Okay, I have decided that I will post a new chapter every day from now on. That might not last forever but I figured that now that we're all trapped at home, I might as well upload a bit faster. That way, I'm a little more motivated to start the sequel (Yes, there will be a sequel, guys;)
Anyway... in this chapter I'm going to introduce the next character (Now try to guess who that might be) and I hope I'm not going to screw it up...
Please go ahead and review; comments always make my days...
Stay safe out there!

Started writing: 06.12.2019

Finished writing: 08.12.2019

Chapter 9
Struck

Dear Momma and Father, dear Nessa.

I really hope you're alright back home. I've read an article in the Emerald Times that there's been a small flu epidemic in Munchkinland -I hope it's spared you.

Anyway, much has been going on at Shiz since my last letter.

First of all; I've had my first Sorcery class with Madame Morrible and I'm proud to say that she's very delighted with me. You see, there's really not much to it -Sorcery, that is. It's more like trying to wiggle a single toe; hard but not impossible.

Madame Morrible gave a whole lecture on how important pronunciation and the right feelings whilst casting a spell are before she started to really teach me.

Magic is hard to control, you see, it's almost as though it had its own mind. Chanting a spell doesn't automatically mean that the Magic answers the way you want it to, sometimes it could need to repeat a spell ten or twenty times before it even shows. Only very talented witches and wizards have the power to summon the Magic in a single attempt -and very few of them get it to bow to their will every time.

Madame Morrible told me about spell books and ancient languages that I might or might not be able to read in the future. She said that I could achieve the extraordinary if I'd just make good -and I will make good; I'll try hard. I've already scoured the whole library for spell books and now there's a pile of books on my nightstand that might grow taller than me. Needless to say, that I'm very, very happy with my Sorcery class; Finally, there's something to be proud of, that you could be proud of... if I'm going to work with the Wizard then no one's going to be disgusted by me. They'll be so happy whenever they see me, they'll look up to me and never dare to insult me again.

Now, of course, I do not only have good news (how could I? I'm me, after all...)

Remember, Momma, I said I enrolled for Art classes only for the sake of fun? Well, I can't say I've had much fun in the last few days.

There was this Dance on Friday and everyone was going except for me (because really, what am I here for? -and also, I wasn't asked, so why bother going there alone, making a fool out of myself in front of everyone). So, whilst everyone was attending the Dance, I was sitting in the Art classroom, painting a little bit -I've really missed painting over the last few weeks.

Next morning in Art classes, everyone marvelled at the canvases, said they were really beautiful and stuff. And then they found out it was me who'd painted them. And they couldn't have behaved worse. One canvas even got destroyed.

My Art teacher was furious with them and now half the class is in detention for a month, but it's not going to repair the canvas, is it? It wasn't the most beautiful one I've ever painted, really, but I'd painted it for you, Nessie. And I'm terribly sorry it got destroyed; it would have made the perfect Lurlinemas present for you.

I know, you must be furious, Father, but I asked Professor Linister not to tell Madame Morrible; I do not want to be the childish little girl that can't bear a little bit of harassing in her eyes. Especially now since she has so great expectations of me.

Well, there's another thing keeping the University on track -especially the girls… they're already freaking out-. Rumours have spread that the infamous Prince Fiyero Whatever of the Vinkus is coming to Shiz University after getting expelled from his former six universities.

But, of course, that's not what my fellow female students talk about. No, they talk about how super-scandalacious he himself and how thrillifyingly-good-looking his hair is. It's mental, really. Just yesterday I saw a girl in my History class decorating her exercise book with thousands of hearts and Fs. And here I am, thinking we've already passed puberty.

Anyway... I have class in half an hour and I still have to finish my Politics assignment -it never turned out the right way until now- so I'm afraid this is all I'm going to write for now.

Again; I hope all of you are fine and healthy.

Love,

Elphaba

With a sigh, Elphaba put her pen aside and began to fold the letter, so she could stuff it into the envelope. Then the green girl turned to her assignment. There was still half a sheet of paper to be filled and the young woman was determined not to be late.

She'd written and rewritten this assignment surely ten times already and if this last try failed, Elphaba would have to hand in a half-finished text, and that was something she really didn't want to do.

For the next quarter of an hour, she threw herself into work, writing two paragraphs and crossing one out again. And in the end, she had to run out of her dorm if she still wanted to be in class on time. In a hurry, Elphaba stuffed the few sheets of her schoolwork into her bag and quickly climbed down the stairs, slipping into her coat whilst pushing the door of the building open with her shoulder. She held her bag close to her chest whilst she reread the lines she'd written in her assignment.

