A/N—Sorry this took so long! I was kind of putting this story on hold, trying to get my thoughts out. I really had no idea where I wanted to go with this (still don't), but I'm trying to figure that out, I promise! Right now I'm kind of going where this story takes me, so I'm sorry if things seem a little strange.
Elphaba may be slightly (or extremely, idk yet) OOC, but I'll try to correct that soon. My vision for Elphaba is that, especially now, before she defies the Wizard, she is just a lonely young schoolgirl. That's why she may seem a little…naïve, I guess? But anyways, I would LOVE to hear what you think about her character (or any of the others) !! I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for the insanely long author's note, and thanks to Elphaba1fan for reviewing the last chapter!! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.
"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said something that didn't result in my humiliation," Elphaba croaked, glancing nervously at the crowd around her.
"Oh, don't be silly, Elphie! You look wonderful, and I'm going to be surprised if every man is not mesmerized by you by the end of tonight."
Elphaba blushed upon hearing Galinda's flattery but accepted it with no protest. She shuffled on her feet, feeling awkward and exposed in her party dress and heels. She was definitely not a party dress and heels sort of girl.
The Ozdust was rather crowded that night, and beautiful couples spun circles around Galinda and Elphaba. Fiyero was at the bar getting Elphaba a much-needed drink. Galinda squealed as she noticed the new fashions the girls were wearing.
"Oh, Elphie, this is all so perfect! I'm so glad you decided to come!"
"Galinda, don't be so modest. You practically pushed me out of the door."
Galinda glared at her roommate. "I told you we had to practice." Her face lightened into the regular bubbly expression. "Besides, what better way to practice than at a dance?" She giggled, tossing her hair in a very Galinda fashion.
Elphaba had to grin at her roommate. Galinda was so silly sometimes. Fiyero came back with her drink, and she took it from him gratefully. She grimaced as the liquid touched her tongue, but she desperately needed something to take the edge off of this terrible party.
"Elphie! Slow down! I can't very well teach a drunk how to be…popular!" Galinda admonished.
Fiyero hid his grin as he took a sip from his own glass. Galinda moved closer to him, content to hang off of his arm. He looked…awkward? No, that couldn't be right. He loved Galinda.
"So," Fiyero started, not comfortable with the silence. "Where does our Elphie's training begin?"
Elphaba glowered at him, and he just grinned back. Galinda bounced, her blond curls bobbing with the motion. She smiled and squealed, squeezing Fiyero's arm. He cringed, and Elphaba had to smile at their antics.
"Oh, Elphie, this is just so…"
"Splendacious?" Elphaba supplied, grinning at Galinda.
"Exactly! You'll be popular yet!" Galinda's featured became serious as she contemplated where Elphaba should begin. "Well, the obvious thing to start with is dancing."
"Dancing," Elphaba groaned. "Can't we start with something…simpler?"
"Ok…" Galinda mused. "How about hair tossing?"
Fiyero chuckled at Elphaba's awkward expression. She shot him a murderous glare, and he choked on his laugh. He began to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I think I'd prefer dancing," Elphaba muttered.
"Ok! That's what I thought, Elphie! Fiyero! You can teach her, right?" She batted her eyelashes, and Fiyero chuckled.
"I'd be happy to, as long as Elphaba will have me," he said, sending an apologetic glance to Elphaba.
"Fine," the green girl grumbled, giving Galinda her empty glass and Fiyero her hand.
When their hands touched, something changed. Elphaba couldn't quite explain it, but she felt…different. Maybe it was the atmosphere at the Ozdust, maybe it was his genuine open expression, but whatever it was, it made Elphaba uncomfortable. He looked at her with those blue eyes, looked through her, to her very being. Fiyero, seeming to realize the change too, cleared his throat and smiled slightly.
"Galinda, huh?" he shook his head. He was trying to joke, but Elphaba was too confused to even reply.
He led her to the center of the floor and awkwardly pulled her closer to him. She closed her eyes instinctively. He felt…right. She shook her head, opening her eyes. He was Galinda's boyfriend. And plus, Elphaba had never thought of Fiyero as anything other than a big brother. He was a friend, someone to make fun of and joke with. They never took each other seriously, so why should she feel so very serious right now?
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice like velvet in her ear.
"Fine," she snapped, not allowing what she was thinking to come through.
"Oh. Okay," he answered, sounding dazed.
