Chapter Thirteen: Anticipation
His birthday was a month before the entrance exams. As it had been every year, his family had a huge feast followed by lots of dessert that evening. It made him sad to watch Elphaba serve the meal rather than be able to take part in it. She wouldn't even make eye contact with him. It had to be that way, but it didn't mean he had to like it. He tried not to stare at her.
He ate quickly and received his gifts graciously, although he wasn't paying too much attention to what he was given. What he wanted was to sneak into Elphaba's room. No nice clothes, books or tools were going to distract him from that. Fiyero hoped his parents couldn't tell.
She had to clean up after dinner. Again, this was something he absolutely hated. But he sat with his parents in the living room, acting happy, smiling. When he saw her head up the stairs out of the corner of his eye, he begged off, claiming exhaustion. The moment he was up the stairs, he made a "detour" into her room.
She was already in her nightclothes this time. "It's been a long day, Fiyero."
"I don't even get a happy birthday?"
Elphaba smiled, though he could tell it was a little forced. "Happy birthday." She kissed him.
"I wish you could've been at the table instead of hovering over it."
She shrugged. "You know it can never happen."
"Well, on your birthday, I'll sneak you the best food I can find."
Elphaba looked away. "Fiyero, I think you're forgetting something."
"What?"
"I was left on the doorsteps of a mauntery. Do you really think I know when my birthday is?"
Oops. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Elphaba sat on her bed. "Fiyero, it doesn't matter. What's a birthday? The maunts just always guessed. We didn't celebrate birthdays at all in the mauntery, anyway. They just decided I was such and such an age when the weather outside was the same as it was when I was left on the doorstep."
"Then I'll sneak you food on some random day. Any idea around when?"
"End of summer, beginning of fall. Around the time we'd be heading to Shiz."
He sat beside her on the bed. "I'll remember that."
"Don't bother." Elphaba smiled at him, more genuine now. To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and with the other gently pushed her back on the bed, deepening the kiss as he did. She squealed when she hit the pillow.
"Happy birthday," she whispered breathlessly.
He knew she wouldn't let him push her any further, so he took his time enjoying her mouth. He cupped her cheek in his hand. He loved the way her body was pressed against his. She was irresistible. After a few minutes, he pulled away. "You just made my birthday about ten times better."
She laughed. "It was just a kiss, Fiyero."
"It was one hell of a kiss," he grinned at her. "But you've had a long day. You need some rest."
She looked a little confused, and he knew why. Usually she was the one kicking him out. But he was leaving on his own. He didn't tell her, but he had to get out of there. Being in the bed with her, looking at her in her nightdress, kissing her like that… If he wanted to be respectful, he had to leave. One day, he told himself, but not now. For Oz's sake, she was still sixteen. And she wasn't ready. He knew that.
"Goodnight, Elphaba."
She didn't seem offended that he was choosing to leave. "Goodnight, Fiyero." Maybe she knew why he had to drag himself away.
Elphaba's anticipation for Shiz was infectious. Perhaps his reasons for being excited were a little different. They were both excited to learn. But he was eager to be in a place where they could forget the status issues that came between them. He wasn't so sure she was thinking about that, much. Sure, she thought about him. He knew that. But she was so much better at focusing on the task at hand. It was clear enough when they studied.
"Stop trying to hold my hand, Fiyero." Elphaba swatted his hand away for the third time. "Do you want to pass the entrance exams or not?"
"We'll be fine," he pressed his lips against her neck.
She shoved him. "Stop it."
He pouted.
"Don't even try, Fiyero. You do this every single time we study and I'm not putting up with it. I'll end this, Fiyero. I mean it."
He backed off. "You wouldn't." It hurt a little to think that maybe she wouldn't have a problem leaving him that easily. But part of him knew it was an empty threat. Still, he would respect her wishes.
"If you pushed me too much, I would. But I also think you know when to stop. And that would be right now. So can we please go back to studying?"
"I'm sorry. I'll stop. From now on, any time we decide we are studying, that is all I will do."
"I appreciate that. I'm not saying I don't like it," she smiled, "but you have to realize we've got less than a month. This is important."
"You're right. I'll focus."
The exams felt easy enough. Waiting for the results was the hard part. Elphaba went over and over the test in her head, wondering what she got wrong. She remembered at least half the questions. When she asked Fiyero what his answers had been, he laughed. "Elphaba, you did fine. I did fine. Stop obsessing."
"You obsess, too, just not over this."
That was true enough. When the results did finally come, Fiyero was disappointed the two of them couldn't be alone to see them. But it only made sense that his family would want to be involved in that. His parents actually insisted on opening both of their letters.
They began with Fiyero's (which was no surprise). "Let's see how you did, son." Fiyero's father opened the letter and smiled. "You passed!"
Elphaba did not say anything. She knew it was improper of her to. But she did give him a smile when his parents were rereading the letter. That was enough.
"I see Miss Elphaba's tutoring did help," Fiyero's mother said.
"Oh, ma'am, he is a smart boy. I didn't need to help him much." Elphaba insisted. He hated her fake polite tone of voice. It didn't sound right on her. He hated that she had to use it at all.
"Now, Miss Elphaba, shall we open your letter?" Fiyero's father put his son's letter aside carefully and opened the second envelope. "Wow."
"What?" Both Elphaba and Fiyero looked at each other, wondering what could possibly have so astounded his father.
"They were so impressed with your scores that they are going to pay for your living arrangements. And they want you in the sorcery program. You'll be living in the nicest women's dorm on campus. Miss Elphaba, Fiyero is always telling us how smart you are, and we know you are intelligent, but I am very impressed. It looks as though you two will officially be going to Shiz in a month and a half."
Elphaba's eyes were shining with excitement. "That's wonderful, sir. Thanks again."
"I'm proud of you, son," Fiyero's parents had already forgotten about Elphaba and were back to being focused on him.
He tried to divert their attentions. "Obviously, it's Elphaba's doing. I would never have passed without her." They both knew he was lying. But he did know he had done better than he would've done without her.
"I will have the tailor make you some modern clothes so that you fit in. And Miss Elphaba," Fiyero's mother turned to her, "I'll have a new dress made for you, as well."
One dress was hardly enough, but Fiyero didn't say anything. Depending on the spending money he had at Shiz, he'd fix that. Or not. She'd never let him.
"That's too kind, ma'am." Elphaba did even sound strained, she was too happy.
"I... I'm going to go to my room for a little and think about what I want to pack." Fiyero said, giving Elphaba and imploring look.
"It's over a month away!" His father laughed.
"I know, but I'm excited." He left the room. He knew they'd send Elphaba off and give her some time to herself. She showed up in his doorway ten minutes later.
"We're going to Shiz," she said, still breathless from excitement.
He smiled at her and kissed her. "Yes we are. Promise me you'll come visit me in my single little apartment? I'll be so lonely without you. I hope you like the dorms, though."
"We'll see each other plenty, Fiyero. Don't worry about that. We'll probably be in some classes together."
"I'd hope we'd see each other outside of class, too!"
"We will," she rolled her eyes. "You need such reassurance sometimes. It's like you're a child."
"I'm not used to this... this... whatever this is."
"Neither am I. I don't act like that."
"You act different in your own way."
"Maybe I do." She looked at Fiyero. "This is going to be wonderful. Nothing this good has ever happened to me."
He thought about that and frowned for a moment. "It won't be the last good thing, I promise."