A/N: For some reason, "Dancing Through Life" is one of my favorite scenes in the show – I love all the dancing, and the little Christmas-light-looking things all around the stage, and all the pretty black and white costumes, and Fiyero in a tuxedo… .: smirks :. And "Popular" is absolutely hilarious if the actress playing Galinda really gets into it. The chapter's got a lot stuffed in, but hopefully it keeps you entertained.
Disclaimer: Do I look like Greg, Winnie, or Steve to you? No? Then it's not mine.
xXxXx
A new boy arrived at school today, and Galinda is all in a tizzy over him. His name is Fiyero Tiggular, and apparently he's a prince from somewhere in the Vinkus. Galinda claims that he has a most "scandalacious" reputation (I have no idea what exactly that particular adjective is supposed to mean, nor do I care to find out), and declares him to be the handsomest creature she's ever laid eyes on – aside from herself, of course. She has gained this insight from all those OzBeat magazines she stuffs her empty blonde head with – the one thing she reads that I don't!
I will admit, Fiyero is quite good-looking, and he knows it. He has reddish-brown hair that somehow manages to be short and shaggy at the same time, and even from the distant glimpse I got of him, I could see that his eyes are as blue as you could wish. Just for a moment, I let myself imagine what it might be like to look up into those blue eyes and lose myself… And then I nearly laughed out loud at myself for being such a fool. I have no business caring the least bit about him. No one like him has ever paid me a bit of attention, and I'm not about to hold my breath waiting for them to start now. Anyway, I'm much more interested to find out if he knows anything about the political situation in the Vinkus – the dynamics of the inter-tribal relations there have always fascinated me.
Galinda has heard through her friends that Fiyero is holding court outside in the yard. For once we agree on something! We're off to meet this Winkie prince and see if he's really as scandalacious as OzBeat Magazine reports.
Later…Well, I might have guessed. The fellow's as empty-headed as my darling roomie. When we got down to the yard, Fiyero was in the process of listing all the schools he's been kicked out of. (I lost track at eight.) Then he announced that tonight we are going to have a dance, and that everyone is invited. The whole student body already seems to have accepted his philosophy of making it through life with as little effort as possible. How is it that he can just waltz in and get everyone to listen to him so easily? It just isn't fair! Intelligent, well-read, well-informed, thoughtful people don't seem to count for anything these days. I mean, the number of schools someone's been kicked out of should not be the basis for judging how popular he is! And neither should the fact that he's a prince. Or the amount of money he has. Or the kind of clothes he wears. Or the fact that he is tall, dark, and very handsome…
Sweet Oz, I have no idea where that came from! Fiyero is the last person in Oz who I could ever see myself with – I mean, we are nothing alike! And besides, even if I did happen to like him (which I don't!), he and Galinda are already dating, starting with the party tonight. They were drawn to each other like magnets the instant they set eyes on each other. They're already Shiz's golden couple; nothing will ever come between them. They're perfect for each other.
Whatever I do, I will not let myself fall under the spell of his blue eyes.
And no way in Oz am I going to that stupid dance.
Even Later…All right, so I went to the stupid dance. But, believe it or not, it was actually almost… fun.
After discovering that Fiyero was not quite the paragon of knowledge I had hoped, I went to bemoan my troubles to Nessa. "It's absurd! This silly rich boy appears, and everyone's off to worship him at some cultish social gathering," I complained, finishing my account of the afternoon.
"Even me! I'm going!" Nessa burst out joyfully.
"What?!"
"I'm going to the dance! Oh, Elphaba, isn't it wonderful? Boq was too shy to ask me at first, but once Galinda encouragerized him – "
"Galinda?" I echoed suspiciously. This definitely bore all the signs of some evil plot or other by my blonde nemesis, and I didn't want my sister involved.
Nessa frowned. "Don't you dare say another word against her! I'm about to have the first happy night of my life, thanks to Galinda. Boq and I are perfect for each other. Galinda saw that and made it a reality. I just wish there were some way I could thank her." She paused and gave me a pleading look. "I know you don't like her. But please, Elphaba, try to understand."
I let out a heavy sigh and nodded, forcing my lips into a small smile. "I do." Seeing how happy my sister was, I didn't have the heart to tell her that Boq, an uncommonly tall Munchkin boy who we met on our first day at Shiz, is the charter member of the Galinda entourage, and that he'd probably only asked Nessa to the dance in hopes of gaining favor with Her Highness.
