Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Written: 2010. Rewritten: 2015. Found: 2019.- Licia
Instead of calling, I just returned to The Tangled Heart the following Monday. I didn't have any Monday classes, but I wasn't sure if Fiyero did or not, so imagine my surprise to find him at the register, helping another customer. He looked up when I entered, the small bell over the door announcing my arrival, and I watched a smile quickly spread over his face. "Well, look who came back. I was expecting you to call."
I shrugged. "Not my style."
"Your usual?" A sigh escaped my throat, and after a moment, I nodded. He quickly worked on it and another drink, before handing the cup to me and slipping out from behind the bar. I watched him go, confused. "Milla, I'm going to take my ten."
The little redhead jotting down orders waved to him, never looking up from her work. "'kay."
He nodded towards a table in the far corner. "Come on." Minutes passed, before I finally followed, slipping into the chair across from him. We sat in silence for several minutes, before he finally broke it. "So, what's the Thropp Third Descending doing attending Shiz University?"
I raised an eyebrow, setting my cup down. "What's the Vinkun Crown Prince doing attending Shiz University and working as a barista?" He chuckled softly. "You have all the money in the world. You don't need to work to pay for school."
"Okay, okay. You got me." He waved my words away, sitting back. "I asked for the job. Interviewed for it, my first year. I wanted to pay my own way. My parents had already paid for my first year, so I decided that I would pay for the second year, and I did. And then I decided the same with this year. Just because I'm royalty doesn't mean I always want everything done for me. I like to do things on my own. Call it an... independence thing."
I shrugged, giving him a small smile. "So you like working?" He nodded. "And you're not the... 'playboy prince'?" I don't now why it concerned me so much to hear him tell me no, but it did. He sighed, twirling the cup on the table slowly.
"I used to be. Back in high school. But it was just a phase. I grew out of it. Got to college and... just decided that the partying and craziness and... bullshit drama wasn't for me. It was fine back in high school, but college? When I'd be out in four years, returning to the Vinkus to possibly take the throne? No, that wouldn't do. Besides, I'd lost a couple close friends to alcohol poisoning and... I never wanted to go through that again, or make my family go through that. So I gave it up, walked away. It was hard, exceedingly hard at first, but now? Don't regret it at all." He took a sip of his drink, blue eyes meeting mine. "What about you? You don't seem like the party girl type."
I met his gaze. "I'm not."
A slow grin spread over his features. "Good." And then he turned back to the counter. "Hey, Milla. Be right back." I watched him get up and make his way towards the counter. he said something to the redhead, who gave him a skeptical look, before rolling her eyes and nodding. "Thanks Mill." He returned to our table, holding out a hand. "Come on."
"What was that?"
He chuckled softly. "I'm taking the rest of the day off. From now until one or so, it's fairly slow, because everyone's in class. They'll be fine for today." I glanced at his hand. "Don't you trust me?"
I felt my gaze narrow, followed by a soft whisper, "I..."
"I won't do anything to hurt you. I promise." Slowly, I reached out, laying my hand in his. He helped me to my feet, and we left the cafe, meandering through the campus. It was quiet; most students were either in class or asleep.
It was nice to wander the campus with someone, even if we were just walking through the green with no real destination. We talked of everything and nothing, finding similarities amidst our differences. Eventually, after two hours, he pushed the sleeves of his pale blue button-down up his arms. "Let me guess. You're... eighteen?" I nodded. "You decided on your major yet?"
"Not yet. Too many choices. I might do something with art, but-" I stopped, my gaze coming to rest on the Suicide Canal. She stood at the water's edge, her long blonde curls and pale pink dress dripping wet, her lips blue. Fiyero stopped, confused.
"Elphaba? What is it? What are you looking at?" I felt him turn towards the canal, but I knew her couldn't see her. Only me. I felt my breath catch.
Zixi.
She sniffled, tears filling her gaze. "Stop me, please. Help me, Elphaba." Without another word, she stepped backwards off the embankment, tumbling into the water below with a splash.
"Elphaba? Elphaba, what is it? What's wrong? Talk to me! Elphaba!"
I turned back, to find Fiyero having grabbed my shoulders. He was shaking me gently, worry and fear filling his gaze. I swallowed, feeling my heart leap into my throat. There was no way he would believe me; there were times I didn't even believe it myself. "I-"
"Elphaba, you're worrying me. What's wrong, what happened?" I watched him turn back to the canal. "Did something land in the canal? A bird or a... a piece of clothing?"
A piece of clothing. You could say that. I swallowed, forcing a smile. "No, Yero. No... nothing fell. It was just... just my imagination." I pulled away, not wanting to break contact with him, but desperate too at the same time. "I... I'm so... thank you for this. I enjoyed it. It was nice." My gaze darted back to the canal, and I swallowed thickly, turning back to him. "But I... I have to go."
And without explaining or giving him time to process it, I turned and fled back to Crage Hall.