Chapter 3

"Miss Galinda."

No answer.

"Miss Galinda, wake up."

Elphaba was standing three feet away from Galinda's bed, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently, unsure of how to deal with the situation. Galinda was arguably the deepest sleeper Elphaba had ever met, and she had met her fair share of really deep sleepers. Nessa for instance. There seemed to be a direct correlation between the attractiveness of the person and the depth at which they slept. Elphaba's lips curled wryly into a smirk, maybe that's why I wake up at the slightest noise.

It was half past eleven in the morning, she was certain that Galinda and herself had a lecture in an hour, and the little blonde was refusing to wake up. Normally Elphaba would have just left Galinda in bed and let her reap the consequences of her actions, but she couldn't anymore. Then again she didn't really want to talk to her after what she had... had... beseeched to her the day before.

But she had to. Or did she? Was this protocol? Did roommates, who didn't loathe each other, usually wake the other up if they were going to be horrendously late for class, or did they just leave them? Surely they couldn't. This was their education, the whole reason they were at Shiz in the first place. Waking Galinda up had to be done.

Elphaba sighed, propping her hands on her hips as she gazed down at the blonde still sleeping serenely before her. Her cheeks were flushed and she had shamefully large panda eyes, yet she still looked like a fallen angel. Typical.

Rolling her eyes Elphaba wiggled her fingers a little, edging forwards a little more she curled in three fingers into her palm so only her index finger stuck out. With it she gave Galinda a sharp prod on the shoulder, "Galinda. You are alive, aren't you?"

Thoroughly frustrated Elphaba leant in a little, her voice lowering, "I'm going to throw all of your precious hats out of the window."

She inched closer, "I'm going to smear your makeup all over your pretty dresses."

Whispering in her ear, "I'm going to-"

"BOO!"

Elphaba let out the most uncharacteristic shriek Galinda would ever witness, and the velocity at which she flung herself in the other direction was truly impressive. As was the demonic glare Elphaba gave in her direction; which became more pronounced at the sight of Galinda covering her mouth daintily as she giggled uncontrollably.

"That wasn't funny." Elphaba snarled, a blush instantaneously rising in her cheeks.

Galinda was struggling for breath, "Yes... it was."

Raising an eyebrow Elphaba walked promptly to her bed, picked up a pillow and launched it at Galinda's head. Her wild attempt to duck and the squeal that coincided with it resulted in Elphaba cackling wickedly, "Now that was funny."

Galinda smiled, gracefully rising from her bed, murmuring good naturedly, "You mean green thing."

Elphaba smirked and turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, "You have three-quarters of an hour to get ready. Good luck."

*

After the lecture Elphaba had found a calm spot under a blossom tree and she had her back leant against the trunk with her book resting against her knees. Reading was her only reprieve; it transported her to a different world, a different time, made her a different person. She could forget the misgivings and prejudices that her life revolved around while she was reading, because it wasn't about her anymore –it was about the character, plot or subject matter.

Before she had opened the book her mind had been sorting through the series of events that had lead up to her and her blonde roommate being able to laugh around each other. Laughing at something they would normally want to claw the other's eyes out for doing. Were they friend's now, or just not enemies? Did she even want to be her friend? The closer someone got to you the easier it was for them to hurt you, wasn't it? She didn't know! It was all so illogical, not like reading; words made sense, feelings didn't.

With a contented sigh she turned the yellowing page of the book and was about to avidly consume the next line when a petal from the blossom fluttered down and landed there. As though enchanted, Elphaba carefully picked up the delicate material and let it drop into her palm, caressing its silky smoothness lovingly like she were a mother stroking her child's cheek until it fell asleep. Another sigh followed as Elphaba drew the petal close to her lips and, and with a small breath blew it away into the wind.

Galinda watched these proceedings with what could only be described as amazement. Who was this beautiful –for she was beautiful- girl sat under the blossom tree, reading and blowing the white blossom petals like she hadn't a care in the world? Where was her cynical and sarcastic roommate? She knew the green girl wasn't who everyone thought she was but Galinda had never imagined that she could look like this; so serene.

Galinda lowered herself down beside Elphaba without saying a word, Elphaba pretended not to notice and kept her head locked on her book. Her eyes gave her away –they had stopped their type-writer pinging back and forth across the page and had stilled to the middle. She knew she was there.

"Hello Elphaba." Galinda said quietly, she didn't want to impose even though she knew that imposing was exactly what she was doing.

Without looking up, Elphaba replied in a bored voice, "It's Miss Elphaba."

Galinda suppressed a smirk at Elphaba's blatant brush off, "What are you reading?"

"A book."

Galinda rolled her eyes, "Evidently."

So infuriating! With an agitated wriggle, Galinda fidgeted with her hands, fighting to repress what she wanted to say. She wasn't strong enough, "Why are you so cold, Elphaba?"

At last Elphaba looked up from her book and straight into Galinda's face and held her icy gaze for a long moment; they both knew that she wasn't talking about the temperature. In a low voice she countered, "Because I have to be."

The blonde's face softened as she searched Elphaba's eyes, brown eyes, warm eyes. With a slow, encouraging smile she quirked an impersonating eyebrow, "You don't have to be like that with me."

Elphaba smiled back, her dimples never failing to surprise Galinda, "I'm sorry, it's just... hard. I've never had a friend before."

Galinda was taken aback, "We're friends?"

Elphaba almost glowed in embarrassment, she stammered and tripped over her words to correct herself, "No! I- that's not what I meant, I just... I just thought... I mean, if you want-"

"Elphaba!" cutting her off, Galinda reached over and squeezed Elphaba's hand, "I want to be your friend!"

She liberated a deep breath, "Oh."

They both smiled shyly at each other until a blossom petal twisted and pirouetted through the air and landed boldly on Elphaba's ebony hair. Giggling quietly, Galinda carefully lifted the petal from her new friend's head and held it in her palm, its pallor even contrasted with her own pale skin.

"I love blossom."

Galinda peeked up, surprised Elphaba had spoken. Without any prompt Elphaba continued, "It has all the attributes of snow with none of the consequences; it's pure, beautiful and it doesn't get you wet." At that she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Galinda grinned, "But you can't have a blossom-ball fight!"

Elphaba smirked, "Wanna bet?"

*

Elphaba and Galinda were shrieking and laughing as each tossed handfuls of white blossom petals at the other. Around seventy meters away Pfannee , Shenshen and Milla watched this aberrant behaviour with expressions of mixed awe and confusion. None of them spoke; they didn't need to.