The young pairs twirled around gracefully, dancing so freely it was impossible to imagine that pain and strife existed in the world. Fiyero swirled and jumped with them, Galinda surprising him with her practiced grace on easily six inch stiletto heels. The night was perfect, everybody was having the time of their lives as the students of Shiz lost themselves in the music.

Nessa sat in the corner as Boq brought them both punch. She sipped cautiously, not sure what she was so nervous about. Elphaba had helped her get ready, and a few people commented on her dress. She was one of only two girls in pink, the other Galinda.

"What's in the punch?" She asked, hoping to strike up a conversation with her escort.

"Lemons and melons and pears," Boq recited, staring off in the distance. Nessa couldn't follow to who he was watching in the spinning flurry of dancers.

"Oh my!" She said. She could have sworn there was a hint of orange in there. She was about to comment on it when Boq put down his glass on the tray of a passing waiter and drew his eyes away from whoever he was staring at.

"Listen, Nessa?" He said concernedly, as if something had been troubling him all night.

"Yes?" Nessa sat up a little straighter and tried to look poised and elegant. Elphaba had said she looked elegant right as she left, but her sister seemed in a hurry to get somewhere else.

"Uh, Nessa, I've got something to confess: A reason why, well," He drew back a little bit, trying to find the right words to describe what he wanted to say. "Why I asked you here tonight. And I know it isn't fair-"

"I think I know why," Nessa also felt incredibly shy, like she was admitting to something she had done wrong.

"You do?" He seemed surprised at her understanding. Nessa nodded. There could be only one reason why he would pay attention to her.

"It's because I'm in this chair," Nessa blinked back tiny tears as she mentioned her handicap. It was the only thing that made her less than perfect for him. "And you felt sorry for me." Boq just stood there, staring at her. Nessa felt her face get hot from timidity. "Well, isn't that right?" Boq kind of snorted.

"No! It's because…" He saw something just behind Nessa's chair. Galinda and Fiyero were making out in a corner of the ballroom, and from the look of it had been for the past few minutes. He felt his blood boiling, how could he take her from him?

Someone would be my hero if that someone were to go invite her, Galinda's voice, like honey to his ears, came back. He would make her notice him, he thought with hard resolve. He would give Nessarose such a happy night that Galinda wouldn't be able to help but notice him.

"Ga…because, because you're so beautiful!" Boq declared loudly, trying to keep his eyes on Nessa and not find out if Galinda heard him. Nessa melted.

"Oh, Boq! I think you're wonderful, and we deserve each other, don't you see this is our chance?" She wheeled a little closer, and Boq almost started to panic. Galinda, he thought. You're doing this for Galinda. "We deserve each other, don't we Boq?"

"You know what?" He got an idea that for sure would be so noticeable a blind Donkey couldn't ignore it. "Let's dance!"

Nessa gasped. "What?"

Boq took her chair and rushed out onto the dance floor. "Let's dance!" Nessa didn't know what he meant. She suddenly found herself sitting in the middle of a crowd of people who could walk and run and were dancing, and had no clue what Boq was going to do. He bowed to her, and she pulled at her skirt to imitate a curtsy. He began to dance around the chair as if Nessa were his partner. She tried to do a few of the hand motions halfheartedly, her legs lying motionless in her chair, useless. Suddenly, he took her chair again and spun it so fast Nessa could feel her hair swishing, almost like she was actually dancing. He stopped again to fulfill the boy's part, then helped Nessa dance in her chair again.

There's no way Galinda could ignore this, he thought as Nessa laughed as she danced for the first time.

Galinda did pull away from Fiyero in time to see Boq and Nessa dancing. I thought Bick and Nessarose were well suited. She smiled. I'm glad he got over me so quickly, too. Somebody tapped her on the shoulder.

"Madame Morrible?!" Galinda gasped. The esteemed headmistress was here at a college party in the OzDust?! "What are you doing here?!"

"I have something for you," she said stiffly, and produced from one of her sleeves a long, thin piece of white wood, decoratively carved at one end.

"Madame! A training wand!" Galinda almost squealed. She took the slim wood tenderly. "Oh, how can I express my gratitution?"

"Don't thank me, this was your roommate's idea, not mine." Madame Morrible drawled slightly, not at all keen to have the perky blonde as her student. Galinda nearly dropped the delicate wand.

"What? Elphaba's?" Last time she checked, they hated each other more deeply than she had dreamed possible.

