(AN: Thank you, all of you, for the feedback on this story. The name, however, I came up with on my own. You'll be happy to find out that it fits with Elphaba's desire to sing about things that are current and relevant, and it includes every one of the band members as well [more or less]. I can honestly say that I'm having fun with this story. Idk if Elphaba's dry humor is OOC, though. And Galinda has a little bit of Lucille Ball in her [just a little. I know she's not blond, but it just seemed to help flesh out Galinda's silliness].)
(btw, the little diddy that Fiyero was singing was to the tune of Dancing Through Life, but the words were my own. I don't own the tune, that belongs to the Schwartz! [lol. there's a Spaceballs reference! "Leave us alone, Mel Brooks!" Oops, there's a Men in Tights reference. lol])
(Here is what looks to be another long chapter. I might end up splitting it in half in the end, or something. And yes, I realized that I didn't make Fiyero stick up for Elphaba that much. Sorry about that. He's still on the edge with her, as it were. He hasn't gotten a chance to talk with her, which is what he is going to get [Just me wondering what he'd tell Elphaba if they got to finish their discussion at the Train Station scene])
The First Gig
Lakely and Oakes was an interesting sight.
One wouldn't give it a second glance if only passing and looked upon the dilapidated state of the exterior.
Inside, however, was a different story.
Galinda had a small pail of pink paint, which she was skillfully applying to the outside of the drum-set, her tongue sticking out of her pursed lips as she concentrated on the painting.
It was the most concentrated she had ever been.
Across from her sat the others.
Fiyero had his bass unplugged and was slapping away acoustically on his prized instrument.
Elphaba was crouched up in her usual, spidery position, with her knees bent up to her chin, writing something on a piece of notebook paper.
Ramon was at her side, looking over what she was writing and offering his advice and comment.
Avaric was late again.
"We must decide on a name for our band," Ramon said, raising his nose up from where Elphaba was writing.
"Shines and Sparkles!" Galinda replied, waving her arms about dramatically.
She still had the brush in her hand and pink paint was splattered upon the floor.
"No!" Elphaba shot back from where she sat.
"The Lakely and Oakes Committee." Fiyero suggested.
Galinda made an 'ugh' sound.
"I like your thinking, Your Highness." Ramon said to Fiyero.
"You're thinking again?" gasped Galinda.
"No need to call me 'Your Highness', Ray." Fiyero said, turning to the Raccoon. "Fiyero's just alright."
"But I like where you're getting at," the Raccoon continued. "You know, so many times I've heard these bands with names that are just things or one person from the band. We need to send a message that our band is not just one person, but a group of people, all working together for our music."
"Group of People?" Galinda queried, raising her hands in a quizzical manner.
All of them shook their heads in rejection.
"What about Today?" Fiyero asked. "I mean, after all, we've got Never Silent as our main influence, so I guess that would work."
"You listen to Never Silent?" Ramon asked.
"She does." Galinda said, pointing her brush at Elphaba.
"I met Yamara from Never Silent," Ramon pipped up. "By Ozma, what a voice!"
"Oz!" Galinda almost shouted.
"Sounds good," Fiyero said.
Galinda smiled at Fiyero's recognition of her suggestion.
"Mmm, no, I don't think so." Ramon rebutted. "People will think we endorse the Wizard."
"Don't we?" Elphaba asked, breaking her pensive silence.
"Of course, we do, to a degree." Ramon answered. "As loyal citizens, it is our duty to obey our governors. Though I have a bad feeling about playing too close to the Wizard. I don't know, he has enough attention as it is, being the Great and Wonderful Wizard and everything. Just doesn't seem right to be gilding a lily, if you understand my poetic euphemism."
"Huh?" Galinda asked, totally lost in Ramon's syntax.
"Yeah, I'm drawing a blank over here too." Fiyero added.
"Well, I'm sure you all know a lily when you see one." Ramon began. "To gild something usually means to cover with gold. Therefore, to gild the lily is to try to make something already beautiful become more beautiful."
The two nodded in confirmation of his definition.
"Any other ideas?" the Raccoon asked. "I'm all burned out, as it is."
"Nope." Galinda said, returning to the drums.
"Oh, well," Fiyero said. "We'll figure something out."
