Chapter 4

The next morning Glinda woke feeling a bit ill. Before she even opened her eyes she could sense a horrible headache coming on. What had happened the night before? She could only remember bits and pieces. She remembered the Peach and Kidneys…Avaric…Crope running his hand down her thigh…no, that wasn't right…darkness, darkness as she walked down a path towards something green…Elphaba? She remembered a kiss, either a kiss she had given or a kiss she had received…

Her eyes shot open and she found herself face to face with Elphaba who was hovering over her bed. "How are you feeling?" Elphaba asked. Elphie was always up before Glinda. She never failed to wake up much earlier than the sleepy blonde, who enjoyed sleeping in.

Glinda moaned and rolled over, hiding her face in her pillow.

"Not good, I see." Elphaba laughed.

"It's not funny." Glinda's muffled voice could be heard.

"Oh, come on. Let's go get breakfast. Nessa and Nanny are already up and gone." Elphaba persuaded, turning to finish getting ready for the day. She was still busy brushing her hair.

Glinda was tempted to go back to sleep, but she instead turned, looking at Elphie over her shoulder. She watched as the green beauty brushed through her long raven hair, oblivious to the fact she was staring at her. "What happened last night?" Glinda questioned, wondering if Elphaba recalled the night better than she did.

Elphaba's hand stilled, the brush stopping it's decent down her glossy hair. Elphaba bit her lip, not sure what to tell her sleepy friend. "Well, you came back to the room last night pretty tipsy; I think the boys might have gotten you a little too drunk." Elphaba turned to see that Glinda had sat up in her bed, and was watching her intently.

She quickly turned and giggled, hiding her blush, avoiding Elphie's eyes. This sudden movement caused a pain to shoot through her head and she wearily placed a hand to her forehead. "I can tell." She tried for a smile. Looking at her beautiful green skinned roomie, she noticed something on her cheek, something that looked painful. "What's that?" Glinda, eyes wide, stood up, and went to Elphaba, studying her as she walked closer.

Elphaba frowned and backed herself in to the wall. Glinda approached her and studied the mark that was on her cheek. Elphie had forgotten the blister was still there. "It's nothing." Elphie lied, trying to think on her feet. She didn't want to tell Glinda that it was she who had caused the mark. Her kiss had caused the mark. That morning when she had awoken, she had stood at the mirror, gently running her fingers over the spot and thinking about how wonderful it had been, even though Glinda had not meant to do it. "It was raining last night, remember?" Elphaba spat, before Glinda could remember.

Glinda gently touched the spot. "Oh, Elphie, I was hoping you wouldn't get caught out in the rain. Did it hurt?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would." Elphaba was lost in Glinda's green eyes, which were lovingly focused on the mark she had unknowingly caused.

Glinda's eyes adverted and met Elphie's. Her face relaxed and she smiled, her hand dropping from Elphaba's green cheek. "Let me get ready and then we'll go eat." She turned and hurried in to the bathroom.

Elphaba felt her heart pounding, she wondered if Glinda had noticed. She was determined to not let Glinda see how much she was beginning to care for her.

Knowing Glinda would take several hours (well more like half an hour) to get ready, Elphaba returned to her bed, pulling out the book she had been reading the night before.

Glinda, in the bathroom, sat down on the edge of the tub. She took several deep breaths. She couldn't keep hiding this…this…well what was it? An infatuation? A crush? An obsession? A fascination? A fixation?

Glinda ran the water in the tub, gently patting it on her cheeks, her neck, just to wake herself. There was no time for a bath, Elphie was waiting. After waking herself more, calming her pounding heart, she stood in front of the mirror. Time to make herself beautiful once again, beautiful for the world…and was it also for that special someone? Or did she care whether Glinda was beautified, perfect for the world?

Hurriedly, Glinda brushed through her hair, putting it up in rollers. She applied her make-up with practiced precision. Stepping back she admired herself. Beautiful, she thought.

Pulling out the rollers, she shook the curls loose and then smiled at her reflection. Perfect. Opening the bathroom door, she walked briskly out, missing the quick glance Elphaba stole of her. She went to her dresser and mulled around for a perfect outfit. Deciding on a flowing blue dress, she slipped out of her nightgown without any warning to Elphaba, who had been watching her over the top of her book. Elphaba's eyes plunged back to the page she had been reading.

Glinda slipped in to the dress, noticing that she no longer had Elphaba's attention. She sighed, and then realized she couldn't get the zipper up in the back. "Elphie…" She whined.

Elphaba looked up from her book and noticed Glinda's predicament. "Honestly, Glinda." Elphaba rolled her eyes and sat her book aside, getting up. She reached Glinda and with one quick motion she pulled the zipper up, her hand slightly grazing the Gillikin's soft skin. Glinda turned and smiled amiably at Elphaba.

