A/N: Behold, chapter two! I cannot BELIEVE how much better this is than the original version!
As you may or may not have noticed, I took down the vast majority of the stories I used to have posted on my account, mainly because back when I wrote them (during my early fan fiction days) I didn't think to write up any sort of plot summary, and it's been so long since I worked on any of them that I now have no idea where any of them were going beyond what I had. So I have taken them down. But many large bits from two or three different now-deleted things made their way into this chapter, which you may or may not recognize, and I think the end result is much better because of them.
I would also like to thank the three people who reviewed the last chapter. Yes, there were only THREE. I know you all probably know the plot (and very likely a good bit of the dialogue) backwards, forwards, upside down, and inside out, and I realize that some of you reviewed this story the first time I put it up (thanks plenty if you did!). But still, it would be kind of nice to know that you're reading it and to hear what you think of the spiffied-up version. Please?
Disclaimer: It will be mine the day an ordinary broom can fly. Oh, wait… (Ha, gotcha there for a clock-tick, didn't I? I guess ordinary brooms can't really fly, though, because Greg, Steve, and Winnie still own it all.)
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I can hardly believe what's happened! I have so much to tell! But I'd better start from the beginning and do it properly.
When we got to Shiz, there were little groups of students milling around everywhere. Slowly, all the chatter stopped, and even though my back was turned, I could feel every eye in the room focused on me – and they didn't feel friendly. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself as I've had to do my whole life, and then turned to meet their stares.
"What? What are you all looking at?" I asked innocently, as though I really didn't know. Then I pretended to realize what the problem was. "Oh, do I have something in my teeth? Is my underskirt showing?" When no one moved or said anything, I rolled my eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. Sometimes trying to play the stares off works, and sometimes it doesn't. Evidently this was one of the latter times. "All right, fine. We might as well get this over with. No, I'm not seasick; yes, I've always been green; no, I didn't eat grass as a child…"
Of course, Father appeared, wheeling Nessa in her chair, just in time to hear my little tirade. "Elphaba!" he snapped in a tone of warning.
Cowed, I gestured to Nessa, who was sitting primly in her wheelchair, doing her best to look unaffected by my bad behavior. "And this is my younger sister Nessarose," I informed the staring crowd of students, gesturing to her. "As you can see, she is a perfectly normal color."
Father beckoned me over, and from the look on his face, I didn't dare refuse. "Elphaba, stop making a spectacle of yourself!" he hissed harshly when I rather reluctantly made my way to his side. "Remember, I'm only sending you to this school for one reason..."
"I know," I interrupted rather sharply. Then, at the look he shot me, I continued in a more contrite tone, "To look after Nessa."
He eyed me suspiciously for a moment, but then apparently decided that I was, for once, not being sarcastic, and gave a curt nod. Then he turned to Nessa, and his stern expression melted into a loving smile. "My precious little girl – a parting gift." He produced a smallish, beautifully detailed leather case, which he placed reverently in her lap and gestured for her to open.
"Now, Father…" Nessa scolded gently as he handed over the gift. But any protests, real or only meant for show, that she might have had died on her lips when she lifted the lid of the case and saw what was inside. "Jeweled shoes!"
She lifted one out to admire it. The shoes were silver, embedded all over with some sort of shimmering gemstones that I've never seen before. Whichever way she turned it, the light struck the gems differently, each new position causing them to glow every hue imaginable – now blue as sapphires, now a deep emerald green, now the brilliant yellow of a canary, now a glowing ruby red. They were the most spectacular shoes I've ever seen.
"As befits the future Governor of Munchkinland," replied Father fondly. Then he turned to me. "Elphaba…" For a moment, just the most fleeting moment, I thought that he might possibly have gotten something for me, too. But he merely shoved the shoes' case into my chest. "Take care of your sister. And try not to talk so much." And with that, after a final kiss for my sister, he walked off without so much as a backward glance.
