I think I'm just going to say that, from now on, I'm going to upload every second or third day (I have a feeling that, otherwise, I'm going to have to apologise to you far too often lol)
Thanks for all the kind reviews... keep them coming;) (I absolutely loved to hear that you liked this one thing Fiyero said in the last chapter, so... thank you for letting me know)
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Started writing: 03.02.2020

Finished writing: 05.02.2020

Chapter 27
Friends

Elphaba read the letter in haste as she hurried down the corridors and climbed up the stairs. It was a letter written hurriedly, and Elphaba could almost feel the anger seeping through the white paper.

Dear Elphaba,

I cannot believe this.

Firstly; I cannot believe how brave you are; to stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves.

Secondly; I cannot believe how this terrible woman can be so cruel to you.

We got her letter before yours arrived, Elphaba, but don't think that we were angry with you for just a second. We weren't. We were proud, incredibly proud. And angry with Madame Morrible. How can she dare to treat you like that? You did what was right; what everyone with a sane mind would've done.

Don't let that old hag bring you down, dear, she is the one with the twisted nature.

As for the on-goings in Munchkinland, I'm happy to tell you that we've been sorting things through. It's not perfect; of course, it isn't, but we're working on that.

Don't worry about this, Fabala, we're all right back in Munchkinland. You've got more important things to think about, I'm sure.

Be well, dear,

Momma

More important things to worry about? Elphaba could feel the warmth creep on her cheeks in a blush. Must she always think about that one thing?

She'd thought if she avoided Fiyero, her feelings might pass but turned out he was impossible to avoid.

With a sigh, Elphaba stuffed the letter into the pocket of her coat and raised her hand to knock at the door.

"I'm here," she said as it opened. "Tell me."

Aurelion's eyes widened in slight confusion. "Um… well…"

He looked bad, Elphaba realised; really bad. His skin was pale, his hair dull, his eyelids slightly swollen.

"What's going on?" she blurted and stepped forward.

Aurelion raised a hand to hold her back. "No, don't come any closer. It's contagious… I think."

He stepped back, a good metre now between them.

"So that's why you've been missing class," said Elphaba, brows knit together. "Is it something serious?"

She tried to sound carefree but failed; her voice was shaking ever so slightly.

"Could be worse," Aurelion answered. "It's not lethal or anything."

Elphaba closed her eyes for a second, swallowing hard. "Is that why you said I should meet you in your room?"

"No," Aurelion shook his head in an almost hesitant way.

"Just as I feared," Elphaba murmured.

She felt her throat tighten as she looked up into his glassy eyes.

"When the school council found out that I wasn't getting any better, they decided to transfer me back to the Emerald City."

Elphaba's eyes grew wide. "Transfer you? Why? Because the school nurses in the Emerald City are so much better or what?"

He sneezed into his handkerchief and Elphaba involuntarily flinched back.

"They say it might be better for me to be with my family and a doctor that has known me all my life," he sniffed, and Elphaba couldn't help but knit her brows in despair.

"When are you leaving?" she asked quietly after a few seconds that passed in silence.

"This afternoon."

Elphaba's head snapped up.

"This afternoon?" she cried. "They told you this morning that you'd have to leave this afternoon?"

Aurelion shook his head. "They decided that three days ago."

The green girl fell silent at that.

It was only now that she noticed the empty shelves on his side of the room.

"Three days," she repeated. "Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a moment of silence as Aurelion fumbled with his handkerchief and said, "I'm sorry, Elphaba, really. I wanted to tell you earlier but… I don't even know why I didn't."

He reached out to squeeze her hand but pulled back when he realised that he couldn't.

"I guess I just didn't want you to worry about this when you already have so much to worry about," he added quietly, and Elphaba nodded.

"I know," she said and finally raised her head to look at him. "I'm not mad, Aurelion. Just… shocked."

His eyes were so glassy that they were almost completely white. It didn't make it easy to look him in the eyes all too long, and Elphaba smiled gently as though to tell him it wasn't in any way creepy.

"Will you come to say goodbye when the carriage comes?" he asked quietly, and she nodded fiercely.

"Of course. That's what friends do."

In the end, it was much harder to say goodbye than Elphaba would've expected it to be. She and Galinda stood on the first step of the stairs and watched how the coachman packed away the suitcases and from time to time threw Elphaba a rather confused and disgusted look.

"You know," whispered Galinda in the green girl's ear. "He's looking at you with so much disgust that it almost seems as though he's trying to cover up that he's secretly smitten with you."

