The Winner
Takes It All
Chapter 4
A Change is Gonna Come
Hello and I'm so sorry for not having updated this in such a long time. I wanted to say thank you to everyone whose been staying with this story and for the wonderful reviews! Special shoutout goes to: Woodland59, Fae'sFlower, Mad-Idina-Fan98, L8zlytnwer, and Elphaba117! Thank you all so much! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!
Elphaba, satisfied with her apology walked back to her dorm with a slight spring to her step. And though others may have viewed her apology as that of being curt, it still quelled the guilt once bubbling within the pit of her stomach, and silencing that petulant little voice echoing softly within her mind.
Stopping, she turned slightly and watched Avaric walk away and for a moment, she wondered if perhaps maybe, just maybe, he was hiding the real man deep within his heart; afraid to let the world see the real him, just as she too was fearful of allowing the real her, be seen by the people around her.
Tucking that thought aside, she turned and made her way back to her dorm. One thought bubbled in her mind. Perhaps Avaric Tenmeadows wasn't as arrogant as he made himself out to be.
During his Avaric's disastrous attempt at asking Elphaba out, Fiyero had crawled up on the fountain, and draping himself out on its marble edge, lifted his head and smiled smugly back at his friend.
"So…how'd it go?" he asks clicking his tongue and acting as if he had not seen his friend's epic fail.
Avaric snapped his head towards his friend and leveled the Prince with a threatening glare, "Shut up" he grumbled.
Fiyero covered his mouth with his hands to stop the laughter from escaping his lips, and though he was giving himself a valiant effort, in the long run, he failed miserably to keep his laughter under control, hence rewarding him with a violent punch from a very annoyed Avaric.
Having sated a little of his anger, Avaric took a seat and held his head in his hands. The sharp tips of his elbows rested against the tops of his legs, as he bent forward. All he wanted was for a great gaping hole to appear and swallow him whole.
Pushing himself up, Fiyero rubbed his sore arm and glared back at his friend, "Geeze, no need to get violent" he says with a slight pout of his lips. Rubbing the pain away, the smirk returned once more, "So still think it will be a piece of cake?"
Reaching her dorm, Elphaba couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Pulling out her keys from her pocket, she quickly pushed them into the keyhole and twisting the knob, opened the door and closed it immediately upon entering her room.
"Glin you here?" she called after placing her book bag on a nearby chair.
Avaric growled in frustration. The slight throbbing in his skull was quickly starting to get worse. Snapping his eyes back to the arrogant Prince, he glared, "Want a one-way- trip to the Infirmary?" he threatened.
"Elphiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!" trills the blonde's voice from behind the bathroom door, "is that you?"
"No thanks," Fiyero says with a smug smile, "Though you have to admit that was pretty funny"
"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you," Avaric snarled. He really was starting to have his fill with the Vinkun Prince and his patience was wearing thin, "I've at least gotten farther with her than you" he added, knowing that little bit would sting
Though his last statement had stung, the Prince, nevertheless, wouldn't let his friend see it, nor have the satisfaction in knowing he had hit a sore spot.
Smirking, he waggled his eyebrows suggestively back at Avaric, "And how do you know how far I've gotten?"
"Please," snort Avaric, "I've seen you with the green bean. You and she can't say one word to each other without it turning into a shouting match" Inwardly Avaric winced, for he hated himself even more now for referring to Elphaba as the "Green Bean".
Pushing the guilt down into the pit of his stomach, he rights himself, "One of these days I'm betting she's going to clean your clock" he finished on a laugh.
Fiyero glared back at Avaric for a moment. Slowly, a smirk crosses his lips and he relaxes.
"You don't know what happens behind closed doors though"
Avaric snorted again and pointed a finger at Fiyero's cheek, "Oh yes and that bruise on your cheek means what exactly? A love tap perhaps?"
"Hey that's the way she likes it" Fiyero says as he leans back and lacing his fingers behind his head, smiles smugly back at his friend.