As much as I hate to admit it, even to myself, at that moment, I was insanely, indescribably jealous of my sister. In fact, I might almost say (if you'll pardon the terrible pun) that I was practically green with envy. Why is Nessa more deserving of a gift like that than I am? Just because I look a little different (well, that may be a bit of an understatement, but still!), that doesn't mean that I'm somehow inferior! It's not that I begrudge her the love and attention she gets. How can I? After all, it's my fault that she is the way she is. I can't resent her for any small bit of happiness she manages to find. It's just that I sometimes wish there was a little left over for me.
My face must have betrayed what I was thinking, because when he was gone, Nessa looked up at me, sensing my feelings without having to be told. "Elphaba…" she began hesitantly, sounding unsure of what to say.
I got the feeling that she was about to apologize for Father's neglect of me. But I didn't want an apology, not from her, not when she hadn't done anything to apologize for. And I didn't want to make her feel guilty for enjoying those beautiful shoes. So I put on the most convincing smile I could muster. "Well, what could he get me?" I cut her off, just a bit too brightly. "I clash with everything."
Thankfully, I was spared whatever response Nessa might have had to that remark (she hates it when I try to use sarcasm to brush off her concerns) when a woman with an air of great self-importance appeared in the midst of the group. "Welcome, new students!" she proclaimed to the room at large. "I am Madame Morrible, headmistress here at Shiz University. And whether you are here to study law, logic, or linguification, I know I speak for my fellow faculty members when I say that we have nothing but the highest hopes… for some of you." I couldn't help a soft snort of agreement with this. Then she turned and noticed Nessa in her wheelchair, and immediately came hurrying over to greet her. "Oh, you must be the governor's daughter… Miss… Nessarose, isn't it? What a tragically beautiful face you have!" she gushed. Then she turned around and found herself face-to-face with me. To her credit, she recovered quickly from the shock, though she did have to lean heavily on Nessa's chair for a moment as the sight of me sunk in. "And you must be…"
"I'm the other daughter, Elphaba," I confirmed before she finished, and couldn't resist adding dryly, "I'm beautifully tragic."
Madam's eyebrows rose. "Yes, well, I'm sure you're very bright." Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blonde girl make a comment to the group of students that were gathered around her, and they all burst out laughing, which meant it was more likely than not something to do with me. "Now, regarding room assignments..."
Nessa and I had heard nothing whatsoever about where we were to be living, so I quickly raised my hand. However, so did the blonde girl I had noticed a moment ago, and that happened to be the direction that Madame Morrible was facing at the moment, so she saw the other girl first. "Yes, is this regarding room assignments?"
"Oh, no, Madame, thank you for asking," the girl said calmly, "but I've already been assigned a private suite." This elicited a number of loud protests from the students surrounding her. But the girl held up both hands, and once the groaning and grumbling ceased, she added consolingly, "But you can all come visit me whenever you want!"
"How good of you!" squealed one of the girls closest to her.
"You are so good!" declared another ecstatically.
"No I'm not." The blonde shook her head and lowered her eyes modestly, but it was clear (to me, at least, if not to anyone else) that it was only for show."Yes you are!" both of the girls fawning over the blonde insisted.
The girl giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulder with practiced ease. "Now stop!"
"Did you have a question?" Madame Morrible intoned pointedly, cutting the nauseating admiration session short, an action for which I was silently very grateful.
The blonde girl immediately turned back to the headmistress, who was waiting rather impatiently to learn what the girl's purpose had been in raising her hand. "Oh. Yes. You see, I am Galinda Upland… of the Upper Uplands...?" When Madame Morrible showed no signs of being impressed by the name, Galinda pulled her off to the side, where they began to hold a private conversation. I took the opportunity to study Miss Galinda Upland closely.
I took in the mountainous pile of luggage near which she had been standing – all monogrammed with huge 'G's, and all apparently hers. Then I noticed her perfectly coiffed golden ringlets, her spotless cream-colored skirt and short jacket, her matching purse and shoes and hair accessories… well, you get the picture. I saw at once that this was one of those girls who must be perfectly matched and put together in every aspect of her appearance in order to face the world with confidence. I detest girls like this, girls who think that outward appearance is all that matters. And so, as unreasonable of me as it may have been, I knew at once that I would despise her until the day I die, if not longer.
