I really should update more often…

When the two girls arrived at the Ozdust Ballroom, Galinda could hear the music pouring out the open doors. But more than the music, she could hear Elphaba's breathing becoming shallower. Galinda realized then that she had never seen the green girl nervous before. She put her other hand on Elphaba's arm and felt the green girl tense up before relaxing slowly. As they got closer, Galinda noticed the figure of Fiyero waiting at the entrance.

"Fiyero!" she called out. The prince straightened up and smiled.

"Galinda." He approached her and noticed Elphaba. He also noted the fact that Galinda had her arm wrapped around Elphaba's. The green girl moved in to salvage the conversation.

"I was just escorting Miss Galinda here. To make sure she made it safely to you." Elphaba said. Fiyero smiled.

"Well, I thank you for that, Miss Elphaba." he said. He offered his own arm to the blonde, which she took, releasing Elphaba's. The two started into the ballroom and Galinda cast a glance back at the green girl. Elphaba was watching them go and her dark chocolate eyes met Galinda's for a moment.

Was that hurt in those dark brown eyes? Confusion? Love?

Galinda didn't have time to decide because Elphaba had turned her back on the couple now and was starting to leave. Galinda made a decision then and there.

"Hold on." she said to Fiyero as she ran back to the green girl. She grabbed her arm, surprising the green girl.

"Galinda, what-"

"Come on. You deserve to have fun, no matter what color your skin is."

"Galinda, I don't think that's a very good idea…" But the blonde was already dragging the green girl back. She took Fiyero's arm again and the three of them approached the entrance, Elphaba resisting all the way. Galinda pushed the green girl in first and the room went deathly silent.

Elphaba stood at the top of the stairs, petrified. She was definitely a sight, wearing her blue frock and brown boots. Her hair was pulled back into its traditional braid and she was wearing her knit blue cap. To sum it all up, Elphaba knew that she did not fit in with all the other students.

And then the laughter started.

"What is she wearing?"

"Look at the way she's standing there, like some stupid animal."

"Why did she even come?"

Students pointed at the green girl as they made their remarks. Elphaba could feel her face growing hot and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and never come out. Her gaze fell on the girl who was supposedly her sister. She was just shaking her head. The boy she was with (what was his name again? Biq?) was looking at Elphaba with a look she couldn't read.

But the worst was when she saw Galinda. The blonde was covering her mouth, but Elphaba could tell by her expression that she was trying not to laugh.

Well. Elphaba may have lost her memory, but she knew better than to stay here and let the students continue to make fun of her.

And she could tell when she had been set up.

Elphaba turned and ran, covering her face with her hands, causing the laughter to grow louder.

"Elphaba!" Galinda called after her, but the green girl couldn't hear her over the cruel laughter of her fellow classmates.

The person who supposedly loved her had just broken her heart.

-----------------------------------------

"Elphaba?" the blonde said softly as she walked into their dark dorm room. The dance had ended an hour again and Galinda had been searching for the green girl since then.

The lump in Elphaba's bed stiffened and Galinda could hear the green girl breathing quietly. The blonde shook her head.

"Elphaba. I can still see you." she said, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge. No response. Galinda pulled the covers back and there was Elphaba, knees pulled up to her chest. The green girl's eyes were red, telling the blonde that she had been crying. Elphaba looked away, sniffling loudly.

"I'm so sorry, Elphaba. I had no idea… I just wanted… I thought…" Nothing seemed right to say at the moment. What could be said?

"I knew they would laugh. Why didn't you just let me be?" Elphaba said.

"I wanted you to have fun." The green girl was silent and Galinda was afraid that she had been tuned out.

"You know what hurt me the most?" Elphaba said, breaking the silence. "You. You laughed at me as well. I thought… I thought that we had something. You accepted me. You helped me when I lost everything. You were there when no one else was. I thought you were different… but I was wrong. You're just like them."

The blonde felt tears running down her face. Sweet Oz, what had she done? She never realized that Elphaba thought all those things about her. She had completely humiliated her friend.

"Elphie… I'm sorry." she said. Elphaba didn't respond. Galinda wanted to wrap her arms around the green girl, but was afraid the green girl would reject her, so she didn't. Instead, she went to her closet and pulled several hat boxes out. After rummaging through them, she extracted a black hat that was pointed at the top. She had never liked the hat herself, but it seemed to fit Elphaba. The blonde went back over to the green girl and gently pulled the blue cap off before replacing it with the black hat. Elphaba looked at the blonde before getting up and going into the bathroom to look in the mirror. She came back, emotionless.

"It's really sharp, don't you think?" Galinda said, trying to read the green girl. Elphaba took the hat off and held it in her hands. "Keep it, Elphie. I'm really bad at apologizing and I just want you to know that I really am sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen. If I had known that everyone was going to laugh… I never would have made you come." The green girl was silent and put the hat on her bed. Galinda figured their conversation was over and turned away. She reached back and tried to find the zipper of her dress so she could change for bed. Galinda found that she couldn't quite reach the zipper and struggled for a few seconds before she felt a hand pull the zipper down smoothly.

The blonde froze as her dress slid down her body and pooled at her feet on the floor, leaving her clad in only her undergarments. Green arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. Galinda closed her eyes as Elphaba took in the scent of the blonde curls. She reached a pale arm back and wrapped it around Elphaba's neck.

"Galinda… did you mean it when you said we were together?" the green girl breathed into the blonde's ear.

This was it. A critical moment. The blonde needed to make a decision. Now.

"Yes, Elphie. Yes." The green girl also closed her eyes and started to sway from side to side slowly.

"I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. I love you more with every breath truly, madly, deeply too. I will be strong I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning." Galinda was completely drawn in as Elphaba sang to her and not just because Elphaba had a beautiful voice, but because her heart was in what she was singing. She meant every word.

Galinda turned and put her hands into Elphaba's, looking up into her dark eyes. The two started a slow dance around the room and everything else seemed to fade away.

"I want to stand with you on a mountain. I want to bathe with you in the sea. I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me."

Galinda pulled the green girl down with her onto her bed and pulled the covers over them as green lips met soft pink ones.

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky

I'll make a wish, send it to Heaven that'll make you want to cry

The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection

Of the highest power and lonely hours

The tears divide you

And for the first time, Galinda fell asleep in the arms of someone who loved her.

Truly.

Madly.

Deeply.