Thanks once again for reading and the wonderful reviews!
"There he is!" Galinda pointed towards the wizards statue where a few students were lounging around.
"This is a horrible idea." She hissed. "Why don't we wait when he isn't drinking with a ton of other guys so he will actually be coherent. " Galinda waved her off making her way over to the group.
Their was cat whistles and comments towards Galinda but one glare from Elphaba shut them up.
"Hey sweetheart." Avaric grinned at Galinda eyeing her up and down from his spot. Galinda seemed disgusted by it but did not run off.
"Greenie." He acknowledged Elphaba with a flick of his bottle.
"Snob." She responded easily and he ignored her, busy looking at Galinda hungrily.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of being in the presence of such a... stunningly beautiful—and by that low cut of your dress—-trampish bombshell."
"Oh shut it Avaric. " Elphaba said stopping him from coming near Galinda, who seemed to be frozen in terror of his close proximity. He smirked devilishly at her and tried moving to her again but Elphaba raised her hand to stop him, ready to use her magic if she needed to.
"Elphie don't." Galinda said knowingly.
Avaric turned his smug smile towards her and shook his beer at her, staining her dress with his alcohol.
"Yeah green bean listen to miss perfect. She just realized that prince brainless wasn't up to her standards in bed and she just wants to try a real man now." The guys who were with Avaric laughed and it made Elphaba flare her nose.
"A-Avaric," Galinda began with a stutter. "I wish to speak to you."
He chuckled. "And what are we doing?"
"Alone." Galinda said and Avaric smirked.
"Oh... Ohhh... Did you hear that fellas, run off!" The three guys lounging around begrudgingly stood, taking their bottles and stumbling off leaving only the three there.
"Listen princess, I don't exactly need any witnesses here so either tell your green atrocity to leave or you know blindfold her so I won't see her—"
"Can you please shut up for a moment Avaric!" Galinda seemed to find her voice, glaring at Avaric.
Avaric's smirk fell, a scowl forming. "What do you want then, Upland? I mean you already know what I want."
"I've met all your family when we were younger."
Avaric shrugged looking at her as if she were stupid."Yeah, and?" He smirked again taking another swig of his beer.
"I never met him, I have never met Sanevan before." The smirk fell off Avaric's face for a second before he gave her a condescending smile.
Galinda didn't seem to notice it but it was enough for Elphaba to suspect he knew something.
"So? You can't have possible met everyone in my family."
"Yes I have, every single one your cousins. Remember at that ball…you introduced me to every single of them, I remember. "
Avaric scoffed."And he wasn't able to make it, simple as at."
"No," Galinda shook her head, "you said everyone was there, as in everyone in your family, so why didn't I ever meet him?"
"He wasn't here, he was in Fliaan studying. " Avaric said almost automatically and without a doubt she knew he knew something. There was no chance he didn't.
"No," Galinda shook her curls. "Otherwise you would have presented—"
"I don't need to give you any explanation Miss Galinda, he is my cousin and that's that." Avaric spit out. "Listen I know what I want and if it isn't what you are here for you can leave…" Avaric threw his hand out, inviting her to go. Galinda narrowed her eyes at him before she stormed off
Elphaba stayed behind watching Avaric's eyes following Galinda's departure, almost wistfully.
"You're lying." She said and Avaric looked at her in mock surprise. "You're still here? I would have thought you'd gone off and—"
"Can you shut up already. You are a liar."
"I'm a liar?" He laughed, staring her down threateningly. "What the hell am I lying about green bean?"
She didn't let herself be intimidated."You know very well that Sanevan is not your cousin." She revealed and Avaric's face seemed to drain of all blood.
"Excuse me?" He glared at her looking frantically around before he shoved her back into the statue.
"What in the—" She moved quickly grabbing at his hand that tried to cover her mouth and twisting it behind him. He hissed in pain as she turned the tables on him and made him unable to move.
"Try that again, I promise I wont take it this lightly." She said twisting his hand more when he tried to break free.
"Are you working with them? Trying to find out about us? " He said, with his face pressed down against the statue.
"I'm not working for anyone. I only wish to know what the hell happened to my friend Sanevan."