"Speaking of figuring things out," Ramon began. "I haven't got a piano."
"Don't worry about that," Fiyero answered. "The Emerald Trader has this new-fangled device called a keyboard. Says it can play like a piano and replicate an entire orchestra all on its own."
Ramon Difarious' smile faded.
"What's wrong?" Fiyero asked.
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. I get amazed at all this technology, sometimes. Personally, I don't believe any invention can ever replace the pounding of the precussion, the roar of the brass, the sigh of the woodwinds and the cry of the strings!"
They all turned to look at the Raccoon. His praise of a real orchestra was almost like an empassionate sermon.
"Sorry, I don't mean to stand on the soap-box, as it were." Ramon apologized. "I have a high appreciation for a genuine orchestra."
"THAT's no surprise." Galinda muttered to herself.
"Besides, places like The Emerald Trader aren't for me, if you catch my drift."
"What do you mean?" Fiyero asked.
"Haven't you seen the signs?" the Raccoon asked. "'No Animals Allowed.' They're showing up more and more around Gilikin every day. They don't even have signs in Munchkinland, I've heard, they just force the Animals into the fields."
"Aww, that's terrible." Galinda sympathetically pouted.
But it didn't seem that genuine.
At least to Fiyero's eyes.
"Hey, don't worry about the piano, okay?" Fiyero said at last. "I'll buy the keyboard and bring it here."
"You're too kind, P...Fiyero. Now, back to our band. How about a show? You know, the best way to get the word out about music is to play a venue."
"But there aren't any music venues in Shiz." Galinda said, turning from her work.
"Elphaba, you're being rather quiet over there." Fiyero said, looking in the direction of the green woman.
She said nothing, but kept her face hidden from view, tucked away behind the notepad.
The rear-exit of the building opened up.
There was Avaric.
"Hey, you're late!" Fiyero said, placing his bass down and walking towards Avaric.
"Since when did you care about punctuality, Tiggular?" Tenmeadows returned.
He took one look at the two ladies, then saw movement from Elphaba's side.
"What the hell is that?" he asked.
Ramon peered out from behind the green girl.
"What in Oz's name is a raccoon doing here?"
"Raccoon, I might add." Ramon replied, sounding a little offended.
Avaric scoffed.
"What is this?" he asked.
"We needed a keyboardist," Fiyero answered, rising to his feet.
"And you got a freaking raccoon?" Avaric answered, pointing to Ramon.
"Raccoon, if you don't mind."
"This has got to be the biggest joke in the history of Shiz!" exclaimed Avaric.
"Why?" Elphaba answered, rising to Ramon's defense. "Because Ramon is an Animal?"
"Oh look, the cabbage has a soft spot for strays," Avaric mocked. "Hey, I wonder if the blood from your bleeding heart is as green as your skin."
"Say that again, Tenmeadows, I dare you!" Elphaba roared, lunging at him.
It took all of Fiyero's strength to keep the green woman from attacking Avaric.
For someone so thin, she moved like a snake.
"Looks like I hit the mark," Avaric returned. "Seeing you all riled up like this."
"Avaric, just shut your damn mouth for once!" Fiyero almost shouted.
"Why, huh?" Tenmeadows returned, his blue eyes an inch from Fiyero's nose. "What's the big, bad Winkie gonna do if I won't, huh? You can't hit me or I'll quit, and you need me, I KNOW you do!"
Fiyero sighed off his frustration.
Dammit, Avaric was right.
"Why the hell do you care about Miss Artichoke?" he asked, looking at Elphaba. "You didn't stick up for her this badly before." A smirk came across his face.
"Do you like her?"
Fiyero was at a loss for words.
Dare he say yes?
Galinda was back there, her hands over her mouth in shock, no doubt. But she was there, and in listening range.
If he said yes, it would break her heart.
And I care? he thought. I never used to care about breaking hearts with all the other girls I dated.
And I'm still thinking.
But if he said no, he knew it would be a bold-faced lie. He couldn't live with himself if he lied right to Elphaba, to the only person who knew him for who and what he really was.
Silence filled the tense air of Lakely and Oakes.
Avaric took a step back and snorted in disgust.
"What a joke," he said. "This whole band thing. They'll be calling us the Five Freaks. It would fit, too."
