Chapter 21
Everyone was stunned by Elphaba's appearance when the group entered the OzDust. They had never seen her so dressed up before, and it a shock to their system. The girls gaped at her and whispered to one another how no one would have guessed the green girl could be pretty; while the boys were suddenly struck that the green girl was a girl.
Overall, the night seemed to be going well. They danced, there was no awful punch and a few girls even complimented Elphaba on her dress. Nessa spent the first forty-five minutes of the night ogling a boy across the room that was in Elphaba's literature class before Elphaba 'helpfully' introduced them; and Micah and Galinda spent almost the entire night wrapped in each other's arms on the dance floor, gazing into each other's eyes.
"Will you two get a room?" Fiyero teased them as they finally re-joined the group at a table they had claimed off the dance floor, both tired of dancing for the moment and ready for some food.
Galinda blushed scarlet but Micah grinned at his friend.
"Says the guy who is completely and totally enamoured by his girlfriend and won't stop staring at her."
"There's a difference between staring and making everyone throw up in their mouths," Elphaba retorted, also blushing.
"Elphaba and Fiyero have never been that bad," Boq agreed. "Even when Fiyero was pining after her."
Fiyero scoffed. "Of course not. I have a reputation to uphold you know... and I wasn't pining."
Nessa giggled. "So, writing to her three times a week during the summer before you finally asked her out was… what?"
Fiyero couldn't think of an answer and they all laughed.
"Just admit it, Tiggular. You've been whipped since you met her," Micah teased and Fiyero smiled softly at Elphaba.
"What can I say? I fell under her spell."
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "And that's not cheesy at all."
There was a sudden scraping noise and the group looked around to see Anslem making a big show of looking around for something. Elphaba noticed that, as usual, he was surrounded by his cohorts and she rolled her eyes.
"For the love of Oz… I hope your parents pay these idiots good money to follow you around everywhere," she addressed him.
"Although it must be awkward sleeping arrangements when you have to travel in a pack."
"It's a safety thing," Fiyero told her seriously. "If they weren't trailing after him everywhere, he wouldn't have the brain power to find the door of a morning."
"So, between the five of them they have the intelligence of a single person?" Boq asked.
"I can see that," Elphaba retorted.
"Anslem, what are you doing?" Nessa demanded.
"Yeah, if you're dumb enough to try and look up a girls' dress, the usual way is to try and be discreet," Galinda added.
Anslem straightened up with a glare. "I'm looking for the Witch's broomstick. There's a full moon tonight, I thought witches always flew on a broom during a full moon?"
Elphaba too, looked under the table and then looked around her and snapped her fingers in mock disappointment.
"Oz, darn it, I guess I left it back in my room. But hey, if I get the urge to go for a spin, there's always the broomstick wedged up your ass."
Anslem smirked. "Oh and wouldn't you love the chance to pull it out, greenie?"
He glanced at Fiyero and nodded towards Elphaba.
"She actually doesn't look so disgustified tonight. Tell me, Prince boy- she any good in the sack?"
Fiyero's eyes darkened. "I'd shut the hell up if I were you, Anslem, before Elphaba casts a spell to shrivel your testicles."
"Oh, I don't think it's possible for them to get any smaller," Galinda muttered mockingly and Anslem sneered.
"Want to see for yourself, Lady Upland?"
Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "You know, there's a spell in my Sorcery textbook I've been dying to try out. I'm not sure what it does, but Madame Morrible said it is only to be attempted in the most dire circumstances. One more word and I'm declaring the circumstances dire," she warned.
Anslem leaned in towards her, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"Try it, Artichoke. Knew the sex was what Tiggular sees in you. I bet you're a regular fireball in bed, huh? Too much heat not to be… if I wasn't so sickened by Brussels Sprouts, I'd be willing to try it. Although, my mother always said eating my vegetables was good for me."
He reached out and trailed his hand down Elphaba's bare arm suggestively, and in a flash of rage, Fiyero had him pinned up against the wall, one hand around his throat.
"If you ever so much as think about going in a five-mile radius of her, I will hang you by your neck on a pole in the middle of a corn field; and you will be in so much pain the crows will come from miles around just to laugh. Understood?" he threatened, his eyes flashing furiously and his tone ice cold and completely serious.
Anslem made a choking sound, and then Fiyero became aware of people pulling him away from Anslem.
"Fiyero, let him go, man," Micah said quietly in his ear and as Fiyero complied, he became aware Boq was on his other side, helping Micah whilst Anslem's friends helped him to his feet.
"Is there a problem here?" asked a deep voice.
Nessa had had the sense to summon security when Anslem had turned to her sister, and she quickly spoke up now.
"Anslem and these boys were harassing us," she explained and the security guard turned to him. "They provoked Fiyero to attack him."
The security guards turned to Anslem, accepting Nessa's story as truth as Galinda and Boq nodded in agreement, supporting her story. "Alright, the five of you- outside. I don't want you back in here for the rest of the night, understood?"
