Summary: Oneshot. A glimpse into the almost friendship of Elphaba and Galinda, set right after the poetry reading by Madame Morrible at Shiz.
Animals should be seen and not heard. Elphaba could not believe it. How could Madame Morrible have read that with Doctor Dillamond in the room? It wasn't poetry, it was an insult.
Elphaba paced her dorm room angrily, her hands on her non existent hips.
And Galinda. How could she have just ignored Elphaba like that? It was infuriating, really.
Animals should be seen and not heard. Bah. Animals were just as good as humans, if not better.
Animals didn't judge, Animals would never leave one of their own kind out for a stupid reason like the color of their fur.
Elphaba sometimes wondered, if there were animals and Animals, could there also be humans and Humans? And if there were in fact humans and Humans, how could one tell the difference between the two?
Were Humans, like Animals, some form of higher intelligence?
Or were Animals a genetic mutation, a mistake, and should therefore be disposed of before they had a chance to cause harm?
And if Animals were to be disposed of, should the mythical Humans go with them?
Elphaba wasn't exactly sure what she was, but she knew that she was different. She knew that she was separate, and not just because of her green skin.
All of these thoughts, questions, were swimming in Elphaba's head when the Queen of Pink chose to walk into the room.
Galinda walked passed Elphaba and dropped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. After a few moments she finally spoke.
"I don't exactly appreciate you leaving me alone with your little munchkin friend." Galinda said, not looking at Elphaba.
"Well, I don't appreciate you acting as though you've never met me, but there's nothing to do about it now." Elphaba shot back, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at the girl covered in pink fluff.
"Miss Elphaba, I don't know what you're trying to say, but I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Galinda said, sitting up and meeting Elphaba's challenging gaze.
"Oh, excuse me then, Miss Galinda. I must be imagining things." Elphaba said, sitting on the edge of her bed and removing her boots.
"Is that sarcasm?" Galinda asked, tilting her head to one side.
Elphaba turned to Galinda, ready to deliver another sarcastic comment when she realized that Galinda was unsure. Elphaba laughed to herself, shaking her head.
"Yes, Galinda. That was sarcasm." Elphaba moved to her feet and walked to her dresser, pulling out her black nightgown.
"Well I never..." Galinda mumbled, moving to her feet and rushing out the door.
Elphaba chuckled softly and went to the bathroom to change. It had been a long day of classes and Elphaba just wanted to curl up in a ball by the fire and read, but her mind would not slow enough for her to concentrate.
The green girl started a fire and looked around the room. It was a nice room, sans the pink that looked as though it was swallowing the room all at once.
Moving across the room slowly, Elphaba took a seat on the window sill and looked down at the campus of Shiz University.
If it weren't covered with rich, high society children of privilege like Galinda, it would really be a beautiful sight.
Elphaba reached up and pulled her hair from the braid that she kept it in. Elphaba's hair, the only thing the green girl really liked about herself.
A reflection stared back at Elphaba from the window, a green girl with long hair the color of black silk, dark eyes that seemed to flicker in the firelight, a sharp chin and a hawk like nose.
Elphaba had never really taken the time to look at herself in the mirror the way that Galinda did every night. Time was never something to be wasted growing up in Quadling Country. There was always something to be done.
Elphaba stood and stretched like a cat would after a nap. She walked to her bed and sat down, digging her brush out of her dresser. She brushed her hair for a few minutes, trying to clear her mind.
Once her hair was smooth and her mind clear she picked up a random book from the floor and began to read, twirling her hair idly. She didn't bother to look up as Galinda walked back into the room with a flourish.
The blonde watched the green girl for a few minutes before changing into a deep purple night gown. Elphaba blew out her candle and moved to the fireplace to read.
"You don't have to." Galinda said softly.
"No, I think I do." Elphaba didn't look up from her book.
Galinda sat up and crossed her arms over her chest, watching her roomie for a second.
"Is there something I can do for you, Miss Galinda?" Elphaba accented the honorific, closing her book slowly.
"You can stop being so damned annoying." Galinda said angrily. Elphaba gasped in mock horror.
"The Galinda Arduenna of the Upper Uplands cursed? Surely a sign that the world is about to end." Elphaba said sarcastically.
"Elphie..." Galinda said softly.
"Elphaba." She was corrected harshly.
Galinda moved to her feet and stormed across the room to the fireplace.
"Why are you being so mean to me?" Galinda asked sincerely, standing in front of Elphaba.
A few seconds of silence passed in which Elphaba took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stood to face Galinda.
The blonde bit her lip to keep from squeaking in fear of the green girl's gaze.
"Why do you care? It's not as though we're friends." Elphaba said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Galinda could think of no answer. She didn't know why she cared about what Elphaba thought.
"Well, we're roommates." Galinda offered weakly. Elphaba laughed and threw her hands up in the air, shaking her head.
"That doesn't mean anything at all. You don't like me. And I don't like you. Let's just go back to not talking to each other. You go back to your friends and I'll go back to my books. No harm done."
Elphaba said before walking away and dropping onto her bed, her hair fanned out around her green face. Galinda stood for a second, thinking.
And that was when she realized that she needed to be Elphaba's friend. Elphaba made her think, Elphaba was a challenge, unlike the rest of her life had been.
Galinda walked to Elphaba's bed and looked down at her.
"What have you been reading about lately?" She attempted, hoping that Elphaba would forget for a moment that they didn't like each other and answer.
"Nothing you'd be interested in." Elphaba replied sharply, turning her back to Galinda.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to cry. Crying wouldn't fix this.
"Well then, Miss Elphaba, have it your way." Galinda said, climbing into her bed, turning her back to Elphaba.
Galinda decided to give Elphaba exactly what she wanted. The silent treatment. After all, Galinda's mother had always told her children were to be seen and not heard.