Disclaimer: Wicked is not mine. Never has been, never will be.

A/N: Chapter seven is here for you, my wonderful readers. I could tell you again how awesome you all are for reading and reviewing, but surely, you know already just how awesome you are.

You know who's even more awesome, though? My Beta, Wolfie. If life were a musical (I wish) I would be singing "Wind beneath my wings" about now.

Chapter seven:

"Of new plans, helpful advice and red dresses"

Elphaba spent the following week trying to discretely observe Galinda. She had decided, after careful planning, that the best way to find out who it was that Galinda had a crush on was to observe, gather evidence, and form a conclusion. Her preliminary list included fourteen boys whom Galinda frequently interacted with.

Originally, it had included fifteen, but Elphaba had considered the prospect of Galinda having a crush on Boq so laughable that she scratched him out almost instantly after having written his name.

Elphaba had been as close to happy as she could be. She had a plan; she was doing something. She believed her plan to be, while not exactly brilliant, better than Fiyero's suggestion ("You could just ask her, you know.") and had was sure it would help her solve Galinda's problem.

Her enterprise proved to be a task much more challenging than she had expected, though.

Take the day before, for example. Elphaba had been trying to spy on Galinda while the latter flirted with some boy or other on the school grounds. Notebook in hand and carefully positioned in a spot where she could not be seen – or so she had thought,- Elphaba had been ready to note Galinda's interaction with Boy Number Seven.

Naturally, as per usual when dealing with Galinda Upland, her plans had been ruined.

"Miss Galinda, uh…why is Miss Elphaba hiding behind a rock with binoculars?" Boy Number Seven had asked. From the distance, Elphaba could not decide if he sounded bemused or scared.

It was then that it occurred to Elphaba that perhaps the binoculars had been a bit too much.

"Elphie!" Galinda, of course, had wasted no time in running to Elphaba and throwing her arms around her. "There you are! I've been looking for you all day!"

While Elphaba tried frantically to hide her notebook from Galinda's pretty blue eyes, the blond rubbed Elphaba's back gently.

"I've been missing your gorgeous green tones, Elphie," Galinda had said in that strange sort of... purring tone she favored lately.

Boy Number Seven had given Elphaba a look of pure loathing that she found oddly comforting and left the pair alone.

"Galinda, your friend is leaving."

"Let him leave, then. It doesn't matter. You are here now."

Elphaba would have said something in return, but Galinda had been rubbing circles with her thumb on Elphaba's back, and the sun was much too hot, and her head was reeling, and – well, she hadn't been able to find any words.

And so, Elphaba had discovered that to add to her rather noticeable – well, green - nature, she was apparently a natural fluke in the art of stealth. Thus, whenever Elphaba was near, Galinda would automatically know. Which meant that Elphaba's plan to discretely investigate who the boy that was making Galinda insane was, once again, was a complete failure.

I will need to change tactics, Elphaba decided during her history class after a few days of frustrating investigation. Observing Galinda was, obviously, not an option.

She had to do something, nevertheless: Lately, Galinda's behavior had worsened. Elphaba believed she was about two days away from losing her mind. For good.

"Elphie, do you think I look pretty in this dress?" Galinda would question, batting her eyelashes.

"You look pretty in anything, Galinda," Elphaba would answer, partly because it was true, and partly because Galinda would smile so brilliantly when she was complimented by Elphaba that the green girl couldn't resist.

"Elphie, would you walk me to class?" Galinda would ask, in the strange voice and with her blue eyes wide open in plea.

"Sure," Elphaba would say because, as she had recently discovered, when Galinda looked at her like that, she was powerless.

"Elphie, come sit with me."

And Elphaba would.

"Elphie, your hair looks beautiful in the sunshine."

And Elphaba wouldn't contradict her, even though she knew it wasn't true.

"Elphie, would you hold my hand?"

And Elphaba would, even if it made her terribly embarrassed and their fellow students – though mostly the boys – would look at her as if they would like nothing more than to see her six feet under.

"Elphie, do this."

"Elphie, do that."

And Elphaba would, and Elphaba would.

Boq would be so proud of me, Elphaba noted angrily to herself.

