AN:Hello, dearies! Surprise, surprise! I'm back from the dead. I don't expect to go MIA again, since we're slowly getting to the end of this story. I hope that's a crumb of consolation. Anyways, hope you'll like this update! Fingers crossed, there will be more in about a week (or two lol)Happy reading!XOXO MLE
Chapter Twenty-four
Worried sick, Glinda arrived at Fiyero's place. It didn't matter that he'd assured her that he was okay; there could be no trivial reason behind his sudden cry for support and comfort. She had to admit though that, besides Fiyero's apparent distress, this call-out was not an entirely unwelcome distraction from that bizarre business with Chuffrey.
"Hey, babe," her friend greeted her, his expression unreadable. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
"Of course," replied Glinda, mustering a small smile.
He led her inside and got her a glass of water from the tab. There was something strange and mechanic about the way he moved. He hardly talked, unless she encouraged him to, and even then, his answers were brief and lukewarm.
"Do you want to talk about whatever it is that prompted you to summon me?" Glinda ventured eventually, walking over to where he stood, his arms propping him up against the kitchen counter.
"I, um…"
She hated to see him struggle like this, and her heart went out for him.
"It's me. You can tell me anything, right? If you want to that is. Otherwise just say so, and I'll think of something silly to just cheer—"
"My father called," he blurted out all of a sudden, taking her by surprise.
"Oh," was all she managed to say at first, staring at him with wide eyes. "That's… unusual."
"Yeah."
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she contemplated how to proceed. The last time Fiyero had spoken to any of his family had been almost two years ago. The fallout hadn't been pretty, but Glinda had been there for him, and after the initial breakdown, Fiyero's outlook on his kinless future had changed completely. She hated to even think about the potential damage his father's initiation of contact might have done to his emotional wellbeing.
"Listen, Fi," she said quietly, gently rubbing his back, "whatever he—"
"He apologised." Fiyero told her, shaking his head. Glinda's hand dropped as she was rendered perfectly speechless from the shock. Fiyero shook his head again and, after taking a deep breath, continued. "He also asked if… if there was anything I needed. Overall, he sounded quite genuine. Surprisingly."
Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Glinda cleared her throat. She still couldn't find the words to express what she was thinking. Neither did she know what exactly it was that Fiyero needed from her right now.
"So, what did you say?" she probed carefully.
"My first thought was to just blow him off. I mean, after everything that has happened between us... There is no chance in hell that they can simply pay their way out of the hurt they have caused. But in the end, I figured that a little financial support would really help me keep up my work. And, I mean, they can afford it. There's no need to feel bad or anything. So I told him that. I also made sure to stress that this would definitely not be a shortcut to redemption. If we do this, nobody should go into this with false expectations."
"That's a good idea," agreed Glinda.
"Besides, activism begins at home, right?" He flashed her a pained grin. "If I can improve my relationship with my family, I wouldn't be doing it just for myself. I don't want to sound delusional, but if there's even a tiny chance to make them understand, it could have a bit of a small domino effect, right?"
"Perhaps unlikely, but not impossible. You shouldn't make this your priority though, I think."
"I know. It's just another side benefit. Or rather potential benefit, I suppose. At any rate, the more I ponder over this, the less guilty I feel about even just taking their money for as long as they are willing to give it and not do much in return. As long as they behave, I'll play nice, but if they ever do so much as question my choices, they're out."
She was glad to hear him being so rational about this—or at least he was trying to be. Goodness knows that intentions and reality do not always match up all that well. Smiling, she closed the gap between them to embrace him in a warm hug.
"Just don't forget about this resolution. Ever. Call me if you need someone to remind you, 'kay?"
"'Kay," he replied, turning around to wrap his arms around her as well.
Glinda could feel the weight of his head resting on hers, and she could hear him inhaling deeply as he took in the familiar scent of her hair. She suddenly felt guilty for not being there for him as much as he might actually need her. Perhaps what he needed was a committed platonic partner who could live with him like she used to, and share his life. She wished she could be that person for him. He'd deserve that. But unfortunately, they were not meant for each other. Not like this. For, to assure his happiness, she'd have to sacrifice too many of her own needs and wants. Besides being not exactly a martyre type, she truly doubted such a relationship would withstand the trials they'd both face throughout their lives. All she could hope for was that someone would come along eventually. Being his closest friend, she'd put them to the most stringent tests, and if they made it through, she'd congratulate them and do all in her power to help them make things work.