Avaric stopped struggling. "You aren't working with them?"
"If I were working for the people who did this I would end up killing myself for it." She said honestly and Avaric twisted his head to look at her.
"And how do I know you aren't really working with them?"
"If I was I wouldn't be so stupid as to call you out in the middle of campus I would plan something better." She answered letting her grip on his arm go. Avaric pushed himself off the statue and stepped away from her. His surly face looking at his broken bottle of beer on the floor.
"You're buying me a new one." He said pointing at the glass on the floor.
"What do you know?" She demanded, ignoring his demand.
"Like I'd tell you." He spat, wiping some dirt off his face. "You're the one person I would never tell."
Elphaba grinded her teeth."If you know something about this stupid new era crap, I'd very much like to know."
"As if I'd tell you, you!" He sneered. "Oh I can't wait to meet the wizard!" He mocked her, waving his hands around ridiculously. "Go ahead and tell your wizard and Morrible if you want, Thropp. I wont be here long enough for them capture me."
Elphaba's eyes turned to slits."Why do you assume I'm working for them?"
Avaric curled his lips.."Did you not hear me? You admire and worship the wizard. What better way to get on his good side than by following orders."
"I don't work for anyone." Elphaba stressed. "If the wizard has something to do with the revolting idea I've heard of, then I don't want to meet him. I would never work with someone like that."
Avaric's sneer never changed as he studied her, keeping his eyes locked onto hers. He was trying to see if she was lying and Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"Are you going to tell me what you know or not? I don't have time for your pointless antics Avaric, their intention with people isn't something to play with."
"No, it's not…but they are."
"Then tell me what you know before others suffer the same. If there is a chance to stop this supposed scheme of theirs it'd be easier to have all the help I can get no matter how unpleasant it may be."
Avaric bared his teeth before sighing in frustration. "Not here greenie, follow me." He said turning away from her.
She eyed him suspiciously."And how am I sure you aren't working with whoever they are?"
Avaric stopped and looked over his shoulder, "I'm not, but you really can't know can you, it's either trust me right now or not." He grinned. "It's the same to me."
"Someone who knew you before told me that you used to be a close confidant, can I trust that some part of that is in you?" Avaric looked up with a far away look, his brows furrowing.
"What else was I?" He asked genuinely. Elphaba saw him, not the jerk he showed to people everyday, but someone real. An actual person and she knew at that moment that parts of whoever he used to be still lingered in him.
"Not here," She reminded him and he nodded motioning for her to follow him. She followed knowing that she could trust her magic if anything got out of hand.
She didn't follow too close to Avaric in case he decided to try something to harm her. Avaric led her in the direction of the history building, walking behind it to where she knew he and his friend would go to skip class most days. She knew that it was an unwise idea to follow him, but she needed to know all she could and if he knew anything about it she would listen.
"So?" She said, stopping her steps. There was absolutely no way she would walk any further with him.
"So?" He replied halting his steps.
"You were going to tell me how you know and what you know?"
He turned her way. "Yeah, right after you told me what you know? "
They glared at one another until Avaric sighed in defeat, leaning back against the wall of the building.
"I don't know how long I've been the way I am. All I know is that when I came to Shiz I was told things by someone." He told her, looking bored as he started kicking at the dirt floor.
"Who?" She questioned and Avaric shrugged lightly.
"Someone."
It irked her that he didn't want to tell her but she understood. "What did they say?"
"They told me how our own government was working against us," He chuckled shaking his head."Obviously I didn't believe them. I laughed at them, yet they kept at it, that's it's happening it's happened and I was one of the fortunate first." His smile slowly fell looking somberly at his fingernails. "There are others here who have succumbed to the same fate, a few you've already met and a few who I will not let happen to."
She listened to his words a little shocked."But who told you all of this?"
"A friend," He answered. "I'm not hiding them to be mysterious or anything, I'm only trying to protect them. I don't care about myself anymore, I don't care what happens to me, but no one else…" He shook his head at the idea before staring at her again. "So how do you know?"
"Sanevan worked for my father. We were friends and he told me."
He nodded."Yes, and what did he say? How did he know?"