"Why?" Elphaba shot back. "Because of some stupid signs on department stores? Because of some writing on a classroom chalk-board? Because you and your high society friends are afraid of someone who looks different than you? Like it or not, Animals are people of Oz just as much as people from Gilikin or Munchkinland are!"
Avaric rolled his eyes.
"You know, Thropp, you may be green," he said, pointing at her. "But you can't even utter a word without betraying your lineage: just another pea-brained, stupid Munchkinlander."
He walked backwards towards the door.
"Tiggular," he said, shouting towards Fiyero. "Keep the raccoon if you want, just remember: animals should be seen, not heard...unless into the fields or slaughterhouses."
With a mocking laugh, he strutted the rest of the way out the back door.
"Avaric, wait!" Fiyero called after him, running out the door he had just left.
The two girls were left with Ramon all by themselves.
"Perhaps I should be on my way." the Raccoon said.
"What? No!" Elphaba protested.
"I'm not blind, Elphaba." he returned. "I can see when I'm not wanted."
"Don't pay any attention to what Avaric says, he's like that way to everyone who's different." Elphaba said. "We w...we need you in our band."
"Really?"
"Yes!" Elphaba nodded. "Don't we, Galinda?"
She looked up from her kit, a splotch of pink paint on her cute nose, nodding at what she was not even paying attention.
"And I know Fiyero wants you," Elphaba said, placing her green hand on Ramon's shoulder. "Or else he wouldn't have let you come with us. That's three against one, you stay."
"Do you really mean that?" he asked, a tear welling up in his eye.
Elphaba nodded.
The Raccoon threw himself into her arms, and she placed her arms around his furry back, giving him a gentle pat.
A loud gasp suddenly came from the drum-kit.
The green woman and the Raccoon turned to look.
"I've got it!" Galinda shouted.
"Got what?" Ramon asked.
"The name for our band!" she almost sang. "People of Oz!"
"Huh?" Elphaba asked. "Where did you get THAT from?"
"Well, from you, Elphie!" Galinda said, bouncing over to her friend. "When you told Avaric that Animals are people of Oz too, I had this sudden idea, it's the most splendiforous thing to ever happen!"
"What? What is it?"
"Well," Galinda began. "You see, I'm a girl from Gilikin, and Avaric is a boy from Gilikin, and Fiyero is a Winkie, and Ramon is a Quadling-Raccoon, and you're a green girl from Munchkinland!"
"So?" Elphaba asked.
"So," Galinda exclaimed. "We represent the people of Oz: Gilikinese, Munchkinlander, Winkies and Quadlings...even Animals!"
"But I'm not a Munchkin," Elphaba answered. "Besides, the color of Munchkinland is blue, not green."
"I thought you didn't want to be known by your verdigree, Elphie!" exclaimed Galinda.
Elphaba's eyes blinked.
It was like that night in their rooms before.
When Galinda did something that was totally unlike her.
When she cared for Elphaba's problem.
Just the way that Galinda brushed aside Elphaba's "green skin", like it didn't even matter, made Elphaba's heart skip a beat.
That was what she really wanted, she knew deep down inside.
As much as she longed to be "normal" like everyone else...
She wouldn't mind being green if that didn't make a difference to people.
Ususally it did.
But now, in Galinda's big, sparkly blue eyes, it didn't.
Elphaba almost threw herself into the little blond's arms.
"I love that idea, Galinda!" she exclaimed.
Ramon threw himself into the hug.
After all, it was about all of them, he thought.
The next several days showed no sign of stopping when it came to their classes. As usual, Elphaba did her best to stay on top of her classes and received top marks as per usual.
Her room-mate, however, was not as enthusiastic about studying.
The two were now in their rooms. On one end sat Elphaba, her books laid out before her and a pad of notebook paper laying out as well, on which she jotted down lines in verse. She was also very critical, for if there was even a little bit that she did not like, she would scribble it out and then throw the paper in the waste-bin over by the door.
Galinda Upland, meanwhile, was busy at her mirror, perfecting her make-up and brushing her hair with her beloved brush made from the hairs of Horse's tail.
Not the plant, mind you.
"Elphie, can I ask you something?" the blond asked.