She squeezed him a little harder at the thought. Fiyero began to laugh at that and gently freed himself from her grip.
"You're squashing me," he chuckled.
"Am I? Well, I guess your muscles must have softened then, oh Great Hunter of the Thousand Year Grasslands."
Making an amused sound, he prodded his stomach with his finger.
"You know they have. All I do is sit inside and write. There are no abs left to speak of. But at least poverty has kept me lean. As things are looking right now, I'm going to get a little pudgier over the next few months."
"Don't you dare!" she exclaimed in a playfully warning tone. "Do yourself a favour and start by buying a gym membership with your first allowance. If you're too introverted to get out of the house, you need to make up for that lack of exercise somehow. You're going to die of heart failure at age forty-five and leave me behind all lost and grieving."
"Wow. Okay. Can't have that, can we? But you know, plenty of the fancier apartment buildings come with their own gyms."
"You're thinking of moving?" The idea made her perk up immediately.
"Duh. It's not like I chose to be holed up in this dreary cave."
"Huh. And I always thought you didn't really care much one way or the other."
"I was just resigned to my fate. I'm pretty sure a friendlier, more comfortable place will be beneficial to my mood, considering how much time I spend indoors."
"Sounds good. I'll definitely help you move your two boxes of belongings," she offered eagerly.
"I was actually going to ask you to accompany me when I look at apartments."
"Can't wait! But first things first."
Fiyero watched her curiously as she went to rummage through the fridge, then pulled out a bottle of orange juice to pour the contents into two flute glasses. She placed one in front of him and rose hers to eye height.
"To turning tides."
"As long as they don't turn back again," he added, and chinked his glass against hers.
Both sipped on their drinks, then contorted their faces in disgust.
"Fiyero, how long has this stuff been in the fridge?" Glinda demanded, barely able to swallow her mouthful.
"Too long, I guess?" He quickly took a drink directly from the tab. "Sorry, I spoilt the moment," he laughed.
"Meh, whatever." Glinda returned the flute with the expired juice to him. "Quick, selfie. Pretend it's drinkable, but don't drink."
She posed, looping her arm through his and urged him to smile and raise his glass before taking a photo with her phone.
She sent the photo to Crope and Tibbett, to let them know that she was safely with Fiyero. They almost certainly were doomed to die of worry if she went MIA after her mystery date.
Tibbett soon replied to her message.
'Not fair! He already had a birthday party with you!'
Rolling her eyes, Glinda shook her head.
'Not a birthday party. Celebrating the news that he's finally gonna move out of his shithole apartment. I'll stay the night.'
'Oh, ok. Congrats!'
'How was your date?'
Upon reading the question, Glinda groaned quietly and locked her phone without answering.
The following morning, Glinda woke up to a message from Chuffrey—which she decided to ignore for the time being—and one from Elphaba, enquiring about her attendance at the birthday celebration this afternoon. Fiyero crept up from behind her, peering over her shoulder to read.
"You're thinking of not going?" he surmised from her reluctance to reply.
Glinda tilted her head to cast him a disapproving look.
"Not cool."
"No harm done," he shrugged. "It's not like you were discussing something deeply personal."
"But how do you know that before sneaking up and reading it all?" challenged Glinda. "Besides, my decision not to go is personal."
Fiyero's expression turned from cheeky to caring.
"So you've already made up your mind?"
"Not quite," she admitted, slumping her shoulders dejectedly. "It's exhausting sometimes to be around Elphaba and not knowing what to do. It's even more exhausting to deal with Sarima at the same time."
"The Vinkun girl?" Fiyero asked, trying to concentrate on recalling the fragments of information he already had.
"Yes. She's very… physical."
"That's not unusual for my people," he chuckled.
Glinda sighed.
"I know. And because of that, I used to wonder if I was just imagining things at first. But she's super into Elphaba. It's pretty obvious and definitely not because of how she normally behaves." She grimaced at the unwelcome memories coming to her mind, then covered her face with her hands. "It's hard to keep it together when she is like all over her."
"What does Elphaba say or do about it?"
