The next day, Elphaba came back from early classes and emptied her bag of the books she'd used for the previous class. Irritably, she shoved her Life Sciences book into her bag, some writing utensils and a lot of extra paper. Before she could leave again, Glinda looked away from the window, which she'd been staring out constantly ever since she'd gotten to thinking more, and said, "Where're you going, Elphie?"
Elphaba looked at Glinda, almost missing the vain part of her. It was easier to make fun of her when she was stupidly cruel. She answered, "I have to go meet my partner and work on a Life Sciences project."
Glinda seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, yes. Milla told me about it. She said to tell you she'd be happy to switch partners if you'd like to work with Boq instead. Just let her know through me."
Elphaba wondered if Glinda realized the offense Milla had made. "If she really wanted to switch partners, Glinda, she could risk herself for two seconds and be seen talking to me." After all, she thought, Boq would kill her. Not to mention that Milla wasn't giving Boq half of a chance. Milla had a thing for Avaric, of course she'd want to work with one of his friends, anyway. But Boq was, in some ways, Avaric's friend. However, she wasn't going to settle for that, it seemed. Well, too bad, because now she'd have to.
"Who did you say your partner was?"
"I didn't say who my partner was. I'm stuck with that new boy, the one from the Vinkus… the one that happens to have quickly made friends with Avaric." Elphaba sneered.
Glinda sighed pensively. "Does he have a name? It would be rude not to call him by a name, Elphie."
"I don't care if I'm rude to him or not! Anyway, his name is Fiyero."
"The one who came to the café yesterday? I don't see why you dislike him so much already; he seemed nice enough."
"But he's friends with Avaric!" Elphaba protested.
"That's not the only thing that matters about a person, Elphie. I would think you, of all people, would be more open-minded than that. Did you ever think that maybe Avaric was the first person to talk to him when he came here, so he just befriended him because of that? Honestly, Elphie, give a person a chance!" Glinda huffed, folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head with blatant disappointment.
Elphaba didn't allow herself to be momentarily stunned by the blonde's thoughts; she simply left the room. She could consider what Glinda had said as she walked, but she didn't need to let Glinda know. For once the girl really had a point. Often times Glinda had seemed goodly and wise, but she had never outdone Elphaba and shown her up, so to speak, the way she just had. It was true, as much as the green girl hated to admit it, it was very true. Elphaba felt stupid and almost as ignorant as Avaric. But still, anyone who had known him that long and not decided he was an unworthy jackass could not be good news.
Reaching the building in which the study rooms were located, Elphaba yanked the door open and stomped in, not sure if she was angry about having to do the project or angry because she knew Glinda had a point. She made her way up to the second floor and searched for Fiyero - not that he was hard to miss. He stood out just as much as she did. Well, she smiled wickedly; they had something in common after all.
"Elphaba?" He tapped her on the shoulder.
She whirled around in alarm, her dark hair falling into her face. This was why she normally braided it. Elphaba quickly regained composure and fiddled with the rubber band on her wrist, tying her hair back into a half-bun hurriedly. "Sorry, I didn't see you."
"That would be half my fault, actually. I tend to try not to be too noticeable. Since starting here I've tended to spend more time in the shadows." He replied.
"Me, too." She tried a half smile, meant to comfort, but she knew it didn't come out quite right, so she looked down.
"Um, we're in here." He gestured to a room a few yards down the hall and opened the door for her.
No one had ever been that polite towards her. She almost didn't walk in, too confused for words. But nothing ever threw her off for too long, and she stepped into the room with a short, "Thanks."
He nodded and they sat down. "So," he said, for lack of anything better.
She looked around the small room, noticing that he had indeed made good on his promise to get to the library. There were five very thick, heavy books. Two were open on the table and three were tossed in the corner. For a moment she wondered how he'd gotten them all here in one trip. Examining him, she decided he might've been strong enough – he seemed somewhat muscular, but not disgustingly so – but she wondered if it must've been hard to balance all five books in his arms. Had he been able to see over them? Realizing he was looking at her and waiting for her to say something, she said, "Let's get started, then."
"Yes, let's. But today we can't work for too long. Avaric wanted to have an early dinner so we can head out to the… I forget the name… oh! The Philosophy Club."
Elphaba coughed and raised her eyebrows at him. "What?"
"The Philosophy Club. Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sweet Oz. The poor, innocent boy didn't know what the Philosophy Club was, did he? One look at his confused navy eyes told her he had no idea what he was getting into. Why did she have to be the one to tell him? Well, she didn't exactly have to tell him. But she couldn't let him go without letting him know what he was getting into. It's not like she cared. But Avaric was trying to lead an unknowing boy into Oz only knew what! She couldn't let that happen. "Did Avaric happen to mention what the Philosophy Club is?"
"Sort of. He said it's a club where people go to have a good time." Fiyero cocked his head at her. "Am I missing something?"
"Yes, my dear boy, you are really missing something." Elphaba sighed.
