feeling sad or angry be? Happiness was easier to maintain and made her feel the best.

"Let's buy this one for sure," her mother nodded and instructed Galinda to go try on her other outfits. She had a lunch date planned and wasn't intending to miss it.

So, because her mother supported it, Galinda threw herself into the art of perfecting her own sense of fashion. In elementary school she was the girl with the cutest outfits. In middle school she had the biggest circle of girlfriends who gossiped with her and wanted to pick up her fashion tips. And in high school, she was the girl with the hottest boyfriends, the prettiest friends, and the girl that every other girl wanted to be. Galinda grew up with the notion that the prettiest is the best and that there was nothing below the surface to look for. If outward appearances were perfect then everything on the inside must be perfect too.

Galinda had never experienced true affection from either of her parents. Perhaps if she had, it wouldn't have taken a grumpy green roommate to turn her into a better person.