Chapter 15
Elphaba woke up when she felt movement and heard mumbling beside her. She thought she might be dreaming, then remembered that Glinda was in bed with her. The mumbling continued and she strained to hear, fearing the sweet girl sleeping beside her might be having a nightmare.
"More pink bunting…." She heard her roomie mumble
"I wonder is she even dreams in other colors," thought Elphaba smiling.
She tried to slide to the foot of the bed, so she could get out without waking Glinda. But as she moved toward the end of the bed, she felt stabs of pain.
"Great," she thought, "Just what I needed"
As she tried to get back into a relatively comfortable position, Glinda sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Elphie, are you ok?
"Yes, I'm fine," she said going around Glinda to get out of bed "Go back to sleep.
She went into the bathroom, cleaned up quickly and got dressed. As she left the bathroom she saw Glinda dressed and brushing her hair.
"Glinda what on earth are you doing? You don't have class for hours yet"
"I'm going to join you for breakfast, then walk with you to your class- just give me five minutes"
"You are doing no such thing," Elphaba said going over to where her friend was getting ready.
"But Elphie, you are going to your early astronomy class and it is barely light outside."
"I know, but I'm fine- for now anyway. So go back to bed"
"Elphie, I can't let you…."
"You can and you will. Really Glinda, I do not need an escort, now back to sleep with you" She replied, a little irritated.
"If you are sure Elphie- then at least meet me for lunch"
Elphie sighed "I'm sure, my sweet, and I will meet you for lunch" she said, grabbing her book bag and opening the door.
"Besides" she said turning and winking at the slightly upset girl on the bed "If any one causes me any trouble, I'll just kick them in the…"
"Elphaba, please!" she said, hearing her roomie laughing as the door shut.
Glinda fell back on her bed laughing. "Elphaba Thropp with a sense of humor, who would have imagined" Deep down she knew Elphie would be fine. Since she had some time before her classes she decided to change clothes and go down for a leisurely breakfast at the café.
Elphaba chuckled as she walked out of the dorm and into the world. Being honest with herself, though, she had to admit that she was a little nervous. She walked as quickly as she could, without causing herself too much discomfort and let out a sharp breath when she reached her class. She hadn't even realized that she was holding it.
Glinda walked into the café.
"Glinda. Over here" some one called.
She looked around and saw some of her sorcery classmates over by the window, so she went to join them.
"Where were you last class? You missed the quiz."
"Glinda turned on her sweetest smile. "I wasn't feeling well- some stomach bug or something, but I'm feeling much better now."
"Good to hear it, but, we saw you come down and get meals. Why didn't you stay and talk." One of the girls asked.
"My roommate must have caught the same thing I had, because she fell ill after I got better, so I was caring for her" Glinda said with a tone that hopefully her classmates would recognize and drop the conversation.
" You mean that Green Girl!" someone said astonished. "Why would you care if she felt bad or not, and why care for her? - I thought you two didn't get along."
Glinda was really irritated now, but kept her voice even. "She cared for me when I was under the weather, It was the least I could do to reciprocate."
"You aren't becoming friendly with her are you?" They asked almost in unison.
"Actually no" Glinda replied no longer trying to mask her irritation. "We are already friends, good friends- and I will tolerate no further discussion of this matter."
With that Glinda gathered her things and left her stunned classmates. It was right then that she realized that she no longer cared about what these people thought of her.
As Elphaba reached into her bag to get her books, she noticed that Glinda had put a small pink pillow in there. She smiled as she placed the pillow on her chair. "Who knew she had this much thoughtfulness in her" She thought as she sat down, "but pink!"
The rest of the morning went more or less as usual for both girls. Elphaba occasionally found her thoughts straying and chided her self for not concentrating. Glinda turned on her charm managed to talk her sorcery teacher into giving her a make-up test. The really less than usual part was that each girl was really looking forward to meeting the other for lunch.
Elphaba walked into the café and looked around for Glinda. She saw her roomie, wearing different clothes than this morning, waving at her from out on the patio. She smiled as she walked over, completely ignore the stares of the other patrons.
"Elphie, over here" Glinda called happily, jumping up and down.
"I see you, I see you " Elphaba said as she approached her hyper roomie. "Must you make a scene"
"Yes I must!" Glinda said giving Elphaba quick peck on the cheek. "I know you could see me, I wanted them "
She said pointing out into the café "to see me"
"Elphaba settled herself into a chair. What in Oz are you talking about Glinda?