At that moment, Avaric wanted nothing more than to knock that smug smile off the Prince's face. He could take his teasing, but when it came to such derogatory statements regarding Elphaba which he knew for a fact, weren't true, were another matter. He really didn't like what Fiyero was insinuating.
"Keep telling yourself that, one of these days you may believe it" he says through clenched teeth. He wouldn't let the Prince get satisfaction at knowing he had pissed him off. He'd bide his time and wait to seek redemption for Elphaba.
Inwardly Avaric was fuming, for if Fiyero dared tried to damage Elphaba's reputation by telling the rest of the students of false fallacies, he would beat the crap out of him.
"Whoa man why so defensive?" Fiyero asks as he leans forward. All joking aside, he had never seen his friend this upset and it worried him.
"Who says I'm being defensive?" snarls Avaric.
"I'm not deaf nor blind," Fiyero says flatly, "Don't tell me your actually getting upset over what I'm saying regarding the Artichoke?"
"Her name is Elphaba! Not Artichoke or Green Bean! Elphaba!" snaps Avaric, having lost his patience.
"Case and point," Fiyero grumbled beneath his breath, "Whatever Av, this conversation isn't nearly as interesting as that hot little thing over there so, see ya!" he says before springing to his feet and suavely making his way over to said woman.
Avaric watched his friend with distaste. Sure she was beautiful, with long slender legs, and a great body. But she wasn't Elphaba, she wasn't exotic, nor was she unique. Sighing, he turned his gaze away from his friend, making a pig of himself and stared absently at the spot where Elphaba had once stood.
"No Glin it's the Kumbrician Witch here to steal your soul," huffs Elphaba and rolling her eyes in annoyance. Honestly sometimes she wondered about the blonde, "Yes it's me, I'm the only person with a key to the room" rubbing her face, she walked with lilting steps towards the bathroom and raps her knuckles against the door, "can I come in?"
"Not yet!" squeals the blonde in a high, squeaky voice. The sound of bottles and other objects clatter against the countertops, followed by a muffled curse and the door swings open.
Startled Elphaba stumbles back as the blonde takes a glamorous pose, "Well, what do you think?"
Regaining her composer, Elphaba narrowed her eyes to study the blonde, "I think I'd like to know where my best friend is under all that make up"
"Make up?" frowning Glinda twirls towards the mirror. Daintily her fingers rise and softly touch her slender cheek and for a moment, she stares at her reflection. Confused as to what her friend could possibly be referring to, she turns back to face Elphaba, "what make up? I thought I applied just the right amount so no one could even tell"
Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Honestly her friend could be a real bubble-head some times.
"Glin I see you first thing in the morning before you have any of your make up on and I can tell you that you look much better without"
"Are you crazy!?" the blonde screeched, causing Elphaba to cover her ears, "Are you blind?! I look hideodious without any make up!"
Lowering her hands, Elphaba took a step and gently touched the blonde's slender arms, "Glin you don't," she says softly, "The only reason girls wear make up is to conform to what society deems a girl should look like. And if you ask me, I don't see why you cover your natural beauty with gunk" she finished with a soft smile.
Glinda smiled softly back at Elphaba. Slowly her hand rose and cupped Elphaba's cheek
"Thanks Elphie," lowering her hand, she takes the raven haired beauties hands in hers and squeezes gently, "now what did you want to talk to me about?"
Elphaba, though shocked by the blonde's statement, shook her head and smiled. Sometimes the blonde could be so perceptive and she greatly admired that
"Avaric talked to me today" she said
"Avaric did? Did he make fun of you? Call you names? Cause if he did I'll clean his clock" Glinda said angrily
Despite herself, a soft smile crests against her soft lips remembering Avaric standing before her, the sincerity in his eyes, the kindness.
"No, surprisingly he didn't" she answered at last
"Wait what? Are you sure were talking about the same Avaric? Avaric Tenmeadows. One of the biggest jerks this side of the Gillikin was actually nice to you?" asks the blonde shocked
"Yeah" smiled Elphaba