Yes, now everything seemed to sound just right.

Elphaba sighed and pushed a rebellious strand of jet-black hair behind her ear. The sun was burning against her emerald-green skin as though it wanted to bid her its last farewell before it'd slowly seize to rising for only a few hours a day, getting less and less, the closer they'd come to Lurlinemas. Soon, Elphaba realised, she'd have to include her long coat and thick scarf into her day-to-day wardrobe.

Quickly, the green-skinned woman threw her wristwatch a look; if she hurried up, she might even be able to drop off the letter at-

There was a loud but dull bang and something crashed into Elphaba's side with such force that she got sent a good two metres flying before hitting the ground hard.

Twice a week, she thought as she watched the sheets of her assignment slowly fall to the ground.

She blinked -once, twice- then her eyes closed.

"D'you think she's dead?"

"Do I look like a doctor?"

"... Well? Do you, now?"

"I don't know. But... she's green?"

"Is that a question?"

"Oz, you're insufferable at this time of a day."

Elphaba blinked against the light.

"Hey, she's moving!"

"I do see that, I'm not blind."

"Would you please just shut up for a minute?!" Elphaba snapped and slowly pushed herself onto her elbows.

"And she can talk."

"What did you think she was going to do? Croak?"

The green-skinned woman sent both of them a deadly look. "Really?!"

She slowly got to her feet, swaying slightly as the dull pain in the back of her head suddenly became much more prominent in a split second. Then she reached out to pick up her bag and books and the sheets that were spread on the ground.

When she straightened up again, she took her time to examine the two boys in front of her a little bit more closely. One was tall and well-built with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. The other was smaller but just as well-built, had brown hair and dark eyes. Elphaba frowned upon their clothes and quickly averted her eyes.

"Won't you say sorry?" she challenged.

The blonde boy shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his tight, white trousers. "Well, you were standing in our way, and you weren't looking where you were going. Besides, we're already later than we've expected to be."

He turned around and grabbed the brunette boy by his arm. Elphaba gaped at their backs openly. Then she quickly pulled out the first thing she could grab from her bag and hurled it after them.

The book hit the blonde boy at his back and he whirled around, gasping.

"Hey!" the brunette one exclaimed. "Are you mental?! Don't you know who this is? This is Crown Prince Fiyero-"

Elphaba snorted. "I don't care who he is! You won't get away with this just like that!"

She'd approached them so quickly that she was now swaying a little bit when she poked her finger into the blonde boy's -Fiyero's- chest.

"You'll apologise," her voice brooked no dissent. "Right now."

Fiyero turned to his brunette companion with a smirk. "Look, Avaric, she's a feisty one."

Elphaba's lips became a thin line as she pressed between clenched teeth, "She is going to report you to Madame Morrible if you're not going to say sorry."

The blonde boy laughed. "Oh, be my guest. Spare me the few weeks of useless studying here at Shiz."

Elphaba gaped at him. "What?"

Fiyero simply shrugged. "Well, it's not as though I'm going to last any longer than at any other University."

Avaric nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Ten bucks you'll be out of here in less than six weeks."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Two weeks of that are Lurlinemas holidays."

Both boys shrugged.

"I say less than four weeks, then," Fiyero said, "Especially with this one here." -he pointed at Elphaba, who wrinkled her nose.

"You do know that this is about your education, not about how many girls you can lay a single night," she said with a frown.

"I see you've grasped the concept," Fiyero laughed and gave Avaric a slight nudge.

"May I ask," the latter suddenly interfered. "why you are green?"

Elphaba sent him a warning look.

"You may ask nothing," she snapped.

"Oh, but that one would interest me as well," Fiyero said and Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"And just because you are asking, you expect me to jump at every single request?" she challenged. "Well, I'm sorry, your Highness, but that's not going to happen."

She bent down to pick up the book she'd thrown earlier. Then she threw her wristwatch a quick look and groaned in frustration.

"Oz no," she exclaimed, "I'm late for Politic classes."

"Great thing," Fiyero said. "Might as well skip the whole afternoon."

Elphaba whirled around, her finger poking hard into his chest. "This is your fault! I've never once been late to any of my classes."

Both the boys' eyes widened.

"Really?" Avaric said, his voice something between amazement and shock.

"Oz, I hope this school is not full of people like you," Fiyero added with a groan.

Elphaba's gaze dropped. "No. There's no one... like me at this school, I can assure you."