After a minute or so, I realized that if I didn't do something, blonde Galinda would easily monopolize Madame Morrible's attention indefinitely. I stepped forward and spoke up, "We have not yet received our room assignments."
"Yes, yes, of course." Madame Morrible abandoned Galinda and returned to stand next to Nessa's chair as she informed us, "The Governor made his concern for your sister's wellbeing quite apparent. She will share my compartment, where I can assist her as needed."
"But Madame," I protested, trying my very hardest not to sound disrespectful, "I've always looked after my sister."
"He never mentioned you." She fixed me with a too-bright smile. "Oh, well. A slight gulch, but not to fret. We'll find someplace to put you." Turning to the crowd of students, she asked, "Now, which of you young ladies will volunteer to share with Miss Elphaba?"
I hardly expected any takers. But just then Galinda stepped forward, her hand in the air. "Madam Morrible – " she began. It was obvious to me that whatever comment she wanted to make had to do with something else altogether, and that she had simply picked a most unfortunate time to voice it.
But Madam Morrible was so anxious to get the situation taken care of that she took Galinda's coming forward as the solution to the problem of where to put me. She rushed forward and wrung the blonde girl's hand. "Thank you, dear! Oh, how very good of you!" And of course, Galinda could hardly contradict her, although she didn't know what exactly she was being praised for. "You see, Miss Elphaba, you can room with Miss Galinda."
The blonde girl's jaw dropped, and she cast a horrified look at me, which I wholeheartedly returned. "What?!"
"No, Madame, you don't understand…" I protested, doing my best not to panic.
But Madame Morrible wasn't listening to either of us. "Everyone to your dormitories!" she sang out, making shooing motions with her hands, and all the students who were milling around began to trickle out, bound for the rooms they had been assigned. She came and grabbed the handles of Nessa's chair and began to wheel her away.
"Elphaba, I'll be all right," Nessa called over her shoulder to me. I could tell by her tone that she was warning me not to make another scene.
"But I promised Father – " I reminded her frantically. But my pleas had no effect on either Nessa or Madame Morrible, and they continued to move towards the door.
I was getting desperate – I had to do something! I couldn't let Nessa be separated from me. What if something went wrong? If Madam Morrible didn't take proper care of her, I'm the one who Father would blame. He might think that I hadn't done what he was depending on me to do, and have me sent home. Not to mention that I simply didn't want anything to happen to my sister. And what was more, I could not, under any circumstances, let myself be forced to room with the blonde girl, Galinda. If I did, I could see even now that she would drive me stark raving mad. I could already tell she was the kind of girl who spends hours each day in front of a mirror making herself look perfect. The kind of girl who lives for attention. The kind of girl who depends on others for her opinion of herself. And, as I've already mentioned, I can't abide people like that. Not for a single clock-tick. The more I thought about being trapped in a dorm room for the entire term with Galinda the Giggly, the angrier I got. I felt the familiar scalding, churning pressure of my powers starting to build deep inside me.
"Let her go!" I screamed. And before I could do anything to control it, sparks flew, and the wheelchair tore itself out of Madam Morrible's hands, turned around, and rolled backwards to rest once more in front of me. Shaken, I gripped the handles tightly.
By now, Madam, along with Galinda and everyone else, was staring at me – again. "How did you do that?" she managed.
"How did she do that?" echoed Galinda in shock.
Nessa gave me a mortified and reproachful look. "Elphaba! You promised things would be different here!"
"You mean this has happened before?" Madam's eyebrows shot up again.
"Well … uh… something just… comes over me sometimes," I stuttered, feeling my cheeks turning the darker shade of green that, in my case, passes for a blush. "It's… something I can't describe. But I will try to control myself." Then I knelt down next to my sister and began to apologize, "I'm sorry, Nessa…"
"What?! Don't ever apologize for talent!" admonished Madam Morrible. "Talent is a gift! And that is my special talent… encouraging talent. Have you ever given any thought to a career in sorcery?"