Elphaba couldn't contain a snort. "Sure, Galinda, that's the reason."

Her laughter died away when Aurelion approached her, though. He looked even paler in the bright sunlight, and the dark circles under his eyes were of the darkest black they could be. He stopped a metre before them, and Elphaba swallowed hard, letting go of Galinda's hand although she could have needed it.

"I'm really going to miss you, you know?" admitted Aurelion and gave her a small smile. "You're a crazy girl, but in a good way."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Crazy? How kind of you."

But she grinned at him despite the feeling of a lump building in her throat.

"You're a good friend," he added.

"You were my first friend," Elphaba blurted, and before he could protest, she had stepped closer and thrown her arms around him in a deep hug. "I couldn't have wished for a better one."

As fast as she'd approached, she backed away again, wringing her hands.

Aurelion looked at her from big eyes. He cleared his throat and blushed and cleared his throat again.

"I- Thank you," he stammered.

His features softened ever so slightly. "Goodbye, Elphaba. I'll write to you. And as soon as I've recovered, I'll invite you to the Emerald City, alright?"

Elphaba nodded weakly.

"Goodbye, Galinda," he said, the blush on his cheeks as prominent as never before, "Keep an eye on her."

"I'm not a child," Elphaba complained, but she smiled at him.

The two girls lingered on the staircase for minutes, even after the carriage had disappeared behind the gate of Shiz University.

"Don't think I'm ever going to take your hand or arm or anything again," Galinda said, breaking the silence. "You hugged him at whatever it is that he has; it's contagious, Elphie, remember?"

But when she turned, she saw how Elphaba struggled to keep up her weak smile and couldn't help but step closer to pull her into a hug.

"If you've got it, then I've got it now too," she whispered into the green girl's black hair and Elphaba half-sobbed-half-laughed against her shoulder.

Elphaba closed her eyes for just a second.

"Doesn't it seem totally unfair?" she asked quietly.

Galinda gently patted her back. "Well, it certainly doesn't seem fair at any rate, if you ask me."

Slowly, Elphaba straightened up.

"Let's go," Galinda took her hand and pulled her with her. "He won't come back just because we stand here waiting."

Elphaba nodded. "I know that."

All the way back to their dormitory, she held Galinda's hand tightly, feeling as though she wouldn't be able to go any further if she let go.

The blonde threw her an uncertain smile when she opened the door to the dorm room, stepping inside.

"Are you all right?" she asked hesitantly.

Elphaba didn't answer. She just put off her boots and let herself fall onto her bed with a huff, staring at the ceiling.

"Elphie?"

"Mmh?"

"Is everything okay?"

Elphaba turned around, looking at her friend with her eyebrows knit. "I'm tired, isn't that strange? Everything seems to be going crazy in me just because a friend of mine has to go back home."

She propped herself up onto her elbows. "It's not as though he was dying, for Oz's sake. I will see him again; he isn't gone forever."

Galinda tilted her head to one side, her forefinger tapping against her lower lip.

"Uh," she cried and sat down next to Elphaba, bouncing up and down on the mattress. "I know. You were in love with him, but you didn't know."

She squealed. "Oh, Elphie, how exciting. You must write to him immediately. Dear Aurelion, I never figured it out until now, but I love you. It tears my heart apart blah blah blah… and then when he's well again, he will come back, and you will fall into each other's arms and-"

"I'm not in love with him, Galinda," said Elphaba deadly serious and the blonde's mouth snapped shut.

"You're not?" she asked quietly, almost sadly.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, certainly not."

Galinda curled her lips. "How do you know?"

Because I've been feeling drawn towards your ex-boyfriend lately.

No, that would certainly not be the right way to address it.

Because I might have a crush-

No, she would never say it like that.

"Elphie?"

"I just know," Elphaba said. "I'm not in love with him; he's my friend. It is possible to be friends with a boy and not being his girlfriend."

"Right," mused Galinda. "Just look at you and Fiyero."

The green girl bit her lower lip.

"Galinda, about that…" she stopped.

"Yes?"

"Oh, never mind."

Slowly, Elphaba stood up from her bed. "I'll go and have a quick shower, alright?"

The blonde nodded. "And then we'll go distract ourselves."

"I have to meet someone in the city," said Elphaba from the bathroom. "You could come along so I can introduce you."

She didn't hear Galinda's reply; she was too busy glaring at her own reflection, scolding herself for being so stupid as to try and tell Galinda of her feelings for the blonde's ex-boyfriend.

