A Mother's Curse Chapter 2: Unexpected Friends
After Several weeks of silent peace, Galinda and Elphaba were beginning to get along better as roommates. When the Winkie prince Fiyero arrived at Shiz half way through the first semester in his native good looking (and scandalous) red vest and white tights with brown leather knee length boots, the tan skinned raven haired, sapphire eyed man was almost instantly dating Galinda. They did not last as a couple.
A cart with the lazy prince of the Vinkus riding in back asleep nearly ran over a petite blonde woman on the way to her Classical Ozian literature class.
"Watch where you're going next time you…you.." began yelling Galinda until she saw the passenger, completely ignoring his apologetic driver, "Total hottie! I'm Galinda Upland, you know, of the Gillkan Upper Uplands! Pleased to meet you Mr…"
"Prince, actually," corrected the arrogant young man, "Prince Fiyero *insert many minor titles* of the Vinkus. I apologize for my driver's careless driving and to settle things I invite you to dinner with me one week from today."
"Oh, okay sure," replies the flustered blonde, "I'll meet you here at 19 o'clock. Um, bye!"
The prince just shakes his head as the blonde woman runs off to Oz-knows-where.
"Can you believe it Miss Elphaba, I got a date with a real live Prince!" squeals Galinda as she picks out a pink ruffled dress to wear to her date.
"Don't you think it is too soon to date a total stranger you only just met?" asks Elphaba without snark just genuine concern for her absentminded roommate.
"Don't be such a pessimist. There is no harm in having a little fun every now and then," argues the blonde ball of energy.
"I just don't want you to end up missing or something…" comments the concerned green girl, "You're really not that bad of a roommate after all."
"Well, you're not so bad yourself you green bean," jokingly teases Galinda, "And if your that worried about me, come along with us. Technically I should have a chaperone to these things anyway, I did promise my Popsicle so."
"Ha Ha Ha, Miss Galinda you have quite the interesting vocabulary sometimes," laughs Elphaba, "But yes, I'll come along if you want me to. I would feel better that you did not meet up with a total stranger alone."
"Do you mind if we drop the honorifics, I think we've haven't been bitter roommates since that fight last month?" asks the blonde woman now clad in pink, "And I don't know if you would want to be my friend since I was really mean towards you before, but I was being stupid and I thought I had to have a popular reputation. I would rather a good friend of mine accompany me to this date than my roomie who only tolerates me. You know that I don't have any real, genuine friends."
*Flash back to a month ago*
"Miss Galinda, wake up!" yells Elphaba, "As much as I do not like you we have the same History class and I would rather not have to explain to Dr. Dillamond why you were late/absent again since he knows we are roommates."
"Geez Miss Elphaba you don't have to be so goodie goodie teacher's pet all the time," mumbles the half asleep blonde woman.
"Take that back," angrily replies the green skinned woman, "I just actually care about my grades, unlike some "people"."
"Well your grades are the only things that care about you!" yells the now more awake Galinda, "Your own mother didn't even want you!"
Galinda watched in horror of what she had said as her roommate runs out of the dorm room with visible tears running down her face. The blonde felt terrible knowing she had crossed the line from minor teasing to full blown harassment of a student who was only trying to get her awake and on time for class for once. Maybe she was wrong and she was the monster instead of her green roommate. Galinda is jealous that Elphaba gets private sorcery lessons, but that far from excused her behavior towards her roommate. The petite blonde woman runs after her roommate, determined to apologize and end the hostility between them.
Seeing her emerald skinned, reddish brown haired roommate beneath a Gillken Oak tree in the Craige Hall Courtyard, Galinda quietly and slowly approaches her.
"Miss Elphaba?" gently addresses Galinda, "Listen, I know you hate me, but contrary to what I have you believe, I do not hate you. I really am sorry for what I said, it was both cruel and uncalled for. You are really a sweet person whom I am certain has family who loves you, as indicated by all the letters you read out loud from your father. I am jealous of you, which does not excuse how I treated you, but…"
"Wait, Miss. Galinda, you are jealous of me?" asks a bewildered Elphaba as she places the book she was reading down onto the grass.
"Yes. I am," replies the blonde woman, "Not only do you have sorcery lessons with Madame Morrible, sorcery lessons I have always dreamed of having and which was why I applied all the way to Shiz in the first place, but you also have family who really loves you and not only see you as an heir and mini clone of themselves."
"But what about you being Miss. Popularity and your dozens of friends?" asks the brown eyed bifocal-ed roommate.
"Miss Elphaba, you have to realize I fake my personality so that I do not get teased myself," answers Galinda honestly, "In truth I am a lonely girl who loves to read and explore the out doors, something my own mother has always disapproved of. When I came to Shiz I remember what my mother taught me about behaving in High Society and even though it goes against how I really feel, I took her advice. I am here by myself, I have no real genuine friends, just people I socialize with to avoid being completely alone."
"That explains why you wanted a private room so badly," Elphaba comments, "You were afraid someone would figure out the truth about you. That you are a bookworm with a passion for adventure. I had no idea we had so much in common."
"I admire you Miss Elphaba," replies Galinda, "You are not afraid to really be yourself and you normally take all the teasing you receive from everyone else and just let it go. I wish I could be as brave as you are."
