After being stared at by the Vinkus boy, Elphaba had gone into the woods to continue her lunch. She sat on a log and picked at her sandwich. She wasn't really hungry, so she walked over to the lake and fed the ducks. When she returned to the log, she looked around her at the trees, admiring the fall colors. She still looked around her, she didn't know what she was looking at, then she realized, it was the loneliness that surrounded her. It was pure agony for Elphaba to go through school, watching groups of friends walk to classes together, or plan parties, handing out invitations to everyone but her. Elphaba decided she didn't need friends...not really. She had good grades, the top scores, and now she was being chosen for Madame Morrible's personal seminar for sorcery. She might even get to meet the Wizard. Suddenly, Elphaba heard a rumbling in the leaves. She bolted up from her seat as her eyes searched the area for what made the sound. Her eyes rested on Fiyero.
"Elphaba was it?" he asked cautiously, stepping nearer to her. She took a step back in response.
"What? Come to make sure it wasn't just a trick of the light? And that I really am green?" Elphaba asked bitterly as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"No, I came to apologize." said Fiyero. Elphaba stared at him in shock.
"For what?" she asked.
"For staring at you, it was very rude of me." said Fiyero. Elphaba couldn't help but smile back. The smile took Fiyero's breath away; she was so much more beautiful when she smiled.
"Oh. Thank you, no one's ever apologized before." said Elphaba, "So, why are you?"
"Because I'm not everyone else." said Fiyero with a shrug.
"Well...thank you." Elphaba said. It was clear by the way Elphaba said thank you that she wasn't used to saying it with sincerity. There was an awkward silence, "Um, I should be...going. I have to get to class." Elphaba said after a while.
"Oh yeah, what's your next class?" asked Fiyero.
"I have Dillamond next." she said, picking up her lunch pail as if to go.
"As do I." said Fiyero smiling.
"What was your name again?" asked Elphaba.
"Fiyero." said Fiyero with a smile. Elphaba smiled back and again, he found it hard to breathe as her smile took his breath away. He wondered if he would ever get used to her. Elphaba was soon out of the woods, with Fiyero behind her. They looked up at the large clock tower.
"Oh, we might be a little late." said Elphaba, quickening her pace. Fiyero followed after her, they reached the class just as the bell sounded. Elphaba took her seat in the back corner and Fiyero joined her. She gave him a questioning look and he just smiled. Elphaba shrugged and looked towards the front.
"Where's Doctor Dillamond?" she asked.
"He's been sacked." said a boy in front of her.
"What?!" said Elphaba.
"Why does it matter so much to you green bean?" the boy asked. Elphaba ignored the end to his question. Fiyero's eyes darkened as he listened to the boy insult Elphaba, he could've punched him.
"Class!" cried a voice, "I am your new professor, Doctor Nikkadik." he announced. The class murmured their hello's.
"Where's Doctor Dillamond?" Elphaba questioned.
"He's cleaning out his office right now." said Nikkadik with a satisfactory tone.
"Why may I ask is he being fired?" asked Elphaba.
"He's an Animal," said Nikkadik with a shrug.
"And that matters why?!" said Elphaba, "He was a wonderful teacher and by the looks of it, a far better teacher than you'll ever be Doctor!" The students gasped and Fiyero chuckled. Doctor Nikkadik inhaled deeply and ignored her, choosing instead to turn to an object covered by a sheet.
"I will now show you how Oz shall be changed with this experimental lion cub." Nikkadik said as he flipped the sheet off, revealing a shivering lion cub in a cage. The crowd gasped. Nikkadik began hitting the cage as the lion cowered in the corner, "This is a cage and the benefit is that the lion cub will indeed, never be able to speak."
"Benefit?!" Elphaba shouted, "How is that benefiting anyone, especially the Lion?" The professor ignored her. Elphaba turned to Fiyero, desperate for someone to listen to her.
"Can you image and world where Animals don't talk, where they are left in cages?!" Elphaba cried. Fiyero didn't say anything, but he stood up too. The rest of the class had already gone over to the front to look at the cage. Elphaba and Fiyero stood in the back.