I shook my head, astonished. "No, not really."
This seemed to shock her. "Oh, I shall tutor you privately, and take no other students!" Galinda gave a small cry of dismay at this news, but Madame Morrible didn't seem to notice. "Miss Elphaba, I've waited years to work with a sorcery student of your caliber. Why, I can even see you someday becoming the Wizard's right hand man…er, woman."
"The Wizard?" I echoed in amazement.
She chuckled, and confirmed with a nod that I had indeed heard her correctly. "I'll write to him at once and tell him about you. I'm sure he'll want to meet you." She leaned closer and lowered her voice as though she was about to impart some top-secret knowledge to me. "With a talent like yours, dear, if you apply yourself diligently, there's no limit to what you could do! You're destined for greatness, dearie, mark my words." And with that, she gently but firmly moved me away from Nessa's chair and took hold of the handles.
"Now, Madame, perhaps we should talk about this…" Galinda began desperately, flashing her politest, most winning smile as she latched onto Madame Morrible's arm.
But Madame merely shook her off with a vague, "Not now, dear," and continued on her way with Nessa. Defeated at last, the blonde wandered off up to her room (well, our room now, I suppose) to sulk, and I was left alone to contemplate the future that Madame had just described.
Now, I've never told anyone this, but ever since I was a little girl, I've had one great, overwhelming ambition: to meet and work for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the ruler of our country. And now, with Madam Morrible offering to give me private sorcery lessons, and promising to tell him about me… well, it looks as though my lifelong dream might actually have half a chance of coming true!
All I've ever wanted to do is help people, and I know the Wizard feels the same way. I mean, he's responsible for keeping all of Oz wonderful; how could he not care about his people? He's so smart, so… so good; I know he won't let himself be blinded by my appearance. He'll look past the color of my skin and accept me for who I am on the inside, unlike anyone else I've ever known. Honestly, people can be so small-minded sometimes – just because someone doesn't look like them, they think it gives them the right to treat them as somehow inferior. But the Wizard isn't like that. He'll see who I truly am, and he'll know he can rely on me. And that will be just the beginning…
Once I'm with the Wizard, my whole life will change. Once people know you work for him, no one considers you a freak anymore. No one points or stares or laughs at you or calls you names. Any father would have to be proud of a daughter who the Wizard himself has taken under his wing. And who could possibly be ashamed by her sister's embarrassing little quirk if that quirk has landed said sister a job with the ruler of the country? And it won't stop with my family. No, after I join the Wizard, all of Oz will have to love me! And who knows? Maybe once the Wizard and I are working hand in hand, I'll finally figure out why I've been given these strange powers.
One day, after I've proven my worth to him, he'll take me aside for a little talk, just the two of us. "Elphaba," he'll say to me, "a girl as good as you deserves to be as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside. So, would it be all right by you if I degreenify you?" And though, of course, that's not important to me… well, how can I possibly refuse such a generous offer?
What a pair the Wizard and I will be! With him, my future will be unlimited! And someday… oh, I can see it now! I know it sounds truly crazy… and I'll admit, the picture's not exactly clear in my mind… but I swear, someday there'll be a huge celebration throughout Oz… and it will be all about me! That's right, me! It'll be the best day of my life. And although I'd never show it, I'll be so happy, I could just… melt! And that's how things will be for the rest of my life. To be held in such high esteem, cheered for by everyone in Oz… I can't imagine ever wanting anything else.
I stood there for a minute or two, captivated by these daydreams. When I finally dragged myself back to reality, I realized that I had no idea where Madame's rooms are, so I had no way to find her or Nessa to try and work out some other living arrangement. So I was still stuck with my less-than-desirable roommate situation. No, let me correct that – I am still stuck with it.
And that's how I ended up with the roommate from hell. But more about that next time – I have to go get ready for my first sorcery lesson!
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