"You mean 'MAY I ask you something?'" corrected Elphaba. "And here Dr. Dillamond said you favored form over content."
"Oh phooie!" Galinda returned. "But will you listen to what I have to say?"
"Go ahead." Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"You know, I think it's time for another make-over."
"Galinda, don't!"
"Oh, come on, Elphie! I've had nothing to do but bang on those noisy drums every afternoon all week!"
"Well, Fiyero's doing his best to get a gig booked."
"I know," Galinda pouted. "But I wish he'd hurry up. I'm getting bored with nothing to do."
"Why don't you go out and help him?" Elphaba asked. "You know, you're actually pretty good at public relations."
"You think?" queried the blond.
"Oh, sure." Elphaba nodded.
"I don't know, should I?" Galinda asked.
"You know, you always say that every time you're brought into a situation." Elphaba stated.
"I do not!"
"Galinda, why are you so inactive?"
The blond had nothing to say to this accusation.
"Well...well, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Why don't YOU do anything to help us get a gig together?"
"Galinda, I'm studying. Some of us actually care about our careers other than music."
A frown came across the blond's face.
"You don't care about the band, do you?" she pouted.
Elphaba scoffed.
"I didn't mean it that way," she returned. "It's just that I think I should focus on my studies as well as music. In case you haven't noticed, I've been humming the notes I take in class in my free time."
Galinda giggled.
"Why would you do that?"
"So I can memorize them, for one," the green girl began. "And for two, so I can practice on singing melodies for these songs."
"Oh," Galinda 'ooh'd', then brushed her hair some more. "Hey, Elphie, just how many songs do we have?"
"About four, or so." she replied. "They're not much, because Avaric Tenmeadows is too proud to play with us, so we'll never know what they sound like unless we play them live."
"Hey, why don't we record some of them on a record, huh?" Galinda suggested.
"We don't have the equipment to record music." she answered.
"What's there to need?"
"Well, for one, we need a sound-proof room." Elphaba began. "Lakely and Oakes has a bad echo, we can't record in there. Then we'd need the actual equipment, which I'm sure is going to cost a fortune."
"Elphie, stop being such a party-pooper!"
"I'm being realistic! Those artists like Lancely the Warbler and the OzDust Dance Crew got professionals to record their music. Plus, it took Never Silent almost three years before they got enough money from doing shows in underground venues before they could record an album, and by then they had enough material for five."
"Underground?" Galinda asked.
"Not public venues." Elphaba returned. "Or at least, smaller ones."
The blond laughed.
"Who'd go to THOSE kinds of places?"
"A lot of people do...including me."
Silence followed, while the blond girl returned to her hair.
The green girl continued at her studies, pausing ever so often to jot down a melody or some lines that would make good lyrics.
Elphaba was late for practice.
Madam Morrible held her over for a few extra minutes after Sorcery class.
A cup of tea and some discussion about the Wizard.
She was almost running down the cobble-stone streets of Shiz to get to Lakely and Oakes before the others decided to cancel practice for lack of a singer-songwriter.
Her arms swayed as she ran down the road, heedless of all else.
There were certain advantages to being...well, for lack of a better term, endowed with a smaller bosom.
Less weight to carry.
Easier to run faster that way.
Elphaba skid to a halt as she saw a sight that drove practice completely out of her head.
"Are you okay?" she called out to the form she found lying on the side of the road.
"Who's there?" the fallen person cried out. "Please, help me! There...there was an accident! I think I've broken my leg!"
Elphaba ran across the street to the fallen person, eager to give what help she could.
She didn't have much in regards to skill as a physician, but she had taken care of Nessarose when she had been ill. It was nothing she could not handle.
A cry from the broken-legged man's mouth issued as Elphaba got closer.
"What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
"Stay away from me!" cried the man, pulling himself by his arms away from Elphaba. "Monster!"
"No, stop!" she returned, a pang of guilt rising up in her throat as she heard the word.
She knew exactly why he called her that.
"Don't come any closer!" he shouted again.
"I'm not going to hurt you!" Elphaba protested. "Yes, I'm green, but I want to help you."
"I don't need help!" the man replied, shaking his head frantically.
