I hadn't planned to introduce Galinda in the last chapter… but now that I did, I'm satisfied; this opens new doors and I can think of so many new ways to show Galinda off a little bit.
Sadly, this has become much shorter than I originally thought it to be.

Started writing: 23.09.2019

Finished writing: 26.09.2019

Chapter 4
Blonde

Dear Momma and Father, dear Nessa

Elphaba let the breath seep from her lungs in a long exhale and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

The dim light of the library wasn't helping her tiredness a bit and Elphaba sent a furious look to the lamps up at the ceiling. Then she looked at the sheet in front of her again.

It was just a letter to her parents; she told herself as she tried to figure out the right words, about how things were at Shiz. Nothing to worry about.

But in truth, Elphaba worried much.

She worried about her Law assignment that she'd have to have finished tomorrow morning; she worried about her classes and whether she'd make good or bad; she worried about her fellow students who all seemed to hate her or were disgusted by her. And she worried about what her parents would say once they'd read the letter.

With a sigh, Elphaba bent over the paper again, her pen lingering in the air above the sheet.

Dear Momma and Father, dear Nessa

She read over and over again but still couldn't find the right words to continue.

There was so much on her mind but no ways to express it and she cursed herself for that.

Two days had passed since the first day of classes and Elphaba'd been opposed to the idea of already writing to her mother and father about 'Oz, the people at Shiz are the stupidest people in all of Oz.'.

Before their departure, Momma had always told her to try to not give up at the first sign of dislike towards her. And Elphaba had tried. She'd tried for two long and awful days and it hadn't helped a bit. She still hurried into the cafeteria early in the morning so she wouldn't have to hear them talking about her, she still sat alone in class and she still never spoke to anyone but her teachers.

And, as much as she hated to have to admit it, it was getting to her. It was getting to her hard, and she didn't really know what to do.

Hesitantly, she set the pen onto the sheet and began to write. And once she started writing, she didn't stop until everything was set into words.

Dear Momma and Father, dear Nessa.

Know that whilst you read this, I'm probably in my room banging my head against the wall for being so stupid as to write this letter.

Don't worry, though, I'm fine.

Or... well, not exactly fine but... let's settle on not bad for the time-being, alright?

Classes are great; I really admire my History professor; he's a Goat, Doctor Dillamond. Maybe you've heard of him, Father? He's written some books about the history of Munchkinland. Art is… well, it's not exactly what I've pictured, we talk pretty much and don't draw or paint much but that might still change. I chose Art for fun, Momma, so don't worry about me working myself to death without having some fun courses over the week.

Now, even though classes are great, I can't say the same of the other students. To tell the truth; it's awful. They're all so much worse than the Munchkins. No one has ever tried to talk to me; Imagine that. In two days, I've learnt two names; That of a girl who shares the room next to mine with some other girl (I heard her friend shout her name across the hallway in the middle of the night and when I asked them to be a little bit quieter she said something like 'Vegetables don't have ears, neither can they talk.' And then she turned to her friend and said, 'Do you hear anything?' They thought it was unbelievably funny. Just so you know; it wasn't.) and that of a boy who sits two seats away from me in Literature classes. That's it.

Every morning, I'm standing up very early so that I can have breakfast in peace which, for me, means that I'm the only one in the cafeteria. I just… I couldn't face these stupid brats in the morning already and I certainly don't need to hear about 'How does the Artichoke can eat cucumber without having a bad conscience about it? She's eating her own mother, after all.'.

It's hard. I'm trying to ignore them -or bite back the snarky comments a little bit, at least- but I fear that they might never stop the harassing.

I'm so glad that you got me the private suite, that way I at least don't have to listen to those brainless idiots in my free time.

I really hoped it could be different here, I tried to fit in but they just can't look past my skin. I didn't do anything to them, I didn't talk to them, I didn't insult them... I'm just there, and that's enough for them to hate me. I know, I shouldn't let it bother me but... it just hurts when everyone talks about you as 'disgusting' and 'the green freak'; when no one sits beside you in class and everyone desperately tries not to touch or even be near you. And people are not exactly being subtle about it.

I just really don't know why they can't be nice once. Just once.