I quieted my protests and helped her pick out a dress for the party, and then headed back to my room. And as I walked, I realized something. This was the first time I could ever remember seeing Nessa look truly happy, like it didn't matter that she was in a wheelchair. And even if it was nothing more than part of one of her crazy ideas, it was all thanks to Galinda. I, too, found that I wanted to repay her somehow. But what could I possibly give her? The girl has everything! But wait…there was one thing I had that she didn't…something I'd been keeping to myself…
I recoiled at the thought. "Oh, no! No, no, NO! Sweet Oz, I'm not going to let her have that," I muttered. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that 'that' was exactly what I had to give her.
I had to figure out a way to get Galinda into the sorcery seminar.
There was no help for it. There went my beloved sorcery class, my little safe haven to keep me from going Galinda-mad. What did Nessa care that I could easily lose my mind without something Galinda- free? Saint Galinda, Galinda the Good, needed yet another accolade, something else to add to her already vast collection of everything she has that I don't.
By now, I had arrived back at my room. When I let myself in, Galinda was kneeling by one of her numerous trunks. With a resigned sigh, I stiffened my spine and began, "Galinda, listen, Nessa and I were talking about you just now, and – "
"And I was just talking about you," interrupted Galinda, startling me. Was she actually talking to me like a fellow human being of her own free will? She stood, grabbed something black and pointy out of the trunk, and walked over, holding it out to me. "I thought you might want to wear this hat to the party tonight!" I must not have looked too convinced – the idea of her offering me any sort of gift made me suspicious in and of itself – because she put on a winning smile and began pouring on the charm. "Oh, come on! Don't you think it's…uh…sharp? You know, all the fashion magazines say black is this year's pink. And a hat like this deserves to be worn by a girl as…as smart as it is. So…here." She thrust the hat at me with a giggle. "Out of the sheer goodness of my heart."
Unsure how to handle this sudden gesture of kindness on Galinda's part, I cautiously took the hat from her. Her smile widened, and she swept off to go get ready for the dance with her friends. After she was gone, I studied her gift carefully.
When she had said it was sharp, Galinda wasn't kidding. The hat had a wide brim, and instead of being round to form to the wearer's head, the crown rose up into a stiff peak. I looked it over skeptically, not quite sure if I liked it or not. Still, Galinda had said I should wear it, and, much as I still despise her, I will say that no one knows more about fashion than she does. And I didn't think that empty golden head of hers could possibly be capable of coming up with something like this as a practical joke. I hadn't been planning to go to the dance, but maybe…
I thought quickly, trying to come up with something to wear. Borrowing one of Galinda's dresses was out of the question for several reasons. First, she'd have my head; second, she's about half a head shorter and several pounds heavier than me; and third, Galinda goes in for very feminine pastel colors – yellows, pinks, purples, blues - and her dresses are so frilly, with my green legs, I would look like a flower if I put one on. Finally I settled for taking off the sweater I usually wear under my sleeveless dress and replacing my knit cap with Galinda's hat. I put the thing on and then studied my reflection critically in her full-length mirror. The hat was like nothing I had ever seen before, but oddly enough, it somehow seemed almost made for me. I adjusted it to a jaunty angle, and the green girl in the mirror grinned at me. I did wish that I had a nicer pair of shoes (like maybe Nessa's!), but my same old dirty boots would have to do. My preparations complete, I set off. I wanted to find Madam Morrible before I went to the dance.
It took half an hour of arguing. In the end I had to threaten to quit the seminar if Madam didn't do what I asked. But I finally got her to agree to let Galinda into the sorcery seminar. Part of me was screaming at me not to do it, but the rest of me actually felt good doing something nice for Galinda. Once that was settled, I headed off to the party.
The instant I walked in, I knew I had been cruelly tricked. As I slowly came down the steps into the ballroom, everyone turned to stare at me. Then one of the girls Galinda hangs around with pointed and began to snicker. The girl next to her did the same, and I realized that they were probably the ones who had put Galinda up to giving me the hat. Soon everyone in the room was pointing and laughing at me and that vile hat.
