School commenced back at Shiz with the start of the new year, and Elphaba hadn't bothered to mention her trip to the Emerald City. Though she knew that she and Fiyero were just friends, she knew that Galinda would have been insanely jealous, simply because it involved the Emerald City, where she had never been. It drove Galinda to the brink of madness, that she'd never been to the most swankified city in all of Oz.
So when Nessa mentioned it one day just before Literature, in front of Galinda, who she didn't see standing there, and Galinda shrieked in response, Elphaba knew that she was about to embark upon a precarious journey with her so-called "best friend".
"Oh my OZ, Elphie, when did you go? How? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I um..." Elphaba paused to glare at Nessarose, who hung her head and wheeled away. "I went during break, by carriage. I didn't tell you because you didn't ask."
"Well of course I didn't ask, how could I have known?!?!" Galinda paused. "Elphaba, did you go to the Emerald City by yourself?" Fiyero took that moment to appear at her side and plant a kiss on her forehead. "Fiyero, did you know that Elphie went to the Emerald City over the winter break?"
Fiyero was a terrible liar in the best circumstances. Elphaba could pull it off most of the time, if she really wanted to, except that she found lying to be unnecessary and beneath her. But neither could lie to Galinda. "Yes, I did," he said carefully.
"It's completely scandalacious to go alone, Elphie."
Elphaba and Fiyero stood in a stunned silence until Fiyero realized that someone should say something. "Hmm?"
Elphaba rolled her eyes at his attempt to avoid the comment, and Galinda repeated herself. "Wait... you did go alone, didn't you?"
This time, it was Elphaba's turn to be ridiculous. "Hmm?"
"Oh my Oz, Elphie, who did you go with?" Galinda was practically jumping up and down in glee. "Do you have a secret boyfriend? Do you go on dates? Can I. Do. Your. Hair?"
"Class is about to start," Elphaba said, turning to go.
"Elphaba," Galinda barked. "Who did you go with?"
Elphaba looked despairing. What could she say? Should she make someone up? She couldn't say that she'd gone with anyone in their circle, all friends were accounted for. She didn't want to get Fiyero in trouble, not even by looking to him for support, and so she squinted toward the blackboard, as if trying to read something written on it, until the silence could be endured no more and Fiyero blurted out, "I took her."
Galinda's face filled with a fury Elphaba had never anticipated on her delicate features, and she shrank back with the realization that none of it was directed at Fiyero. "You went to the Emerald City with Fiyero?" Elphaba couldn't think of a decent response, and so she simply stayed where she was, watching as Galinda fought to keep her temper under control.
"Galinda, it wasn't -"
"Hush, Fiyero," Galinda shushed.
"People will stare if you make a scene," he pointed out.
Galinda loved to be stared at, but in an adoring way, not in a scandalized way. She sighed with the realization that he was right, and decided that instead of screaming at Elphaba she would do much worse. "Elphaba, you cannot sit with us today. Or tomorrow, I don't think. I am so angrified at you, I cannot even say." With that, she flounced to the front seat, Elphaba's usual favorite location, dragging Fiyero with her.
He turned back to Elphaba, looking as though he was going to protest, but she grimly shook her head to tell him not to bother. He raised his eyebrows at her as if to ask if she was sure, and she nodded. His frown conveyed his sympathy, and Elphaba was left to scan the crowd (now mostly seated) for an empty chair.
Elphaba rarely looked at anyone. Meeting eyes wasn't to be recommended when one was the school outcast, and so she felt very awkward doing it now, for the first time. But she caught the eyes of a young man, who smiled, and gestured to the seat next to him, and, after waiting till the last possible moment, joined him.
"Hi, I'm Kers," the young man said, extending his hand to shake hers. She noticed that his name sounded like the word "cares".
"Elphaba," she replied, feeling uncomfortable.
"Oh, I know," he said, blushing slightly. "I think you're just brilliant."
Out of the corner of her eye, Elphaba saw Fiyero squirming in his seat to try to glance over his shoulder. Galinda tugged at his sleeve to get his attention, and he snapped back around to the front. "Well, thank you," Elphaba said, feeling her face grow a little hot.
"You usually sit at the front, don't you?"
"Yes, but my friend and her boyfriend... They're sitting there, um..."
"Oh, you're not dating that guy?"
Elphaba almost choked on the air. "No," she finally managed. "No, we're just friends. He's dating Galinda." OBVIOUSLY.
Kers shrugged. "You spend a lot of time together. I wondered."
Elphaba wondered when he had wondered, but didn't want to wonder that out loud. They spent the rest of class in pleasant silence; Kers paid attention, and took as many notes as she.
When the lesson ended, he lingered, resisting standing. Elphaba spied Galinda tugging Fiyero away as he looked helplessly after her, his face filling with confusion at seeing her with the guy, who was talking to her. "I wondered if you had time to get some coffee?"
"Pardon me?"
Kers blushed again, which, truthfully, was quite adorable on him. "Coffee? If not, that's alright, I just..."
"No, I -" Elphaba took a breath. "That would be nice." Kers smiled, and offered his arm, which was so kind it sent up a red flag for Elphaba. "Are you being put up to this?" He looked completely taken aback, and she continued. "Is this a prank? Because it's not funny." She looked around for someone who might be watching them, but could spot no one.
