Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I absolutely forgot. I t. I'm sooooo sorry.
This is a chapter I've really longed to post... it's kind of a turning point in the story and also we finally get the Fiyeraba moving.
See you tomorrow, guys (I won't forget, I promise... I hope?)
Stay safe out there (and pls review) Thanks to every single one of you who reviews/favourites/follows.

Started writing: 02.02.2020

Finished writing: 02.02.2020

Chapter 25
Ill-tempered

Galinda wasn't that type of girl to take school overly seriously; she quickly became bored after classes began and tended to draw thousands and thousands of flowers and hearts on her -and occasionally Elphaba's- notes. She often leant back with her chair so that the backrest rested against the table of those behind her in the second row and began to chat with them quietly. And whilst Elphaba rarely missed any class at all, Galinda sometimes seemed to search for excuses not to go.

Such as a big shopping sale in the City of Shiz.

"A really, really big shopping sale," the blonde had explained. "The kind when you cannot stop yourself from buying everything. Like… last summer holidays there was this huge sale in Pertha Hills and my momsie, and I went there and bought three pairs of shoes each. Which is quite a lot -even for me."

But Elphaba who'd never experienced such a spending spree found it absolutely ridiculous and couldn't help but roll her eyes at that.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Galinda had asked, for -of course- she couldn't let the opportunity of buying three pairs of shoes for one pair's price slip.

Elphaba had nodded fiercely. "I'm absolutely sure. That I don't want to come along and that you shouldn't go either, that is."

Galinda had laughed and waved a hand dismissively.

"See you later, Elphie. Have fun," and she'd run off.

Thus, Elphaba sat in the cafeteria all on her own, her nose stuck in a book as she spooned her yoghurt.

It was Thursday morning and, considering that every student was ought to be in class in a few minutes, the cafeteria was empty.

"Hey, Artichoke."

Elphaba's head whipped up, and she whirled around to glare at whoever had called her. It was Nathaniel who neared her table. Before she could do so much as open her mouth, the boy pulled out a small sheet of paper and tossed it at her.

"From Aurelion," he said and strode past her.

Elphaba stared at the folded paper before her. Luckily it hadn't landed in her yoghurt and slowly, the green girl pushed her bowl away and unfolded the note.

Good Morning, Elphaba.

I'm not feeling well, so the nurse decided to let me take a day off.

Have fun today,

Aurelion

Elphaba knit her brows. Not feeling well? Hadn't Galinda said something about him not looking well either?

She couldn't get herself to finish her yoghurt; something seemed off today.

Ten minutes before classes would begin, Elphaba already made her way across the campus and to the History classroom. It was a rather warm day and Elphaba took off her scarf before she was even halfway out the door. Spring was racing near them, announcing itself with heavy rainfalls and sunny afternoons, warm days and cold nights.

Elphaba couldn't help but wonder how the climate in Munchkinland was. Scientifically and psychologically speaking. She hadn't yet gotten an answer to her letter and she was sure she'd never been as impatient for one to arrive.

With a huff, Elphaba opened the door to the History classroom.

Strangely, Fiyero was already there, sitting in the front row with an arm around the chair next to him as though reserving it for someone. Even more strangely; Doctor Dillamond wasn't there yet, sorting through his many notes.

"Where's Galinda?" asked Fiyero and let go of the chair so she could sit down.

"Shopping," Elphaba answered with a roll of her eyes.

Fiyero snorted, then leant forward and said, "I would've expected you to go with her."

"For sure," Elphaba grinned. "So she can try to persuade me to buy some silly dress."

"I'm sure you'd look great in that purple dress."

Elphaba looked away.

Pressing her lips to a thin line, she said, "And I'm sure I wouldn't."

She busied herself with pulling out her notes and pens and when she turned around, she saw that he had been watching her.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, Fiyero hurried to say. "Nothing at all."

Elphaba wasn't so sure about that.

For a moment, she knit her brows to a frown. "You're acting strange."

Fiyero leant back. "Am I? This is my mature self, I remind you."

"Exactly," said Elphaba. "Strange."

She turned and threw the clock on the wall a quick look.

"Where's Doctor Dillamond?" she murmured. "Are the teachers now making it a habit to be late?"

"I wouldn't know," said Fiyero. "But it's certainly unlike him."

Elphaba nodded. "It is, isn't it?"

She crossed her legs and rocked her foot as impatience settled in. Yes, she decided, something was off about this day. She could feel it although she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"What is it?" Fiyero's voice sounded from behind her.

She turned around.

"I don't know," she murmured. "Something's feeling strange. Something's going on."

He tilted his head to one side. "You might be a little nervy from everything that's been going on."

Elphaba knit her brows. When had he become such an expert?

"No," she said stubbornly. "It's not that."