"Avaric hasn't been telling me a lot of things. Why am I not surprised?"
"Why do you hang out with him, then?"
"Because the rest of his little crowd seemed okay. I like Boq. Crope and Tibbett are, well, friendly, if not a bit over-friendly, and everyone else is nice enough."
"Including me?"
"Well, you don't seem to be that nice to me, at times, but I realize Avaric can have that effect on how people look at people. Well, at least I realize it now."
"And you don't mind hanging around in a group with the Munchkin boy, the drag queens and the green skinned freak?"
"I don't look exactly normal myself, Elphaba." He held up his hands. "And, despite what Avaric says, your skin isn't disgusting."
"Thanks, I think." She buried her face in her hands for a moment. Damn Glinda! The blonde had been right. Now she felt awful.
"So, would you mind telling me what the Philosophy Club is, exactly, so I know what I'm getting into? Or, depending on what you tell me, possibly not getting into?"
"Well," Elphaba said sardonically, "it actually could be a help to the project. Human reproduction and all. Not that anything they do there is actually meant to reproduce so much as it's meant for… other things."
"I think I get what you're saying." Fiyero said, eyes wide.
"It's a sex club. There are strippers of all sorts of ethnicity, no matter how you like them; there are little areas where selected groups go off and play sex games with a stage and cells; there are private rooms where people go to have a good time; there's drinking and… there's no telling what you might get into." Elphaba said all of this without taking a breath. When she was finished, she flushed a little and then looked back to see the Vinkus boy's reaction.
His nose had wrinkled slightly and on his face was an expression of complete disgust. "Does Avaric always do these sort of things for fun?"
"Not always. Sometimes he likes to talk about doing them instead."
Fiyero shuddered a little. "Does the rest of your group ever got along with him?"
"Nope. I don't know whom he gets to go with him on those excursions. He's probably got some second group of friends who he has specifically to accompany him on that sort of thing."
Fiyero just shook his head in disbelief. "I can't… why would someone? That's just…"
"I know. Next time you decide you like a group of people, don't attach yourself to the rudest one." Elphaba shrugged.
"I'm not going. No way. We can work as late as we want. As a matter of fact, I think I'd kind of like it if we worked very, very late. Too late for Avaric to wait for me." Fiyero sat back in his chair.
"Won't he come looking for you?"
"He might. I'll say I feel like I'm getting some really good work done and I don't feel like going."
"Or you could just tell him you think it's the grossest thing you've ever heard of," Elphaba suggested.
"And be scorned and never invited out with the group again? I don't think so."
"Maybe someone else could bring you along next time, then."
"None of them know me well enough to even talk to me outside of class and tell me if there's some sort of gathering."
"I do." Elphaba grinned.
"Really? You had a pretty firm dislike of me yesterday. You seem like the type of person who is too stubborn to go back on that." He commented.
"And you seemed like an asshole. So we're even." Elphaba told him.
Just then they noticed through the small window in the doorway that Avaric was walking by with Shen-Shen. He spotted them and burst through the door. "Fiyero, buddy, just reminding you about tonight."
"Fiyero isn't going tonight because he thinks the aspect of the Philosophy Club is sick and filthy!" Elphaba stood up.
"Shut up, Elphie. Let the man speak for himself." Avaric replied, Shen-Shen hovering behind him.
The eyes of both Avaric and Elphaba were gazing at him intently. He asked, "What are you doing? I thought Crope was your partner?"
Avaric chuckled and winked at Fiyero. "Shen-Shen and I are doing a little extra-curricular studying."
Elphaba stuck her nose up at Shen-Shen. "You know, I thought you were vain and prissy, but I didn't know you'd do something this pitiful."
"Right. Let me know if you ever get a boy interested in you. Then, maybe, you can tell me what's pitiful." She said, safely behind Avaric.
Elphaba folded her arms across her chest and didn't respond.
"So, Fiyero, my good man, are you coming tonight?" Avaric pushed.
"Did you not hear what my friend Elphaba said, Avaric?" Fiyero asked quietly.
Elphaba gasped lightly and stared at Fiyero. She had expected him to make an excuse, not stand up for himself, and certainly not allude to their friendship. Collecting herself, she looked expectantly at Avaric. "Do you want me to repeat it for you?"
Avaric grunted, threw an arm around Shen-Shen and kicked the door shut.
Elphaba burst out laughing. "Ha! Shen-Shen and Avaric. That's just pathetic!"
Fiyero laughed for a moment, too. After taking a breath, he asked, "How are they not going to be seen? There's a reason for the windows."
"And with so many chairs, one can easily avoid the window. It's a skill I'm sure Avaric is quite good at by now."
They were both silent for a moment, staring at the tabletop. Carefully, Fiyero lightly touched Elphaba's arm and caught her eyes. "Thank you."
She jumped and jerked her arm away in alarm, but she did keep eye contact. "No, Fiyero, thank you."