"I'll tell you all about it later" A look of sadness crossed briefly over the previously cheery face. "You don't mind eating out here do you Elphie?" She said her face perking right back up. "It's a beautiful day, and these chairs are much more comfortable." She flashed Elphaba a warm, caring smile.
"I don't mind at all, and speaking of comfortable chairs- Thanks for the pillow in my bag."
"Did it help?"
"Yes it did," said Elphaba returning her roomies smile.
The server came and took their order and they ate and chatted and laughed, just like they had been doing it for years, instead of just days.
"Glinda, " Elphie said shifting position on the chair. "What was with that little dramatic performance when I came in?"
Glinda looked down at the table, trying to choose her words carefully. "I went down for breakfast and ended up joining some classmates." She stopped talking and looked in her roomies dark eyes.
"Go on Glinda, it's ok" Elphaba said quietly.
"They were teasing me about being your roommate, as happens sometimes." She sighed "And I realized that I didn't care. I didn't care what they thought about me.
"Oh Glinda, I had no idea you got teased because of me. I'm so sorry" Elphaba said looking distressed.
"Oh no Elphie, don't be please. Today it didn't bother me in the least. I told them flat out that you and I were now friends, good friends and that I would hear no more on the subject"
Elphaba looked shocked "Glinda you didn't? You just killed your social life"
"It doesn't matter. After listening to them, and hearing myself- I was terribly ashamed. And I realized that you truly are the best friend I've ever had, a real friend."
Elphaba felt her cheeks flush "I wouldn't know about best friends or real friends, as you are the only friend I have ever had-ever."
Glinda grinned broadly "Good, we agree then- Best friends" Before Elphie could comment she quickly added.
"And as for my social life, I fully intend to maintain mine, taking you right along with me."
She gave Elphie a quick hug and turned to go. "Going to be late for class, I'll see you back in the room later."
She said airily as she glided away.
"This discussion isn't over" Elphaba called after her "Not even close" For her efforts, she got a kiss blown to her by a skipping pink blur.
Elphaba got up moving slowly. She had used the last of the pain pills the night before and was feeling all the dull aches, pains, and stings that her injuries, not yet totally healed, provided. She straightened up and headed off to her next class. Her afternoon went as it usually did one class then off to the library. But as the afternoon progressed she found herself becoming increasingly uncomfortable and unable to concentrate. She also found herself getting frustrated and a little angry with all of it.
Glinda stayed after her last class, knowing Elphie always went to the library before coming home. She chatted with her friends and heard all about the previous weekend's adventures.
"We missed you at the pub Glinda, Are you feeling better?
"Yes, much thank you she replied "Word sure gets around fast" she thought.
"There's going to be a great band there next weekend, they take requests and let you sing along." Said one young man who had a barely disguised crush on Glinda. "Want to come along?"
"That sounds like a lot of fun- I think I will go" Then she smiled her most disarming smile. "I'm sure Elphaba will enjoy it as well"
Before her friends could comment, she bid them farewell and left.
"What on earth is going on with her?" the boy with the crush said
Glinda was sitting on her bed, making a pretense of studying, and waiting for Elphie. I was nearly dinnertime and she was getting hungry. She wasn't sure if she was irritated at her roomie because she wasn't home yet, or worried about her because she wasn't home yet. About a half-an-hour later Elphaba walked in the door, Glinda took one look at her; "Worried," she thought, "I am defiantly worried"
Elphaba shuffled in, looking tired and a little upset. Glinda rose to go to her, but was waved off as the green girl sat gingerly down on her bed, sighing heavily.
"Elphie, what is the matter, are you ok? Glinda said, trying to hide the fear she felt.
"I'm fine, just very tired for some reason."
Glinda tried to sit by her friend but was gently pushed back.
"Please Glinda, I'm not sure I can take much coddling right now." She said quietly. "I'm sorry"
Glinda went over to her own bed and sat down across from her obviously shaken roommate.
"Elphie, did something happen?"
"No- I'm just tired- I've had trouble concentrating all day, I am a little uncomfortable and very frustrated," Elphaba said putting her head in her hands.
Glinda resisted, with difficulty, the urge to go over and hug her.