Fiyero shrugged. "Well, I don't feel anything strange."

But in the exact same moment, the door opened and a man stepped inside. A man, not a Goat.

Elphaba frowned.

The man was tall and had brown hair that had already started to turn grey. He was pushing a cart with one hand and arranging his glasses on the bridge of his nose with the other.

"Good Morning, class," he said as though nothing was off.

The students murmured a confused 'Good Morning' and looked at each other questioningly.

"My name is Mr Athington."

Elphaba's frown increased. What was going on?

"I'm very sorry to tell you," said Mr Athington. "that your History teacher Doctor Dillamond has retired from his position."

Elphaba's eyes widened and her fists clenched and unclenched of their own accord.

"Retired?" she spat out. "You mean he's been removed. Doctor Dillamond would never have retired; he loved his work."

"Well," said the man, completely unaffected by neither the green of her skin nor her obvious outrage.

He cocked his head to one side as if deep in thought. "Removed… retired from the faculty… is it of such big difference?"

Elphaba almost jumped up from her seat. "So you admit that he was, in fact, removed?"

Mr Athington arched his eyebrows. "I'm admitting nothing, young lady. And even if I were, who would be bothered? We're talking about an Animal, after all."

And he said it with such conviction that Elphaba felt her fellow students must've believed it with their unsteady minds.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she blurted and smacked Fiyero's hand away that he'd put on her shoulder in a somewhat calming gesture. "What are you implying?"

But the teacher ignored her completely, turned around and took off his coat.

"Class," he said. "I will now present you a whole new way of teaching History."

He walked over to the cart he'd brought with him and pulled a cloth off of it, revealing a cage. And in it a lion cub.

Or was it a Lion Cub?

A gasp went through the rows of students, some in disbelief, some in excitement.

"This is," Mr Athington folded the cloth and put it aside. "a so-called Lion Cub."

Elphaba's eyes widened with shock.

"In a cage," added the teacher. "So that we can keep him from parading around, tyrannizing everyone in reach with his wicked propaganda."

Students were rising to their feet -not in outrage, though, but to have a better view.

"It's for his own good," Mr Athington continued. "And he's absolutely fine in there, he doesn't understand what's going on at all -and we shall keep it that way."

Elphaba's face was flushed with anger; a strange colour, she knew; something between dark green and purple.

"If he's fine, then why is he trembling?" she demanded.

Before Mr Athington could answer, the green girl was up on her feet and stepped around her desk to approach the cart.

"Why is he shaking and whimpering if he's all good?" her face twisted with anger as she turned to her fellow students. "How can you stand there and watch how this happens?"

"Nothing happens, Miss," said Mr Athington sternly and tried to take her arm to lead her back to her seat.

She pulled away.

"Yes, it does," she insisted. "It's not too obvious, it's going on in the background. But it is happening. And we stand by and keep quiet?"

The Lion Cub behind her whimpered and it almost sounded as though he was begging for help.

Mr Athington hit against the cage so that it shook and Elphaba couldn't help but gasp.

"What are you doing?" she cried, turning to her classmates. "Did you see this? Why are you watching? Why isn't anyone doing something?"

But they were too busy whispering to each other and staring at the small Lion Cub in the cage.

"Sit down, Miss," ordered Mr Athington and this time he grabbed her arm before she could pull away.

"No," Elphaba said. "No, I won't. I cannot sit and watch you doing these terrible things."

"I said; sit," Mr Athington angrily tried to lead her to her seat.

But Elphaba dug her heels into the ground and wouldn't move even the tiniest bit.

"Cage," stuttered the Lion Cub.

"See what you've done," blurted the teacher and hit against the cage forcefully.

"No!" cried Elphaba.

Something welled up inside her, surged through her and exploded before her eyes.

When she opened them again, there was Fiyero standing right in front of her, the cage with the Lion Cub in his hands.

"Come on, come on," he said hurriedly.

"What are you…?" asked Elphaba in confusion and Fiyero took her hand.

"I'm doing something," and he pulled her with him.

Just when they rushed outside the door, Elphaba caught a glimpse of her fellow students. They were all frozen in their movement, eyes widened.

"What happened?" Elphaba asked as they hurried down the corridor and quickly climbed down the stairs.

"I don't know," Fiyero panted. "But they just stopped moving by all sudden."

Elphaba pushed open the door and let him pull her with him.

"It was me," she said after a second or two. "Surely, it was me. I still can't control it."

Fiyero didn't say anything. Maybe he was too focused on running without shaking the Lion Cub too hard. Maybe he wasn't listening.

Elphaba wasn't registering where they were going, she just stared at their joined hands. Neither one of them had tried to let go, not even when they were both tripping over the roots of some large trees.

They only stopped when they reached a clearing, and it was only then that Elphaba noticed they'd been running into the woods near the university.

