(A/N: alright, I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO sorry for the INCREDIBLY long time it took to update this. My apologies. The next update migghhht be quicker, depending on reviews. So please review! Sorry for any typos etc. Enjoy!)
"Oh my god, you okay honey?" asked Angel.
"Elphaba?" asked Mark anxiously, "Are you ok?"
"Fine." Elphaba said absentmindedly, that blurred image stuck in her head.
"What did you see?" asked Galinda nervously.
"I was in the middle of a ring of boys," Elphaba began, "They were making fun of me and I was scared. They pushed me around and tried to do...stuff." Mark cringed at the word 'stuff', her tone made it perfectly clear what 'stuff' meant. Elphaba continued, "Then a different boy came and stopped it. But Galinda...I couldn't see his face, it was blurred and I just couldn't see him. I can remember the incident, but when the boy comes, my mind just draws a blank!"
"Elphie, I don't know what you saw." said Galinda, "And I don't know the boy you were speaking of."
"It happened at Shiz." said Elphaba, remembering vine-draped walls in the background.
"I must not have been there." said Galinda. She didn't know what event Elphaba was talking about, but she had a pretty good idea about who the boy was. It had to have been Fiyero, "Elphie, don't worry yourself over it. It was a bad event, why would you want to remember so much about it?"
"I don't want to remember the event, I want to remember him!" Elphaba exclaimed, bringing her hands to her face in frustration.
"Elphaba," said Galinda, resting a hand on her friends back, "Just....forget about him. If you can't remember him, he obviously isn't or wasn't important to you."
"I suppose you're right." said Elphaba, sighing heavily.
"Yo, are you gonna be alright?" asked Collins.
"Yeah." said Elphaba, "I'm just going to forget about."
"Alright." said Mark hesitantly, "If you're sure."
"Mark, just forget it." Elphaba said. Mark nodded and they headed to the Life Café again. Collins and Angel cracked jokes the whole time to lighten the atmosphere. Most of the jokes were about homosexuals or drag queens. Like—How many gays does it take to put in a light bulb? None, get a lesbian to do it! Most of them were made up on the spot and therefore only funny because they were stupid. Soon enough, Elphaba had forgotten about her flashback. Galinda however did not forget about it so quickly. If Elphaba remembered Fiyero, it would really hurt her. She'd break knowing that she couldn't remember the love of her life. And if she did remember him, it'd break her that she'd never see him again.
The gang met up with Maureen, Joanne, Roger and Mimi at the Life. The manager rushed at them.
"No, no, no, no, no, not you guys!" he pleaded, his tone exasperated.
"What?" asked Mark.
"You sit here all night and you never order anything!" The manager screeched.
"That's not true!" Mark protested, "Just the other day, I had a tea."
"You couldn't pay for that." said the manager.
"Oh yeah," said Mark, laughing too himself. Elphaba pressed her face into Mark's chest to keep the manager from seeing her laughter.
"Well, tonight we can!" Angel said, flashing money in his face.
"Well, that's fine, just please don't put the tables together!" the manager yelled as they brushed past him.
"Hey Roger! Let's put these tables together!" Collins called. The manager did a weird squeal thing before storming away into the kitchens, a look on his face that clearly read 'I-hate-my-life'. The bohemians quickly pulled a few tables together to create one long table in the middle of the café. Mark sat across from Maureen and next to Elphaba. Galinda was quick to pull a chair up next to Elphaba. Joanne was chatting with Maureen, the couple exchanging kisses every so often. Roger and Mimi sat next to each other, making out and Collins and Angel continued to crack jokes to anyone in the café that would listen. Mark watched Maureen sullenly, finding himself happy for her, but at the same time, he wished they'd save the PDA for later, but he didn't seem to have a problem with Mimi and Roger's PDA. Elphaba watched Mark watch Maureen.
"I thought you were over her." said Elphaba, mocking him only slightly.
"I am." said Mark quickly, "I'm so over her I could--"
"Fall in love with her again?" asked Elphaba softly. Mark didn't say anything and Elphaba smiled softly, sympathy in her smile. Everyone's attention was then focused on Benny, sitting at the table across from them with two other men. Maureen glared at him.