"You just said your legs are broken," Elphaba stated. "And its not safe to be on the side of the street, especially this late. Here..." She offered a green hand to the broken-legged man. "Let me help you. I can take you to the hospital wing at the University, you'll be safe there."
A moment of silence followed.
The man's eyes seemed to look back and forth between Elphaba's hand and her face, and then at all sides.
A wad of spit issued out of the man's mouth, shot directly at Elphaba.
It missed her hand and fell upon her boots.
"Go to hell, you freak!" he groaned.
Elphaba walked on her way.
But her mind was in knots over the man's reaction.
Did people REALLY hate her skin color so much that they would rather lie on the side of the road with broken legs than get help from a green person?
What kind of fool would refuse help simply because the helper's outer appearance didn't appeal to their tastes?
The words Galinda and Ramon came back into her mind.
Filling her heart with guilt for wishing she was not green.
But Ramon was an Animal, and they were suffering the alienating affects of apartheid and segregation brought on by these Animal bans.
A wild thought came into Elphaba's mind, one that she had never even dreamed of thinking before: not even in her wildest dreams.
What if, once she was the Wizard's Vizir, and could use the power he would give her to undo the bans, the Animals would not trust her?
Not because she was green...
But because she was human?
The front door to Lakely and Oakes creaked open.
"Elphie?" Galinda asked.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Fiyero inquired, walking over to Elphaba's side and placing his hand on her shoulder.
She brushed it off. Walking past the four of them, she came to a halt before the pink drum-set and sat down, pulling her notepad out of her book-bag.
Yes, the four of them.
Avaric Tenmeadows was there too.
"Are you sick, Thropp?" he asked. "You sure look green enough."
Galinda seized a wad of balled-up paper and threw it at Avaric.
Unfortunately, her aim was not as good as Elphaba's, and Tenmeadows caught the missile just a foot before his face and threw it at Ramon.
"She started it." Avaric lied, pointing to Galinda.
The Raccoon said nothing, but walked over to his keyboard, picked up his spectacles and went over his musical notes.
Apparently, Fiyero had made good on his promise.
"Oh, Elphie," Galinda bounced over to her room-mate. "We have splendiforous news to turn that frown of yours upside downsies!"
"Do you have any idea how corny that sounds?" Elphaba commented dryly.
"What do I know of corn? I'm no Munchkin!" Galinda returned.
Elphaba shook her head.
"I got us a gig booked." Fiyero stated.
The others, obviously, had heard this already.
For none of them had the same surprised looks on their faces that Elphaba had.
"Are you serious?"
"Never, but I'm telling you the truth." Fiyero answered. "Now, it's not exactly the OzDust, but it's a start and that's as good as anything."
"I thought the OzDust was a ballroom!" Galinda queried aloud.
"It is called the OzDust Ballroom," Avaric drawled on in response. "But bands have been known to play there, for rather large ticket prices. After all, Thropp..." He turned to Elphaba. "This is Gilikin. We can afford to be free with our money, unlike you Munchkinlanders."
"When is it?" Elphaba asked.
"This weekend." Fiyero answered.
Elphaba's mouth fell open, in imitation of Galinda's oft-gaping mouth.
Almost.
"That's three days from now!" she exclaimed. "We'll never be ready by then!"
"You mean YOU won't be ready by then," Avaric stated. "I've already learned those boring limmericks you call 'songs' by heart, I could play every instrument by myself."
"Avaric, that's enough!" Fiyero snapped. "Now listen, we haven't played together yet, which is why I insisted you come to practice and participate."
"Look at you, Tiggular." Tenmeadows mocked. "Getting all responsible on us. Talk about selling out."
"I'm not a sell-out!" Fiyero retorted. "I've been busy getting this band together. Now I think we can get the word out easier if we each take these fliers..." He pointed to a stack of black-and-white fliers he had laying on the top of his bass amplifier. "...and spread them around campus."
"Me and Elphie can place them around Crage Hall." Galinda volunteered.
"Avaric and I have already placed a few in the dorms at Ozma Towers." Fiyero stated.
"And some of my friends in the underground have done likewise." Ramon added from his keyboard.
"Where will we be playing at?" Elphaba asked.
A tense silence filled the empty room of Lakely and Oakes.