"Come on let's go." Glinda reached out for Elphie's hand as she slipped in to her shoes. When she was ready she pulled Elphaba out the door and to breakfast.

That day in class Elphaba had trouble concentrating. The professor was going on about something, but she couldn't concentrate. Her hand was automatically taking down everything the teacher was saying, but her head wasn't there. She was thinking about the lunch date Glinda had made her promise to have.

Fiyero, sitting next to Elphaba, elbowed her every now and then to keep her mind out of the clouds. He seemed to sense her thoughts were elsewhere.

She would immediately hunch over, pretending to be in the lecture, taking copious notes subconsciously.

This mindless note taking was interrupted when she noticed Madame Morrible gazing at her from the corner of the room. Elphaba quickly looked away, her focus going back to the front of the room. How long had she been standing there? How long had she been watching her?

Elphaba's mind raced with thoughts, questions; her eyes searched frantically as if she were looking for something. Something about Morrible gave her the chills. She didn't much like this scrutinizing stare that Morrible was giving her.

Without drawing to much attention to herself, Elphaba leaned over to Fiyero. "Is Madame Morrible still staring at me?" She inquired.

Fiyero glanced uneasily around the room and frowned. "She's not here."

"What?" Elphaba turned to look at the spot where Morrible had just been standing.

Strange.


When Elphaba saw the blonde sitting at a corner table, her heart skipped a beat. She had been waiting for this moment all day, but she had had to play it off as if she didn't care. As she approached the table, Glinda happened to glance up and their eyes met.

"You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." Glinda scolded.

"I'm sorry, I got held up in class." Elphaba lied.

"Sure you did." Glinda rolled her eyes and clasped her hands together, watching as Elphaba sat down across from her. "That's why I went ahead and ordered for both of us." Glinda smiled.

"Great." Elphaba said sarcastically.

"How was class today?" Glinda tried for small take, avoiding the negativity Elphaba was throwing at her. Why had she fallen for this stubborn, sarcastic, green girl? Sometimes she made it impossible for her to like her.

"It was strange. I happened to glance over my shoulder and there stood Morrible, staring at me! Can you believe it?" Elphaba leaned forward so that only Glinda could hear.

"What did she want?" Glinda also leaned forward, intrigued.

"I don't know. When I asked Fiyero to look and see if she was still looking at me, she was gone." Elphaba shrugged.

"How very strange." Glinda sat back.

"How about you?" Elphaba inquired.

"Oh, sorcery was just wonderful, as usual. I succeeded in blowing up a teacup and turning a potato into a baked potato." The girls laughed.

"Sounds like you had a more interesting day than me." Elphaba grinned, caught in Glinda's dazzling green eyes.

"Yeah." Glinda was equally transfixed.

There connection was broken when the waiter brought their food. They had a lovely lunch, laughing and talking, secret looks, secret watching, secret yearning for one another. It seemed so blatantly obvious to everyone except for them.

Elphaba feared Glinda would never stoop lower than a Gillikin man. Where Glinda feared Elphaba would never like her because she was afraid to be seen with her, or have a connection with her.

After lunch they walked back to their dorm room together. Glinda plopped down on her bed and watched as Elphie collected her things for her next class. "Elphaba…do you ever…" What was she going to say? She hadn't quite formulated what she wanted to ask.

"Ever what?" Now she had Elphaba's full attention.

Glinda looked deep in thought. "Ever…think…" There was a pause. Think what?

"Think?" Elphaba urged her on, knowing her beautiful blonde friend was trying to say something of importance. She only tripped over the important things.

"About me?" Glinda closed her eyes, seeming to think to see if that was right.

Elphaba froze. Of course she thought about Glinda. Glinda was always on her mind. Her beautiful figure, her blonde curly hair. Especially her hair. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through those beautiful curls. "Of course." She found herself saying.

"Oh, damnit, Elphie, kiss me." Glinda whined, her feet swinging back and fourth mercilessly.

"What?" Elphaba played dumb, when all she wanted to do was lean down and take those soft lips in to her own.

Glinda shot up and went to Elphaba. Without hesitation she pressed her soft lips to Elphaba's surprisingly soft lips. Neither touched, except for the lip connection.

They parted after a moment, Glinda backing shyly away. "I'm sorry." She turned and fumbled through her things for her books. Grabbing them she headed for the door, hoping and praying that Elphie would stop her, but she didn't.

Elphaba was stuck to the spot. Glinda had just kissed her. She had no idea how to react, and so she let Glinda go. It had been a mistake, yes a mistake. Glinda had been caught up in the moment. She'd return that night and everything would be back to normal. Yes, it was a mistake.

But Elphaba could not have been more wrong.

TBC...sorry I didn't get this out as fast, but I've been busy. Lol. Anywho...I hope you guys are liking this. Thanks for all the reviews too! They inspire me, they really do. So review! Lol.