Sorry for the wait! The last few weeks have been super hectic. I've got a few weeks of down time though, so the next few chapters will be quicker. Cheers!

This chapter jumps perspectives a bit more than usual...I hope it's not confusing. .

Elphaba stalked into history class, scowling at everything and everyone she passed. The result of her so-called friendship with Galinda and the ensuing makeover was that she'd been stared at even more than usual today, and she didn't like it one bit.

Arriving at her usual front-row seat, she deposited her bag on the floor in a huff, then flopped into her chair and glowered at the desktop.

"Elphaba?" a familiar voice asked in disbelief.

She whirled to find Fiyero sitting at the neighboring desk and began to blush, cursing Galinda silently.

"What are you doing here?"

He leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Oh, I'm always in this class—well, when I show up, that is. I just usually sit toward the back, and, model student that you are, your eyes would never dream of leaving the teacher." He shot her a sideways grin.

"Oh." 'For Oz's sake, Elphaba, say something intelligent.' She chewed her bottom lip uncomfortably, then blurted, "I know it's horrible. Galinda forced me to wear the stupid thing, I didn't want—why are you looking at me like that?"

Fiyero had been gazing at her with an affectionate, slightly sappy, and highly amused expression. At her question, he shook his head and grinned. "Ah, Elphie. You worry too much; you couldn't look horrible if you tried."

Galinda chose that precise moment to flounce into the classroom and plop into the seat on the other side of Fiyero.

"Fiyero!" she trilled. "Don't you like what I've done with Elphie?" Without waiting for his answer, she squealed, "Oh, of course you do! Who wouldn't?"

Fiyero was clearly flustered. "Umm…yeah, yeah, it's great." Turning back to Elphaba, he added more sincerely, "Really."

"I call it Galindafication," Galinda announced, trying unsuccessfully to draw his attention back to herself.

"I see," he said absently, then leaned towards Elphaba and added in an undertone, "You didn't need it."

Galinda's perfectly made-up face contorted into an irritated frown. 'Oh, the disrespectation! Shouldn't he be praising my goodliness?' But Fiyero had eyes only for Elphaba.

Galinda wanted to yank him around by the shoulders and shout, "You see that face? I created that face!" But ladies didn't shout. What would Momsie say? No, she would simply have to go with Plan B—what was Plan B again? She summoned Milla and Shen-Shen, and the three of them began plotting.

Meanwhile, Elphaba was discovering the full extent of Fiyero's…lack of academic aptitude—namely that he was failing most of his classes, though she suspected it was due more to lack of effort than lack of intelligence.

"And what about Life Sciences?" she pressed.

"Umm…a D?" he admitted sheepishly.

Elphaba sighed and shook her head. "If you only had a brain…"

"Hey!" He pretended to be affronted.

"What's the matter? Can't handle the truth? Is your confidence shattered?"

He shook his pencil at her. "I'll get you."

She cackled, then, glancing at Galinda and finding her absorbed in whispering with Milla and Shen-Shen about Oz-knew-what, she shot back, "Not if I unleash Galinda on you first. I think Galindafication would suit you quite well, personally."

He winced. "You know, pink is really not my color."

"Oh, I was thinking more along the lines of powder blue…maybe with a tutu and a little tiara…"

"Elphaba Thropp, you are evil." She cackled again.

Just then Doctor Dillamond entered the room, and Elphaba immediately straightened, her face taking on a studious look. She removed a pencil from behind her ear, and Fiyero chuckled to himself as he took out his notebook, preparing to take notes for the first time in his life. He figured that would be better than enduring glares from Elphaba for trying to occupy himself any other way. Heaving a sigh, he zoned in on the lesson and began to write.

Feeling rather numb but extremely proud of himself, Fiyero gathered up his five pages of detailed notes and slipped them into his bag. 'Amazing,' he thought. He might've actually learned something today. 'Not completely brainless, Elphaba…'

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and he turned to find Avaric standing over his shoulder, looking considerably less than friendly.

Elphaba stood and began to leave, but Fiyero caught her wrist as she passed.

"I'll see you for lunch?"

She nodded, then marched out of the classroom, casting a scathing look over her shoulder at Avaric. Fiyero slowly turned to face him, dreading what he suspected would end in a fight.

Avaric eyed the teacher, waiting for him leave. When the classroom was empty, he drawled, "So, Fiyero. You've been awfully cozy with greenie lately."

"What of it?"

Avaric took a step closer. "Well, if I didn't know better, I'd say you actually liked her."

Fiyero raised his eyebrows defiantly. "And if I did?"

Avaric just looked at him for a moment, then smirked. "How long do you think it'll take to get this one in bed? That's what you're after, isn't it? Oz, I know you don't like bar girls, but I had no idea you were that desperate. Do you think if you kiss the frog she'll turn into a princess?"

"Say one more word against her and I'll—"

"You'll what? Throw away ten years of friendship over some diseased whore—"

He didn't get a chance to finish, due to Fiyero's fist colliding forcefully with his jaw. Avaric staggered back, cursing.

"I said not another word," Fiyero spat.

Avaric wiped an arm across his bloodied lip and backed towards the door. "You shouldn't have done that." With that he turned and disappeared.

"Another."

The pretty girl behind the counter slid another glass towards the scowling customer. He was sporting a split lip and a long bruise across his jawbone; she guessed he'd had a quarrel and come here to drink his troubles away. He was handsome, in spite of the scowl and the bruises.

"You'll have to ask Kia for the next one." She indicated another girl further down the bar. "I'm on break for the next fifteen minutes."

She took a sweater from a hook on the wall and headed for the door. His eyes bored into her back. Quietly, he slipped from his stool and followed her.