Elphaba checked the station clock again, the bustle of commuters swirling around her like the tides, shouts for leaving trains and arriving trains filling the station. She was given a rather wide berth as she scanned the train departure times, with the exception of Galinda, who kept giving last minute advice about image and self-confidence.
"Remember, eye contact." Galinda counted Elphaba's bags, hoping there were still three. "And don't forget to tell him how wonderful he is, Wizards love that!" Elphaba couldn't help wondering how Galinda knew what a Wizard liked and didn't like. Galinda dusted nonexistent dust off of Elphaba's borrowed blouse parentally.
"And be yourself... well... within reason." She said finally, staring up at Elphaba with a satisfaction at her project. Probably a little time to reinforce the lessons would have been nice, but one doesn't get called to meet the Wizard every day. Boq wheeled Nessa over to the two friends, Nessa beaming for her sister's good fortune. Boq was trying to catch Galinda's eye, maybe get a little recognition for how long he had taken care of Nessa, but she was too preoccupied with Elphaba's image.
"Elphaba, I'm so proud of you, and I know father's proud, too." She looked from Galinda to Boq hopefully. "We're all proud, aren't we?"
"You'll be okay without me, Nessa?" Elphaba knew that she was basically Nessa's little piece of home.
"She'll be fine!" Galinda said perkily, Nessa just as much her friend after she became friends with Elphaba. "Bick will take care of her, right?" She flashed her winning smile approvingly. To Boq, it seemed as if the whole world had turned a few shades darker. He wasn't Galinda's hero. Fiyero was. Boq had tried more than once to take an honest, unbiased look at him, and still couldn't figure out what was so special.
"…It's Boq…" He said softly, looking down at the blue-and-white tiled floor. Nessa twisted in her chair to catch his eye, but he tried to ignore her. "I…I can't do this anymore." The notion of looking back never crossed his mind as he left the three girls standing there: his (hopefully) ex-girlfriend, her sister, and the love of his life.
"Boq…" Nessa turned her chair around, hoping he would stop and say something more, something to explain his sudden change of heart. He pushed through the crowd, never slowing down. Tears welled up in Nessa's rich brown eyes. She knew what this was all about.
"Nessa…maybe he's not the right one…for you." Galinda tried to console the girl, knowing what people usually wanted to hear when having a one-sided breakup.
"No," Nessa was outright crying now, her voice staying steady and resolved. "It's me that's not right." I was never 'right'. Elphaba is cool, confident, and talented, and what does that make me? The family reject Delusions raged in her head, portraying herself as ugly, useless Nessa in a world of purposefully beautiful people.
Elphaba tried to talk to Nessa, tell her everything is all right, everything will be all right, but Nessa took her wheels and moved away from her. "Just go and be happy, Elphaba, I'll be…fine." Nessa wheeled away, her arms beginning to shake as her composure broke.
"Nessie, wait!" Elphaba wanted to have her sister stay, duty to family before personal gain and glory.
"Let her go." Galinda held Elphaba's arm back. She'd had a bad breakup in the Gillikin when she was fifteen, and she remembered that all she had wanted to do was run forever until the pain went away. "She'll have to manage without you. We all will." Galinda looked her friend over again, an old fear returning that Elphaba was pretty enough for Fiyero. No, Galinda turned the anxiety away. She gave me Fiyero, so I repay her by letting her have any other boy she wanted. Elphaba rolled her eyes
"Please, it's not like your world's going to end because I'm gone. Besides, you have Fiyero to comfort you." Elphaba pushed Galinda's arm teasingly, the pair laughing together, trying to drown out their thoughts. "Where is he, anyway?" The words were out before Elphaba could have stopped them. Galinda's laugh ended suddenly, panic rising again. Was Elphaba actually interested in Fiyero now? Had Galinda created someone so powerful that she couldn't stop her friend? "Not that I expected him to say goodbye to me. We barely know each other." Elphaba added hastily, almost reading Galinda's dreading thoughts.
