Elphaba was with Fiyero and Galinda when she walked in to class the next day. Lucas glowered at Fiyero from where he was seated.

"Hey, you've got some competition." Avaric smirked to Lucas. Lucas glowered at him.

"What do you know?" he asked darkly, crossing his arms.

"Enough to know that you're behind man." said Avaric, "If this were a race, you'd be losing...by a lot."

"Well what about you? You wish that was you too don't you?" said Lucas, nodding at Fiyero who was chatting with Elphaba as she smiled back and they laughed about something.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't risk my social life to be with the artichoke, she's not worth it. I need my status, that's what keeps the girls coming you know." said Avaric, "Besides, if I went with the green bean, that'd mean I'd be taken, and I don't think I could live with just one girl. Besides, I think she's hot, which is not the same as liking her. But I wish she'd let me make-out with her. I can just imagine---" Avaric was cut off from his fantasy.

"You disgust me." said Lucas, "You've probably done it with half of the girls in this school."

"Done it? You are so innocent." Avaric smirked, leaning back in his chair, ending the conversation as Elphaba came up to sit between them.

"Oh look, it's my gorgeous grass girl." said Avaric with a grin.

"This is why I hate assigned seats. Somehow I always manage to end up next to people like him." Elphaba muttered to herself. She sat down and got out pencil and her notebook for the class.

"Hello Elphaba." said Lucas.

"Oh, hi Lucas, I didn't see you there." she said. Lucas was disappointed she hadn't noticed him. Avaric chocked on a laugh, coughing. Lucas glared at him and was about to say something when he the lesson started. Elphaba listened intently and scribbled notes across the paper at top speed, but still managed to make her notes neat and in pretty cursive.

"How do you do that?" Lucas whispered.

"What?" she asked.

"Write notes at top speed and still make the legible." Lucas grinned. Elphaba grinned back.

"Magic." she said sarcastically and returned her attention to the teacher. From his seat, Fiyero saw the whispers between Lucas and Fiyero. Elphaba never allowed herself to be distracted during class, and now she was whispering during a teacher's lecture...with....Lucas.

At the end of the lesson, Elphaba excused herself from the group's excursion to go to the library. She said she'd meet with them all later in an hour. The others went to the coffee shop.

Elphaba had been so absorbed in the books, she was surprised to glance up at the clock and see that her hour was almost up. The others will probably wonder where I am soon. She quickly grabbed some books, figuring she'd read them later, she had at least six and she checked them out. She walked out of the library, trying to balance her books in her arms.

"Having trouble there greenie?" asked an unkind voice. Elphaba whirled around and he pushed the books out of her arms. They came toppling down. She glared at him as she bent to pick them up, but he kicked them farther away. She stood up.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" she demanded.

"'Cause I'm having fun." he said. Elphaba glared at him as she walked over to where he'd kicked her books, but he beat her there and picked one of them up.

"Give it back!" Elphaba called, reaching for the book he held high above her. He laughed at her attempts. He saw another boy walking down the hall.

"Hey Bradley!" he called. The boy looked up and caught sight of Elphaba.

"Ooh, throw it here!" he called. The boy threw the book to Bradley, evidently making a game of keep away from Elphaba. Soon there were eight or nine boys in a circle around Elphaba, throwing her books around and pushing her roughly between them. They were all taller than her and loomed over her in a way that made Elphaba seem small and weak. Soon Elphaba gave up on trying to get her books bag, and focused on just getting away. The boys realized this and made their circle around her tighter as she struggled to break through.

"Let me out!" she yelled, shoving one boy roughly, but he barely felt it. He chuckled and pushed her roughly into a boy across the circle. He grabbed her and smiled evilly at her. She scowled and pulled away from him, only to be grabbed by another boy who tore her jacket off. She jerked away from him and was pushed towards another boy. They pushed her around the circle, grabbing her and making a game of who could hold on to her the longest while she struggled, who could push her the hardest and who caught her when she was shoved.

"No way, we're having fun." said one of the boys, catching her wrist and pulling her close. Elphaba struggled, trying to pry his fingers from her wrist, but he wouldn't let go. He brought her closer and forced her to look at him. The other boys cheered and laughed at her. The boy still continued to bring her closer and soon Elphaba realized what he was going to do. First he kissed her neck; she shuddered violently as his lips made contact with her skin. The boys laughed and jeered more. She made her struggles harder. He licked his lips with a smirk, then leaned in again, aiming for her lips. Elphaba's anger flew from her as she managed to tear away from him, only to be grabbed by another boy. Elphaba fought back tears, she would not give in, would not satisfy them with the tears that would burn her flesh. She'd only cried twice in her life, that was when her mother had died and after her father had come to the school, she was not about to cry again. Elphaba could only hope the boys would get bored soon and leave her alone. When will this end?!She thought.

***

Meanwhile. Fiyero stared at the door, waiting for a certain green beauty to walk in. It was 10 minutes later then she said she'd be there, and Fiyero was beginning to think it was Lucas...again. But suddenly, Lucas stumbled in with some of his other friends.

"Hey, you haven't seen Elphaba have you?" asked Fiyero. Elphaba was never late and all her friends were here, so there couldn't be anyone keeping her late.

"No, why?" asked Lucas, concern edging his voice.

"Oh, she was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago." said Fiyero. Lucas shrugged.

"She probably got caught up at the library. Besides, it's only 10 minutes, she probably forgot or something." Lucas smirked, implying that Fiyero was not important enough to Elphaba to actually come on time. Fiyero glowered at him and turned to Galinda, Boq and Nessa.

"I'm going to go look for Elphaba, I'll be right back." said Fiyero, standing up and walking away.

"Hurry back Fiyero dearest." said Galinda, smiling and then returning to her conversation with the other two. Fiyero quickly strode out of the coffee shop and decided the first place to go was the library. He started on his way there, he actually liked going to the library sometimes, he wasn't the brainless prince some people made him out to be. He rounded the corner to the library, when he saw a commotion going on at the end of the corridor. There were perhaps nine or ten guys in a circle, pushing someone around in the middle. Fiyero thought it was probably just the older college boys picking on freshman or younger boy, perhaps a Munchkin. As he turned to head towards the library again, he heard a shriek (obviously a girl) and saw a flash of green and black in the circle of the boys. Fiyero quickly backed up and ran down the hall. His eyes widened as he saw Elphaba being tossed around between the boys and manhandled. Sometimes their hands lingered at her waist or leg and caressed her face. Elphaba had shrieked at the one who'd kissed her neck. She shuddered and was pushed around from one to another as they tossed her books over her head. She tried to break out of the circle, but they just kept dragging her back and blocking her way. She tried once again to push her way through the circle, but was pushed roughly back, falling on the ground. The boy who'd pushed her smirked and moved forward. He kneeled on his knees above her and held her wrists down so that she was pinned beneath him. The others jeered and laughed. Elphaba struggled desperately, trying to get him off of her.

"HEY!" Fiyero shouted, pushing through the crowd. He knocked the boy off of Elphaba. She quickly scrambled up. She glared at them , then picked up her jacket and books, which they'd by now thrown across the floor, and she strode away quickly.

"What the hell were you doing?!" asked Fiyero.

"What'd it look like Tiggular?" asked one of the boys, Fiyero was please to see he was about 1/10 of an inch taller than him, if you looked really closely. The boy continued, "We were having fun. Just a fun game, that's all." he grinned and the others clapped him on the back.

"You disgust me." Fiyero said, before turning on his heel and running after Elphaba.