Oh, and the award for the best liar goes to you,
For making me believe that you could be faithful to me,
Let's hear your speech out

Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not,
When I know you're only sorry you got caught

But you put on quite a show, really had me going,
But now it's time to go, curtain's finally closing,
That was quite a show, very entertaining,
But it's over now,
Go on and take a bow,
But it's over now

Take A Bow, Lea Michele, Glee Cast

Chapter 7

Galinda and Elphaba did not speak for the following three days. Elphaba did her best to avoid her roommate during the day, and spent her nights with her back turned, sleeping or pretending to sleep.

Galinda felt terribly about what she had said. In spite of the fact that she might never understand Elphaba's choices, Galinda knew her roommate wanted desperately to change the world for good. She also sensed that, beneath it all, Elphaba considered the two of them to be good friends. Otherwise, she never would have told Galinda about Avaric. She never would have trusted her enough to bring Fiyero back to their room. And one did not call a good friend a 'whore'.

It was tiresome, Galinda decided, to care about someone besides yourself. She realized that this was one of the first times in her life that someone else had truly mattered to her. Most of her friendships had been shallow and passing. Guilt was a disconcerting emotion, and Galinda very much wanted to apologize. She still didn't believe she could do what Elphaba had asked, but she wanted to help, somehow. Galinda hated the idea of her friend carrying the burden of it all on her own.

But Elphaba was not one to come around doe-eyed and looking for an apology. She was angry, hurt, or disgusted enough not to give Galinda as much as a cursory glance. No matter how Galinda tried, Elphaba would not be cornered. Galinda could only watch her, bent over in class with a studious frown. She watched her eat alone, or skip meals altogether. She watched her walking across campus, staring at far away things. It made Galinda sad, to think that Elphaba had been as intimate as was humanly possible with two men, and yet she could still look so devastatingly lonely.

On Thursday, Elphaba was not at dinner again. Galinda realized she had developed a habit of making sure her roommate was there, eating alone. She shook her head, thinking, She skips too many meals. It's isn't good for her.

She was trying to figure how many meals Elphaba had skipped over the past few weeks when, suddenly, she put the pieces together. Galinda might not always be the most astute person when it came to the subtleties of human nature, but she was not stupid. She scanned the room, searching for Avaric's sandy hair in his usual corner. He was absent as well. She swallowed slowly, afraid to consider the reason why both of them were coincidentally absent. She felt dirty for even guessing at what was going on right now.

Galinda tried to shake off the thought. She tried to squeeze her eyes closed and force out of her head what she knew. She wanted no part in this. She did not want to be held accountable for Elphaba. She was not that brave.

Galinda's eyes fluttered opened when someone asked, "Can I sit here?"

She looked up to see Fiyero, holding a tray and looking friendly.

"Sure," Galinda offered softly.

"You look very unhappy. For you, anyway," Fiyero noted.

She shook her head a little, "I'm sorry. I'm being terribly rude. It's just been…a long few days."

"It has," Fiyero agreed, "but last weekend was nice. I mean, the weather was…nice. Not so cold…"

Galinda studied him for a moment, and then asked, "Was Elphie with you? Is that where she disappeared to last weekend?"

Fiyero blushed a little, "Yes. But it was strictly business, at least, according to her…"

"Everything is business, with Elphie," Galinda grumbled.

"I know," Fiyero answered quietly.

"We had a terrible fight the other day," Galinda confessed, twisting her napkin nervously, "I think because I just can't grasp her way of dealing with the world. She does things that I wouldn't have the courage to even ponder…"

"I know. But she has a good heart. She only wants what's right," Fiyero defended, his eyes ablaze with conviction.

Galinda considered him. She might not be the highest scoring student, or the most adept political savant, but she knew boys.

"You love her, don't you?" she asked.

Fiyero looked shocked and taken aback, "What? No! I mean…I can't. It's complicated, Galinda. That's not the kind of relationship she wants."

"What about what you want?"

"When did you turn into such an analyst?" Fiyero snapped, and she looked a bit hurt.