"Uh, well..." Galinda said, biting her lower lip.
"Before I say anything," Fiyero said. "Just realize that I tried everywhere else in Shiz. This town isn't known for having the most swankified tastes in music, you know."
"To say the least." Avaric added.
"Where's it at?" the green woman asked again.
Another pause.
"The Philosophy Club."
Elphaba rose to her feet in protest.
"No!" she stated plainly. "Do you even know what goes on over there?"
"Don't be such a prude, Thropp." Avaric mocked.
"We're all adults, Elphie." Galinda stated meekly.
"Some of us, at least." Tenmeadows added snidely.
"They were the only place in town that had an opening for a band!" Fiyero defended. "Besides..." He leaned on one leg, crossing his arms in a very self-important, braggadocious fashion. "...I've seen some stuff in my time. How bad can it be?"
"You haven't seen anything until you've seen the Philosophy Club." Avaric warned.
"You should know," Elphaba returned.
"Do you know what perplexes me?" Ramon interjected.
All eyes turned to the Animal.
"Well, I've been to the Philosophy Club at least once before," he answered. "And I don't see how what goes on behind its doors is in any way related to philosophy."
"It's the whole pleasure-faith thing," Elphaba almost mocked. "They see all life as just one high after another, and their 'philosophy', if you call it that, is pretty much 'do whatever feels good.'"
"Since when did you become a believer?" Avaric returned.
"I don't believe in that pfaith-crap." Elphaba retorted. "It's all just tik-tock and sleight-of-hand nonsense, if you ask me." She turned back to Fiyero. "Do you even know what might happen to us at the Philosophy Club?"
"You scared?" Tenmeadows taunted.
"Hey," Fiyero interjected. "It's our first gig, we've got to take some changes, haven't we?" He held out his arms. "C'mon, everyone else is okay with this...what do you say?"
Elphaba looked at them in turn, one by one.
Avaric did not look her in the eyes.
She expected as much.
But as for the other three, their eyes showed their earnest intent.
To put on the show.
She nodded.
That was all the answer they needed.
The next three days had flown by like a tornado.
Now the five were on their way to the Philosophy Club, their equipment in hand.
It was in a seedy part of town, where few respectable people, not to mention students of Shiz, ever ventured.
Well, at least publically.
"I still can't believe you didn't let me at least fix your hair, Elphie." Galinda commented as she bounced beside her room-mate.
All she had in hand were her drum-sticks.
Both of which had been painted pink and topped with fuzzy white puff-balls.
"I'm totally okay with looking natural, Galinda." the green woman stated. "I don't need to look fancy, or anything."
"But you could have at least dressed down," Galinda commented. "You're wearing your school uniform, for Oz's sakes!"
True enough, Elphaba was wearing her white uniform blouse and dark blue skirt.
At least her hair was down.
And at least she wore her black dress boots.
In stark contrast, Galinda wore her pink, froofy dress - the one she wore to the OzDust dance that night she and Elphaba became friends. She even had her high-heeled shoes on (one of many from her collection), a string of pearls around her neck and had gone all out by reapplying her make-up and fixing her hair just for today.
"Do you know how hot you're going to be?" Elphaba asked.
"Oh, Elphie!" Galinda giggled. "Not too loud, or they'll think you want to, well, you know..."
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I meant sweaty. You'll be playing your heart out in the spot-lights, don't you think it'll ruin your make-up?"
"I at least want to look good for our first show, Elphie!" Galinda sang in return.
Behind them walked Fiyero, Avaric and Ramon. Both Fiyero and Avaric had their instruments strung across their backs, their amps carried in one hand, and a piece of Galinda's drum-set in their other hands. Fiyero had the snare under his right arm, a small tom under his left arm and the crash under in his left hand. Avaric had the largest tom under one arm and his right arm held the ride cymbal.
It took all of Ramon's strength to carry his keyboard upon his back.
At the very end of the group Boq followed on behind, the huge bass drum strapped on his back and the last tom tied to his belt.
Elphaba, at the head with the hi-hat in one hand and the PA in the other, and the foot-pedals in her back-pack, had convinced Galinda to let Boq follow along.
If only because they needed another hand for carrying the drum-set.