"Nothing?" Glinda spread her fingers to look at Fiyero through the gaps. "At least not when I'm around to see it. I can't tell if she is interested, plain unaware, or… something else?"
"Well, in that case," Fiyero said gravely, "you must either ask, or come forward to make your own bid. They both need to know that you're also a contender in this game."
Shaking her head, Glinda moved her hands up and raked her fingers through her messy curls
"Fiyero."
"Well, you should start by going to this damn party. It's her birthday party. Not going almost screams 'I don't care.'"
"No, that's not true," she replied stubbornly. "We had our own, very private little get-together."
"Okay, that's pretty cute," admitted Fiyero with a small chuckle. "I still think you should go."
"Make me something decent for breakfast, and I shall make up my mind in the meantime," she decreed then, arms crossed, chin raised and face regal
"There is no decent food to be had here, oh Queen," her friend teased her back. "May I suggest we get dressed and have breakfast at a café?"
"Make it so," Glinda said with a playfully haughty nod.
Fiyero's prodding and cajoling proved successful in the end. After breakfast, they took the tram to the city, where they went hunting for the perfect birthday party outfit. Certain that his father would keep his word, Fiyero paid for it. When Glinda protested, he told her that it was the least he could do after relying on her financial support for so long, making it very much seem like a matter of honour or death.
They went to an ice cream parlour and ordered two huge sundaes—mostly so Glinda had an excuse to use their nice, tidy bathroom for a quick change. But the salted caramel banana split was pretty amazing, too.
Eventually, Fiyero walked her to the bar where the event was to take place. Glinda insisted that they should be a few minutes late, rather than too early. Kissing his cheek, she thanked him and bid him goodbye.
"You could come inside with me if you like?" she ventured, but Fiyero wrinkled his nose.
"Please don't ask again, or I'll feel obliged to do it. But you know I'd feel rather uncomfortable in there."
"Yes, I understand. I just wanted to make sure to offer. I mean, finally meeting Elphaba would be a good thing, right?"
"Another time," he promised, then proceeded to give her a fleeting peck on her forehead. "Now off you go. No stalling, right?"
When she enquired inside, a staff member nodded and showed her to the courtyard in the back.
Elphaba was surrounded by a number of friends, others sat at the nearby tables, drinking, talking and snacking on finger food. Recognising most of their faces, Glinda felt marginally more at ease. Whom she hadn't expected to see among the colourful mix of Animals and Ozians were Crope and Tibbett. Immediately distracted from any reservations she might have had, she made a beeline for their table.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?" she laughed before greeting them with light air kisses.
"Your heart-Thropp came by to check whether you were coming to the party, but when Crope opened the door and told her that you weren't in, she invited us to tag along."
"We did tell her that you were safe and sound at Fiyero's," added Crope, "but she didn't think it would be a good idea to chase after you any further."
"We were a bit confused, actually. Did your phone die or something? Why would she even go so far as to show up at the flat, not yet knowing whether you were coming at all?"
Face blushing with guilt, Glinda awkwardly cleared her voice.
"I, um, might have forgotten to reply to her text. I wasn't sure if I should come or not in the first place."
"Well, we're glad you made it, especially now that we're here, too," Tibbett said, grinning from ear to ear. "It might be a good idea though to say hi to the host."
Hesitantly, she looked over to the small crowd, identifying those closest to Elphaba. Sarima was there, of course, right beside her, laughing, a bottle of beer precariously dangling between her fingers. The blonde sighed.
"Fine. I'll be back soonish."
"Take your time!" she heard Crope sing-song and giggle after her as she slowly made her way over to the group, holding on tightly to the strap of her handbag.
She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay cool and casual. She wasn't intimidated by Sarima, just like she wasn't nervous and giddy around Elphaba. Maybe if she repeated this mantra often enough, it would become reality sooner or later.
Elphaba noticed her approach when they were still a few feet apart. She stopped talking and, by the looks of it, listening to her entourage. They made eye contact, yet hyperaware of Elphaba's surprise to see her, Glinda couldn't hold it without glancing away intermittently.
"Hi," she said shyly as she arrived, and Elphaba echoed the greeting.