"They tried to make him forget things but they couldn't so he lied and pretended to be who they tried making him." She explained and Avaric frowned, considering her words.
"What?" He hissed in bewilderment. "He wasn't able to be changed? How? Why?"
She gave him half a shrug. "I don't know, he just wasn't."
Avaric took a shaky breath. "What if I never changed and this was who I've always been? What if they just…erased…part of my memories but not who I was."
Elphaba watched him pace back and forth muttering something underneath his breath before he stopped and looked at her gloomily.
"So…What did they tell you about me? I mean, It's hard to imagine not being who in am, and I haven't talked to anyone that would ever consider me a close confidant so I have no way of knowing."
"They said you were kind and their closest confidant. "
"Kind and a confidant?" A hint of a smile was on his face. "It's odd hearing those words to describe me. I've only known rude, jerk, asshole, perv." He joked scratching at his head.
"But if you are aware that you were changed why do you continue acting that way?" She challenged and Avaric looked at his hands, ignoring her question. After a while he gave her a halfhearted shrug. "I don't know how else to be," He confessed."For her protection and everyone else it's best I am who they made me, thats who I am now anyway so why act who I'm not?"
It didn't escape her that Avaric had talked about protecting some girl, and it wasn't really hard to guess who he was referring to either.
"Really? Then how come I'm not hearing that Avaric?" She pondered crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm hearing you talk and I hear the boy they talked to me about, that kind boy."
"Because I'm trying to remember that boy. I'm trying to remember who I used to be but I can't, I don't think I ever will. No point if this is all I am now."
"They can make you forget you who you are but they cant make you lose who you are. They can play with a persons mind but they cant change the essence of the person…" Elphaba couldn't believe she was trying to help him.
"Then why am I this?" He asked her as if she would know. "This vulgar asshole that only lives to hurt people? I'm only able to hurt others."
"That's what they told you to be but you don't have to be that person if you don't want to, you can try to be someone else."
"And then what?" He sneered lightly. "They know of my past friendship with Galinda if—" Avaric stopped, realizing that he had said more than he wanted to. She already knew that they had been friends because Galinda had said it, but the fear he had on his face when he told her about it, surprised her. He composed himself and pretending that it wasn't anything as he continued, "Thats what they want,they want those that know us from before to recognize our changes and question us, because once they question us they have a reason to do it to them too…"
Elphaba blinked coming to a realization. "You're protecting her."
Avaric's eyes wandered to the sky. "I'm not trying to just protect her, I'm trying to protect everyone."
"Sure, whatever you say," She chuckled, watching him pretend as if it didn't really matter "It doesn't make it less true. You want to protect her most because you care for her."
"She was my friends wasn't she?" He retorted, never looking at her.
Elphaba laughed again, Avaric could fool himself all he wanted—he clearly like the blonde.
"I think you like her a little more than friends." Elphaba grinned and Avaric rolled his eyes.
"I think you think too much gree—Shhhh, shut up for a minute." Avaric rushed forward and muffled her mouth with his hand, pushing her back into the wall so she was unable to move or speak. Elphaba brought her hand up but he grabbed it shushing her again. "If they discover what we're talking about we're dead, trust me for a minute green peas." He whispered rapidly.
Elphaba could hear the metal creature—grommetik, and the grinding of metals whirring. Avaric moved a little bit away from her and grabbed a handful of his hair."Shit, shit, shit…I think it's coming this way, we have to run!"
"No!" She said quickly. "If that thing is controlled by Morrible it will hear us run and alert that witch."
Avaric's head turned sharply to the left. "It's coming this way!"
She felt the fear rise in her chest, "Just shut up and—oz—This doesn't mean a thing. Follow my lead." He looked at her confused, eyebrows shooting high when she pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his.
The only thing going on in her mind was the thought of not barfing at that instant. Her head was spinning and she gripped tightly to his arms for support. She concentrated on listening to the gears coming much closer, the whirring noise growing louder. Like an alarm. It was alerting her.
She wrapped her hands around his head and deepened the kiss. Avaric responded quite too eagerly for her taste pulling her waist even closer to him and pressing her uncomfortably tight against the wall.
