Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written 2013. Found 2017.- Licia

She slipped into History on Monday, and quickly hurried to the empty desk by the window. Fiyero looked up as she slid into her seat, and grinned. Everyone had returned from break the day before and classes resumed; a moment passed, before Glinda entered with Elphaba behind her. The blonde took her seat beside Fiyero, leaving the seat between Raven and Fiyero for Elphaba.

Raven's arrival didn't go unnoticed, and whispers soon began to spread throughout the classroom-

"Yes, she's a new student! Haven't any of you ever seen a new student before?" Elphaba snapped, turning around to face the ones that were gossiping.

"But who is she?" Milla asked softly, the only one not caught up the gossip. Elphaba's gaze softened; over the last year, she and Milla had gotten to be good friends. Not as good as she and Glinda, but still. She was someone Elphaba could talk to if she didn't want to talk to Glinda, and she had a brain that rivaled Elphaba's.

"She's my cousin, from Ev." And without another word, the green girl turned back to the front of the class as Doctor Dillamond entered.

"Good morning, class." Murmurs wafted up to meet him, and he quickly scanned the class, his gaze landing on Raven, who's mouth had dropped. Back in Ever After, well... there was no such thing as a talking animal, unless you counted the three little pigs or Hopper, but that was a more a curse than anything. She's never actually met an animal- a real animal who could talk. "You must be Miss... Evella, yes?" Raven nodded in silence. "Well, welcome to Shiz, Miss Evella."

"What is your problem?" Elphaba murmured, finally snapping Raven's gaze from the Goat.

"I... I've never... I..." She leaned over her desk. "In Ever After, there are no talking animals except the Three Little Pigs."

The green girl nodded slowly in understanding, before pulling out a notebook and pen and handing them to her. She then slid her notebook over to the girl. "You can copy my notes."

"But don't you need them?"

"Elphie takes notes ahead of class. She's got a really good memory, can remember almost anything she hears-"

"Partial echoic memory, Glinda." Elphaba replied, folding her arms on her desk.

"Right, that."

Before Fiyero could even think to add to the conversation, Dillamond started the lesson. Raven spent her time copying Elphaba's history notes, only occasionally glancing up; the girls had helped her pick up her books on Friday, but she hadn't touched them, too unsure of where to start. There were no classes under ridiculous names like 'Princessology' or 'Damsel-in-Distress Training'; the classes at Shiz, Raven had discovered, were closer to what she imagined a real university in Ever After High- or one of the surrounding kingdoms- to be like. She'd looked through the list of classes, with names like 'Ozian Literature', 'Political Science', 'History of Oz', and on and on; she'd signed up for 'Sorcery One', and knew that Elphaba was due to start the Sorcery seminar in the fall, but from what Raven could tell, that was the only course that focused exclusively on magic and myth. With the exception of 'Sorcery One' and a couple other courses, she had the same schedule as Elphaba and Glinda; Elphaba had made the argument to Morrible that it would be easier for her to get to used to the campus and the school in general if she stuck close to her and Glinda. To Elphaba's surprise, the headmistress had agreed.

Elphaba, meanwhile, sat with her head resting on her folded arms, listening to Dillamond, even as she stared at the back of Avaric's head. She let herself become lost in thought; she'd already studied the Great Gillikin Civil War and didn't care to relearn it. After several minutes, she felt something nudge her elbow, and she lifted her head, turning to find a slip of paper under her elbow. Raven was still copying her notes, and after a moment, she took it, unfolding the slip.

I'm having trouble following. Does he always drone on like this?

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a soft snort before quickly grabbing a pen and scrawling something back. She folded it up and slid it back towards the girl, who slowly opened it.

All the time. You get used to it.

Raven nodded, scrawling something on it and sliding it back before turning another page in Elphaba's notebook and returning to jotting down notes. Silently, Elphaba unfolded the paper and scanned the new note, smiling softly.

As long as he doesn't make insanely hard tests on things we haven't studied so he can give us detention and then makes us spin straw into gold as punishment, I guess that's okay.

With a furrowed brow, Elphaba slipped the note back, which Raven quickly unfolded.

?

A small smile tugged at the teenager's lips, as she wrote back,

It's a long story.

Elphaba nodded upon reading, before quickly jotting down,

I take it teachers at your old school were... special.

Raven snorted softly to herself. Special? Hardly. Half the blasted school thought they were special, but in reality all they were was ordinary. If anything, she was the special one, being the daughter of the Evil Queen and all, even though the last thing she wanted to do was follow in her mother's footsteps.

More like... it's complicated. Half the school thought they were special, most of the teachers were incompetent at best, and just plain stupid at worst, and Headmaster Grimm was...

Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

Headmaster Grimm?

Raven bit the top of her pen, thinking.

Headmaster Milton Grimm. He's convinced that everyone must follow the stories and stick to destiny. He caters to the royal students, while ignoring the ones who think or even want to think differently. He's a real... a real...

The green girl snorted softly before suggesting,

Bastard? Jackass? Son of a bitch?

Raven grinned, catching Elphaba's eye. She quickly scrawled four words before handing the note back, Blondie's annoying catchphrase popping into her head.

Those sound just right.