"Why, if it isn't Benjamin Coffin, the third, the enemy of avenue A." she sneered.
"Yo, you've got a lot of nerve showing your face here." said Collins, throwing his cigarette at Benny. Benny flicked it off of his expensive suit.
"Maureen, I'd like to say, that was a nice attempt, at whatever you were attempting to do, because as always, nobody knows or cares. And I won anyway, so it doesn't really matter." Benny said, standing up and walking towards her.
"Go to hell." Maureen said dismissively. Benny smirked.
"You all make fun of me, but I'm the one who's attempting to do some good." Benny announced to the whole table, "Or do you really want t a neighborhood, where people piss on your stoop every night? Bohemia is a fallacy in your head, this is Calcutta, Bohemia, is dead." Benny turned on his heel and went back to his seat, intending to ignore them the rest of the night. Mark suddenly stood up and went to the front of the table.
"Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes," he said, smirking, despite his attempt to seem sullen, "Here she lies. No one knew her worth, the late great daughter of mother Earth, on these nights, when we celebrate the birth, in that little town of Bethlehem, we raise our glass, you bet your ass, to....la vie boheme!" Everybody cheered. Mark smiled and sat back down, unconsciously wrapping his arm around Elphaba's shoulders. She didn't seem to notice. Collins got up next and toasted Angel, who toasted Collins, who got up again and toasted Maureen, who toasted Mark, who toasted Roger, who toasted Mimi and then they all toasted Benny, but mockingly. Benny rolled his eyes when Maureen mooned him, when Mark and Roger gave him the finger, when Collins threw another bong at him, when Angel and Mimi doubled up to make an obscene gesture at him.
"Really?" he asked, "Grow up." Galinda stuck her tongue out at him.
"You don't even know me!" Benny said.
"She doesn't have to." Elphaba snapped.
"Yeah, coming from you greenie!" Benny snapped right back.
"Shut the fuck up Coffin!" Mark yelled, "Oh excuse me, the third." he added sarcastically.
"Mark, shut your damn mouth!" Benny yelled back.
"I think we need some beer!" Angel yelled. The waiter rushed over with two trays of beer. Everyone made a grab for them except Galinda, Elphaba and Mark. Benny slouched back to his table. Everyone else forgot about him as they laughed and joked with each other. Elphaba had wandered over to Collins. She was sitting on his knee as they laughed and chatted with each other. Galinda and Roger were in a debate about the color pink versus the color blue. Angel was dancing with Mimi. Maureen and Joanne were all over the table making out, and Mark was filming his friends, but most of the time his camera was on Elphaba. He suddenly heard a voice in his ear.
"Mark, put the camera down." said Maureen, "Do you really want to be the man behind the camera for the rest of your life? Filming other people's life's makes you miss out on your own."
"But I--" Mark began.
"I know, filming is your passion," said Maureen smiling at him, "But there's a difference between filming out of passion and hiding behind your camera. You're going to miss your chance if you stay behind the whole time."
"What chance?" asked Mark stupidly.
"You're so funny," said Maureen, poking his nose, "You've been staring at her the whole night."
"El—Elphaba?" asked Mark.
"Go on," said Maureen, "I'll watch your camera." she took his camera gently out of his grasp. He smiled sheepishly and went to Elphaba. He cocked his head at the door. She looked at him curiously, but got off of Collin's lap and followed him. Galinda watched them go, a secret smile on her face, she giggled before returning to her argument with Roger about the awesomeness of pink. She hated him, but she loved to fight with him.
**************
It was snowing outside when they walked out the back door of the Life. Mark hoped the snow wouldn't hurt her. She didn't seem to mind it. He hesitantly took her hand in his and led her down the alley behind the café. The dim light from the street light was the only light provided. It was dark outside other than that.
"I should tell you," Mark began, "I'm not any handsome, rich guy who can give you everything you deserve..."
"I should tell you," Elphaba said, smiling slightly, "I'm not any beautiful, extraordinary girl that can give you all that you deserve..."
"I should tell you," Mark began again, "I'm not used to feeling this way..."
"I should tell you," Elphaba said, "I'm green," she grinned.
"I should tell you," Mark said, he took a deep breath, "I should tell you, I love you."
"I should tell you," Elphaba blushed, "I love you too."