She avoided Galinda all day, ducking into corners whenever she glimpsed blonde curls in the corridor. She dreaded going back to her dorm that evening, could barely concentrate during lectures. When Madame Morrible, who taught a (very biased, in Elphaba's opinion) lecture on early pagan and Unionist writings, asked a question, Elphaba's hand didn't shoot into the air like it normally did.

She ate alone. Not like that was unusual for her, she normally ate alone. But this time she made a conscious effort to hide where she was eating. Normally she ate in the courtyard with the other students, normally she could see Galinda's golden curls from her spot beneath a Quoxwood tree.

Normally.

But today she sat down by the lake, a place she hardly ever dared venture, and a place no one else frequented now that the weather was growing colder.

She mulled over Dillamond's words. His offer. A chance to be involved in research, a chance to make a difference, to stop the Banns, to…

But what could she do? She was seventeen, and she was impertinent, and she was green. She was already being watched by Morrible for her outburst at the poetry readings, and now, thanks to Dillamond's warning, it was possible Morrible suspected her of helping the Goat as well.

Still, there was nothing she could do about that at the moment. It wasn't forbidden for lecturers to take on research assistants during the semester. Right now, for the moment, there was nothing Morrible could do to stop the two of them.

But a shiver ran down her spine all the same.

You won't be able to do this without friends.

She thought of Galinda. Of the way the girl had been questioning everything lately, since the Quells. The way her blue eyes turned stormy and serious whenever Elphaba asked her a question. There had been no flippant responses as of late, no comments about how Galinda simply didn't think. There was a brain, a heart hidden under the porcelain veneer and makeup, there was a soul. Not that Elphaba believed in the concept of a soul, but if anyone was to have one, Galinda was beginning to show signs.

But if she let on… if she brought Galinda into the folds of her research, if she continued to kiss her like she wanted…

It was too dangerous for Galinda to know. Too dangerous to tell her of the research, of her work with Dillamond. Too dangerous to have feelings for her. If Galinda knew how Elphaba felt, of the real work she was doing, then she'd become curious—Elphaba knew that. And if Galinda tangled herself in their web, and if Morrible found out—worse, if Morrible found what Elphaba felt for her roommate…

Oz, the web would become so tangled they'd all become hung in it.

The wind picked up, suddenly, creating ripples in the lake water. Elphaba skirted back from the shore, even though the water wasn't close to her.

She wondered. If she walked in, let the water take her, would she drown?

Or would she burn?

She hid in the library the rest of the day, not even daring to venture towards the 'Restricted' section for fear of the awful tiktok mechanism Morrible employed. When the sun finally set, and the trees cast long shadows over the courtyard, the orange glow of the lamp columns casting everything in a dark glow, Elphaba set out.

She dreaded going back to her room, dreaded seeing Galinda. What would she say to her? What could she say?

What if she didn't say anything? What if she just did what she wanted, kissed her again with no thought to the consequences?

But there were consequences, she knew. Consequences beyond ostracization from Galinda's friends (something Elphaba knew Galinda cared about deeply.) Morrible knowing was a consequence.

Falling in love was a consequence.

She tightened her shawl around her shoulders, autumn bringing a biting chill to the air. As she crossed the courtyard, she noticed the light still on in Dillamond's office, his silhouette pacing back and forth.

Oz, she knew it was selfish. Knew she should be heading back to her room, not wasting the doctor's time. Galinda would be worried, and the thought of the blonde girl worrying about her sent an awful pang through Elphaba's chest.

But.

But. The thought of facing her again was too much to bear. If she faced her there would be no avoiding the discussion of their kiss.

Or worse, she'd have to lie, tell Galinda she wasn't interested, that she didn't want to pursue anything further with her. Elphaba was a practiced liar, as much as Morrible was a practiced sorceress, but if there were any lie she dreaded it was one that would hurt Galinda.

So she strode across the courtyard and entered the old stone building Dillamond's office was housed in, knocking on the door.

She didn't know how long she'd stayed, how long she'd been in Doctor Dillamond's company, researching and reading. A headache was beginning to throb behind her eyes, and she figured it was late enough Galinda would finally be asleep when she headed back to the room.