"It's not as easy as it looks," states the green girl, "I accept your apology. I call a truce that we shake on so that we have peace in our dorm room."
"Truce," agrees the shorter blonde woman as both roommates shake their hands vigorously.
"I thought we were already friends Mi… Galinda, I guess we probably should have clarified that better though," agrees Elphaba, "And me maintaining honorifics does not help."
"Yes, for now on no more honorifics between us," happily states Galinda, "And we have to find each other nicknames since we are friends now!"
"I'm sure that wont be too much of a problem, 'Linny," laughs Elphaba.
"Yeah, well it's time I Galindafied you Elphie!" squeals Galinda excitedly, "You are not coming to dinner with me and Prince Fiyero without looking almost as good as I do!"
"Is this really necessary?" asks Elphaba as she walks to the main square at Shiz University where Galinda and Prince Fiyero had met a week ago. The resident green girl is wearing a black sleeveless frock dress and black flats, her hair out of her signature braid for once and a black pointed hat upon her head.
"Yes Elphie," answers the blonde woman dressed in a pink ruffled dress with pink heels and a pink miniature top hat, who in truth is more like a girl than her roommate, "Just one more thing…"
Galinda takes off Elphaba's reading glasses and hands them to her roommate.
"You only need these to read, you shouldn't wear them all the time and hide your beautiful eyes," admonishes Galinda, "Oh look here he comes!"
Walking up to the two ladies is Prince Fiyero dressed in a maroon tux with his signature brown leather boots, a white shirt, and a black bowtie.
"Miss Galinda I was not informed a chaperone would be accompanying us on our date," argues the Winkie Prince, "I have a carriage that will only fit two."
"It's alright, Elphie can sit with the driver," replies the blonde girl in a tone that bore no argument, "Also where are my manners. This is Elphaba Thropp of Munchkin land, daughter of governor elect Frexspar Thropp. Elphaba, this is Prince Fiyero of the Vinkus, among other titles."
"Pleasure," states Elphaba politely as possible, she already does not like this arrogant man her roommate obviously has a crush on.
"The pleasure is all mine," mutters the Prince in a very insincere tone of voice, "Now, we must be leaving, our reservation is for 20 o'clock sharp!"
The date went off without event. Elphaba stayed in the carriage with the driver, Averick, while Galinda and Fiyero ate their dinner in peace. The two third and fourth wheels snuck out to a local diner to eat their own dinner before returning in time to pick up their charges. Afterwards, Prince Fiyero and Galinda walked a few steps ahead of their friends in a local park where they officially began courting. Later that evening Galinda squealed almost nonstop to her roommate about her new Winkie Prince boyfriend, which annoyed Elphaba a great deal.
Elphaba eventually got Madme Morrible to agree to teaching Galinda in sorcerary as well with the threat of quitting the class if the Headmistress disagreed with her. The two girls quickly became the best friends neither really had as children.
Near the end of the first semester Galinda broke up with Fiyero after discovering the cheating Prince had three other side girlfriends. Elphaba comforted her roommate as best she could. When Dr. Dillamond was arrested later that same week, Galinda took her turn of comforting her upset roommate who just lost her favorite teacher and fellow school outcast.
With only a week left of the Semester, both girls have found out they have passed all their classes. Each had just begun to write back home telling their families they would be home for the winter holidays when they heard a knock at their door. The door opened to reveal Madame Morrible with a special emerald green envelope.
"Miss Elphaba, I had taken the initiative to write to the Wizard on your behalf to request an audience with him after I reviewed your studies and found them to be above my greatest expectations," announces the roommates'' Headmistress, "The Wizard has paid for you and one guest to visit Emerald city for one week all expenses paid before you will meet with him personally in the palace to discuss your future application of your socery skills and a possible career working for him directly. Now I will leave you so you can write to your father explaining how you would like him to accompany you to meet the leader of our great nation."
"Elphie are you okay?" asks Galinda as she notices Elphaba had gone completely silent and is standing in light shock after hearing the news she will finally get to meet her hero the Wizard of Oz himself.
"Yeah, hey 'Linny?" asks Elphaba, "I would rather travel to the Emerald City with you instead of my distraught father. How would you like to meet the Wizard with me?"
"Oh my Oz are you kidding me!" screams the blonde girl, "I would love to! You are the bestest friend in all of Oz!"
My dear father,
I will not be returning home for winter holidays as I have previously promised. Remember when I wrote to you about how I began taking socerary classes with Madame Morrible and about how she said she would write to the Wizard if I showed real talent. Well, she did and now I am to meet the Wizard in about a week. I am sorry I will not be home for winter holidays after all, but the opportunity to meet the Wizard of Oz himself comes once in a lifetime. I hope you understand I am not trying to cause you anymore pain so soon after Mama passed away. Wish me luck and give all my love to Nessa and Shell for me please.
Love your daughter,
Elphaba T. Thropp.
"Come on Elphie, hurry up or we'll miss the train!" yells Galinda impatiently as Elphaba hands the sealed letter to the local Shiz University postman.
"Says my roommate who is always late for class," comments Elphaba teasingly.
"Well, this is more important then some history lecture!" argues the blonde girl, "This is our futures we are talking about!"
Elphaba just shakes her head knowingly as both girls board the train headed for the Emerald City.