"Elphie," Galinda commented, turning to her room-mate. "What will become of Nessarose if neither you or Bick is there to take care of her?"
"Madam Morrible is watching after her for tonight," Elphaba answered. "Besides, as much as I care for Nessa, she needs to do things on her own. I won't be able to take care of her forever, you know."
The five band members (plus Boq) arrived at the front of the Philosophy Club. On the outside, it looked like a kind of scholastic building, complete with an observatory tower.
It was the other things, however, that weren't so scholastic that happened inside that set it apart.
"I think we're too early." Galinda commented.
It was about 13:02 by the Clock of the Time Dragon, the afternoon hadn't even started yet.
"That's the point, though." Fiyero answered. "Get here early so we can get our gear set up. You wouldn't want to go out at the last minute and rush everything through, would you?"
"I guess not." Galinda returned.
At the front door there was a booth of glass. Inside the booth was one of the most hideous old crones they had ever seen.
From the looks of things, Madam Morrible was much more appealing than this old biddy.
"Hello, my duckies." wheezed the old woman. "What can mad Madam Yackle do you for this fine late morning? We ain't openin' till later tonight, if that's what you're after."
"No," Fiyero answered. "See, we're the band. We're here to get ourselves set up."
"Band, eh?" Yackle commented. "This it?"
Fiyero nodded.
Elphaba swallowed hard.
The way the old crone - Yackle was it? - was looking at her, one eye bulging out like an oversized glass bead, unnerved Elphaba to the bone.
"Alright then, duckies," Yackle said at last. "Get your tails inside."
One by one, the group walked past Yackle and entered the dim-lit innards of the Philosophy Club.
Elphaba could have sworn that the old woman was muttering something to herself when Elphaba passed by.
She did not know what it meant, though. It all seemed very incoherent to her.
Like some kind of lost language known only to the old woman.
It was dark and thick with smoke inside the Philosophy club. As of yet, nobody was about the floor and only a young Quadling girl was at the bar, cleaning up.
By the collar around her neck, Elphaba could have sworn she was a slave.
Trying to look inconspicuous in a room full of nobody but themselves, they walked over towards the large stage, where the "shows" would take place.
Tonight, a different kind of entertainment would grace the Philosophy Club.
Over the next few hours, the band known as The People of Oz got ready for their first big concert ever.
Aside from the fact that the Philosophy Club was not designed as a music venue and the PA system they had wasn't the best, they improvised. Galinda ordered Boq about, telling her how she wanted the drums set up, Fiyero made sure the amps were in working order and Elphaba helped out as much as she could.
The major snag about this was that Avaric seemed to be in a permanent foul mood for having to play with the others. Originally, they had planned on setting up with all of the band members forming a loose circle around the drum-set, with everyone facing outward towards the crowd.
Tenmeadows, however, would not play unless he was just a few inches closer to the crowd than Elphaba, and Ramon was at the very back, with no spot-light on him.
"I won't have it!"
"Elphaba..."
"You can't keep sticking up for him!" the green woman insisted. "He's making this band all about himself!"
"Well, isn't it?" Avaric returned, sticking his nose and blue eyes directly in Elphaba's face. "I'm the only good guitarist in Shiz, without me, you'd be sunk! I'm the heart and soul of this band and what I say goes!"
"You're not the heart and soul of People of Oz," Elphaba returned. "This is a group effort, we're all in this together!"
"Oh yeah?" Avaric mocked. "Last time I checked, I'm better than all you losers, so just shut your green mouth before I stick something in it that'll shut it forever!"
Elphaba scowled at Avaric's nerve.
"Please, can we stop fighting?" Galinda asked, bouncing over to where Elphaba, Fiyero and Avaric stood onstage.
"Oh, sure," Avaric commented. "Let's all stop fighting! Don't want Fiyero's groupie to be upset, do we?"
Elphaba and Fiyero jumped at Avaric, striking him with their fists.
"Galinda is NOT a groupie, you pervert!" Elphaba shrieked, her green fist connecting with Avaric's stomach.
"Now you've crossed the line!" Fiyero added, giving Avaric a kick in the side.
Avaric wiped the blood off his mouth and rose to his feet, staring Fiyero in the face.
"Have I?" he mocked. "You'll be finished without me!"