She made her way quietly in the dormitory corridor, hoping and praying (subconsciously, she never consciously prayed if she could help it), that Galinda was asleep, that no one was roaming the corridors.

Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief when she reached her room and quietly unlocked the door. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she noticed the blonde's sleeping form, her back to Elphaba and her body curled as close to the wall as possible.

The window was open.

A lump formed in Elphaba's throat, because she knew that Galinda had done that for her.

And as she undressed and readied herself for bed, she wished for a spell, wished desperately for her own type of magic, one to stop herself from ever falling for the blonde girl in the first place.


Elphaba was already gone when Galinda woke the next morning, having pulled one of her disappearing acts again.

Had she even come home the night before?

But her bedcovers were rumpled, thrown back, and her nightgown was hastily thrown on the foot of the bed, so she must have.

Galinda picked up her pillow and screamed into it in frustration.

It had been two days. Two days since she'd kissed Elphaba and two days since Elphaba had kissed her back. And she had kissed her. Elphaba had kissed her first, Galinda knew, kept replaying the moment in her mind over and over and over.

And now? Nothing.

She needed a distraction, something to keep her from thinking about the feeling of her roommate's lips on hers. She needed a day out with Pfannee and Shenshen and Milla, something so far removed from Elphaba that the green girl wouldn't enter her thoughts no matter how much Galinda wished she would.

She got dressed in a sunny yellow frock her mother had bought her for her sixteenth birthday, one of the few times she'd been sober for the event. It was a little too light for the season, but when she leaned out the open window there was a hint of summer still in the air, and Galinda wanted one last chance to wear the dress before she had to trade it in for cardigans and tights.

She knocked on Pfannee's door, clicked her heels impatiently. A minute later her friend appeared, dressed almost as nicely as Galinda was.

"Galinda!" she squealed, wrapping the smaller girl in a hug. "Oz we haven't seen you in forever—we thought your roommate had done something—but you're here now!"

Galinda allowed herself a small smile, but all she could think was how little she wanted to talk about Elphaba today. She wanted to gossip about the boys from Crage Hall, find out how her friends were doing in their subjects.

"I'm here," Galinda said. "Where's Shenshen? I was thinking we could go into town today, head out to a shop—we haven't done that in ages," she added, voice dripping with enthusiasm.

If Pfannee noticed how much, she didn't say anything.

Oz, had she always been this vapid? Sounded this self-absorbed?

"She's putting her makeup on," Pfannee said. Then she leaned in close to Galinda and whispered conspiratorially, "Trust me, she needs it."

Galinda faked a laugh, immediately hating herself for it.

"But she'll be ready soon," Pfannee added. "How are you? We've barely seen you since the poetry reading! That awful roommate of yours must be keeping you locked up."

"She's not—I'm busy with Morrible's sorcery lecture," Galinda said. The words fell out of her mouth lamely.

"Pity," Pfannee said, in a tone just sweet enough to make Galinda think she actually thought it was a pity. "Milla's down the hall, will you go get her? I'll convince Shenshen to hurry up getting ready."

Galinda nodded, and headed down the hall, knocking on Milla's door. The smaller girl answered, in full makeup, like she'd been expecting Galinda to show up at that very moment.

"Galinda!" she squealed, in much an identical way as Pfannee had done. They hugged and kissed on both cheeks, a custom Galinda still wasn't used to—it seemed to mainly be an Emerald City one, or one girls picked up when they were trying to act like they were from the city.

"Hi, Milla," Galinda replied. "How are you?"

"I'm well," she said. "Are you joining us today?"

Something in the way she said it stuck in Galinda's chest—the emphasis on today, on us, an immediate separation of them and Elphaba.

"I could use some retail therapy," Galinda replied.

"Perfect!" Milla said.

The two girls stood awkwardly. Galinda had never really known Milla that well, she always seemed to hang on the edge of the group, more Shenshen's friend than Pfannee or Galinda's. Milla radiated an air of desperation to belong.

Yet, not anymore, Galinda realized. Milla had copied Shenshen's mannerisms down to perfection, and when Shenshen and Pfannee joined the two girls moments later, it was Galinda who felt like the odd one out.