Galinda tried again, "Fiyero, I know I'm terribly old fashioned, but doesn't it bother you that…I mean, I'm not so naïve as to believe every newlywed is as pure as driven snow, but how can you…share her…like that?"

"Like what?" Fiyero looked dumbfounded.

"Like…now. You must believe I do not make a habit of sitting around and contemplating Elphaba's personal business, but…she's missed dinner again. And so has Avaric…"

"So? Elphaba skips meals. It's a terrible habit of hers," Fiyero shook his head.

Galinda lowered her voice, her eyes wide, "It's okay, you don't have to lie to me. She told me about Avaric. And I feel a bit guilty for not helping her, but you must understand, I just can't be involved. I just don't see how it doesn't bother you. You've always seemed the sentimental type."

"Avaric?" Fiyero looked terribly confused. He glanced around the room, as if trying to sort out what Galinda had said.

Galinda felt a sudden weight in her chest, realizing she had assumed far too much in this situation. She had assumed that since Elphaba insisted she and Fiyero were merely conspiring together in some sort of clandestine mission, that he knew about Avaric. She assumed he knew about whatever it was that Elphaba wanted.

Galinda brought her hands to her mouth as Fiyero continued to look puzzled, "I've made a terrible mistake," she choked out, and then fled the table.

Fiyero sat there, his appetite gone, trying to piece together what Galinda had meant.

Elphaba climbed through Avaric's window just as the clock chimed six that evening. The rest of the school would be filing into the dining hall now, and Elphaba hoped to have this over with quickly. Avaric leered at her as she pressed the window closed and approached him.

"I want the key this time," she spat.

"Then make me want to give it to you," Avaric drawled, lounging on his bed.

Elphaba took a deep breath and set about what had to be done. It was all becoming routine, and she was learning to shut out the obnoxious dialogue and just play her part. Luckily, Avaric was not terribly difficult to please. For all his efforts at being difficult even to speak to in public, he was far too predictable in bed.

Elphaba took the lead, even trying on occasion to hurt him, and he ate it up. This time, in hopes of securing the key, she pushed Avaric back and climbed on top of him. It was bothersome, because it required more effort. However, Elphaba hoped the extra effort would get her what she wanted.

Just as Avaric finally reached climax and collapsed back onto his pillow, the door to the sitting room was flung open. Elphaba whipped her head around to see Fiyero standing in the doorway. His eyes were dark, his lips pulled into a tight line.

"Fiyero!" Elphaba gasped. She wanted to say something more, but there was very little to deny in this situation. She was naked as birth and straddling his roommate. She could only pray that, if she could get rid of Avaric, Fiyero might understand her motive.

Elphaba whipped herself off the bed and hastily pulled on her clothes. She then approached Fiyero, but he backed away, as though she'd stung him, "Fiyero, you must understand, he has the key! He promised me the key to Dr. Dillamond's office! You must understand what that could mean!"

Fiyero just shook his head, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt.

Avaric was pulling on his trousers as Elphaba turned back toward him and pleaded, "Give me the key, now! You've gotten what you wanted, many times over! Give it to me!"

Avaric shook his head, "I don't have it."

"What?" Elphaba looked prepared to kill him.

"If that key had been missing for more than a few days, Morrible would have had my hide. I don't have it. I have had a terribly good time, though."

Elphaba's eyes widened in angry panic. She turned to Fiyero, as though he might help her. Instead, he looked sick, and repeated, "Many times over?"

"Fiyero," she begged, "you must understand! I had no other choice!"

"Elphaba," his voice had a strange, hard edge to it, "I think it might do you good to consider that if, in trying to save people or Animals from suffering, you trample on someone else, you've done very little to change the course of this world."

They all stood that way for a moment, none speaking. Avaric started to button his shirt, as though nothing unusual had occurred.

Elphaba turned on him and growled, "You are a sadistic pig!"

"Perhaps you should consider yourself. You involved the innocent in your game. At least there's no pretense here," Avaric sneered.