He spat blood at Fiyero's feet and then began taking his amplifier and guitar off the stage.
Fiyero ran after him.
"What's a groupie?" Galinda asked meekly.
The rest of the practice went on without Avaric, as they made sure all of their instruments were in tune and would not drown each other out once they got started.
As the hours ticked by, neither Fiyero nor Avaric made any appearance. People came and went from the Philosophy Club in a steady flow, but they were too busy to pay any attention to the two ladies and the Raccoon who busied themselves upon the stage.
Business here would boom once the sun went down.
Galinda was twirling her pink-and-furry drum-sticks about, making sure she could make pretty flourishes in between each beat with her free hand.
Elphaba was slumped against Fiyero's bass amplifier.
"Excuse me?" the Raccoon said, walking over to where she sat. "I-I couldn't help but notice that you've been sitting by yourself since we last practiced."
"I like solitude," she answered.
"Oh, I know that isn't true," Ramon answered. "Something is wrong, isn't it?"
"You're just now noticing it?" she snapped. "We have no guitarist and no bassist! We're sunk!"
The Raccoon said nothing, for he knew that she was right.
If Fiyero and Avaric didn't turn up sooner or later, they couldn't perform.
Galinda was busy with her make-up, re-applying it for what seemed like the hundred-thousandth time...
At least to Elphaba it seemed that way.
Elphaba tried to look out beyond the spot-lights that were trained directly onto the stage.
The Philosophy Club was starting to get filled up with patrons.
They were on thin ice, now.
Fiyero and Avaric better show up soon, she thought, or this will all be for nothing.
Just then, a door opened.
Two familiar young men walked onto the stage of the Philosophy Club.
"Fiyero?" Elphaba asked, turning to him.
"I got him to do it," Fiyero answered. "Don't ask how, let's just thank Oz that he decided on it."
Casting a glance at Tenmeadows, Elphaba noticed that he was wearing an emerald mask furnished with gold.
"What's with the mask?"
"Well, you did break his nose, Fae." Fiyero admitted, which brought a smirk to Elphaba's face.
"Besides," he continued. "Maybe he thinks nobody'll notice him or something."
Just then, a Dwarf waddled up onstage and a microphone came down on a cord from above the curtained ceiling.
"Ladies, gentlemen and Animals of all ages," the Dwarf sang. "Welcome to the Philosophy Club, where pleasure is king. Tonight, we have the supreme honor of having a live performance from a local band. Give it up!"
Scattered applause came from the half-drunk and horny audience.
The Dwarf hopped off-stage and the microphone ascended once again into the ceiling.
Fiyero and Avaric finished plugging their instruments into their amps.
Elphaba's green fingers wrapped around the microphone as the stage-lights lit up...
All around her.
A sudden lump started forming in her throat. A shock of static came from the mic as she moved her lips close to it. Not only could she not speak, but her lips now stung. How could she even sing?
But how hard could it be, she told herself. She'd spent her whole life with people gaping at her. She could deal with it...
Couldn't she?
Elphaba cleared her throat.
"Good evening," she spoke into the microphone.
She was already amazed at how loud her own voice sounded in the PA.
She swallowed hard again, trying to conquer the lump in her throat.
Here it was, do or die, the point of no return.
Yesterday, she was Elphaba Thropp, "the green girl."
Tonight, she was Fae of the People of Oz, a singer.
Galinda banged the sticks together, counting out the beat.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
"Four..."
There's no turning back now, she thought.
(Now THAT was a mouthful!)
(I finally completed this chapter! I couldn't be happier! [Thank Goodness! lol] Now I'm venturing on into the "middle territory" that I have not yet planned out, so it will be as new to me as it is to you. Though, for the forseeable future, should I endeavor to recreate the events of that first gig or leave it to your imagination?)
(Everything that has happened in this chapter is for a reason, more or less. Had a little bit of a Gelphie moment, hope I didn't go too overboard. Sometimes, though its probably not the best way to write, you just write according to how you feel at the present moment - and, well, some of that occured in this story. It'll flesh out later. And I've always wondered, would the Animals trust Elphaba once she's with the Wizard? [just some food for thought])
(Review and give us your insight! Next chapter will be up as soon as possible, so stay tuned!)