The girls rode a carriage into the city, holding hands and squealing about the opportunity to leave campus. Galinda leaned against the wall of the carriage and gazed out the window at the architecture they passed, wishing she had someone to point out the structures to, the way the lattice-work on a Unionist church was actually inspired by early Lurlineist movements.

Elphaba would appreciate this, she thought suddenly, fiercely. Elphaba wouldn't think it was stupid that Galinda wanted to discuss architecture, she wouldn't give her a blank stare if she brought it up.

But Elphaba was avoiding her, Galinda remembered, with a sudden fire in her chest. Elphaba wanted nothing to do with her, because she had kissed her.

"Galinda?"

Shenshen's nasal voice cut through Galinda's thoughts, and she turned to her friends.

"Hm?"

"We were just discussing that prince that arrived—Fiyero?"

"Have you seen him?" Milla gushed, and the two other girls giggled behind their hands.

"I have not."

"Well his skin…" Milla went on, and her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "It's so dark."

"So?" Galinda replied.

Shenshen sniffed. "I forgot, you live with the artichoke. Nothing scandalizes you anymore."

Galinda felt her face heating up. "Her name is Elphaba," she snapped.

The carriage stayed silent for the rest of the ride into the town.

The mood had lifted considerably by the time the girls reached the shops. They weren't in the city proper, just outside enough to feel safe, and close enough to feel somewhat metropolitan.

Galinda couldn't help but gawk at the buildings, the stone facades, all of it. Her friends bustled ahead of her, arms interlocked, but she lagged behind to stare.

So busy was she looking at the buildings that she didn't notice the bundle on the ground until she nearly tripped over it. She caught herself and righted in time, and then looked down to see.

It was a cat—no, she realized upon closer inspection, a Cat. And, goodness… Kittens? Yes, Kittens, peering up at her. The Cat's back was arched, and it let out a hiss.

"I'm so sorry," Galinda said, leaning down. "I didn't see you."

"No one does," said the Cat. Her voice was low, almost a purr. "Though you're the first to stop and apologize."

"Really?" Galinda said, though she didn't know why she was shocked.

One of the Kittens peeked out from behind its mother's tail. It was strikingly white, with eyes that made Galinda feel like she was under intense scrutiny.

"Hi," it said, and the mother Cat curled her tail around it protectively. "I'm Malky."

"Galinda," she replied. "Is… do you need anything? Can I do anything?"

"Unless you can find a way to repeal the Banns, no," the Cat said.

"Food?" Galinda asked.

"No," the Cat said, and sniffed. "I know girls like you. Society girls who think they can change the world by giving a poor Animal some food. But unless you can change the way things are, nothing is going to help us."

"But I…"

"Your friends are waiting," said the Cat. "I'd run along if you don't want them to leave you."

Galinda stood reluctantly.

"Run along," said the Cat.

"But I…"

"Go," it hissed, and she did so. When she turned back, the Cat was gone. But the Kitten, Malky, was still watching her, with a flick of a tail that might have been a wave.

Galinda was shaken for the rest of the outing, her thoughts turning what the Cat had said over and over in her mind.

She had to do something.

"Galinda?"

She blinked. She was standing in the middle of The Wand and Willow, watching her friends try on outfit after ridiculous outfit.

"What?" she said.

"Where in Oz are you? You've barely spoken since we got here!"

"I'm not feeling well," Galinda murmured. Milla and Shenshen made noises of sympathy, but Pfannee narrowed her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes," Galinda said.

"Because it seems to me like you just don't want to be with us. What, are you too good for us now?"

"Maybe she's been poisoned by the artichoke," Milla suggested, and the other girls cackled.

"Stop calling her that!"

She hadn't realized the words came out of her mouth until she said them. Her fists were clenched, her breath coming in gasps.

"Galinda, what has gotten into you?" Shenshen said.

"Me?! What's gotten into you?" she snapped. "You're just a bunch of vapid, spineless, pathetic girls! You don't care about anything, you didn't even see that Cat today, you're cruel and brainless and—"

But the words had left her. The three girls were staring at her, identical incredulous expressions on their faces.

And without another word, Galinda turned on her heel and stormed out of the boutique.