"Oh, what have I done?" the green girl muttered and covered her face with her hands.

"The right thing," said Fiyero simply. "What everyone should've done, but didn't dare to."

Elphaba raised her head. "You were the one to take the cage."

She took it from his hands and gently put it down onto the ground, kneeling down beside it.

"Yeah, but if you hadn't said something, I wouldn't have done it."

Elphaba bit her lower lip and leant forward to look at the Lion Cub.

"Oh look," she cried. "It's trembling. It must be terrified."

She carefully stuck a finger between the bars, but the small Lion whimpered and inched away.

"The poor thing," she murmured and pulled her hand back, staring at it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

The Lion Cub said nothing. She wasn't sure whether he couldn't or did not dare to.

Slowly, Elphaba stood up, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"You know what's strange?" asked Fiyero and tilted his head to one side. "How you made everyone in the room freeze but me. I wonder why."

Elphaba turned. "So do I. I have no idea how this works. The magic, that is. Sometimes when in class with Madame Morrible, I think I've figured it out, but every time something happens and brings up thousands of new questions."

She stared at her long green fingers and sighed. "No surprise he's trembling. He must've been so scared of me."

"How could he?" Fiyero blurted.

Elphaba turned around. "Oh, you know… he must be very afraid of people in general if Mr Athington is treating him so horribly… and the green is strange, I must admit-"

"I think it's pretty."

Elphaba's head whipped up.

"Pretty?" she uttered in disbelief. "Oh, that's the last word that comes to my mind when I think of it."

"It's the first when I do."

Why was he talking in such a rich, calm voice of all sudden? Or had it always been that way and Elphaba just hadn't noticed?

She knelt down beside the cage again, slowly and almost hesitantly so.

"You mustn't be afraid," she crooned at the small Lion. "We're trying to help you, not harm you."

But the Cub didn't stop trembling and Elphaba was beginning to feel restless. Nervously, she clutched the handle of her bag, before taking it off and standing up again.

"Now, what are we going to do?" she said, more to herself than to Fiyero. "I certainly didn't plan this through…"

"Neither did I," Fiyero declared. "We have to find some place safe for the Lion Cub. Question is; where is that place?"

Elphaba raised a hand to silence him.

"Wait, I'm thinking," she murmured. "He cannot stay here, that's for sure. Maybe send him to my family, but no, my father is Governor; we often have guests and if they were to see the Lion… Who knows what they'd do?"

"We might-"

Elphaba raised her hand higher. "Shh. I'm still thinking. If we were to send him to Galinda's parents… but I've met her mother; doesn't strike me as an overly helpful person, that woman. No, we have to-"

"Elphaba," Fiyero was standing right beside her. "You never let anyone else talk, do you?"

Elphaba arched an eyebrow. "I was trying to find a solution. But if you feel the need to express your own ideas, feel free to do so."

The boy knit his brows.

"Well," he started. "I was just thinking that we might send him to my cousin. He'd love to help, I'm sure."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. She stared at him for a second, cleared her throat, stared at her fingers and then finally managed to mutter weakly, "Now, I wouldn't have guessed."

Fiyero jerked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"That you'd have an actual idea," she said hesitantly. "I thought you might tell a joke or something, that seemed more like you."

"Ouch," stated Fiyero in absolute seriousness.

Elphaba stepped forward. "No, I'm sorry, that's not what I wanted to say."

She took a deep breath. "What I meant to say was… You've changed. I didn't think you would really. I thought it was a phase, that you'd continue with your 'Dancing Through Life'-thing, in the end. But you surprised me."

She looked up at him but averted her eyes almost immediately again. There was something in his look that made her skin crawl. In the best possible way.

"So, yes, we should send him to your cousin; if you think he'd like to help."

She felt Fiyero's eyes on her.

"I do," he said.

When Elphaba looked up this time she couldn't bring herself to look away. His blue eyes, his blonde curly hair. His straight nose, the small smile on his lips. A shiver ran down Elphaba's spine. That smile. Oz, that smile. And-

"Oh," Elphaba breathed. "You're bleeding."

And her hand lifted on its own accord and before she knew it, her fingers were touching the side of his cheek, right underneath his cheekbone.

They were so close, she realised, so incredibly close. She could spot every single dark sprinkle in his blue eyes, could smell his shampoo.

He kissed her.

In her mind, he kissed her. And Elphaba closed her eyes just for a split second.

What was happening to her?

Every ounce of her being was screaming at her to close the small gap between them, to let her forehead sink against his. But she couldn't bring up the courage and then there was her heart pounding against her ribcage, the feeling of a faint tingling in her fingertips that were still resting against his cheek.

Elphaba stepped back. "We should get the Cub to safety."

And her heart, she thought.