The green girl seemed eager to ask about her sudden, rather unexpected arrival, but decided not to while they were surrounded by so many people. The others welcomed her and immediately went back to their earlier conversation, to which Glinda contributed every now and then, if only with limited enthusiasm.
Appreciating the small, apologetic looks that Elphaba frequently cast her, Glinda stayed as long as she could bear, despite feeling very much an outsider. Her mind not nearly engaged enough with the topic at hand, the blonde's focus often drifted where she least wanted it; even ostensibly preoccupied with chatting and laughing along with the others, Sarima couldn't hide from her that every single touch on green skin, every single bump into Elphaba's body was entirely deliberate and calculated. Glinda was left to wonder whether the Vinkun had been doing this all evening, or whether she was putting on a show just for her, to mark her territory and assert her dominance, as it were. Whatever her agenda, Glinda was not going to participate in Sarima's stupid game. Mustering a bright smile, she reached for Elphaba's hand and nodded briefly to signal her departure from the conversation. She made sure not to look at Sarima at all when she turned around to head back to her flatmates' table, ordering a drink from a waiter she crossed paths with on the way.
Brrr came over at some point, Chistery on his arm. His attempts to dissuade the little Monkey from chewing on the party hat he'd been given were utterly fruitless, yet highly effective in cheering her up.
"At least it's only a paper hat," Glinda commented, trying herself if she could pry the thing from his vicelike grip.
As the birthday girl, it took Elphaba seemingly forever to free herself from the equally robust grip of her other guests. After she'd succeeded at last, she joined Glinda at her semi-secluded corner table. Crope and Tibbett had long ditched her company for the dancefloor.
"Aren't you lonely?" she asked, head cocked.
"Not particularly. I just don't think I have the energy to keep up conversations all night long."
Elphaba nodded, casting her a sheepish look.
"I didn't think you'd show up at all," she said, and Glinda's cheeks coloured in mild embarrassment.
"Apologies for my awful communication skills the last few days, especially this morning. I just had… a lot on my plate, I suppose. Not that that's a decent excuse."
"It's fine," Elphaba quickly interrupted her, flashing her a grin. "It's just a dumb birthday party that the others insisted on."
Glinda knew she wasn't straight-up honest about her feelings. Perhaps she didn't care much for the party itself—she'd said so often enough—but she'd also been pestering Glinda for long enough now to make it sufficiently clear that her presence was required. Heck, she'd even tried to pick her up from her apartment without any prior confirmation. She still couldn't quite figure out yet why Elphaba had been so insistent, but the more she mulled over it, the worse she felt for how unreliable she'd been this morning.
"Well, at any rate, Crope and Tibbs are clearly stoked to be here. They really like you."
"They hardly know me," Elphaba protested incredulously."
"Maybe that's why," quipped Glinda, then added, "Just joking, of course," hoping that Elphaba wouldn't take her little jest too seriously. "They are intrigued by you," she continued. "Obviously curious about the green and all that, but with them that's never a bad thing. They are positively biased towards anyone and anything unusual. And then there's the fact that you're my friend. I don't have many other unusual friends—bar Fiyero, perhaps, but he's pretty tame and also tends to avoid these two crazies where possible."
"You spent the night at his, right?" asked Elphaba. "Could have dragged him along with you."
"Yeah, no chance," laughed Glinda. "He dropped me off, actually. I asked him if he wanted to come inside, but it was pretty clear from the beginning that that wasn't going to happen."
"Fair enough."
"That being said, he is more than keen to meet you."
"Gosh," chuckled Elphaba. "To what do I owe such popularity?"
"That's nothing yet!" Exclaimed Glinda. "If you want popular, I can make you populer than you could ever imagine. Just say the word and it will be done."
Elphaba stared back at her blankly before responding.
"No thanks," she said finally and took a swig from her bottle. Glinda was in stiches.
Their intimate togetherness was short-lived, as it didn't take Sarima long to miss Elphaba's presence and attention.
"Hey, princess," she grinned as she took a seat.
Glinda somehow managed a tired smile.
"Hi. How ya doing?"
"I met your flatmates. They're fun."
'Does that surprise you?' Glinda thought to herself, but simply nodded. "They are. I was very lucky to move in with them."
"It's a shame that Boq couldn't make it, right?" Sarima commented, changing the topic slightly. "I think the two of you are getting on rather well."
