GLINDA'S RIGHT HAND WOMAN
Who is Elphaba Thropp?
At the grand ball thrown in honor of Glinda the Good, it was not only Glinda herself that caught the press's attention. Oz's new darling brought someone else into the spotlight – a person who has, until now, been hiding in the shadows, despite being nearly impossible to miss, and not only because of her unusual looks. Who is this mysterious person and why have we not heard of her before?
Elphaba Thropp. Twenty-three, going on twenty-four. Elder daughter of the late Frexpar Thropp, Governor of Munchkinland, and his late wife Melena. Elder sister of wheelchair-bound Nessarose. Student at Shiz University, known among peers for her sharp tongue, extremely short temper and – most notably – emerald-green skin.
"I didn't like Elphaba much when we first met," recalls P., one of Elphaba's fellow students. "She walked in and immediately started causing a scene when she noticed a few of us looking at her. How could we not, though? It's not every day that you see a green person." Another Shiz student, M., confesses: "I was terrified of her for the first few months. She looked extremely strange and was very unlikable; a loner with her nose always in a book, ready with a cutting remark or a full-blown scene whenever disturbed."
How does a person like this end up not only befriending the beloved Glinda (formerly known as Galinda) Upland, but also winning the affections of one of Oz's most notorious heartthrobs?
"Elphaba and Glinda were roommates," says Shiz student S. "They definitely didn't get along at first, but then, after one evening party, things seemed to shift between them and they became the best of friends."
"I didn't understand it at first," admits P., "but once I got to know Elphaba a little bit better – which, admittedly, took a long time – I realized she's not actually that bad. She's pretty boring, still, and rather uptight; but I suppose that's not a crime."
"Once you get through her unpleasant exterior, she can even be sort of nice," says M. "She's always been a bit of a know-it-all, but her exam notes saved my life once. Plus, I've always found it pretty sweet how protective she is of her sister."
Even so, one can't help but be surprised that it was Elphaba Thropp who seems to have caught the eye of Fiyero Tiggulaar, the Vinkun Prince with a deliciously scandalacious reputation. Still, those of us who attended the grand ball can without a shadow of a doubt confirm that there are sparks flying between the two; making rumors and speculations arise about the nature of the relationship between Miss Thropp and the young prince—
"Miss Elphaba!" a shrill voice snapped Elphaba out of her reading. "I do hope you have mastered the spell perfectly, since you have spare time to familiarize yourself with pointless gossip magazines."
Elphaba quickly closed the copy of Ozmopolitan she'd been – despite having once vowed never to open any magazine of the kind – rereading for the third time since that morning.
"Forgive me, Madame," she mumbled, wondering if Morrible was aware of having been discussed in the very same issue of said celebrity gossip magazine; in the article entitled cleverly Shiz, Wiz, out of Biz?
Morrible sighed dramatically.
"My dear, I must say I have lately not seen you progress as much as I'd hoped to. I realize that there have been a lot of changes happening around here, but that is precisely why it is so important to me that you continue to strive towards your full potential! I know you are incredibly gifted, and you seem to have a good understanding of magic, but for some reason it takes you a surprisingly long time to master new spells." She sighed dramatically. "Please understand, Miss Elphaba, I am only being hard on you because I am worried. You have seen what happened last time we thought you were ready to truly start helping the Wizard? Of course I know you meant no harm, and luckily no one has blamed you for that disaster… However, we don't want anything like that to happen again, do we?"
Elphaba fought the urge to hex Morrible right on the spot. One thing that helped is that she was not entirely certain she'd be able to win that one-on-one fight. Another was the memory of Ozmopolitan being delivered to her room that morning, along with a bouquet of red poppies. Attached to the emerald-green ribbon keeping the flowers together was a card with an elegantly hand-written note:
Told you so!
Love, F.