When I saw their reactions to Galinda's "gift", I quickly pulled the thing off my head. For a few clock-ticks – all right, maybe a little longer than that – I wanted desperately to turn and run, to get out of there, to do anything to avoid being singled out yet again. But then I thought, No. That's what they want me to do. Then they can laugh at me for being a coward, too. And then I figured out the one thing I could do. It might not stop them laughing now, but at least they wouldn't be able to laugh at me later for running away. So I caught Galinda's eye, and I slowly and deliberately settled the hat firmly back on my head, eliciting a gasp from the crowd.
Then I strode into the very center of the ballroom, the people parting before me to let me through. The room went completely silent, and I closed my eyes and started to dance. I have no idea where the things I did came from; I had never seen them anywhere before. I suppose some of the hand and arm movements were inspired by the gestures I've learned while casting spells in sorcery class, but the rest I pulled out of thin air. I could sense that everyone was still watching me, but at least they weren't laughing anymore.
Suddenly I completed a turn, and there she was – Galinda was standing right in front of me. I stopped dead in surprise, and we stared at each other for a long moment.
"May… I cut in?" she finally asked softly.
I didn't say a word, only nodded slowly, and she gave me a tentative smile. Then she began to mimic what I had done. I started repeating my movements along with her. Before I knew it, we were dancing in unison.
Well, now that Galinda was dancing with me, the musicians struck back up, and everyone else began to join in. Soon all of us were doing the dance I had just created. I even saw Boq wheeling Nessa around on the dance floor. She looked like she had died and gone to heaven. I gave my roommate a grateful smile, and we continued to dance.
Later, as we took a break from dancing to sample the punch (lemons and melons and pears – a most unusual combination), she explained why she had come out onto the dance floor and rescued me. The hat had originally been meant to humiliate me in front of everyone, but she had felt terrible about it after Madame came to the dance, gave her a training wand, and told her what I had done to get her into sorcery class. Then, when she saw everyone's reactions to it (and to my dancing), she hadn't been able to stand the guilt a clock-tick longer. Whatever the reason, we both realized that tonight marked a turning point between us. And, to tell you the truth, I do believe we were both very glad not to have to be sworn enemies anymore.
After the party, Galinda and I headed back up to our room. I think Galinda must have had one glass of punch too many, because she was slightly hysterical. "Your very first party? Ever?" she asked me incredulously, continuing a conversation we had begun earlier.
I shrugged. "Do funerals count?"
"But your very first party!" Galinda shook her head as though she couldn't quite believe it. Then her mind was off on a new tangent, and she ran over to plop down next to me on my bed. "Ooh, I know! Let's both tell each other something we've never told anyone! I'll go first: Fiyero and I are going to be married!" She trailed off into an excited squeal
I raised an eyebrow. "He's asked you already?"
She was immediately completely calm again. "Oh, no, he doesn't know yet," she informed me matter-of-factly. "Now you tell me a secret."
"Like what?"
"Like…why do you always sleep with this funny little green bottle under your pillow?" To my dismay, she pounced on my bed and grabbed the bottle.
"Give that back, Galinda!" I demanded, trying not to sound desperate.
"C'mon, tell me!" she wheedled, dangling the bottle just out of my reach. "Tell me tell me!"
"It was my mother's!" I made another grab for it, and finally managed to get my hands on it. Snatching it away from her, I turned my back and clutched it protectively. "That's all."
Neither of us spoke for a moment. "That's not fair. I told you a really good one," Galinda finally complained quietly, sounding sadly disappointed.
I swallowed hard. "My father hates me." At her stricken expression, I quickly shook my head. "No, that's not the secret. The secret is, he has a good reason. It's my fault…" I hesitated.
"What is?"
"That…that my sister is… the way she is." I paused, willing the words to come. "You see, when our mother was carrying Nessa, our father was worried that the new baby might come out…well…"
"Green," Galinda finished along with me.
I sighed and continued, "So he made my mother chew milkflowers, day and night. But that made Nessa come too soon, with her little legs all tangled. And my mother never woke up." I squeezed my eyes shut tight for a moment to fend off the tears that were threatening to spill over. "None of which would ever have happened if not for me."
Galinda listened in respectful silence to the rest of my story. Once I was finished, she said loyally, "But that was the milkflowers' fault, not yours. That might be your secret, Elphaba, but that doesn't make it true. And Elphie – do you mind if I call you Elphie?"