While Glinda didn't particularly mind the Munchkin boy, she couldn't exactly agree either. Unsure what Sarima was getting at, she simply shrugged, then asked, "Where is he anyways?"
"On a date," Elphaba supplied. "Apparently."
A little later, a big cake was delivered, complete with candles and tons of icing. Elphaba turned an adorable shade of dark green with a tinge of purple as everyone gathered around to serenade her with the obligatory birthday song. Once the song had finished, everyone cheered and clapped, except for Sarima, who used her strategic position next to Elphaba to place a long, hard kiss on her cheek.
"Happy Birthday!"
Glinda didn't stand there long enough to see Elphaba's reaction. Instead, she spun around and returned to her chair. She continued to keep to herself most of the time. Occasionally, she dared to single Elphaba out among the others and watch her for a bit. Sarima was never far away, if away at all. None of the other guests spent as much time with Elphaba as she did. It was depressing, and as the evening progressed, Glinda spent less and less time studying any of her surroundings, idly playing with a stack of coasters or her phone instead. Mostly ignored by the crowd, she was surprised when Brrr once again approached her.
"It's not like you being so anti-social," he chuckled with a wink before his expression softened. "It's getting late and Chistery and I need to head home. I could take you back to your place if you wish?"
"That's kind, thank you," Glinda replied, stifling a yawn. "But I promised my flatmates that we'd leave together. Someone sober needs to watch out for them, or they probably won't find their way back."
The Lion laughed and nodded before leaving her alone with her thoughts. Chistery gave a little shriek, waving on the way out.
The longer the evening lasted, the more alcohol made it into the bloodstreams of the remaining party guests. Crope and Tibbett hadn't returned once from the dance floor, leaving Glinda to marvel at their incredible endurance. Periodically, she lifted her gaze to find them in the crowd and gauge their level of intoxication, her concern growing the rowdier their dancing became. When a waiter passed by her table, bearing yet another bottle bound in their direction, she finally made up her mind to intervene.
"I think my friends had enough to drink," she told the young man firmly.
"But the beer is already on the bill," protested the waiter.
"Then perhaps I'll have it," declared the blonde to avoid further discussion.
Though hesitant, the man nodded and placed the drink on her table, producing a bottle opener to remove the lid for her. She took a sip and made a face. Beer had never been her thing, and she feared the remainder of the golden liquid would have to go to waste.
To avoid having to intersect and sample more of Crope and Tibbett's orders, she decided to have a word with them. If she was really lucky, they might even agree to leave soon. Still, she wasn't holding her breath for that.
On her way over to the dancefloor, she spotted Elphaba in a far corner, all alone for a change. Typing away on her phone, she was unlikely to notice her standing there. Casting a glance at her flatmates, Glinda decided that theirs was not a life or death situation, but if she couldn't catch Elphaba's attention right now while she was not otherwise occupied, she probably wouldn't be able to speak to her again for the remainder of the night.
As she started into the direction of the other girl, her determination was thrown out of kilter by the beeping of her phone. She stopped for a second to check it, and a grin spread across her lips as she read the message she'd received from Elphaba.
'You still around? Couldn't find you anywhere.'
Rather than texting back, Glinda decided to quickly make her way over to her friend. The spring in her steps faltered abruptly, however, when she saw Sarima arriving before her, placing a glass on the table and unabashedly taking a seat on Elphaba's lap. Heart hammering hard against her chest, Glinda stood rooted to the ground, thoughts flashing through her head like a thunderstorm. Should she abandon her mission or take the offensive? After all, Sarima had monopolised Elphaba the entire evening, and perhaps it was time for Glinda to stop playing nice and fight for her share.
Yet even as she took her first resolute step towards her target, Sarima sensually wrapped her arms around Elphaba's neck and bent down to kiss her fully and deeply. Glinda's entire body froze. While the dark, silky curtain of Elphaba's hair prevented a perfect view, she was certain that this was not a chaste kiss on the cheeks. Unable to move as much as her little toe, the blonde was forced to watch. There was no way of knowing how long the kiss lasted. Whether it was one clock-tick or thirty, as far as Glinda was concerned, time had slowed down to an excruciating degree, intent on making this as heartbreaking for her as possible.