"What kind of prank would it be to ask a girl for coffee?" He looked so confused and timid, it threw her. "Miss Elphaba?"
"I'm sorry," she said. "If you truly wish to go for coffee, then I apologize... I'm not asked to spend time with people often, and..."
"Well it's taken me an entire semester to work up the nerve," he confessed. "Perhaps it's the same for others." She smiled, and they began to walk to the café. "We had History together last semester," Kers said, idly.
"Really?" Elphaba was surprised. Of course, it made sense that they'd had a class together, based upon his comment about taking an entire semester to work up the nerve to talk to her. "I love History," she smiled.
"I rather enjoyed it, as well," he said. "But then, I love school."
"Have you chosen a faculty?"
"Despite my enjoyment of History, my father is aching for another doctor in the family," Kers shrugged. "I enjoy Biology, as well, so it makes no difference. I can always read in my spare time. If I have spare time as a doctor."
"I hear they're quite busy," Elphaba smiled. She realized she was conversing easily with this boy - perhaps due to their kinship through love of academia. Or maybe she ought to thank Fiyero for taking her under his wing and teaching her to be a little more human in the presence of others.
They arrived at the café and found a table, dropping their books before standing in line. Elphaba ordered tea, and Kers ordered coffee, and paid for both. Before she could even open her mouth to protest he put her in her place. "I asked you to coffee, I get to pay. That's the rule of a date." He smiled gently at her, and she felt compelled to comply. When they returned to their table, she finally allowed herself to look at him.
He had green eyes and dirty blonde hair. His features were straight and masculine, but he didn't look brutish. He looked... studious. She liked it. They conversed easily, covering topics as varied as Literature, History, Quotch (Kers was on the school team, and actually played pickup with Boq from time to time. Boq, though tall for a munchkin, was too short for the team), and the Philosophy Club.
The Philosophy Club was a popular hangout for the students at Shiz, though Elphaba had never been, and Kers had only been once. She admitted she was curious enough to hear about it and not curious enough to go there, and he laughed. "It wasn't so bad," he said. "I stayed on the main dance floor, though, so perhaps I shouldn't comment."
"I know a few people who have gone, but not well enough to talk to them about it," Elphaba said, sipping her tea.
"I went with the guys from Quotch," Kers said, looking dismayed. "They all got really drunk, and I'd had a few, but... They were blitzed. Everyone was out of it, everywhere you turned." He shrugged. "They played good music, but it was a little rowdy. I'd go back for the dancing, with a date, like, but..." He shrugged again.
Elphaba let the idea linger, but didn't comment on it. They continued on to other topics, until they both realized they had no reason to stay, other than Elphaba's fear of returning to her dorm. Kers offered to walk her back, and she accepted, surprising herself.
"Can I see you again?"
He was brave, she gave him that. And they got along - he made her laugh, and they had a lot in common. "You want to see me again?"
"I want to see you again," he smiled. "I want to see you exclusively, but I'm starting slow. Be grateful." Everything he said had a slightly bashful undertone which she found incredibly endearing.
"You may see me again," she said, before she lost her nerve. "Whether or not it's exclusive hasn't yet been determined."
He smiled. "I'll take that. Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Miss Elphaba."
"Thank you, as well. And thank you for the tea."
He took her hand in his, briefly, then, innocently, turned to walk away, glancing over his shoulder a couple times until Elphaba bit the bullet and entered her dorm.
The fluffy pink pillow that flew dangerously close to her face was, she believed, an unnecessary greeting.
"Galinda, we went to see a show. It just happened to be in the Emerald City. It was my Lurlinemas present, to see the show, and... I'm sorry, but you simply cannot be angry at me for seeing a show with my friend. Especially," she added, "when you want desperately to know all about the date I just went on."
Galinda's face hovered between rage and exhilaration. "Elphie, are you serious?"
Elphaba nodded, knowing that telling Galinda about Kers was her best shot at getting the blonde to speak to her again. "His name is Kers."
Galinda was severely lacking in the ability to ignore potential ElphabaDate information. "I am not happy about you going traveling with my boyfriend," she said. "But I want to hear all about this. So let's resolve it."
"It wasn't a date, it was two friends seeing a show, as friends."
"But you stayed in a hotel, didn't you?"
"In separate beds. Of course," she added, her tone clearly conveying that Galinda was stupid for thinking they would share a bed.
Galinda pondered that. "I will never get over being jealous that you got to go to the very most swankified city in all of Oz," she said. "Well, at least, until I get to go. And even then, I'll be jealous that you got to go first. But I admit that it is unfair to be upset about you and Fiyero. Of course I know you're just friends," she giggled. "Especially if you're dating someone! Oooh, Elphie, tell me all about him!"
"His name is Kers. He's smart, he's going to be a doctor, and he plays Quotch."
Galinda shouldn't have been surprised that Elphaba offered little information, but she was. "And are you going to see him again?"
Elphaba paused, biting her lip as if she was sure the truth should never leave her mouth. "Yes."
Alright, some of you were correct - the play was "Anne of Green Gables". I highly recommend it.