"I don't know him either," Really, Galinda! You're in pubic! They don't need to hear your worries! "He's distant, and moodified, and he's been thinking, which really worries me." Galinda said quickly, hoping she'll stop once she got a load off of her chest. Elphaba's eyebrows rose, as if she couldn't believe the news. "I never knew how much he card about that old goat!" Galinda continued in spite of herself, trying not to burst into tears and confess that she still held a slight jealousy of Elphaba. Suddenly, something behind Elphaba caught her eye.
"Oh, there he is! Fiyero! Over here, dearest!" The prince found Galinda and Elphaba easily in the crowd and made his way through the flow of people to meet them. Galinda preened her hair quickly, but he didn't pay attention to her and proceeded straight to Elphaba.
"Elphaba, I'm happy for you." He said simply, putting on an expression he practiced for over an hour in the mirror. Hopeful, yet a hint of sadness and longing. He hoped it made the right impression. Elphaba took the flowers, their hands brushing for an instant. Elphaba felt the warmth on her fingers, but it was gone when she took the flowers. Poppies, she noticed, examining the large red blooms. How did he know I liked poppies best?
"Yes, we are both so happy." Galinda tried to stand between her best friend and her boyfriend, but the pair was tall enough to see over her head and not notice her.
"Uh, listen," Fiyero was almost ashamed to admit his change in lifestyle. "I've been thinking-"
"Yes, I've heard," Elphaba couldn't help noticing the differences in Fiyero's manner. Attentive attitude, jaw not slack, but not clenched. Without realizing it, she began listing the things she loved about him in her head. His eyes, his nose, his cheeks, the smooth skin…
"Me too! Poor Doctor Dillamond. It makes one want to... uh... take a stand." Galinda felt awkward as the two stared at her, and unbidden silence stifling conversation. Improvising, Galinda tried to come up with something impressive. "So I've been thinking of... uh... changing my name!" Galinda declared.
"Your name?" Fiyero said disbelievingly. What would make Galinda do something like this, so drastically sudden?
You, His brain supplied, working its way back to full functioning after such a long period of neglect.
"Well, yes!" Galinda rolled her eyes slightly, trying to ignore the slight distaste Fiyero's comment seemed to carry. "Since Doctor Dillamond had his own way of pronouncing my name, in solidarity and to express my…" She struggled to find properly important-sounding words. "…outrage, I will henceforward be known no longer as Ga-linda, but as simply: Glinda." She finished with a flourish.
One second passed. Two. Three. Fiyero cleared his throat.
"Oh, well, that's very admirable of you... Glinda." He stumbled on the new name, not used to the way it sounded. "Elphaba, good luck." He left, desperately praying that he had done everything right and she had gotten his hopefully subtle hints: I love you. Let me break up with Galin…Glinda. Let us be together. Galinda started to sob theatrically.
"There, see?" She pointed to the retreating prince's back.
"Galinda-" Elphaba began, ready to give breakup advice to the girl who tried to console her sister on a similar occasion barely moments ago.
"It's Glinda now!" Glinda said, overdoing her attempt at carelessness. Rubbing her temples gingerly, she continued muttering, "Stupid idea, I don't even know what made me say it."
"It doesn't matter what your name is, everyone's in love with you at first sight!" Elphaba gestured to the masses still swirling around them, unaware of the dramas taking place in the very station.
"I don't want them to love me, I want him!" Real tears began to fall as Glinda calmed, real sorrow sweeping over her in waves. "I don't even think he's perfect anymore and I still want him." Galinda's expression changed suddenly as a new thought came to her. "This must be what other people feel like!" She started wailing again, passers by stopping to stare for a moment before moving on. "How do they bear it?!" Elphaba drew her friend close to her, hoping to console her and mute the mournful cries.
I'm sorry, Glinda. Elphaba held her friend tightly in her moment of insecurity. It's my fault.
"Come with me," In a sudden turn of inspiration, she knew just what would make the whole situation better.
"Where?" Glinda raised her head, wondering what Elphaba was talking about, with the
"To the Emerald City." A feeling like anything was possible grew between the pair. To go to the city, fabled to be made of gleaming emerald? Dreams became more real than reality.
"I've always wanted to see the Emerald City," Glinda said excitedly.