Whatever or whoever was making Galinda act this way had to stop. This new Galinda was wreaking havoc on Elphaba. She couldn't think. Well, she could, but not of much else but Galinda. And she was feeling…things. Horrible things. Butterflies and knots and pounding hearts, and-

Elphaba shook her head.

She had to discover who this boy was- this boy who was making Galinda so...unbalanced.

Elphaba was convinced that some dense, little imbecile had caught Galinda's eye, and the moron was simply too obtuse to notice, therefore turning Galinda into a needy, clingy, gorgeous, blonde mess. It was the only explanation that made sense. If the boy in question knew Galinda was interested in him, he would ask her out.

Anyone would ask Galinda out.

She would discover who this dimwitted simpleton was. Whoever he was, Elphaba would find him, and she would make sure he never got his dirty litt-

She would make sure he asked Galinda out. Yes, she would.

Who is he, Galinda? Elphaba wondered as she absentmindedly doodled on her notebook.

"Miss Thropp, would you be so kind to share with the class what's so interesting?" Doctor Dillamond said, bringing Elphaba back to reality.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Elphaba asked, surprised and not quite sure as to what he was referring to.

"I asked you a question, Miss Thropp, and you were so entranced by your notebook that you didn't answer." Dillamond's tone was firm, and yet, still gentle.

Elphaba noticed most of her classmates were trying, with various degrees of success, to stifle laughs. She frowned, looked down at her notebook, and was horrified to discover that she had filled an entire page with nothing but Galinda's name.

Galinda. Guh-Linda. Galinda. Galinda. Ga. Ga. Galinda.

And so on.

If Elphaba wasn't already colorful enough, she might have turned red from head to toes right there. In addition to that, the next thing she noted was that she had drawn a heart.

"Miss Thropp?"

"N-nothing interesting, Sir. I'm sorry., Elphaba stammered, closing her notebook shut with as much force as she could without drawing attention, or drawing even more attention to herself. All of a sudden, she felt like a five-year-old being scolded by her father again. A very dumb, very embarrassed, very green five-year-old.

Note to self, thought Elphaba while Doctor Dillamond continued his explanation of the Gillikin wars. Buy new notebook. Burn this one as soon as possible.

Sweet Lurline! For someone supposedly so smart, you are really slow, Elphie, Galinda mused as she walked to the café.

Galinda had been just about ready to give up. She had done everything she could think of to seduce Elphaba.

She had told Elphaba she was beautiful, she had asked Elphaba to walk her to class, she had grinned, batted her eyelashes, and pouted so much that her whole face hurt; she had laughed at Elphaba's jokes, she had held Elphaba's hand, and she had even read one of Elphaba's books – actually, it was only a chapter and she had only understood maybe five or six words, but she had read – to have something smart to talk about.

Elphaba, the green mean turtle, had remained oblivious. The most worrisome thing, though, was that Galinda was so far gone; she actually found Elphaba's denseness kind of endearing.

That was when Galinda had came to the conclusion that she needed some outsiders' perspective.

She needed help from her friends, for when it came to the art of seduction, there was nobody wiser.

Granted, they hadn't had the bad luck to need to seduce someone quite so dum- inexperienced in the matters of the heart as Elphaba, but still. Someone had to be able to help her.

And so, she had asked her friends to met her that afternoon in a nice, popular café in a town near Shiz. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, the wind was blowing gently, and half of the student body was walking around. Galinda kind of wished Elphaba was there with her.

"So, Galinda, you said you needed some girl advice?" asked Pfanne as she waved to the waiter. The four of them – Galinda, ShenShen, Pfanne and Milla- were sitting in the patio of the café at a table that was a little secluded spot, perfect for what Galinda needed to do.

"Yes," answered Galinda. "I'm having a bit of a problem with something…err-" she gave a little demure cough "…romantic in nature."

"Why, Miss Galinda, who would have thought?" From ShenShen's tone of voice, though mostly from her enormous grin, it was obvious to Galinda she was enjoying this a little too much.

"Galinda Upland," ShenShen continued as she added a ridiculous amount of sugar in her coffee, "asking us, mere mortals, for advice?"

