Chapter 8: Secrets

Elphaba, now that the school was ignoring her and worshiping Pasha and Depik, was with Fiyera and her friends almost constantly. Whenever Dexson was alone with Fiyera, Lida Rose, Jax, and Serella kept her company.

"You know, this really surprises me," Fiyera said to Dexson one evening as they walked around campus hand in hand, "But I'm actually enjoying her company."

"Really?" Dexson asked, "I thought you were just trying to be nice to her."

"Well, I was at first. But now I guess, I don't know, I misjudged her."

Dexson pulled Fiyera into his arms, "You know Sparx, that's another thing I love about you. You've got such a good heart."

Fiyera gave a half smile, but didn't respond.

Dexson walked Fiyera over to Proffesor Tippermen's office for her tutoring lesson.

"I'll come back about nine so I can walk you to your dorm." he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Don't leave without me."

"I won't," Fiyera said, stepping into the office.

For an hour and a half, Fiyera practiced her spells and chants and was actually learning to control her powers. She managed to even light three candles at the same time and the flames remained.

"Excellent, Fiyera!" Proffesor Tippermen said close to nine, "You have certainly progressed much more than I thought you would in such a short time! I am very proud of you."

"Thank you," Fiyera answered, "I'm sure my mother will be too, when I tell her. She was so pleased when I told her that I was having private tutoring."

"Yes," Proffesor Tippermen said, a bit distracted, "Fiyera...I hope you don't find me intruding but...does your mother have skin like yours?"

"Yes, Proffesor, why do you ask?"

"I was thinking that maybe she was someone I once knew." she replied.

"Well, here," Fiyera said, pulling her locket out from inside her blouse and opening it, "My mother gave me this locket a few months ago on my first day. The picture was taken a long time ago, but she still looks the same, only older."

Proffesor Tippermen took the locket and looked at the picture. She gasped.

"Is it her?" Fiyera asked.

Proffesor Tippermen nodded. "Your father is someone I knew, too." she continued examing the picture.

"Is that Lida Rose? How is her skin green?"

Fiyera, a bit reluctantly, told her the story about the potion she created.

"Oh, Fiyera, I'm so sorry," she said, "That reminds me of Nessarose, your mother's sister."

"I never got to meet Aunt Nessarose," Fiyera said, "My father told me a horrible woman who use to be headmistress to Shiz killed her. Something about a garage falling on her?"

"A house and yes, she was." Proffesor Tippermen handed back the locket.

"Proffesor," Fiyera said while looking at the picture, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it, Fiyera?" she asked.

Fiyera closed the locket and hid it back inside her shirt. "Maybe we should sit down."

Both took seats in the armchairs. Fiyera cleared her throat. "Proffesor, you remember the day when I...when I had that reaction to Elphaba's spell?"

Proffesor Tippermen nodded, "Well, when I passed out on the way to the Infirmary, I...I was in this darkroom with mist and I spoke with...my father."

"I didn't know Fiyero was dead!" she said.

"He died when I was ten. Anyway, he came to me and told me I was a guardian now. I don't understand what a guardian is and when I told him this, he said you would tell me and teach me everything I need to know."

Proffesor Tippermen said nothing. She was staring off as if thinking. Fiyera continued.

"It sounds truely crazy," she said, "And true, the visions hazy. But, Proffesor, I truely and honestly do not believe that it was a dream. I really think it was real!"

Proffesor Tippermen continued thinking for a few moments. The clock struck nine.

"Fiyera, we'll pick up here next week." She said, standing up, "I think you need to rest now."

"But, Proffesor, what-"

"We'll handle this next week, my dear."

She led Fiyera to the door and closed it behind her. She stood there, staring at it for a moment. Finally, she turned around and found Dexson standing there.

"Something worng, Sparx?" he asked.

Fiyera shoke her hand, "I guess I'm just going crazy."

Dexson walked her back to her dorm. He kissed her and said, "I love you, Sparx," and went upstairs. Fiyera went into her room, shut the door, and leaned against it.

Elphaba was working on her math assignment and listening to music. She turned it off when she saw Fiyera.

"Hi!" she said brightly, "How was tutoring?"

"An adventure as always," Fiyera said, sitting down.

"Listen, Fiyera," Elphaba said, sitting up, "I...I want to thank you. For...for believing me and...and being my friend when no one else would. I shouldn't have been so mean to you. I'm...I'm sorry."

Fiyera smiled. "It's ok, Elphaba. That's all water under the bridge. Besides, every person deserves a friend."

"A good friend," Elphaba added.

The girls nodded and laughed.

"Well, Fiyera, now that we're friends, let's tell each other something we'ved never told anyone else before. I'll go first...I've been praciticing black sorcery."

Fiyera's jaw hit the floor. "You've what?"

"Just a little! Nothing major! Just...you know, mediocore stuff. But it is classified as black sorcery."

"But I thought no one knew where to find black sorcery."

"We'll the stuff I've been using isn't very dangerous. If I were to get caught, well, the wizard wouldn't even have to get involved, but since he's my father, he probably would. It's not like I'm hurting anyone or anything."

"Oh," Fiyera said, not exactly sure what to say.

"Ok, now, you tell me a secret!" Elphaba said.

"Like what?" Fiyera asked.

"Like...why won't you tell Dexson you love him?"

"What?" Fiyera exclaimed, "I...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, Fiyera!" Elphaba said, "Everytime you two leave, each other, he alwasy says he loves you, but you never say it back. Why is that?"

Elphaba waited with wrapped attention. Fiyera stood up and walked to the dark window.

"Come on, Fiyera! I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Fiyera continued staring out the window. Her mind was running through her past. Well, she might as well tell her. Elphaba wasn't going to give up on this easily.

"It's because...I promised myself never to fall in love."

"Why?" Elphaba asked.

"When I was 17, I was finishing high school and I met...I met this amazing boy. He was a few years older than I. He...he was working in this factory near the school"
She turned around to face Elphaba. "He made me feel like I was the world to him. Then I finished high school I applied here, to Shiz, and I got accepted."

"Wait! You were going to go to Shiz when you were my age?"

"Yes,"

"Wow! We were under the impression you came here late so you could take care of Lida Rose."

"That's what everyone thinks, so I encouraged the rumor. Anyway, after I got accepted, I told my family and they were so proud of me. Not too many Nominlinds get accepted to Shiz, you know. Then I told him. He really was against the idea. He hated Oz. He begged me not to go. He told me he loved me and couldn't stand to be apart from me. So, thinking he really loved me, I...I declined my letter to Shiz and stayed."

"Wow," Elphaba said, completely lost in the story. "Then what happened?"

"Well, for two years, everything was fine. We were engaged. We had a date and half the ceremony planned. But then...he disappeared."

She sat down on the edge of her bed. "I was terrified that something happened to him. After all, Nominlind is not exactly a safe, secure place. Finally, a week later, he came back...with a girl. His new wife."

Now it was Elphaba's turn for her jaw to drop. Fiyera hung her head. "After that...I swore to myself I would never fall in love again. Believe me, Elphaba, Dexson is a fantastic boy and I feel lucky to be with him, but...I know he'll eventually find someone better. Someone smater and prettier than me. I just don't want to set myself up again."

"Oh," Elphaba said.

"Look, it's getting late and we have class in the morning. We should probably get to bed."

Elphaba nodded. The girls changed into their night dresses and turned out the lights. Elphaba drifted off to sleep moments later, but Fiyera stayed awake long after, her thoughts still on her father. It made her head ache when she thought about what her father had told her. If only Proffesor Tippermen had told her something...anything.