Finally, Elphaba moved to respond, gently yet firmly placing her hand against Sarima's chest. She was pushing her away, but that wasn't much of a surprise. Glinda didn't expect her to be one for displaying too much affection in public, and Sarima's approach had been pretty full on. She managed a shaky breath, though it hurt a little. Sensation began to return to her limbs, and she supposed she was free to move again if she so wished. But to what end? Intervention was no longer an option, as it would now amount to nothing more than a display of her pettiness.
Despite the agony, she couldn't will herself to look away, her eyes taking in the scene with undue eagerness. If nothing else, a distant, unnaturally reasonable voice told her, the unfolding events would give her closure, eventually helping her to overcome her anyway rather inconvenient obsession with the green girl. Perhaps, things were always meant to play out this way.
She watched them as they exchanged a couple of words, watched as Sarima leaned in once again to cover Elphaba's lips. Elphaba turned away her head, but placed her hands on the Vinkun's hips, slowly pushing her away so that she could rise to her feet. Letting go of her midsection, she now grasped Sarima's wrist and briskly whisked off to somewhere quieter.
Glinda's eyes followed them until they disappeared behind a corner, then remained gawking at the unassuming brick wall for a while longer. As the shock gradually wore off, she could feel tears well up in her eyes, and she began wiping at them furiously. Sniffling her nose and clearing her throat, she turned around to locate Crope and Tibbett. Her friends needed her help, and doing her friendly duty would be a half-way decent method to distract herself from the heart wrenching emptiness in her chest.
The boys were just about to accept another drink from a female waiter when Glinda came to interrupt.
"Guys, you're completely sloshed. Whether you come home with me now or dance through the night, water will be your only fuel from now on."
Crope protested loudly, but undeterred, Glinda sent the waitress in the direction of other guests who might take the drinks instead. Tibbett hugged his boyfriend to console him for his keenly felt loss.
"You'll have more next time," he promised, slurring his speech, and smoothing his hair reassuringly.
Glinda humphed and shook her head.
"Actually, I don't think it's a good idea to stay much longer. Just give me five minutes, and we're good to go."
She left them for a quick visit to the bathroom, but on the way there, she passed the same corner where she'd last seen Elphaba and Sarima. She paused to stare at it for a second or two, until a host of awfully stupid ideas began to nag her. What if she risked just the briefest of glimpses to see what the two girls were up to, or if they were still there at all. It wasn't entirely impossible that they had left the party to continue the celebration in private.
With bated breath, Glinda looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Surely, none of the others would have as much as an inkling of what she was planning, but secrecy still seemed compulsory when she was so highly aware of the fact that stalking the supposed lovers was terribly wrong.
She neared the corner from the side so she'd be able to mostly maintain her cover while peering ahead. What she discovered was but a plain, empty passage—the brick wall on one side, a fence and an unkempt hedge on the other. The two lamps illuminating the area were doing a horrific job, making it impossible for her to see further than a few metres. The passage, she suspected, stretched much further than that.
Deciding to follow the path nonetheless, Glinda took her first step. The sound of the crunching gravel beneath her feet almost made her reconsider, but she sucked in a sharp breath and, holding it, continued onwards, treading as softly as humanly possible.
Soon she heard voices. The sound of Elphaba's rich mezzo-soprano was unmistakable, just like Sarima's distinctive Vinkun accent. Much to her chagrin, the acoustics weren't great, making it sheer impossible for her to guess even a single word spoken. Swallowing hard and biting her lip in determination, she inched closer, until she was able to make out two figures beneath a dying light.
There was a door, though closed, and a number of crates. Elphaba sat on one of the crates, shoulders slumped, facing the ground. Sarima, very much to Glinda's astonishment, stood a fair distance away from her, arms crossed. Shadows concealed both girls' expressions. Sarima said something that Glinda still couldn't quite understand. Her voice was too soft and wavering. Maybe she was even crying. Glinda could feel her own stomach lurch. While this was not the worst case scenario she'd expected, she knew she shouldn't be here.
Elphaba's words, despite sounding stronger and firmer, were almost just as intelligible. Glinda could only reliably understand the phrases "my fault" and "too far." A few mumbled sentences later, the word "friends" stuck out to her, just before Elphaba stood and offered her hand to Sarima.