"Who would have thought, indeed?" Milla contributed, smirking.

Galinda realized then that they weren't going to make this easy for her. Her friends were evil, Galinda decided. Pure, high-maintenance, well-dressed evil.

"Well, who is he?" inquired Pfanne.

"I'd prefer not to tell, for now," Galinda said, trying probably in vain to sound mysterious instead of afraid.

"Oh, someone embarrassing!" exclaimed ShenShen, laughing and poking Milla in the ribs with her elbow.

"Not embarrassing," corrected Galinda. She crossed her arms, offended. "Just, err, unexpected."

"Boq?"

"Goodness, no!" cried Galinda.

"Hey, poor Boq is not that bad," Milla said, and Galinda thought she saw a fond smile. Milla immediately wiped it away and continued. "Still bad, though." She frowned. "And a little out of touch with reality."

"Ugh, that's more than enough conversation about that toad," interjected Pfanne, annoyed. "He's obviously not the apple of Miss Galinda's eye."

"Avaric?" questioned ShenShen, though to Galinda, it sounded more like a threat than a question.

"Perish the thought! Avaric is not my type, ShenShen."

"How can he not be your type? He's gorgeous," sighed ShenShen dreamily.

Both Milla and Galinda gave her a disgusted look.

"We'll find out, anyway," said Pfanne, "because, with our help, you'll...what is it that you want our help for, again?"

"I-" A deep blush graced Galinda's rosy cheeks. She played with her napkin. "I need help to, er-"

Sweet Oz, this is hard.

"Yes?" Milla looked a little anxious as she leaned in, gripping her cup tightly. She was also waytoo happy with Galinda's obvious embarrassment.

"To seduce," said Galinda, barely in a whisper. Naturally, by some cruel design of the Unnamed God or whoever, her friends heard her. Loud and clear.

And laughed. Loudly, and for much longer than it was strictly necessary.

"Oh, Sweet Lurline, this is priceless!" ShenShen cried, wiping away tears when she recovered her breath.

"I thought he was cheating or something!" laughed Milla. "He doesn't even know you exist, does he?"

"That I exist, yes," began Galinda.

"Just not the way you want him to?" Milla finished Galinda's thought for her.

"Yes," Galinda answered, blushing. This had to be the most embarrassing situation she had ever been in. Maybe she should just go and find a new way to seduce Elphaba herself. "Maybe I should go-"

"Don't even think about it, Miss Galinda," ordered Pfanne, putting a hand on Galinda's arm to stop her. "You want to get this boy, don't you?"

"I really, really do," was Galinda's, maybe a little too honest, answer. She immediately noticed various grades of pity in her friends' eyes.

"Well then, you'll get him," said Milla. "We need the basics facts first. What have you tried so far?"

"Everything!" Galinda groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "I've flirted." She started counting with the fingers of her left hand. "I've been clingy, I've been nice, I've been mean, I tried four – no, five- different styles of hair and makeup, I've wore my very best dresses -" She ran out of fingers and sighed.

"Oh, he's a tough one alright," sighed Pfanne.

"I don't know what else I can do."

"My dear, my dear," chuckled ShenShen. "It seems to me that you have forgotten one very important resource."

"Huh?"

"Jealousy, Galinda," explained Milla. When Galinda looked at her in question, Milla slapped herself on the forehead. "Ugh! It's obvious you've never had this sort of problem before."

"No. I can't say I have, no."

"It's no science, anyway," said Pfanne. "Just pick some handsome boy that you think may be interested in you – that shouldn't be too difficult – and flirt with him mercilessly in front of your mystery crush."

"Oh!" exclaimed Galinda. The idea didn't sound half bad.

"Make sure you look your best," elaborated Pfanne. "We want him to see what he's missing."

"Yes, yes. Of course. I'll choose my very best dress," assured Galinda, getting up to start browsing through her wardrobe.

"You know what?" Milla suggested. "Forget it. Come with us; we'll dress you up."

"What a excellent idea!" Pfanne exclaimed. "We'll make you look perfectly edible."

Galinda wasn't sure if she wanted to look edible, but then again, what did she have to lose?

"Sure." She smiled and settled back in her chair.