Elphaba let out a little shriek then. She leapt at him, as though to claw his eyes out. Avaric caught her wrists before she could touch him, and she was no match for his size and strength. He also misjudged how small she really was, and flung her away from him so that she tumbled into the desk with a loud clatter. She lay there for a moment, stunned. When she tried to stand, she was clearly in pain.

Fiyero inhaled sharply, and for a moment, he almost went to her. But the wound was too fresh inside of him, the pain was too great. He could see that she was hurt, by the way she clutched her side and winced. However, the image of her astride Avaric was burnt into his brain. It disgusted him, and he was suddenly nauseous. He ran from the room. He ran from the building and didn't stop until he collapsed on a bench behind the dining hall.

Fiyero could only hope that when returned, she would be gone. He hated Avaric for hurting her. He hated having seen it and done nothing. He hated himself for having left her on the floor like that. But right now, he hated her more. He hated Elphaba for affecting him so deeply, for being so breathtakingly unique that he loved her even when she told him not to. He hated her for having torn up his heart so badly it physically ached. He realized now just how much he'd loved her, and in equal measure, how much he now hated her.

After several minutes of stunned silence, Avaric finally crossed the room to where Elphaba sat in a crumpled heap. He reached out to offer his hand, and she looked up at him with bitterness in her eyes.

"Don't touch me," she ordered, struggling to her feet.

Avaric backed away, saying, "Elphaba…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"What? Throw me across the room? I'm sure you didn't," she snapped, with undisguised sarcasm.

"No, I didn't. You…attacked me! I just reacted…I didn't mean to hurt you," Avaric sounded genuinely sorry.

"Well, I'm sorry if it's hard to believe someone who's such an accomplished liar!" she spat, reaching for the chair to help her stand.

Avaric sighed, "Fine. I'm a liar. But I wouldn't throw you like that on purpose. I'm not that kind of person."

Elphaba stood there, her right arm wrapped gingerly around her ribcage, "So somehow, throwing someone into a desk would make you worse of a person than using them like a cheap souvenir, and then shrugging it off as though nothing happened?" she sounded more wounded than angry, which was entirely unsettling for Avaric.

"Elphaba…I do believe we've used each other in equal measure," he argued.

"But I delivered my end of the bargain! I've given up everything, and you are a filthy, deceptive, manipulative bastard! And, for your personal record," she choked out venomously, "you're really not that great in bed."

Avaric inhaled sharply, his expression dark, "Look, I'm offering my help. Take it, or limp home."

"I would rather drive nails into my own flesh than let you touch me again," Elphaba spat. She threw up the window and leapt out without a backward glance.

By the time she got back to her room, she was nearly in tears. They threatened to spill, not from sadness, but from angry frustration and the unyielding pain in her side. She crawled into bed, fully clothed, and lay there, hoping rest might abate the pain. She focused on the physical torment, because she was afraid of what was beneath it. She was afraid of what she would feel when the anger subsided, afraid that she wasn't as strong as she wanted to be.

Elphaba finally fell into a restless sleep, filled with images of Fiyero's dark and devastated eyes.

The following day, Elphaba could not force herself out of bed. Just sitting up resulted in stabbing, throbbing pain. She also discovered, upon carefully removing her stockings, that her right ankle was badly bruised. She tried to put weight on it, and decided it was probably not broken. It looked terrible though, with a large gash across her foot that had slowly scabbed. She also couldn't seem to twist herself to undo the buttons on her dress. With every movement, a sharp pain shot through her left side. After a while, she gave up and collapsed back onto her bed. Pulling the blankets over herself, Elphaba decided that missing one day of class in an entire semester would not ruin her.

When Elphaba was not at dinner again that evening, Galinda grew more concerned. She still felt terribly about what she'd said to Fiyero the previous evening, and hoped she'd caused no serious damage. She picked listlessly at her food until she decided she simply was not hungry. Gathering her purse and coat, Galinda fled the dining hall. On her way out, she spotted Avaric carrying on with some of his cronies.

So she's not with him…

Galinda felt a bit relieved, but was still concerned. She trudged back to her room, noting that the air smelled like snow for the first time that year. It was a bit early in coming, and she always dreaded having to pick through the cold, slushy mess.