"My love," she said gently and carefully, not wanting to set her off. "May I offer a suggestion?"
Elphie simply looked up from her hands and nodded wearily.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up and changed, and I'll go get us something to eat, then if you are not feeling better, you can go straight off to bed."
"Since crawling under the bed, doesn't appear to be an option, I guess that will work" She said getting up and heading towards the bathroom.
Glinda followed behind.
"Glinda, I'm not going to pass out, or run away you know"
"I know that, silly, I'm going to treat your side before I go get dinner"
"I can handle that my self" Elphie snapped
"Sweetie," Glinda said treading lightly "You can't reach it"
"All right then," Elphaba replied testily "just be quick about it- then please leave me be."
Glinda knew that her roomie was just tired of being in the situation of needing help and chalked her moodiness to that. She looked at the big bruise on her roomies green skin and blanched a little. She treated it as gently as she could, but still it caused Elphie to let out a few small whimpers. She knew that it wasn't healing as it should, and that combined with the obvious pain that Elphie had been in over the weekend gave her the courage to broach a subject that she had put off for too long.
"Elphie" she said going around to face her roomie "I think you should go see the Doctor."
"No Doctors!" she snapped getting up "I said that already"
"I know, but this bruise is not healing, and it's obvious that…um… other parts of you aren't faring well either."
"If you don't want to keep tending me then don't" Elphaba said angrily" "But I am not going to see a doctor.
"Elphie, you are in pain and out of pain pills, what is going on?"
"Will you just mind your own business" Elphaba was furious now, her eyes blazing "I can't take any more of this, Glinda. No Doctor! - Now get out of here and Leave. Me. Alone!"
She pushed Glinda a little too roughly out the bathroom door.
"Elphie, I…." She said clearly shaken.
"GO!" Elphie raised her voice and slammed the bathroom door.
Elphaba sat down on the padded stool, trembling and looked at herself in the mirror.
"What is the matter with you!" She thought angrily
"You never lose control like that" She suddenly felt defeated-- tired and defeated.
"Will I ever feel normal again?" She said to the mirror.
"As if normal was all that great" the mirrored answered back wearily.
Glinda stood staring at the closed door, shaking, with tears streaming down her face.
"What has gotten into her?"
Even at her worst, Glinda had never seen her roommate this angry, and… something else. She sat on her bed and calmed herself.
"It's not personal," she said out loud over and over until she believed it.
"You can't expect things to get back to normal overnight"
She prepared to go get the both of them dinner.
"I hope I didn't push her to hard this time." She thought as she closed the door behind her.
Unconsciously reaching for her clove oil, Elphaba forced herself to wash up and change. Her bruises hurt, her head hurt and there were red marks on her face from crying. "I guess I really do deserve pain," she thought. She opened the bathroom door, preparing for Glinda's hurt, but her roomie was nowhere in sight.
"Maybe I finally pushed her away, " she said to no one as she sank into her precious friend's pink comfy chair.
Elphaba sat there in Glinda's chair trying to sort out her emotions. She wasn't really angry, especially with Glinda "What did I do?" She moaned. She got up and went over to her bed, "You know Glinda's not going to walk out because you exploded-she never has before- so just calm down and think." She said thought as she folded herself up on her bed. As she lay there quietly, trying to make sense of herself, one thought kept circling around her thoughts. "I've never needed any one before—so why do I need her?"
Not knowing when or even if her roomie would want to eat, Glinda piled the tray with sandwiches, cheese, raw veggies and of course Elphie's favorite cider. She knew that her normally stoic roomie was in an emotional upheaval and so was prepared for just about anything upon her return. "Except for her to be gone" She thought
Glinda had decided to proceed as if what had gone on earlier was normal, and follow Elphie's lead. She balanced the tray with one hand and opened the door to her room with the other. As she went to put the tray on the table, she glanced over at her roomie folded up on her bed. It was obvious she was distraught and had been crying. She got the table set and put a pillow in Elphie's seat.
Elphaba saw her roommate come in carrying a tray of food, and she felt her heart lurch. She was so happy to see her, and she was very ashamed of her behavior. She watched as her roomie set up dinner and put a pillow on her chair. "How can I even face her?" She thought glumly.
"Elphaba, come and eat something" Glinda said softly.