I mean, it's not as if was shouting them the truth into their faces... I'm not standing up in front of the whole class and tell them how incredibly stupid they are. So, why can't they just let it be?

Anyway...

I hope you all are having a great time.

How is school going, Nessie?

And what about this trading strategy you had in mind, Father?

I'm looking forward to your answer.

With all my love,

Elphaba

She hadn't wanted to cry. She'd tried really hard to suppress the tears whilst she wrote but now that it was all set-on paper, it suddenly seemed to be so much more than just some stupid harassing from her stupid classmates.

Elphaba choked on a sob and buried her face in her hands, breathing hard.

Why was life so hard on her? Why couldn't it be harder on someone else -or no one, for a change?

In the distance, a door opened and closed again, followed by the noise of heels on the wooden floor and a long, drawn-out giggle.

Quickly, Elphaba raised her hands in an attempt to dry her tears. The steps were nearing her and they were nearing her quickly.

Casting a long shadow onto the ground as they stepped into the light, a certain blonde and a boy that Elphaba knew from her History classes stumbled into the corridor at which's end Elphaba sat. They didn't notice her -she didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing- because they were so tightly pressed together and intertwined in their kiss. Elphaba wrinkled her nose, tears forgotten but remained quiet.

The boy's hands were working furiously on the blonde's backside and she let out a breathy giggle.

Elphaba cleared her throat and watched how the couple whirled around in a hurry.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock. The boy just gaped at her.

"Sorry to interrupt you," Elphaba said in the sweetest voice she could manage. "But this is a library, not a brothel."

The blonde's jaw dropped, and she quickly pushed a strand of curly hair behind her ear, staring at Elphaba with a piercing look of anger. "If it were a brothel it'd be a pretty bad thing, allowing you here."

Elphaba snorted. "I must say I'm surprised to meet you here of all places. This is your first time in a library, I guess?"

She rose to her feet quickly, pushing her hair behind her ear in the same motion as the blonde. "D'you want me to show you around?"

The blonde girl curled her lips in disgust. "I'd rather a poisonous snake than you."

Elphaba crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That could be arranged. Just ask one of your idiotic friends, although I hardly doubt that they even know what a library is."

The blonde set her jaw. "You know what surprises me?"

She stepped closer to Elphaba. "That Madame Morrible let such a disgusticified, cursed thing as you are into Shiz. I'd thought better of her."

With a ridiculous amount of arrogance, she tossed her hair back and snapped, "Why are you here, anyway?! It's not as though an Artichoke even had a brain."

Elphaba stared at her in disbelief before taking a deep breath and saying as composed as she managed to, "Returning the question. It's not as though a blonde could ever think of anything but makeup and boys anyways."

The boy that until now had only stood behind the blonde and watched them now stepped forward and said with a hateful look. "At least she can think about boys and know that they think about her in return. No one would touch you for all the money in the world."

The green woman furrowed her brow and uncrossed her arms, her right hand finding her elbow. The boy stepped even closer. "Galinda here" -he pointed at the blonde beside him- "deserves to be wooed about by every boy at Shiz. But you don't even deserve to live, let alone be loved."

Elphaba's eyes widened in disbelief and hurt and then, hurt turned to anger and she narrowed her eyes. "Well, I happily step aside and watch how you kiss one girl but screw her best friend behind her back."

She saw Galinda -as the blonde seemed to be called- as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened and then suddenly, a hand leapt forwards and cold fingers held her wrist so tightly that it hurt.

"Hey!" she managed to say but before she could even try to yank her arm back, she was shoved into the chair she'd been sitting in before and felt the boy's hot breath on her cheek.

"You mean little green freak," he spat the last word right into her face. "You'd best mind your own business before someone decides you're not worth the private suite you're living in and chooses to do something against it."

He tightened his grip around her wrist and Elphaba had to suppress a whimper, then he let go of her and whirled around, grabbing Galinda's arm. The blonde looked up at him in confusion.

"Is she right?" she asked in a voice as cold as ice and the boy shook his head.

"The Artichoke seems to want your attention," he hissed and pulled the blonde with him.

Liar. Elphaba thought, but she didn't dare to speak it aloud.