When the trio in front of her started grinning manically and ShenShen rubbed her hands in anticipation, Galinda began to have some serious doubts about the whole thing.

For Elphaba, she reminded herself. You are doing this to get your Elphie.

Elphaba had been curled up in her bed reading, enjoying a rare, glorious moment of solitude, when Galinda entered the room.

"Hello, my-" Elphaba looked up from her book to greet Galinda, and then did a double take. And then, she did a triple take. She was about to do a quadruple take when Galinda smirked.

"Like my new dress, Elphie?" she asked.

Elphaba didn't know if she liked it or not. What she didknow, however, is that it was a dress that would have caused her father to deem it necessary to bathe Galinda in holy water and exorcise her, and after that, bathe her in holy water again.

"Yes. I mean, no. I-" Was the room always this hot? Elphaba tugged at the neck of her own dress. "Where are you planning to go dressed like that?"

"You don't like it?" Galinda gave Elphaba her best pout.

"I – no. I do. It's just...it's very, uh..." Elphaba waved her hand vaguely in the air.

Red. Dangerously low-cut. Far too eye-catching. Were your breasts always so..?

"...pretty."

"Elphie," Galinda giggled. "My face is all the way up here."

Elphaba thought that she might as well change skin colors from green to red to save herself the trouble of blushing so damn much all the time.

"I'm sorry, I was just...don't you think that dress is a little revealing?" Elphaba stammered, trying fiercely to will her embarrassment away. Apparently, she wasn't in control of her own body, though. Not only she could she not stop her perpetual blushing, but her eyes kept straying towards Galinda's...immoral cleavage.

"Well, yes. But that's the general idea, Elphie," Galinda said and gave a little twirl.

Elphaba focused all her attention on a spot of dirt on the wall behind Galinda.

"And, to answer you previous question-"

"Uh?" Elphaba arched her eyebrows and gave Galinda a look. Or she tried to, because her body parts kept playing tricks on her, and so her eyes ended looking to – not quite Galinda's face.

Focus on the wall, Elphaba commanded herself. See that wall? Nice and white and curve-less? Look. At. It.

"You asked me where I was going with this dress, Elphie, remember? Are you all right?" Galinda asked. She didn't sound concerned in the slightest; she sounded giddy.

"Yes, of course I'm alright. Don't be dense, Galinda." Elphaba realized immediately that the statement had come out a little harsher than it was necessary.

"No need to get mean, Elphaba," Galinda replied dryly. "And, you could do me the basic courtesy of looking at me when we talk, instead of looking at the stupid wall."

Elphaba did as she was told.

"You're right, of course," she said, this time managing to look into Galinda's eyes. "I'm sorry."

It seemed to Elphaba that lately, she had done nothing but blush and apologize.

Galinda smiled. "It's alright." She stepped into Elphaba's personal space and wrapped her arms around the green girl's waist.

"I like your meanyfiedness. Just try not to direct it at me so much, okay?"

"Okay. I'll try that," answered Elphaba, although she knew it was probably a lie. She tended to fall back on anger and sarcasm when she was uncomfortable, unsure, scared, or nervous.

"Anyhow, I was going to meet Fiyero," Galinda squealed.

"He asked you on a date?" Elphaba asked, surprised.

Galinda giggled. "Oh, he hasn't asked me yet. I'm going to surprise him."

"I thought you two were over," Elphaba pointed out.

"Well, yes. That doesn't mean things can't change." Galinda let go of Elphaba and walked to the mirror to start fussing over her already perfect curls.

"Besides, it's not like there's someone else," Galinda gave Elphaba a look that the green teen had no hope of ever deciphering, and continued, "willing to go on a date with me, and I need to show off my dress!"

"You need to cover your dress," muttered Elphaba under her breath.

"Did you just say something?"

"Nothing. That's me. I'm silent. A leaf on the wind- that's how silent I am."

Galinda gave her an incredulous look and suggested some sort of medication, but Elphaba didn't care. At last, she had discovered the Boy.

Fiyero.

That explained everything! Why Galinda and Fiyero both had been acting madly. They were still in love with each other and were either too dumb or too afraid to ask for a second chance.