Anslem looked like he wanted to protest, but the guard was bigger than he was and he was still massaging his throat, so he didn't dare argue. As they brushed past the group on their way out and the onlookers turned away to gossip, Fiyero turned to the girls breathing heavily, trying to calm himself.
"You okay, Yero?" Micah asked, clapping him on the shoulder and he nodded.
Nessa was shaking slightly, Galinda's eyes were wide and she had her hands clamped over her mouth in horror. Elphaba was watching him silently and he pulled her close to him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, closing his eyes. "I couldn't just ignore him… the thought of him-"
"I know," she murmured soothingly. "I know, Yero."
They just stood there for a long time, holding one another. Micah puts his arms around Galinda, who was still horrified by the scene that had occurred.
"Did he just apologise?" he asked her softly, making sure he had heard his friend correctly.
Galinda nodded. "Yeah. He promised Elphie a long time ago he'd ignore what everyone was saying about them... about her. Morrible threatened to expel him once and Elphie made him promise not to risk it."
All of the OzDust was abuzz with the news and gossip about what had occurred, but the group tried to ignore them, determined not to let Anslem ruin their night.
"I'd like to propose a toast," Galinda beamed at them, ordering a round of champagne.
"You guys… are my closest friends and I could never have imagined that we'd all be friends when we started at Shiz. But I know that whatever the future holds for us all, we're going to friends for life. So, to the future!" she declared lifting her glass.
"To the future," Nessa agreed as they all clinked glasses.
It was maybe an hour later that Elphaba and Fiyero were thinking of calling it a night and heading back to campus, when Pfannee and Milla came up to the group, their eyes alight with gossip.
"Oh my Oz! Have you heard?"
"Heard what?" Galinda demanded.
"Anslem and the boys- they're outside! Can't you hear them? Security's about to go out and remove them from the premises!"
Curiously, the group headed to join the growing crowd by the window to see what was going on. Although it was dark, they could see Anslem and his gang outside, yelling and making obscene gestures.
"Come on, princey-boy!" Anslem yelled tauntingly. "You and me, let's go! Winner gets to screw the Artichoke!"
"Are they drunk?" Boq frowned, as Fiyero stiffened at Elphaba's side and she squeezed his hand comfortingly.
"I'd say so. Looks like they can barely stand," Micah squinted out the window.
"How in Oz can you tell that? You can hardly see anything!" Galinda demanded.
"Corin," Fiyero and Micah replied in unison.
They watched as security went outside and tried to forcibly remove the five boys from the street outside the OzDust. Being that they were vastly outnumbered though, it was hopeless.
"I'm going to go out and help them," Fiyero decided.
"I'll come too," Micah agreed.
Galinda was horrified. "No, you can't! Just let security deal with them!"
"Galinda, there's five of them and two security guys. They need some help," Fiyero pointed out. "Come on, Micah."
Elphaba grabbed his arm as he made to move.
"Fae, I'll be fine," he assured her and she nodded.
"I know you will. I'm just… they are drunk and they are morons. You know what Anslem's like. Don't let them get to you, please?" she asked him quietly and he kissed her.
"I promise. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"I'll come too," Boq offered, but Nessa cut him off sharply.
"No, you won't. One of those idiots could crush you. Stay here with us."
"We'll be fine Boq, but thanks anyway," Micah thanked him with a smile and they headed outside.
Galinda was almost in tears, the wonderfully swankified night she had planned to celebrate their last year at Shiz was, in her mind, ruined.
"Why do Anslem and those idiots have to ruin everything?" she wailed. "This dance was a bad idea, Elphie, you were right."
"Glin, Anslem has been an ass all his life. If this didn't happen now, it would just happen later," Boq assured her. "I, for one, can't wait to see Fiyero give him what he deserves."
"As long as he doesn't get expelled," Nessa murmured worriedly, looking at her sister.
Elphaba shook her head calmly. "We're not on campus, he can't get expelled. Arrested, yes but expelled no."
By now, there was a large crowd struggling to see what was going on, all attempting to peer out the window. Even the band had stopped playing, as all their audience was distracted. Boq, Elphaba and Galinda were being slightly squashed amongst the crowd, whilst Nessa and her chair were being pulled away.
"Boq, can you see what's going on?" Galinda asked the Munchkin boy, who had the best view.
"Uh, yeah. The security guys and Micah are dealing with the others… I think-I think Anslem's going for Fiyero."
Elphaba struggled to look out the window but gave up.
"This is ridiculous. I'm going out there," she announced.
Galinda paled. "What? No, Elphie! You can't!"
"I'm not going to join in the fight, Glin. I just want to see what's going on," she assured her.
"The security can handle it," Nessa insisted.
"I know they can, Nessa. I'm not doubting them, I just don't want to hear what's going on from people who are treating this like a sporting event instead of-"
"Oh!" a boy yelled from the back of the crowd. "It is on, between Tiggular and Anslem! Any bets on who wins?"
Elphaba shot her sister a pointed look and headed towards the door.
"Elphaba-" Boq started to protest as he, Galinda and Nessa followed her.
Elphaba ignored him. She was just at the door when a sound echoed through the night, making her blood run cold. A gunshot.