Glinda didn't dare waiting to witness the outcome. With Elphaba on her feet, it no longer felt safe to linger around. After all, it would be best if she got back to the party area well before the other two started on their way back. After the first few tentative paces, Glinda quickened her steps to increase her margin. Finding Crope and Tibbett crashed at one of the tables, she rushed over to rally them for the trip home.
"To your feet soldiers," she said, feigning cheerfulness. "Up, up! Time to go."
Tibbett pushed himself up sluggishly. "Alright, nanny. Show the way, and we shall follow." Poking Crope with his finger, he added, "Up you get, lazy bum."
Crope did not cooperate. Pouting and scowling, he barely moved enough to avoid the bothersome prodding.
"I didn't think you were still here," a voice behind them said, and Glinda whirled around with nearly just as much panic in her gut as if Elphaba had caught her right back there in the dark passage.
"Al—already on our way home," Tibbett informed the birthday girl helpfully.
Glinda averted her eyes and blushed.
"Sorry. I wasn't hiding from you," she murmured quietly. "But you seemed well taken care of anyway."
A frown flashed across Elphaba's face, but she didn't reply to that.
"Well, uh, it's pretty late. If you want, I can drive you guys home." Leaning slightly into Glinda, she noted, "Your friends look pretty wasted."
Chuckling slightly, Glinda shuffled even closer.
"They can't handle free booze."
"Say no more," grinned Elphaba, "I'll fetch the car."
"Won't your guests miss you?"
The taller girl surveyed the courtyard.
"Nah. They are fine by themselves. I'll settle the tab and tell them to contact me regarding any further charges."
While Elphaba talked to the manager, Glinda and Tibbett dragged Crope to the front of the house, and soon they were off.
The twenty-minute drive was awfully quiet. In the back of the car, the boys were both sleeping, and Glinda, unable to stop thinking about what had happened with Sarima didn't know what to say. Elphaba, too, seemed somewhat absentminded. At least, she didn't question Glinda's silence and didn't try too hard to force any conversation.
Upon reaching the apartment building, Elphaba parked the car so she could help getting Crope upstairs. Tibbett thanked her profusely and took over the rest once they had made it to the door. With her flatmates gone, Glinda was left alone with Elphaba in the hallway.
"Thanks again for driving us home. Saved us at least an hour of travel time and a bunch of pain."
"No, thank you for coming in the first place," countered Elphaba. "Even though I probably ended up totally neglecting you."
Glinda shrugged it off with a small smile.
"Special birthday girl privilege. Think nothing of it."
"You know, I could make it up to you and invite you over for a little sleepover?"
Laughing, Glinda shook her head.
"I've got quite some work to catch up on tomorrow."
"You could do it at my place and I could even drop you off at the office on Monday?" Elphaba ventured.
"Thanks, but no. You could come in for a coffee or something though."
"Tea, if you have," said Elphaba and followed Glinda inside.
Glinda got out the mugs and teabags and flicked the switch on the electric kettle.
"I'm afraid it's neither organic, nor the finest grade. Really, it's just tea dust in shitty paper bags."
"I'll survive," Elphaba dismissed with a wave of her hand.
Now that both girls were adequately supplied with hot, steamy tea, the silence returned. Every once and again, Glinda timidly looked up at Elphaba. Most of the time Elphaba wouldn't notice, studying the unfamiliar kitchen instead. Whenever she did, however, Glinda simply smiled and asked her some random question that came to her mind to distract from the awkwardness of it all.
She was quite convinced now that Elphaba had formally rejected Sarima, and of course she was glad of it. On the other hand, the news hardly emboldened her. Having observed the two of them in the passageway, she could only too easily imagine herself in Sarima's shoes. While the Vinkun no longer seemed to be her competition, she had since become a prime example of what would happen if she made her move without being certain about Elphaba's feelings. Would they still be friends after an experience like this? Would Elphaba still invite her for sleepovers, knowing about her romantic interest in her?
They had one more cup of tea after that, but then it was time for Elphaba to leave. She thanked Glinda for her hospitality and once more for attending her party. After the door had closed between them, the blonde crossed the room and watched Elphaba getting into her car from the front-facing window. Sweet Oz! Why, with Sarima finally out of the way, was this still not getting any easier?