"Well, somebody has to do something!" Elphaba cried. Then the lights dimmed and Elphaba sent a pair of antlers on the wall zooming towards the professor hitting him in the head, he lay on the ground knocked out. The students gasped and Fiyero looked at her in alarm. Elphaba shot forward while everyone was still shocked at her power and the unconscious form of Nikkadik on the floor. She pushed through the crowd and grabbed the cage and ran out of the room, Fiyero followed after her and Galinda stared after him, frozen in shock. What did Fiyero have to do with the green girl?
"Fiyero? What are you doing?" cried Elphaba, they were in the woods again. Fiyero was dazed for a second as he heard her say his name, it sounded so good when it passed though her lips.
"I don't know, I'll help you though, with whatever you plan to do." said Fiyero.
"Well, we should set the poor Lion free." said Elphaba.
"Elphaba?" said Fiyero cautiously. Elphaba smiled, him saying her name sounded so good.
"Yes?" she said.
"How did you do that back there? Send those pair of antlers at the teacher? You could get in serious trouble for that." said Fiyero.
"I'm not going to worry about that right now." said Elphaba, "Let's go find a safe place for the Lion." Elphaba picked the cage back up and went farther into the woods, then she finally let the lion out. Fiyero smiled as he watched how Elphaba cared for the Lion as she stroked his fur and then let him wander on his own. She sighed and stood up once the Lion was out of sight.
"We should get back." she said, walking past Fiyero. He followed behind.
"That was good, what you did," said Fiyero.
"Thank you," said Elphaba, then she added bitterly, "I'm glad somebody thinks so." Fiyero chuckled and Elphaba laughed too. Fiyero listened to her laugh, it was the sound he lived for now. When the two got back, Elphaba saw Madame Morrible waiting for them at the front.
"Time to face the consequences." Elphaba sighed as she trudged forward.
"Miss Elphaba and Master Fiyero, in my office now, you've got explaining to do!" Madame Morrible snapped as soon as they were standing in front of her. They followed her to Madame Morrible's office and sat down when she ordered them too.
"Miss Elphaba, why may I ask, did you steal that lion?" asked Madame Morrible, her voice tight.
"It was in a cage! And if you please, it was a Lion, not a lion. They were going to make it so he never spoke again!" Elphaba said, fighting to keep her voice low. Madame Morrible gave her an exasperated look, as she obviously could care less about Animals, or animals.
"How do you fit into this Master Fiyero?" Morrible asked.
"He just followed me, nothing more than that," said Elphaba, answering for him.
"I see." said Madame Morrible, "And as I understand, Elphaba, you attacked a professor?"
"No!" Elphaba cried, "It was an accident!"
"You attacked a teacher...on accident?" said Madame Morrible her voice sarcastic and skeptic.
"No, I didn't really even attack him, I was mad and--" Elphaba began.
"Are you saying this was your uncontrolled power?" asked Madame Morrible, becoming more interested.
"Yes, I suppose, the antlers just flew at him!" said Elphaba.
"Knocking him out?" said Madame Morrible, she sounded rather...proud.
"Well, yes, but I didn't mean to." said Elphaba.
"I'll be informing your father." said Madame Morrible.
"No! Please, don't! My father won't understand, you don't understand. He is a holy man, he doesn't believe in magic he calls it a sin. Please, don't inform my father!" Elphaba cried. Fiyero had never seen her like this, he wondered what Elphaba' father was like.
"I'm sorry Miss Elphaba, but I have to, the rules state so. You attacked a--" began Morrible.
"But it was an accident! I didn't mean to! I couldn't control my power, please don't tell him!" Elphaba pleaded.
"I'm sorry." said Morrible, clearly taken aback by the girl's unusual fear of her father, "I have no choice. I'm sure your father will understand, after-all it was uncontrollable. You may leave now. Classes have already ended." Elphaba stood up and left, slamming the door behind her, cursing all the while. Fiyero followed.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Oh what does it matter, I'm just the green girl who saved a Lion and attacked a teacher, who cares?!" Elphaba said bitterly.
"I care." said Fiyero, standing in front of Elphaba, stopping her in her tracks. Elphaba looked at him.
"I have to go." she said, walking past him, and she was gone, bolting out the door and heading for the girls dorms. Fiyero sighed; at least he'd gotten to talk to her and seen her smile and hear her laugh.