A week passed, and the girls slowly began to settle in at Shiz. Both were accepted into sorcery classes, and showed great talent. Blaise and Amirio became regular figures at their dorm, and most of the girls were jealous, even if they did think Ali was a geek. Sadly, though, all good things do have an end, and the girls didn't realize that theirs was rapidly approaching. They walked together down the hall, late for their sorcery class.
"There was no need for that last minute makeup application, Fae. I don't see why you don't go without," said Ali, disgusted that the whole reason she was late was Fae. Why must she be so cautious about her appearance?
"Well, if you had put your books where they were supposed to go, we wouldn't have this problem either," Fae shot back with a smile.
The two walked into the sorcery class, and received a sharp look from Professor Siyamak.
"I'm so sorry, Professor Siyamak. Fae woke up a tad late this morning, and I had to wait on her. May we join the class?" asked Ali, hoping the professor wouldn't react wrathfully.
"Oh, blame it all on me!" Fae whispered to Ali, quite sick of it always being her fault that they were late.
"Girls, you may join the class. But, please, don't be late next time," asked the professor, with his eyebrows raised.
Fae noticed a strange necklace hanging from the man's neck. It was a black stone, cut into an odd shape. "How out of season," she thought as she took her seat.
"Today, class, we are going to learn a new spell," the teacher continued, making it obvious that he didn't enjoy this task. "You are to show one moment in history up on this screen. I will tell you which part; you recite the spell, and see if you can make it appear, as you know it. Any questions?"
"Professor! Professor! I have a question," said the blonde, with a confused look on her face.
"Yes Ms. Upland?" Siyamak asked the girl, annoyed that anyone would have the gall to ask a question.
"Don't you mean the future? I mean, history is so last year," said Fae, with disgust in her voice.
"Yes, Ms. Upland, that's why it's called HISTORY. Now, who would like to go first?" asked the professor. Ali tentatively raised her hand. While she was very shy, she clearly was one of the most talented people in the class.
"Ms. Upland number two? Why, I am surprised you would volunteer. But, since you did, you get the best moment to show: when the Wicked Witch melted."
Ali felt her palms begin to sweat. One small mistake on this, and it could entirely destroy Fae's life, not to mention her own and her family. She could feel her best friend's eye bearing into the back of her head, as if to say 'Mess up and YOU will melt!'
Ali timidly walked down to the front of the class. Her mind on her mother and aunt, she couldn't concentrate very well on the words in the book in front of her.
"Tae di ay!" she finally shouted. An image appeared on the screen, but not the one the girls were expecting.
Glinda and Elphaba's images appeared instead, with the two wandering around in a forest. The whole class took in a collective gasp, seeing their ruler with the woman declared the most wicked person in all of Oz. Luckily, none realized this scene was from the present, except for three.
"Class dismissed! Ms. Uplands, please remain seated! The rest of you heard me, GO!" he boomed, scaring them all out in flocks.
"Ali, come on!" Fae grabbed Ali's hand and raced to the door. Just as they reached it the professor used a spell and slammed them in their face. "You two, what was that that was just on the projector?"
"Nothing, she just showed a part of her dream last night. Now, if you will excuse us, we need to be going," said Fae hurriedly, trying to get out of the class as quickly as possible.
"You two think I'm an idiot? I know better. Now, why was your mother, Ms. Upland, up on the screen, and yours too, Ms. Upland, or should I say, Ms. Thropp?" the professor asked with a sneer.
"That... that witch is not my mother!" exclaimed Ali. "I'm so sorry, Mom," she thought to herself.
"How dare you acccuseiate us of such a thing? I will have my father on you in a heartbeat if you do not let us go immediately!" said Fae, walking up the professor and shaking her finger in his face.
"Why not your mother, Ms. Upland? Isn't she the ruler of Oz? Or is she inexplicably absent? Maybe she will become wicked too," the professor said with a smirk residing on his face. That was all Fae could stand. With one quick motion, she slapped the professor with all her might.
"Come on, Fae!" yelled Ali, opening the door and motioning to her friend. With the professor stunned, the two ran out of the room and back to their dorm as quickly as possible.
Fae slammed the door behind them. "What are we going to do, Ali? We can't just stay here now! He knows!" Suddenly they noticed another person in the room. There sat Blaise, staring at them in a confused way.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ali, not happy that the boy, whom she happened to dislike, had decided to show up at the WORST possible time.
"I came to surprise Fae . . . I could ask you two the same question. It isn't like you to be back early from sorcery class," said Blaise, perplexed by the two.
"Blaise, you can't stay here! Its not safe!" She grabbed his hand and went to open the door to shove him out. It wouldn't budge. In a panic she tried again. Nothing. She stood there, and so quietly almost no one heard, said, "They've locked us in."
"Who locked you in?" asked Blaise, who was looking even more confused.