When she entered her room, it was dark and terribly chilly. She went first to the fireplace to stack fresh logs and coax a spark into lighting them. Elphie was better at it, but she obviously hadn't got it going that morning. After several minutes, the room was finally filled with soft, glowing warmth. Galinda went to light one of the lamps, and noticed that Elphaba's bed was not neatly made. It was unusual, and upon lighting the lamp, she looked closer. She took a few steps toward her roommate's bed and jumped back, startled, when the blankets moved. Galinda let out a little squeal, realizing Elphaba was under the mess.

"Elphie? What on earth?" Galinda squeaked.

Elphaba sat up very slowly, with labored effort, "Of course it's me. Who else would be in my bed?"

"Well…no one. I just…I didn't expect you to be in your bed at six-fifteen!"

Elphaba let out a sigh and grumbled, "Neither did I," she pushed the blankets back and very carefully tried once again to reach the buttons on the back of her dress. The motion brought tears to her eyes, and Galinda couldn't help but notice.

The blonde debated with herself for a moment, afraid of starting another argument. Sympathy won, however, and she offered, "Elphie…do you need some help?"

"No," Elphaba snapped stubbornly. She couldn't suppress a groan, however, as she struggled to make her arms reach.

Galinda watched her for another moment, and then crossed the room and helped her anyway. Elphaba started to protest, but gave in out of pain and sheer exhaustion. Galinda undid the row of buttons and helped her roommate pull the dress carefully over her head. It was a bit awkward, as Galinda did not normally undress anyone but herself. She swallowed the embarrassment, however, and continued.

With the dress off, Elphaba sat in just her undergarments, and Galinda gasped, "Oh my dear sweet Oz! Elphie, what have you done!"

Elphaba's entire left side was mottled with ugly, purple and black bruises. It looked, to Galinda, as though someone had struck her with something. She was both horrified and afraid, in equal measure.

When Elphaba did not answer, Galinda asked again, "Elphie, how did this happen?"

Elphaba tried to stand, to retrieve a nightdress, and snapped, "I had some very, very rough sex."

Galinda blushed, but refused to be deterred, "Even if that's true, this is inexcusable…"

Elphaba tried to bend to open her dresser drawer, and winced. Galinda crossed the room to help her pull out a nightdress. Elphaba limped back to her bed with it and threw out, "Isn't this what you'd expect me? The Shiz University Whore?"

Galinda sat down on the bed again, refusing to fight, "Elphie, I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry for having said that. It was terribly off-color of me. And it's not true. We've become friends, and friends do not say things like that to one another. Can you forgive me?"

"You called me a whore Galinda!" Elphaba argued, trying to pull the nightdress over her head.

"But you're not!" Galinda argued, "You're different from me, yes. Before I came here, I don't know that I'd ever encountered anyone like you. You dismiss all social norms, and that still makes me uncomfortable. But there's something about you…"

Elphaba was finally dressed, and now looked exhausted. Perhaps out of a sheer lack of energy to fight, she let out a heavy sigh and conceded, "Galinda, don't worry yourself any further. You'll wrinkle your pretty skin. I just needed your help, but it's irrelevant now."

"Why?" Galinda looked both curious and terrified.

Elphaba sighed, "Avaric doesn't have what I want. At least, not anymore."

"So…you slept with him…for nothing?" Galinda looked a little sick.

Elphaba's eyes flashed, "Do I look happy about it?"

"But…who did this to you?" Galinda was looking at Elphaba's ankle now.

"It doesn't matter, Galinda. Don't worry your pretty head."

"Why do you always say pretty as though it means stupid? Or like it's some sort of offensive word? Do you really think that little of me?" Galinda looked suddenly hurt.

Elphaba was struck silent for a moment, and her eyes took on a strange, sad quality that Galinda had not seen before, "I'm sorry. It's just…who you are. You're Beautiful Galinda. Good Little Galinda Upland of the Arduennas, future debutante and connoisseur of clothing. You don't seem to want to be part of anything more than that."