Elphaba felt a sense of disappointment she couldn't explain, but she quickly shook it off.

This is perfect, she thought, grinning. This explains everything.

Well, not everything. But still, it was good enough. Because now, Elphaba had a new plan.

Galinda left the room, put on her coat, and began walking.

Of course, she had no intention whatsoever of going to Fiyero's room to ask him out. At least, not when Elphaba wouldn't be present to see her do it.

Galinda decided that her friends were geniuses. She had had her share of doubts about the whole idea, but mainly about the low cut, tight, red dress. It wasn't something Galinda would have ever thought of wearing in public.

And it isn't something I will wear in public any time soon, she thought, wrapping her coat more tightly around herself.

Still, the immoral thing had its merits, if Elphaba's reaction was anything to judge by. Galinda should have known that subtle seduction would not work with Elphaba. Quite evidently, Elphaba needed heavily handled, hit-you-in-the-face seduction.

Not that I've been very subtle at all, Galinda mused, but I can be evenless subtle, if that's what it takes.

Just when Galinda was about to go back to her room with some story about how Fiyero wasn't in his room and how disappointed she had been to discover him gone, she heard someone call her name.

"Miss Galinda!"

Galinda turned around, and when she saw Boq walking towards her, she made sure that her coat covered every last bit of skin the dress revealed. It would do no good at all to have Boq seeing what had turned Elphaba into a incoherent mess just fifteen minutes ago. Surely, it would kill him.

"Master Boq, how are you?" Galinda politely greeted him.

Boq smiled shyly at her. "I'm well, thank you," he said.

"I was thinking," he continued, a blush creeping up to his cheeks. "I had such a wonderful time the other night at the bar. Maybe you'd like to repeat it sometime, just the two of us?"

Galinda sighed.

Poor Boq. Milla was right: he really wasn't all that horrible. He just needed to let go of his delusions that someday, Galinda would want him as something more than a mere acquaintance.

It was mostly Galinda's own fault, of course, that he hadn't let go of them yet. She had allowed herself to form the habit of expecting to have Boq worshiping the ground she walked on. Who could blame her? It was incredibly good for a girl's self esteem.

"Boq," Galinda said slowly and carefully. "I don't want to hurt you, but it's simply not going to happen."

Boq sighed and kicked the floor. "Is it me? Is it my Munchkin size?" he asked dejectedly.

"No, Boq." Galinda smiled at him. "I'll admit, you are little. But you are a little sweet and a little charming, too." She paused. "I'm interested in someone else," Galinda concluded.

"Oh," Boq said. He put on his very best gentleman face to say, "I hope this person deserves you, Miss Galinda."

"I think she does," retorted Galinda without thinking. Then, she gasped.

"Oh." Boq seemed for a moment to have lost all his vocabulary, but he recovered fairly quickly. "Well, that figures. Her family married into height."

"You are not surprised?" asked an astonished Galinda.

"I was," Boq explained, "for about a whole second, and then, I realized it was actually kind of painfully obvious."

Galinda laughed. "It is obvious, isn't it?" she said.

Boq nodded.

"Would you like to accompany me back to my room, Master Boq?" asked Galinda after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"I would like that, Miss Galinda," he said, and he offered his arm to Galinda.

Galinda took it, and they began their way back to her room.

"Miss Galinda," said Boq when they reached her door. "I hope everything works out for you. I might not have gotten the girl of my dreams, but I hope you get yours."

"I hope that too," Galinda answered. She could hear the sound of Elphaba's pacing from inside the room.

"Just, if it doesn't work out, I'm-"

"I know."

Boq gave her a small smile, took her hand, and kissed it.

"Goodbye, Miss Galinda," he said, and Galinda had the feeling that Boq would a fine man, once he let go of silly schoolboy crushes.

"Bye Boq. I'll see you tomorrow."

When Boq was out of view, Galinda sighed and rested her forehead on the door of her room.

If even Boq could tell she was crazy about Elphaba, how come the green girl herself didn't? Wasn't Elphaba smart, for Oz sake?

Galinda decided she would start laying on the jealousy thick first thing tomorrow.

For now, though, she just wanted to talk to her Elphie for a little while before bed.