"Well, it's a little perky…" I protested halfheartedly, knowing that if she was determined to call me Elphie, my humble opinion on the matter wasn't about to change her mind.
"And you can call me…" she paused for effect, "…Galinda."
"Gee… thanks."
"Elphie, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project," she continued importantly.
Faint alarm bells began ringing in my ears. "You really don't have to do that," I assured her quickly.
"I know. That's what makes me so nice."
Galinda spent the next hour or more instructing me in the art of being popular. First she attacked my hair. She took it out of its usual braid, pulling about half of it out in the process, and then tried to teach me how to toss it like she does. One can use one's head, one's hands, or one's full body to toss one's hair; however, whichever way one chooses, it is apparently of vital importance to mutter, "Toss, toss" under one's breath during performance of the act. (And I cannot believe I just wasted space in my diary writing down all those instructions.)
Then she took away my glasses and pulled out a tube of some greasy pink stuff, which she proceeded to smear on my lips. It tasted so sweet, it was almost sickening. I wiped it off with the back of my hand as soon as she loosened the grip she'd gotten on my face to put it on.
After that, she ordered me to stand up and announced, "I will now transform your simple frock into a beautiful ballgown." She dramatically waved the wand Madam had given her earlier at the dance and proclaimed, "Ballgown."
I waited dutifully for a few seconds. Nothing happened.
Unfazed, Galinda brandished the wand again. "Ballgown!" she declared more forcefully.
Nothing again.
"Is this thing on?" she frowned, banging the wand several times into her other palm.
I couldn't help laughing as I held out my hand for the wand. "Do you want me to try?"
"No, no, I've got it," she insisted. But finally, after examining it closely, she gave up and tossed the wand over her shoulder. "Oh, just wear the frock, it's pretty!" Then she smiled. "And now for the finishing touch." She reached up to her own hair and pulled out a life-sized barrette of a rose that matched the frilly pink dress she had on. "Pink goes good with green," she informed me as she used the barrette to pin my hair back on the left side of my face. She stepped back to get the full effect of her work, and seemed genuinely surprised. "Why, Miss Elphaba…look at you," she said softly, passing me a hand mirror. "You're beautiful."
Giving her a disbelieving look, I took the hand mirror – and nearly gasped in shock myself. I almost didn't recognize the girl staring back at me.
She was still green, of course. Her face was angular, but not sharp or pinched like I seemed to remember it being. The long, dark hair framing her face, still wavy from the braid it had been in until a few minutes ago, did a great deal to soften the angles. Thanks to Galinda's having taken my glasses, the mirror-Elphaba's eyes were now visible. I was surprised to see that they were nicely shaped, surrounded by long dark lashes, a warm and pleasant shade of brown. Her lips still shone slightly from a bit of Galinda's sugary pink concoction that I hadn't managed to swipe away. The flower in her hair was the perfect accent. Galinda had been right; pink really did go well with green. But I think what I noticed most was a subtle change in her expression. She looked more… peaceful now, like some sort of unconscious worry or burden had been lifted from her. The burden of loneliness.
And this sudden beauty that I saw in Galinda's hand mirror…was me.
As I studied my suddenly unfamiliar reflection, I was hit with an unexpected wave of emotion. All my life, I've had to depend on myself for whatever support I needed. Father was hardly likely to give me any help, Nessa was too much in need herself to be able to offer me anything, and I certainly never had any other friends I could lean on. Galinda is the first person who's ever really treated me like just another girl, no different from herself. And I wasn't prepared for how nice that felt.
But, of course, I wasn't about to cry in front of her, so I quickly stood up from where I was sitting on Galinda's bed. "I…I have to go," I choked out. Then I grabbed this diary and fled to the room where Madam and I (and now Galinda too) have our sorcery seminar. I've been writing here ever since.
Well, I suppose it's about time for me to finish up and head back. I don't want Galinda to worry about me. It's strange, but I'm much gladder than I would've expected that we're finally getting along. It would've been a long term if we had kept on the way we were. Maybe now that Galinda and I are (dare I say it?) friends, people won't stare at me so much. The students here at Shiz seem to have a real staring problem. Didn't their mothers ever teach them that it's rude?