"That doesn't mean I'm stupid! I'm smart enough to know that no one should be hurting you like this! I don't care what your cause is! Unless you've put on a uniform and entered a battlefield, you should not have wounds like this!" Galinda was now shrieking.

Elphaba rubbed her eyes, "It's ok, Galinda. I will heal. It's not permanent."

"You're going to the infirmary. Now."

"What?" Elphaba snapped her head up.

"This should be treated. I'm not letting you lay here like this," Galinda's voice was strangely firm.

"No! It will raise too many questions!" Elphaba argued vehemently.

"Then we'll think of answers for those questions," Galinda argued, and the paused to think, "Perhaps you fell down the stairs?" she offered.

"Is that what you think happened?" Elphaba challenged.

"No. But I will keep your secrets, Elphie, because you've made me your friend. As crazy as I think you can be, I believe your heart is good. But I will only keep quiet if you get this treated. Otherwise, I will have to tell the Amas about your indiscretions."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes, "So, once again, I'm being blackmailed?"

Galinda reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Elphaba's ear, "Call it what you like. But I think too much of you to see you suffer like this."

Elphaba studied her for a moment, before finally conceding, "Fine."

Galinda helped her roommate up from the bed. Elphaba was in too much pain to change her clothes again, so Galinda wrapped her in her warmest coat. She secured it tightly and helped her into her boots.

With Elphaba leaning on her for support, Galinda made her way toward the infirmary. Luckily, it was just next door, and was reserved only for the girls of Crage Hall. They pushed open the door and rang the bell for the nurse, who was closing up for the day.

"Girls!" the matronly nurse exclaimed, "Shouldn't you be at dinner?"

"We were," Galinda explained, "but my friend fell down the stairs this morning and I've convinced her she needs to be examined."

Elphaba looked impressed at Galinda's ability to tell such a believable lie. She flashed the blonde a tiny smile as the nurse led them to a private room.

It took the nurse just a few minutes to deduce that Elphaba had broken three ribs. The green girl had nearly been in tears as the older woman poked and prodded her tender body. The nurse also decided the cut on Elphaba's ankle could become infected, and gave her a shot of something relatively new to ward off infection. The nurse then wrapped Elphaba's torso in stiff bandages, to keep her still, and instructed that she do the same each morning for several weeks. She also dispensed a few vials of pain powder, which Galinda tucked in her purse.

By the time they got back to their room, Elphaba was exhausted. Galinda made a pot of tea, and put one of the vials of powder in her roommate's cup. They sat together on Elphaba's bed, sipping in silence.

Galinda wanted to ask more questions. She wanted to understand what her friend had gotten into that had caused such injury. She supposed it could have been from climbing around places she shouldn't have been. However, Galinda was more afraid it had something to do with Avaric, or Fiyero. She wanted to know, and yet she did not want to be involved. She was as afraid of the answers as she was curious. So Galinda sat in silence, not asking.

After a time, Elphaba's eyes started to look misty, and she seemed to be in less pain. She sat down the cup of tea and leaned in towards Galinda. In a soft voice, she whispered, "Thank you."

Cupping Galinda's face, Elphaba pressed her lips to Galinda's cheek, just beside her lips. She lingered there for a moment, and Galinda felt herself flush.

Then Elphaba leaned back against the pillows, with Galinda's help. Galinda stayed beside her, both of them lying shoulder to shoulder in the bed. In her foggy state, Elphaba did not protest. Finally, her eyes closed in healing sleep.

Galinda watched her for some time, feeling as though she'd left something of her previous life behind tonight. She was officially part of the green girl's life, now. Their friendship had taken on a new level of intimacy, quite accidentally. Yet Galinda was strangely proud to be a keeper of Elphaba's secrets. It made her feel afraid, but exhilarated.

She touched her own cheek as she watched her friend's chest rise and fall slowly. She studied the dark eyelashes splayed over verdant cheeks. And when she finally crawled in her bed to sleep, she felt the heat of Elphaba's lips on her face. Galinda, who was as innocent as Elphaba was jaded, wondered if that counted as a first kiss.