"Last train to the Emerald City!" A conductor called out over the crowds. The pair hustled out onto the platform and aboard the train, not worrying about anything as they ran over everything that was taken care of. The Wizard's invitation counted as a free passage, most of the clothing in Elphaba's suitcase was borrowed from Galinda's closet, and they were sure any hotel would be able to accommodate two instead of one easily. They both carried money with them already. Everything was perfect.
Deverig looked on, feeling his blood begin to boil. Storming, he almost ran out of the station, ripping petals off his bouquet of daisies angrily. Despite all of his efforts, the prince got there first, and apparently hadn't used his 'spell' yet as he was still in her good favor. And poppies! He had hit her favorite flower right on the button! Now, Elphaba was leaving for the Emerald City with a memory of Fiyero's kindness on her mind that he couldn't possibly beat. Sitting down angrily on a bench, Deverig turned to the bench's other occupant. He was a man, easily fifty, reading a newspaper.
"Don't you just hate unattainable women?" He asked aggressively. The man jumped up and scuttled off for another place to sit. Deverig barely noticed, absorbing his thoughts into shredding the daisy stems into sweet-smelling bits of green confetti.
Elphaba and Glinda sat outside on a green wrought iron bench outside an ice cream parlor, 'The Food of Wizards', watching shoppers pass by with green bags, clothing, and accessories. They ate green mint ice cream, careful to not let the cold treat drip onto their clothing. A machine that made ice cream was one of many wonders brought and named by the Wizard, along with a 'camera' and 'radio', which there was only one working in existence in the Wizard's palace. Glinda checked on the photograph they had taken in a tourist shop.
"It's a pity that cameras don't take pictures in color," Glinda said, studying her pale gray curls and the dark grey splotches on her face where she had applied makeup.
"Why, so all the City could know that it has a green-skinned tourist?" Elphaba caught a trail of melted ice cream on her tongue.
"No," Glinda said sadly. "This is probably going to be what I'll look like when I'm old!" She pointed to her grey hair and sharply contrasting face tones. Elphaba leaned over to see, but noticed first the mass of black standing next to the grayed out Glinda. Everything about her was black, with the exception of gray hands and face, the darkened remnants of green.
"Don't worry about it, Glinda," Elphaba was still getting used to calling her friend Glinda, with a silent Ga. She sighed, looking out at the perfect people on the perfect streets of Oz's most perfect city. "We should live here someday," She said, looking to Glinda beside her, comparing her face in the photograph to her compact. Glinda shut the little mirror and joined Elphaba in planning their future in this town of green.
"We'll live in the most fancified apartment in the North Side," Galinda imagined the green apartment towers, dying to have the key to one of the rooms there.
"Near the Wizard's palace, so we can look out into the gardens every morning,"
"And you won't have too far to go to work,"
"That's if I'm good enough,"
"Elphie, Madame Morrible hasn't seen so much power in a student until you came along," Glinda took a few more licks of her ice cream. "And if the Wizard already had a powerful magic student, he wouldn't have asked for you."
"But still," Elphaba took Glinda's reassurances to heart, but moved on in planning their future in the City. "You'd be about two clock-ticks away from every shopping plaza in Oz,"
"And you'd have all the knowledge of Oz right at your fingertips," Each anticipating the wishes of the other.
"No book will be safe from my grimy green clutches!" Elphaba held her free hand high over Glinda menacingly, scaring her friend good-naturedly. They laughed, and caught up with their melting ice cream.
"Though Glinda," Elphaba said pensively. "Whenever I go somewhere new, people point and stare and laugh. But here, nobody notices. I think we belong here." Glinda looked over at her friend and smiled, the energy of a busy city fueling their fantasies.
"You look positively emerald, Elphie." Elphaba couldn't help but smile in return.
I stop here because next is 'Sentimental Man'. It's harder to branch off from 'the Wizard will see you now', and you all know what they show you in 'One Short Day'. Or at least understand it. If you don't, google video 'One Short Day' and you'll see. Still, tell me if you think I completely botched the whole thing. -Laughs-. Read and Review, I still love you all! -LostOzian