Peter Pane was absolutely crowded, and when Elphaba and Galinda first stepped inside, the green girl feared they might not find a free table.

"Is Emry here?" she asked the slightly shocked waiter at the entrance, and the young boy had to swallow several times before he managed "I'll go and find her" and bolted from the room.

"How kind," said Elphaba drily and flashed Galinda a grin.

The blonde girl clutched a small purse in front of her. She looked absolutely overdressed in her silver dress, but she had insisted.

"I'm meeting the others in the Blue Peacock this evening," Galinda had explained. "And I couldn't possibly get back here and change and still be there on time."

Elphaba had rolled her eyes.

"Do you know the story of Peter Pan?" asked Galinda of all sudden and Elphaba turned around with her brows raised.

"Of course, I do," she said and, after a moment, added, "Where did that come from?"

Galinda shrugged, eyes narrowed. "I think my momsie read it to me when I was little. I just had to think of it; it's a cute story. From the Wizard's world, I heard."

"I'm sure we still have the book in some dusty shelf at home," Elphaba grinned. "If you feel the desire to read it."

"Dusty shelf?" the blonde's eyes widened in fake shock. "In your home, Miss Thropp?"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

"Elphaba."

She turned around. Emry stood right before them, face flushed with excitement as she pulled her in a hug.

"And you must be," she said to Galinda. "Well, I have no idea who you are."

Galinda curled her lips into a smile. "Galinda Upland. Elphie and I are besties."

Emry flashed Elphaba a confused look, and the green girl waved a hand dismissively.

"Do you have the time to talk?" Elphaba asked. "If not, we can come back later-"

"Oh, it's alright," interrupted Emry. "I'll just go and take this one guy's order. You go and sit down at a free table. There must be one in the left corner."

She turned and hurried away; her notebook already opened in her hands.

Elphaba sighed. "I think I'd be a terrible waitress."

"Oh yes," Galinda agreed with a giggle. "You'd be super-annoyed by everyone within seconds, I can tell."

She took her hand and led her into the far-left corner where, just as Emry had said, an empty table stood.

It was far too big for two persons, but Galinda made up for the lack of people with her skirts that she spread over three seats in total.

"Look how beautiful this dress is," she said with a sigh. "I think it's my new favourite."

"Personally, I think it's about too sparkly," Elphaba announced and shrugged off her coat.

"Oh, no," Galinda shook her head. "Sparkly is super in, these days. The sparklier, the better."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "'Sparklier'? Really, Galinda?"

Before the blonde could answer, Emry had already sat down at the end of the table, took off her apron and folded it neatly over the backrest of a chair.

"Now," she said, turning to the two girls. "What's on your mind that you have to tell me?"

Her brows knit for just a split second. "And where's Aurelion anyway?"

Elphaba pressed her lips to a thin line. "That's exactly why I came here to talk to you."

She leant forward just the slightest bit. "Aurelion was ill the last week, and for it didn't get any better, the school council decided it would be best if he went back to the Emerald City. To his family. He left this afternoon."

Emry's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean; ill? Ill as in cancer or something?"

"No, no," Elphaba hurried to say. "Would I be sitting here like that if it were? They don't know exactly what it is, but they say it's not too dangerous."

Emry shook her head in disbelief. "And they sent him back home? That doesn't seem all that smart."

"I think they were just scared he might infect other students," Elphaba stated. "But I don't think to send him back home in a carriage in his current state helped the case either."

"Exactly," the Munchkin woman tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. "And what about his schooling, I wonder. Of course, there are very good universities in the Emerald City, but he is a student at Shiz."

Elphaba leant forward, elbows resting on the table. "I couldn't bear it; being sent back home, knowing I might never get the chance to study at Shiz again. I wouldn't even know what to do."

"I would," chimed Galinda. "For me, there's always so much to do when I'm home for the holidays; so many parties to attend and people to meet. I'd just make you my personal slave -that way you'd have something to do."

Elphaba grinned. "Am I not your personal slave already?"

Galinda stuck her tongue out at her.

The three women had a good time in the corner of Peter Pane; talking about everything under the sun and sipping tea that they ordered a good half an hour into the conversation.

It was a rather good distraction found Elphaba, from Aurelion's departure, the trouble with Madame Morrible... the thing about Fiyero, although she tried desperately not to think about that.

"Do send him my condolences and best wishes," said Emry when Elphaba and Galinda put on their coats to leave.

