A/N: So I have a confession…I have been neglecting this story and even considering taking an indefinite break from it. But…then I decided not to. Haha!! So I hope that you guys are still enjoying it. I just need an extra oomph to get over the mid-story hump, I think.

Disclaimer: Wicked is sadly not mine.

Exactly one month had passed since Elphaba had gotten sick at the Ozdust. One month since she had felt whatever she had felt for Fiyero. And no matter how hard she tried, the feeling just kept nagging at her. Fiyero didn't help matters much, either. He was always so…nice. Ever since the Ozdust, he had been especially nice to Elphaba. She chalked it up to pity, but some small part of her hoped that Fiyero had felt something that night too.

The fashion show was just around the corner, a few short weeks away. Elphaba had put up with non-stop prattling by the always excited Galinda. The blond girl was constantly harping on Elphaba to "wear your hair different today, for Oz's sake!" But Elphaba had suffered through all of it, simply because of her love for her friend.

And it was because of that same love that Elphaba now found herself in a dress shop with Galinda and the incomprehensible Fiyero. As if this wasn't enough torture, Elphaba was forced to try on multiple dresses of different colors, so that Galinda "could have the right color palate" for her cursed green skin.

"Ooooh, I like that one, Elphie!" Galinda squealed as Elphaba emerged from the dressing room in a pale pink dress.

The green girl scowled, her hands on her hips. "No pink," she nearly barked.

"But Elphie—"

"No pink! I will not prance around on some stage for all the world to see in a pink dress."

"But you promised," Galinda pouted.

So the two girls stared at each other, both stubborn and unyielding in their own way. Fiyero, long forgotten, cleared his throat awkwardly. "For what it's worth…" he started. He immediately stopped when Elphaba shot him a look that would stop an elephant in its tracks.

Galinda, oblivious to Elphaba's withering stare, turned to Fiyero. "What, dearest?"

He cleared his throat again, suddenly wishing that he hadn't agreed to come along. But another glance at Elphaba in a very flattering dress quickly reminded him why he was there. He had always cared for her, as a brother would, but when he danced with her at the Ozdust, something had changed. He shook his head, pushing the memory of Elphaba in his arms away.

"I was just going to say that Elphaba looks really great in that dress. I like that color for her."

Elphaba blinked once, twice, and then frowned at him. "No pink, Galinda. I love you, my sweet, but the fact that I'm doing this silly show in the first place is testament enough to that love."

Galinda pouted, crossing her arms, but Elphaba was already back in the changing room contemplating what Fiyero had said. Was he just being nice? After all, he was her friend. But that look…that look in his eyes could make a stone melt. Which perhaps explained why Elphaba struggled with getting that ridiculous dress over her head.

The threesome slowly made their way to the girls' dorm room. Fiyero and Galinda had a prolonged goodbye as Elphaba rolled her eyes and trudged up the stairs, tired and feeling incredibly lonely. Just as she was climbing into her bed, Galinda burst into the room, tears shining brightly on her face.

"Galinda! What is it?" Elphaba was at her side in a moment and guided the sobbing girl to her pink bed.

"Fiyero—" sniffle sniffle "—He…oh, Elphie!!" The blond collapsed in her roommate's arms, and Elphaba tensed at the sudden closeness. She was silently cursing Fiyero. What sort of mindless thing had he done this time?

"What did he do, Galinda?"

Galinda gathered her composure as best she could and put on a brave face. "Oh, Elphie, it's so terrible!"

Elphaba waited but Galinda didn't say anymore. "What, Galinda?"

"He's…he's…thinking!!" Galinda said, bursting into a fresh wave of tears.

Elphaba had to stifle a laugh. So Fiyero was finally thinking. She didn't know which was funnier, the fact that Fiyero had suddenly decided to grow a brain or the fact that Galinda was so distraught over this. Fiyero was thinking. Elphaba's heart sped up, wishing, hoping…could he be thinking about her?

"Why is that so bad? Thinking is generally not frowned upon."

Galinda shot Elphaba a look. "But Fiyero…he just doesn't think! That's what I like about him! And now…now he's different. He's all…moodified. Ever since the Ozdust, he's been distant."

Elphaba felt her heart leap. The Ozdust. Fiyero had been different after the Ozdust. After their dance. She felt heat course through her as Galinda continued to sob about Fiyero's new thinking. She was quickly brought back to the present situation when Galinda grabbed her sleeve and blew into it.

"Galinda!"

"What?" Galinda said, admonished yet still trying to sound innocent. "Well, it's not as if we can't replace it. We'll just sew some curtains together…" Galinda was silent for a moment, and then her face broke into a huge smile. "Curtains!" And before Elphaba could process what was happening, Galinda had jumped from her seat and had ripped their curtains from the window.

"Galinda, what are you doing?" Elphaba suppressed the groan, fearing that this new bout of perkiness had something to do with her and the fashion show.

Sure enough, Galinda held the curtains up and walked toward Elphaba, her eyes intense with concentration. "Yes, yes, this will work. If I just cut this here, and sew it there…"

"You can't be serious. Curtains? You're going to design a dress out of curtains?"

"Shhhh!" Galinda said as harshly as she could. Elphaba cracked a smile and looked up from the curtains that would soon be her new dress just in time to see Galinda's sour look. "Elphie, you have to trust me! I know what I'm doing! This color works perfects for you, and if I can just design it right…"

Elphaba glanced at the curtain, skeptical. "It's brown."

"Beige, Elphie, beige," Galinda corrected distractedly.

"It looks brown. I'll look like a tree."

"Elphie! It's beige, and you will not look like a tree! And if you do, then I don't deserve to win the title of 'Ozmopolitan's Tippy Top Up and Comer.'"

Elphaba couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Is that what they call it?"

Galinda glared at her. "Yes. Of course! Don't you think it's a splendacious name?"

Elphaba nodded, trying to look serious. "Of course, my sweet."

As Elphaba watched Galinda, she couldn't help but think about how sad her roommate had been mere minutes before. What had Fiyero been thinking about? Elphaba continued to think of him as she fell asleep that night, content in her dreams and knowing that they would never become reality.

A/N: Another one! So this chapter was difficult on so many levels, it's not even funny. I had some serious writer's block, but I figured if I didn't churn this out now, I'd never come back to it. So I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll do better next time, I promise! Oh, and reviews always help to inspire me…(and thanks to those who have been reviewing…you guys seriously rock!)