He led them around the dance floor, and Elphaba was content to follow his lead for once. He tightened his grip around her waist, and she felt safe in his arms. She had never felt safe before, and the feeling terrified her. What was it about Fiyero, and why now? Why not earlier that day when he'd helped her up after her embarrassing fall? Or why not every other time she had seen him?
Or maybe, she considered as he whirled them around the floor, the feeling was there all along. She had just never given her a chance to feel. She expected embarrassment and isolation her whole life, and that is all that she had ever felt. Until now, this moment, when Fiyero held her tightly against himself, spinning her around a room full of people who detested her. He wasn't scared of what they thought of him; he was her friend. At that moment, she decided that he could never be anything more than her friend.
Not only would he never like her in that way, but if her feelings were ever known, it could ruin all of the safety that she felt with him. No, she couldn't risk what it would do to not only her relationship with Fiyero, but also her newfound and surprisingly satisfying friendship with Galinda. She would be left to drown without a lifesaver, and life without Galinda and Fiyero would feel exactly like that—drowning. She would simply have to suppress and hide her true feelings. She grimaced, realizing that the reason that wouldn't be so difficult is because that is what she had been doing her whole life. She wondered if she would ever get a chance to express herself.
Elphaba had been so caught up in her thoughts about how she could never be with Fiyero that she hadn't noticed that they had stopped spinning. Fiyero was looking down at her, his brows knitted in confusion or…concern? His eyes were filled with worry, and Elphaba figured that he had been trying to get her attention for a while now.
"Elphaba? Are you okay?" he was saying.
"I'm…fine," she replied, her voice sounding a little weaker than normal.
Elphaba, as a matter of fact, was not fine. While she had been musing, she had failed to notice not only Fiyero but also the strange lightheadedness that she now had. Her stomach was twisted in knots, and she was suffering some sort of strange hot flash. She had just assumed that all of these feelings had to do with being so close to Fiyero, but as she stood there, she realized that these feelings meant something much more embarrassing than a little crush on Fiyero.
"I think…I'm going to be…sick," Elphaba stuttered, covering her mouth and frantically searching for the nearest bathroom.
"Oh," was all Fiyero said before he joined in the hunt for a bathroom. He found it and pulled Elphaba in that direction, pushing his way through the crowd. He left her at the bathroom door, and she rushed in, not even giving him a second glance.
He sighed as he waited, anxious for his friend. He thought that she didn't look well, but it was so hard to tell with her green color. Fiyero grimaced as a girl opened the door to the bathroom, making it easy for him to hear Elphaba retching. She sounded so miserable; all he wanted to do was take care of her.
Fiyero gave her a weak smile as she came out of the bathroom, holding her stomach. She groaned but let him put his arm around her. He grinned when she laid her head on his shoulder, but why that simple gesture made him happy he couldn't say. Maybe he was just happy helping a friend out…yeah, that had to be it.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he weaved through the crowd, searching for Galinda.
She groaned again but didn't answer. He supposed that was the only thing he was going to get out of her. He soon found the blond surrounded by a flock of her friends. She was describing her new designs for the fashion show. She smiled widely when she saw Elphaba and Fiyero, but then her smile turned into a worried line when she saw what state her friend was in.
"What happened?" she asked, concerned.
Elphaba only groaned. "She's sick. She threw up," Fiyero supplied, rubbing small circles on Elphaba's back. He heard once that it helped take away the nausea; he hoped that it did.
"Oh. Okay. I'll take her home," Galinda said quietly to Fiyero. "Goodbye everyone!" she exclaimed to everyone else, making both Elphaba and Fiyero cringe.
"Would you stop that infernal screeching?" Elphaba croaked, but what was meant as a snide comment came out unintentionally soft.
"Oh, Elphie!!! You'll be okay!!! I'll take you home, and then I'll make you soup and tea with honey and I'll stay up with you and talk all night if you want!" Galinda nodded matter-of-factly, rubbing her roommate's arm quickly. "Ooh! We can talk about the fashion show! This illness is the perfect thing! It'll give us lots of time to learn about modeling!"
Galinda started planning as the threesome exited the Ozdust. Elphaba was draped between Fiyero and Galinda, her arms around each of her friends' shoulders. Her head hung low as she tried to get the world to stop spinning.
She groaned as Galinda squealed and planned more of her "lessons" for Elphaba. "I think I'm going to be sick again," she mumbled.