"Of course, I will," Elphaba let the Munchkin woman pull her in a tight hug. "I guess we'll see each other next week."

Emry nodded. She turned to Galinda, tilting her head to one side. "You know when I saw you last week in the city, I would never have thought it was you. But you're quite nice, actually. So, I guess you will come too, next week?"

Galinda knit her brows in confusion.

"Um… Yes, I will. And… Thank you?"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

"Sweet Oz," Galinda exclaimed. "We've got to go. It's almost six o'clock."

She took the green girl's arm and pulled her outside, waving goodbye at Emry.

"She's a cutie," Galinda mused. "Very small, though."

Elphaba snorted. "You're so tall after all."

The blonde nudged her in the side. "Oh, Elphie. I didn't say that I was tall, just that she was… well, I guess you're right."

She let the sole of her shoe scratch over the kerb -which must've been the Galinda-way of kicking-a-pebble-in-frustration- and tugged at a strand of Elphaba's hair.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" she asked gently when they stopped in front of the Blue Peacock.

Elphaba shook her head. "Not in a million years. They don't want me there, and I don't want me there either."

Curling her lips, Galinda let go of her arm. "They would come to like you if they'd come to know you."

"But they don't want to know me," Elphaba insisted.

She gave her a twisted smile. "You go, get wasted and have fun. I'll read a book, meanwhile."

Galinda blushed. "Elphie."

But she turned around and disappeared into the pub.

With a sigh, Elphaba turned around.

A good book that's exactly what she needed right now, she decided.

She clutched the handle of her bag and slowly began to make her way back to the campus of Shiz University.

Spring had made the days longer again, and it was just beginning to dawn, turning the sky into a blur of grey and purple. At the edge of the sky, the moon was already shining like a single lit lamp.

Elphaba had just turned into the side entry of Shiz when suddenly there was a wall right in front of her.

With a squeal she tripped backwards, falling down. And if said wall hadn't suddenly reached for her arm and howled her up-right, she would have suffered a big bruise on her backside.

"Damn it," the wall murmured. "Fae, are you alright?"

Elphaba opened an eye. The contents of her bag were spread on the way before her. She groaned.

"This happens far too often."

"Sorry."

She shrugged off his hand, stepping back.

Dark, Fiyero, close. Could he even see her? Would he see her blush?

Elphaba stroked the hair from her face, just in case...

"It's not your fault, really. I could just pay attention to where I'm going for a change."

Instead of thinking about how soft the look in his eyes was.

She knelt down to pick up the books that had fallen out of her bag.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could.

"A few friends invited me to play billiards," he crouched down beside her. "But they can wait."

His fingers were quick, and he picked the papers up in no time.

"Can they?" said Elphaba quietly.

She took the stack from him, but instead of putting them into her bag again, she pressed them close to her chest.

Fiyero gave her a lopsided smile. "Yes. They're douchebags, really."

"And you aren't?" Elphaba wasn't sure if this was a question or a statement.

"I don't think so."

"Congratulations," she rolled her eyes. "You think."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "I think rather often, actually."

Elphaba felt her mouth run dry as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said hesitantly, "And of what do you think?"

Had he just stepped closer? Was there really just half a metre between them?

"My friends, my family... you."

She clutched her books harder. "Me?"

Her heart was pounding rapidly against her ribcage; as though it wanted to jump out of her chest.

Fiyero nodded. One step closer.

She could feel the itching in her fingertips again, the light flutter in her belly.

"Because… there's something about you… you're… special, Elphaba Thropp," his voice was a little hoarse, sending shivers down her spine.

"Am I?" she whispered.

Another step closer.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, you are."

He was so close that she could feel the warmth of his body; that she could see every shade of his blue eyes.

"And I'm not talking about the green."

Her breath hitched in her throat; her heart stopped for a second.

Then he leant closer. Elphaba closed her eyes.

"Good evening, Miss Thropp."

They whirled around, Elphaba's cheeks flushed, eyes widened.

"G-Good evening, Professor Linister," she stammered at the teacher as he passed them with a friendly smile.

Her heart was still pounding furiously, and without looking up, she stuffed the books into her bag, "I've got to go."

Although she heard Fiyero shout her name, she did not dare to turn around. Her lips were burning as if on fire, her mouth was dry.

When she finally reached her dormitory, she needed forever to unlock the door and get inside. Dropping her bag on the floor, Elphaba fell into the chair, bending over her desk.

Dear Nessa, [she wrote, fingers shaking.]

I'm at a loss, truly I am; I fear I might be falling in love.