"Yes…Miss Elphaba requested that I include you in sorcery class," Madame Morrible's voice was coated with disgust that she had ever agreed to this. "She insisted I tell you this very night or she would quit the seminar."

"But why?" Galinda couldn't see any reason, but then it struck her. She glanced out onto the dance floor to Nessa and Boq. Nessa is Elphaba's sister. Galinda thought. She thought I did that for Nessa, not to get rid of Bick. She remembered times when she was a little girl and she would bring candy to school, giving away the pieces she hated freely as her classmates thought she was being the nicest person in Oz.

"I have no idea," Madame Morrible narrowed her eyes, assessing the blonde girl's apparent talents. "My personal opinion is that you do not have what it takes. I hope you prove me wrong." Madame Morrible started to leave. "I doubt you will." Galinda stood there, dumbfounded, that she could do things she thought were favors to herself and end up with such a reward.

"What is it?" Fiyero approached after the headmistress left.

"I got what I wanted," Galinda said. She looked out onto Boq and Nessa again. They looked so happy.

"Well, then what's the matter?" Galinda looked back at him. Right, she thought, smiling her trademark perfect grin. Dance through life.

"Nothing," she said happily, almost convincing herself it was true.

"Good. Let's dance," Fiyero and Galinda joined in the dancing once again, but suddenly there was a collection of gasps and laughter. Fiyero looked to the top of the OzDust's entrance staircase to see the green girl, without a date, looking over the crowd in a truly ridiculous pointed black hat. He, the green girl, and Galinda were the only ones not laughing now.

"Who in Oz is that?" Fiyero asked, hoping Galinda knew her. Galinda pulled him away to a corner of the ballroom.

"It's my roommate, please, don't stare," Drat, so Galinda could have told him more about her. Too late now…

"I can't help it," he said, keeping his gaze on the newcomer as he was being dragged away. She's beautiful. She wasn't very fashionably dressed- A simple dark green frock with only a crisscross pattern on the front, and the hat was absurd, but standing there alone made her look so graceful and attractive. Fiyero wished there was an easy way to ditch Galinda and spend the rest of the night with her.

Elphaba descended into the hall slowly, scanning the guests for her friends. They all looked on at her like she was crazy. It's the hat, Elphaba thought. Galinda tricked me into thinking this was a beautiful hat. It's ugly. How could she ever have trusted that girl, her enemy! She gave her a hat and Elphaba felt the need to get her into sorcery class, and then it turns out the hat is appalling! She stood in the middle of the dance floor, and began to dance slowly by herself, trying to hold back tears. My friends won't acknowledge I'm here and it's because of Galinda.

"I'll say this much," Fiyero commented quietly. "She doesn't give a twig what anyone else thinks." The more he found out about her, the more he wanted to be with her.

Galinda had turned her back to her roommate.

"Of course she does…" she said softly, barely daring to speak. "She just pretends not to." She bit her lip, smudging the pale lipstick on her teeth deftly. "I feel awful." Fiyero turned to her sharply.

"You mean this is your fault?" Galinda stood in silence, which was all the answer he needed.

Oh, how horrible I've been! Galinda thought, a single tear falling down her cheek. I went and made a complete idiot out of her! I've got to make this right… With her new resolve, she turned to face Elphaba-

-And nearly fainted.

"May I have this dance?" Fiyero bowed slightly, extending his hand. Elphaba regarded it suspiciously. Galinda felt the heat leave her fingers, panic waves billowing inside her very soul.

Elphaba took the hand, stiffly curtsied, and let go. Galinda wondered if this is what it felt like when you died.

Fiyero considered something for a moment, then began to dance the same way Elphaba had, making minor adjustments so that it was a dance for pairs. Elphaba watched him detachedly at first, but then saw that he wasn't making fun of her and filled the partner's part. Eventually, other couples joined in, doing what was soon to be a new dance craze started by the Winkie and the Greenie. Before long, the whole floor was filled with people following Fiyero and Elphaba, but Galinda saw only the two of them. She sprinted out to the nearest entrance, stumbling now on her heels, shaking from head to toe. It's not supposed to be like this! Galinda's tears fell openly as she cried and ran out into the night, hopelessly alone. I'm the one who gets everything! MY dreams come true! It doesn't happen like this

Dun dun dunnnn! I'm torturing you all, aren't I? It's more fun than you think. I wonder if I'm going to get negative reviews because of this…you people can be so sore about dramatic cliffhangers: ) Well, I promise to update very soon. Especially with an ending like this. Hmm…Neah. Well, keep reading and writing! -LostOzian.