Hearing those gentle words forced Elphie to sit up and face her roomie. She looked into her sparkling blue eyes and saw something that encouraged her to try and make amends.
"Glinda" she said her voice strained from choking back tears. "Glinda, I am so sorry"
"It's ok, my love, it's ok" Glinda replied walking over to sit on her own bed.
"No, Glinda, it's not ok- What I did to you, what I said, is not ok"
"Elphie…." Glinda started, but Elphaba put up her hand to stop her.
"Please Glinda, don't" Glinda nodded and looked deeply into her friends very distressed eyes.
"I had no right to take this out on you. I know it hurts you, even if you say it doesn't. I know you said that we would deal with this, as I am able. Well this is not how I am able. I wanted to talk to you, but frustration just caused me to lash out. You have been more kind to me than anyone ever has in my life and you deserve better than being abused by a mean green thing."
She used the phrase that Glinda always called her when she was being sarcastic."
She put her head in her hands, still unable to look at her roomie.
Glinda smiled -"May I say something now, please?"
"As long as it's not It's ok" The green girl mumbled.
"Elphaba, please do me the courtesy of looking at me" and Elphie sat up straight and looked into small blonde's face.
"I love you and that didn't change just because you lashed out at me in frustration. I'm a big girl, Elphie and I told you before that you can not intimidate me and I am not leaving you no matter how far you push me away. You might not be trusting what you feel right now, but trust what you see. I need you to look in my face and see that. I am not hurt, I am not angry. I am here and here I am staying."
Elphie processed what Glinda was saying and looked into her eyes and knew it was true.
"Please forgive me Glinda, Please say you understand that which I can not."
Taking some initiative, Glinda went and sat down beside her roomie and took her tear burned green face in her hands.
"Elphaba, I am used you to be moody and there will be more outbursts, it's inevitable. But if forgiveness is what you need to get past this current little outburst, then you have it my love. I understand."
Glinda saw her roomie visibly relax and took a chance by gathering her up into an embrace-, which was returned.
"Now let's go eat- and talk"
Elphie sighed, but took her friend's hand and followed her over to the table. They filled plates with sandwiches, veggies and cheese.
"You got my favorite sandwich-even after I pushed you away- literally," Elphie said with a wane smile
"And cider too" Glinda said pouring a big glass and handing it to her roomie.
"Thank you" she said taking the glass and looking pointedly at the girl across from her. "For everything"
"You're welcome," Glinda said returning the pointed gaze.
They ate and talked about how their days went. Elphaba not bringing up the whole social life conversation, hoping her popular roomie would forget. And Glinda not mentioning the pub this weekend, figuring now was not the best time.
"Elphie, at the risk of lighting another stick of dynamite, we need to talk about something important"
"It's fine- I'm all out of blasting powder- and I know- you are right about the doctor."
"I don't understand your reticence. You are in pain.'
"I don't really like doctors, I do not trust them. It's very complicated, and I don't have the energy to dredge all that up now."
"Then buried it will stay- and we will come up with some other way to tend to you." Glinda said taking her hand and smiling.
"No- I mean- I will go see the doctor- you are right- I could possibly more seriously injured than we thought and it is silly and childish of me to stay in pain- even If I do think I deserve it" She said winking at her roomie.
Glinda lightly slapped the green hand she had been holding.
"Will you stop saying that"; she said seriously- then her voice softened. "Elphie, I can see in your face that the thought of seeing a doctor scares you- I won't ask why- and if you choose not to go- I shall not bring it up again. But if you do go, I'll go with you.
Elphie looked truly shocked "Glinda don't be ridiculous, In spite of my childish behavior in this matter- I am not a child, and I don't need anyone to accompany me to the doctor's office." Her words were sure, but her eyes were anything but.
Glinda smiled and nodded. "Ok then. Are you ready for bed?
In response Elphie yawned and went over to her bed. She got comfortably settled and listened to Glinda chat about so and so in her something or other class while she cleaned up and got ready for bed. After the light was out and Glinda was in her bed, Elphie spoke,
"Glinda, I figure since tomorrow is the only morning we both have free- we'll go down to the dispensary then- Is that ok with you?"
"It most certainly is my love." She said smiling. "Good night Elphie, I love you."
"I know you do, my sweet, Goodnight"
They drifted off to sleep- Glinda knowing she had won a small battle, and Elphaba knowing the same thing.