Chapter 7: Great Balls of Fire
Taking the advice from her new band mate, Glinda, Elphaba is starting to write songs for the band. Over the course of one week, she wrote many drafts for one song and she doodled a little as a way to get some inspiration to her songs. While she practiced songwriting, Elphaba also practiced extra hard on the guitar so she'll be better like Glinda. Even though she's still having a hard time adjusting her finger for the right chord, Elphaba is getting use to it.
While Elphaba was at school, Lily received the mail for Elphaba's report card and she's afraid about what's going to be in there. When Elphaba got back home, she ran straight to her room to start practicing her guitar, but the guitar wasn't on her bed. She looked around her room, but the guitar wasn't there. Elphaba went downstairs to ask Lily, who is sitting in the dining room eating soup with the report card on the table.
"Where is it?" Elphaba asked but Lily didn't respond. "Lily, where's my guitar?"
"I got your report card. You promised me hard work. Lie and cheat all you want with others but do so on me and expect the consequences!" Lily said.
"Where is it?"
"I've sold it."
"You can't!"
"I can and I have."
"But we've got gigs!"
"Oh, what a shame." Lily remarked which made Elphaba really angry. "Oh boo hoo, Elphaba. That's your punishment."
"But it's my group."
"Oh grow up, Elphaba! Stop behaving like a child!"
"Well, fuck off, Lily."
"What did you just say?!"
"I said fuck off!" Elphaba shouted and stormed out of the house.
Elphaba rushed back to the Emerald City music store and saw that guitar is there. She looked at the price and realized that she doesn't have enough money to buy it. She ran back to Munchkinland and went to her mother's home to get money, but no one is home. When Melena walked back home, she was confused to see Elphaba standing outside her house. Elphaba saw her mother and she ran to her.
"I need five ozlets!" Elphaba told her. Melena gave her the money and Elphaba ran back to Emerald City as fast as she could. Elphaba bought the guitar back and she showed it off to Lily when she got home. "So, got it back. Yeah, mom bought it for me." Elphaba said to her aunt, which doesn't bother her.
The next day, Elphaba and the Ozkids performed their third gig at a public hall with Melena in the audience.
I'm a-gonna tell you how it's gonna be
You're gonna give your love to me
I wanna love you night and day
You know my love a-not fade away
A-well, you know my love a-not fade away
My love a-bigger than a cadillac
I try to show it and you drive a-me back
Your love for me a-got to be real
For you to know just how I feel
A love for real not fade away
"Thank you. Thanks guys." Elphaba told the crowd as they cheer. "Next, the Souse Duane Eddy will play Peter Gunn, I present to you, Glinda Uptight." Elphaba joked as she introduced Glinda.
"Thank you Elphaba, for those kind words." Glinda remarked.
Glinda led the band with an instrumental track and the crowd loved it. The crowd danced along to Glinda's guitar sound while some were cheering loudly. After playing their gig, Elphaba and her group went back home by bus as Glinda introduced a boy to the group.
"This is Fiyero. He's a friend of mine from Vinkus. He should be in the group." Glinda said.
"He should be in bed." Elphaba said.
"No, I've been to bed, couldn't sleep." Fiyero said.
"Go on, Fiyero. Show them." Glinda said.
"What? Magic tricks?" Elphaba joked.
"I could, but I left my top hat and magic book at home." Fiyero remarked.
Elphaba gave Fiyero her guitar and he started to play. After playing a few chords, Elphaba was really impresse with Fiyero's style of playing and immediately let him in the band. With Fiyero in the group, The Ozkids now have a place to rehearse since Lily won't let them play in the house and hates Elphaba's choice of music, but Fiyero's parents approved of it and allowed his new friends to rehearse. The band got another gig in the same public hall and the crowd's cheers are more loud with Fiyero on the band.
"Eleka Nahmen eh, Elphaba?" Fiyero wittingly said as the band's performance ended.
After playing, many people were meeting with the band backstage and most of them were really eager to see Elphaba. Melena entered backstage and happily hugged Elphaba "You're getting better everytime." she told Elphaba.
"Thanks, mom."
"We need to celebrate… everything! It's Elphaba's birthday this Saturday, so let's have a party at my place. This Saturday, OK."
"Will there be any beer, Mrs Thropp?" Flipper asked.
"Only if I can have some"
"What about sweets, Mrs Thropp?" Tibblett asked.
"Of course there will be sweets." Melena said and turned her attention to her daughter. "So what do you reckon, Elphie?"
"I think… I need to get change." Elphaba said and went to the dressing room. While Melena is talking with the other members of the band, Glinda followed Elphaba to the dressing room and Elphaba was surprised to see her.
"If you want my special hair conditioner, get it from the store across the street." Elphaba said.
"If you don't want her hanging around with the band, you should do something then." Glinda told her.
"I don't mind, Glinda."
"Then why did you look constipated when she asks you?"
"It's… It's... It's one of your business okay." Elphaba stuttered.
"Alright. Alright. I'll back off." As Glinda left the dressing room, she was thinking about what Melena said earlier. "Elphie." Glinda laughed.
"Hey, keep laughing and I will kick you out of the band."
As soon as the audience left backstage, the band packed their equipment to their van with Elphaba in the bathroom. "Elphaba, the driver's not stopping or continuing to wait for you." Boq shouted outside of the restroom.
"Alright. Alright. You don't have to be so melodramatic about it, Boq." Elphaba said as she exited the restroom