She cautiously opened an eye looking over his shoulder to see that horrendible looking machine straight out of a nightmare, it stood watching them before it quieted down and turned away.
Elphaba pushed him back and wiped her lips on her sleeves, getting her fear under control.
"Wow…That's not what I thought you meant..."
She sent a glare at his direction. "Don't get any ideas Tenmeadows."
"I'm not," He shrugged with a huge grin. "It was just surprising how well you knew how to use those green lips of yours." Avaric lifted his eyebrows, his hand coming to rest underneath his chin. "You definitely know what you are doing."
"This never happened." She told him and he smirked.
"Of course." He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her. "You're good…much too good to never have kissed before—"
"-I never said—" She stopped when Avaric smiled even wider.
"Oh, not your first? I would ask who, but I have an inkling as to who—I'm assuming of course."
"Avaric." She warned at his smirk and he lifted his hands innocently.
"What?"
"Shut up." She growled and Avaric looked startled.
"About? I don't know what you are talking about?" He said seriously, but she could still see that small hint of a smug in his face.
"Good."
"Good," He echoed."I don't want anyone to know about this."
"Never happened remember?" She said and Avaric winked.
"Lets keep it that way."
The stood awkwardly for a second. "What are we going to do now?"
"Go to bed— to our respective beds," She amended at Avaric's disgusting look. "And try to find some evidence of this whole…mess, and find some way to stop it."
Avaric nodded."And how will we tell each other?
"Well," She sighed. "It looks like someone horrible got a good look at us…fraternizing."
"Making out you mean." Avaric said.
"Whatever," She scowled. "We let her believe its just that, fraternizing."
Avaric frowned. "So I'm going to be your fake boyfriend or something?"
"No." She said, feeling nauseous at the thought.
"Fake lover?" He wondered and Elphaba put a hand up to quiet him.
"Quiet already." She said, thinking of any other solution to their problem. If Morrible had seen them then she had no other choice.
"Exclusively in front of her that way she doesn't suspect a thing." She finally said.
"Aww…" Avaric pouted jokingly and she gave him dirty look.
"Avaric this is serious." She scolded and Avaric's shoulders slumped.
"I'm trying not to think of that aspect of this whole thing."
She gave him a stern look."That is the only aspect of this whole thing. To learn more of what's going on in Oz."
"Shit things are going on in Oz and that's all there is to know right now."
"That's really all we know right now. The thing is, that with an ability to change people like this it's only a matter of time before they plan something bigger, something that reaches more people."
"No shit." Avaric scoffed. "We're trying to figure out what it is they are planning before we try anything against them."
"Will I ever be told exactly who is working with you?" She asked and Avaric just raised his eyebrows.
"Maybe, maybe not, it depends."
"On? If I'm trustworthy or not? I'm not going to be kept away from any resistance, I will fight back if only for what they did to san and his family."
"You mean by those Monkeys?" He told her, cautiously looking around. "That's the story now…"
She nodded."Listen I think we should go now."
"Why?"
She gave him a look."It's not safe right now?" She reminded him. "And we are talking about very risky information after we were already seen by that crap machine."
"Yeah, sure, whatever I'll just send you a note…Don't think too hard about me." He teased and Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"I wont."
The two walked away without another word.
—
Elphaba walked into the girls building with a lot more information than she wanted or needed. They were experimenting with a few students, that much she knew. Avaric and his mysterious friend were trying to plan something against it, and he was trying to keep her out of it until he knew she was on their side. That or Avaric was an idiot who was just playing around. Even so, something was going to be done and something or someone had to stop it.
"There you are!—Are you hurt? Did he touch you?" Galinda shouted in terror, rushing to her when she walked in.
"No. I'm fine." She told her quickly, watching Galinda's panicked eyes search for any sign of harm.
"Why did you take your time? Is he ok did you do something to him? Because if you did he deserved it!"
"No," She said again with a shake of her head. "I was just taking a walk—Lets just talk tomorrow so we can end this day already I'm in need of rest."
"But..." Galinda pouted and Elphaba didn't respond. Instead readying herself for bed.