"Hey, that's not what I meant- "

Her head snapped up again, eyes sparkling with fury. "I'm quite aware of just how you meant that!"

She angrily stuffed her book into her bag and suddenly grabbed his arm.

"You're studying Politics as well, aren't you?" she hurried to ask.

"Um...," Fiyero threw Avaric a helpless look.

The brunette boy nodded. "Yeah."

Elphaba's grip around Fiyero's arm grew tighter. "Then you're coming with me."

And she pulled him after her as she hurried away from the car and Avaric whom Fiyero quickly waved goodbye.

"See you in a few weeks!" he shouted, then he stumbled after Elphaba.

Her steps were steady and fast as she almost ran down the hallway.

"Hey," Fiyero complained. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Elphaba snorted. "Because classes started almost a quarter of an hour ago, not that I expected you to know that."

She pushed a door open with her shoulder and suddenly stood still so that Fiyero ran right into her.

"Oz, I'm so stupid," she murmured under her breath, turned on her heels and pulled Fiyero with her.

Together they hurried up the stairs and down the hallway. Then, in front of a wooden door, Elphaba stopped and turned to face the blonde boy beside her.

"You haven't apologised yet," she stated matter-of-factly and blinked at him.

Fiyero averted his eyes and forced a quick "Sorry".

Elphaba snorted quietly but opened the door without complaining and stepped inside.

Almost immediately 23 pairs of eyes were on her and when she stepped aside to reveal the infamous Crown Prince Fiyero Tiggular, a good dozen of the students sucked in a gasp. Fiyero's lips curled into a lopsided smile. Elphaba rolled with her eyes and approached the teacher at the front of the class.

"Miss Elphaba," Professor Graeling said with a raised eyebrow.

Elphaba quickly fastened her steps.

"I'm so sorry, Madame," she said. "I got knocked over by a car" -she shot Fiyero a glare- "and I was unconscious for a moment, so..."

"Maybe the driver saw green and thought it meant go," a certain blonde let sound from her place in the very back of the class.

Elphaba shot Galinda an angry look.

Professor Graeling's brow furrowed in worry. "Have you been to the hospital wing already?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, Madame, I didn't think it necessary."

She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I'm sorry to be late. As for him" -she pointed at Fiyero who still stood motionless in the threshold- "Well... I suppose he must explain it himself."

Professor Graeling nodded. For a second, her eyes narrowed, and she raised a hand, reaching out for Elphaba's face, fingers hovering just above her green skin as though she wanted to touch her.

"You do look a little bit pale, Miss Elphaba," but her fingers never found Elphaba's cheek, and she pulled away. "You may sit down."

Then the woman turned to Fiyero.

"Mister Fiyero Tiggular, isn't it?" she said and Fiyero nodded.

"Well?" the Professor said with an eyebrow raised. "Explain yourself, please."

The young man smirked. "Well, you see, my driver really is the one who's caused all the mess in the first place. I myself was sound asleep when it all happened -a car ride is very exhausting, as you might be able to imagine."

Elphaba shook her head in disbelief.

"And for Miss Elphaba here, was unconscious, both of us, of course, were so very worried. We insisted on taking her to see the doctor, but she was determined to get to your class, Madame."

By now, Elphaba was gaping openly at him.

Professor Graeling tilted her head to one side and eyed Fiyero for a second. Then she nodded. "Alright then, Mister Tiggular. Since you already know Miss Elphaba, it might be best if you sat down beside her."

Elphaba suppressed the urge to smack her forehead against the tabletop.

Fiyero shrugged carelessly "Why not" And made his way towards the empty place next to Elphaba in the front row. He let himself fall into the chair in the most inappropriate way and Elphaba rolled her eyes at him.

She quickly got her assignment and folder out of her bag and pulled out her pen, ready to take notes. Fiyero snatched one plain sheet of paper from her and made himself comfortable in his seat, head turned towards Elphaba.

"Now," Professor Graeling said enthusiastically. "I'd like to talk about your assignments."

It was only ten minutes into the lesson when Fiyero obviously grew so bored as to tore the paper in front of him apart and throw small pellets of paper at Elphaba. After the third one had gotten tangled up in her jet-black hair, she suddenly whirled around and snapped, "You really are insufferable, you know that?!"

Fiyero shrugged carelessly and Elphaba huffed.

"You're sitting in the front row," she whispered.

Again, he simply shrugged. "I don't care."

Elphaba most sincerely hoped that he hadn't applied for Law as well.