"Blaise, there is no time to explain. I need to talk to Fae. Can you go into the kitchen or something?" asked Ali, not quite sure what to do with the young man, and scared. Scared for her life, for her cousin's life, for her mother and aunt's life, for their fathers' lives... so many lives were at stake, and they were asked to do NOTHING! Ali couldn't stand it any longer.
She drug Fae into the bedroom and slammed the door. "We can't stay silent any longer! We have to find a way out and help our mothers! This wouldn't have happened if they had defeated it."
"Just a few problems. One, how on earth do we get out? Two, what do we do with my boyfriend in the time being? And three, how in Oz are we going to figure out where our mother's are?" Fae said, calmly at first and then almost to the point of screaming. Then she flopped herself down on the bed and began to sob, holding nothing back.
"Fae, this is no time for hysterics. We have to be calm and rational," said Ali, even though she wanted to do the same as Fae. She had to be the strong one to make the decisions. She couldn't break down. She couldn't, and wouldn't let herself. "Where's Amirio? He'd know how to get out of here," mused Ali, knowing that her boyfriend (she was freely admitting it now) had an even cooler head.
"That's it!" Fae shrieked, showing hope once again.
"What's it? We can't get out, we're stuck in here with your boyfriend, who isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and a man who, quite frankly, scares me now knows my secret. What hope do we have left?" asked Ali, dropping into despair.
"My boyfriend is too smart! But that isn't the point here. Our way out is Amirio! He can get us out!" Fae said, the wheels in her mind spinning.
"Then how are we supposed to contact him? We can't get out, Fae."
"I haven't thought that far yet . . ." Fae confessed. "But give me time and I will!"
Unfortunately, Fae's brain didn't come up with anything. At first, it was just for a few hours. Then those hours became a day. Then that day became two days. And so it went on, for what seemed like forever. Meanwhile, the three trapped in the apartment drove each other crazy.
Ali didn't know what she would do if she didn't get out soon. The Ozian love fest ran rampant with Blaise and Fae. Everywhere the girl looked, the two were cuddling, kissing, making out, or just staring into each other's eyes. "What a waste!" though Ali, disappointed that her cousin would turn to mush so easily.
"Could you please use your brains for something other than staring at the other or thinking about the other?" Ali yelled one afternoon after being trapped for five days. The two paid no heed, and continued swapping spit in a most disgusting fashion.
"STOP!" Ali screamed. How long would they be trapped? Much more of this, and she would begin to think that society was the most wonderful creation.
Fae slowly pulled away from Blaise's mouth. "What's that you said Ali? I couldn't hear you."
"Would you please do something other than think about your boyfriend here? We're trapped in a dorm room, and who knows what could and might happen to us? We have to get out! And maybe if you actually used that brain of yours, we could!" Ali said in a controlled voice, that she was obviously trying to keep from yelling again.
"I think we better discuss this alone," and with that Fae tugged Ali with her into the bedroom. "What was that all about? I have been wracking my brain to come up with ideas! It just so happens I do my best thinking while kissing," the blonde said, crossing her petite arms in front of her chest.
"Whatever you say. But please, I'm sick of the love fest!" Ali yelled.
There were taps suddenly heard at the window. Fae looked out, fearing for the worst. "Ali! Its Amirio!"
"What?" Ali ran to the window. She looked down and saw the brown mop of hair throwing pebbles at the window.
Quickly she ran to Fae's desk and got a sheet of paper, scribbled the words "HELP WE'RE TRAPPED" on it, and stuck it to the glass
Amirio read it, then shouted as loudly as he dared, "How in Oz's name…? Well, what do you want me to do?"
Ali grabbed another piece of paper and quickly scribbled, "Throw more rocks!"
"What good will throwing more rocks do? Blaise spent two hours yesterday throwing EVERYTHING at that window, including your traveling trunk, and it didn't break. We both know he is MUCH more toned, shall we say, than Amirio. What makes you think that your boyfriend can do it so easily?" Fae asked.
"Because the spell might not be as strong from the outside as it is from the inside. He's smart, he can do it," said Ali. Even though she was still a tad worried about the sense of the plan, she knew that Amirio could do it.
"Brains won't get you..." she was cut off by the shattering glass.
"Come on!" shouted Ali. "We don't have much time!" Fae ran and grabbed her beau by the arm. He and Fae descended by bubble, and Ali by her broom. By now, Blaise knew the whole story, so this didn't freak him out. Amirio, well, that was a different story.
"Sweet Oz!" exclaimed the boy as he saw his girl floating down on a broom, with Fae and.. . Was that Blaise?
"Get on!" Fae shrieked to Amirio, quickly slipping the Grimmerie into its pink case. "Well, didn't you hear me? Get on!"
Amirio obeyed the girl, afraid of what might happen if he didn't. They all flew away, unsure of what might come next.