The school's halls were filled with students; groups of people talking and blocking the way, and popular kids being swarmed by the unpopular. In the crowd, someone got pushed into the cracked and old walls. The bells rang, telling all of the students that they were late. However, only one student didn't have to worry about that.
"Elphie!"
"What, Glinda?" Elphaba said, slightly irritated.
Glinda sat down next to her, "How can you walk that fast? I can barely keep up! And when you walk too fast, I get swarmed! Now I'm late. Madame Horrib-I mean Morrible said that if I'm late again, I'd be in huge trouble!"
"That's not my problem. You know, it might help if you, I don't know, become less popular?"
Glinda just stared at her and turned away without answering the question.
Thirty minutes later and a very late student walked in. The teacher turned his head and gestured for him to sit down, "Master Fiyero, you may be a prince, but you mustn't be late. Especially not this late."
Fiyero nodded and sat next to the two girls. Elphaba just ignored him, and Glinda turned her head away from his direction. He looked confused and asked someone sitting next to him why they decided to ignore him.
One of Glinda's "friends" as she called them answered, "Well Master Fiyero, you being this late, it would be embarrassing for someone to know you, and then have you sit by them?"
She started to laugh, and the others soon followed. The "friend" who spoke before whispered to him again, "you're such an idiot."
The students were dismissed for lunch, the little trio walked outside by their usual spot under a huge oak tree. Someone tripped Elphaba as they were walking past. Fiyero caught her and Glinda glared at the person, "What was that for?"
"If she wants to look like a plant, she better stay on the ground."
They continued walking and eventually got to the tree and sat down. Fiyero left when a crowd was gathering around a corner of the field. Glinda leaned over to Elphaba, "Um. Can I borrow your notes and copy them down?"
"You didn't take your own?"
"U-um, weeeell. No. I was distracted."
"Fine, but once you're done tell me what you were distracted with so I can ensure it doesn't happen again."
Glinda opened Elphaba's notebook and her jaw dropped with the number of notes in tiny script. She skimmed through it all and wrote down very vague notes. She handed back the notebook and pondered for a moment deciding how she could put her answer into words.
"Glinda. What was so important that you needed to look through my notes to catch up?"
Tell the truth or a version of the truth? Glinda nervously spoke, "There was, someo-thing! Something in the room distracted me. I don't know how to explain it."
Elphaba lifted an eyebrow in disbelief, "Whatever." She too stood up and left. Glinda sat under the tree and started to study her very unclear notes. She soon found herself distracted again. She was looking around the field at the groups of people and the flowers. She didn't feel like getting back to studying, so she started picking blades of grass and tying them together.
Lunch was over and Glinda had to rush again to her classes. Right as the bell rang, she launched herself through the crowd and barely made it into class on time. She ran to her seat as Madam Morrible walked through the door. When the ending bell rang, Glinda was about to make her way out of the door when Madame Morrible called to her.
"Yes, ma'am?"
An evil smirk crossed the Headmistress's face, "You were late to class, Miss Upland."
"But, I got in here just a second after! That's not that late, is it? And it's not eve-"
"Even your fault? Every student can make it on time except you. If it's not your fault, who is it then? Or do you not wish to talk back to me?"
Glinda lowered her head and waited for her punishment when a quiet voice was heard behind her.
"Y-you asked to see me, Madam?"
"Yes, yes, yes," Morrible replied quickly, "Detention for the both of you. You know what happens when you're late. I'll come to get you when it's over."
Glinda couldn't believe that this Munchkin would ever be late enough to get detention. They sat down and then Madam Morrible gave them an entire week's worth of homework to do.
Glinda was stuck on the last problem when she realized that he had already finished, like two hours ago. She had to ask him for help, but she couldn't remember his name. Boq? No that's wrong. Is it? "Um. Biq could you-" she was interrupted by him, "It's Boq, Miss Glinda."
IT WAS BOQ! I should've just said that, now I look dumber than I already am. "Oh, s-sorry. Boq, could you help me with this problem? I really don't want another session with Elphaba."
Boq was thrilled. He finally had the chance to sit by Glinda, and help her! She also got his name right! "Sure, anything for you."
Once she finished her homework was done they just sat there patiently for the Headmistress to collect them. After three hours of waiting, the edges of Glinda's homework were decorated in intricate designs. The back of one of her homework pages was blank, so she decided to practice her art skills and draw Boq, who was sleeping. After she finished him, she moved on to Elphaba, then Fiyero, then her teachers, then herself.
Hours kept on passing by, and Glinda fell asleep as well. She felt someone shaking her awake, and when she opened her eyes, it was morning. She looked around and remembered that Madame Morrible never asked them to leave.
"We slept here all night, Miss Glinda."
"She probably forgot about us, either that, or she wanted to make sure we weren't late in the morning."
They peeked their heads out of the detention door and saw no one there. They went back into the room and thought for a moment if they should leave, or wait next to their first class.
"I think we should wait until the Headmistress comes, just to be sure," Glinda said. She really didn't feel like getting in trouble.
Boq nodded, "Maybe we should just wait by the class, and if she comes we could tell her it was a slight misunderstanding."
She pondered this for a moment, then nodded, "Let's go."
As they were walking a horrifying cry was made, "What are you to doing? I haven't told you to leave yet! Glinda! Step forward," she did, "Explain to me why you must go about your day causing problems."
"I-I don't mean to, Madame Morrible. It's just that we thought you might have forgotten, so we were just going to wait by our class. If you were to come we woul-"
"Enough excuses, let's see what your father has to say about this."
Boq saw that Glinda's face was stuck with horror at the mention of her dad. He had to do something, for her sake. He stepped forward, "Wait! Headmistress, it wasn't her idea, it was mine! She actually wanted to stay there. Don't get mad at her, get mad at me, ma'am."
Both Glinda and Morrible looked at him with surprise. Never in a million years had they thought they would see Boq be brave enough to talk back to the Headmistress. Glinda didn't want him to get into any more trouble, he didn't deserve it. He's very kind, and people like that shouldn't get in trouble. She sighed, "Boq, please. Don't get yourself into this. Just go to your class."
"What?" Boq and Morrible said simultaneously. Morrible took a step in her direction, and a smirk crossed her face, "Do you admit it? If so, say it out loud."
Glinda knew what the Headmistress wanted, "I'm a…troublemaking…late…idiot?"
"That's better. I'd like to see you after school. Your father will be waiting."
"Yes, ma'am."
Morrible walked off and Glinda sat down by her class. She could feel the tears well up. She quickly wiped her eyes, worried that someone might see. She shuddered at the thought of what happened the last time she was in this much trouble. Boq sat down next to her and placed a comforting arm around her.
They both heard students filling the halls. A gasp was made not long after, "Glinda! Are you two a thing?" She shot the student a small glare, "Go away, Pfannee."
"Why? Afraid I caught you with your boyfriend?"
Glinda's cheeks turned red and she quickly looked away. Boq stood up and confronted Phannee, "We're not a thing, just go. It's embarrassing." His voice cracked at the end of his sentence and Phannee walked away laughing.
The day went by faster than Glinda wanted it to. She slowly walked into Madam Morrible's office, and there he was, her father. He looked at her with a stern face. When he stood up she flinched, she knew he was going to drag her by the hair all the way home. Time for public humiliation. Yaaay. He speedily walked toward her and grabbed her hair and started walking her outside.