Galinda sat in her bed with her notebook in hand, scheming once again. Two weeks had passed since the unsuccessful makeover. Fiyero and Elphaba were closer than ever, but Galinda was just frustrated. She'd sat next to Elphie, walked with her in the halls, even joined her and Fiyero for lunch on occasion, and that blasted prince hadn't so much as asked her on a date. On the contrary, the more time she spent with the two of them, the more she began to suspect that Fiyero was in love with Elphaba.

And for the first time in her life, Galinda Upland was jealous. How dare Elphaba get in the way? Never mind that Galinda and Fiyero didn't seem to have much in common, or that things between them were awkward when Elphaba wasn't there. Galinda was perfect, Fiyero was perfect, and then Elphaba had to step in and spoil all that lovely perfection. It just wasn't fair.

The first step in her new plan was obvious: she had to find a way to stop Fiyero's feelings for Elphaba.

Galinda felt a pang of guilt. Now that she knew Elphie better, knew how miserable her life had been, she felt something close to affection for the green girl, and her conscience squirmed at the thought of hurting her.

She shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind, where she kept everything unpleasant or distressing. She mustn't let pity get in the way of her plans. She was Galinda Upland, and she always got what she wanted. And this was what she wanted.

Wasn't it?

"Think, Fiyero. I know it's difficult, but you do have a brain—use it!"

Fiyero heaved a dramatic sigh. "Elphaba, if I think any harder, my head will explode."

"Not likely," she said dispassionately, then softened. "Come on, Fiyero, you know this."

"Umm…" He banged his head against his bedpost a few times, hoping it might help him concentrate. Truth be told, he did know this, but he was so distracted by thoughts of Elphaba and what he'd rather be doing with her at the moment that there was no room left in his head for history. 'Focus,' he scolded himself.

"Was it…during the Great Drought?"

"Good," Elphaba nodded approvingly. "Next question…"

Fiyero groaned. "Why can't we go find out if Boq really wears pink underwear instead?"

The corners of her mouth twitched. "I think I'm gonna pass on that one."

"Oh, I see how it is." He pretended to be miffed. She punched him lightly, and he caught hold of her wrist.

In his loftiest voice, he said, "Violence is a sin, Elphie."

"So is laziness."

"Hey! I'm trying over here!"

She shrugged. "I know. I just like giving you a hard time."

"Is that so?" He grinned wickedly.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, no you don't." She scrambled to get off the bed. "Don't even think about it! What is your fascination with—"

She shrieked as he caught her around the waist and pinned her down, tickling her mercilessly.

"Stop….Yero, stop!" she gasped in between bursts of laughter.

"Huh-uh; I'm having way too much fun."

"Fiyero!"

He shook his head. "You're gonna have to beg harder than that."

"No."

"Come on, say it…"

She set her jaw stubbornly, but her face was turning purple from suppressing her laughter. Fiyero's grin widened. "Elphie…"

"Ugh! Ok. You're freakishly handsome and charming," she grumbled as grumpily as is possible while being tickled.

"And…?"

She smirked. "And I'll try to refrain from reminding you of your many faults."

"How very kind of you," he said sarcastically. He stopped finally, and they both breathed heavily for a moment, him hovering over her.

For a moment, he was lost in her eyes, until he realized she was blushing so hard he could practically feel the heat coming off her face—possibly due to the fact that he was currently straddling her waist.

"Umm, Yero? Can you…?" She gestured for him to get off.

He decided to play dumb. "Can I what?"

"Get off me, you moron!"

He tilted his head. "No, I don't think I will…" Her mouth made a little surprised 'O', and he grinned. "You're pretty comfy."

She scowled at him, and he laughed. "Ok, ok…"

He finally rolled off and offered a hand to help her up, which she swatted away.

"Oz, Elphie, if looks could kill…"

"Then you'd be dead ten times over," she finished.

"I'm so abused," he whined.

"Aww, poor spoiled rich boy…"

"Yeah, yeah…So Elphie, you're coming to the dance tonight, right?"

She started fidgeting with the bedspread. "I don't know, Fiyero…"

"Why not?"

"I can't dance," she said bluntly.

"C'mon, Elphie. Please?" Puppy dog eyes; he'd discovered, to his surprise, that they did in fact seem to have an effect on her. "I'll miss you if you're not there."

'You have no idea how much…'

'Why in Oz am I doing this? Cute boy makes googly eyes at you and you willingly agree to a night of certain humiliation…really smart, Elphaba.'

Elphaba was going through her closet, examining black dress after black dress, in an attempt to decide which to wear to the party that night. 'Anyway, it's not as if it matters which one I wear; I'll look hideous regardless.' A voice in the back of her head argued, 'But Fiyero doesn't think so…'

"Well, Fiyero needs to get his eyes checked," she grumbled.

Unable to find anything decent to wear, Elphaba threw up her hands in frustration. "That's it! I'm not going."

Galinda poked her head out of the bathroom, not about to let her plans be foiled so easily.

"Elphie, you have to come! I have a special present just for you."

She hurried to her vast wardrobe, and for a moment her fluff-covered backside was all that remained visible as her torso disappeared into its depths to search for the present. After many bumps and squeaks of pain, a somewhat rumpled-looking Galinda emerged with a round box in her hands.

Galinda hesitated. In the box was a positively awful pointed black hat from her granny. If Elphaba went to the dance wearing that, she'd be laughed off the dance floor, and surely Fiyero would come to his senses. He wouldn't want anything to do with such an embarrassing fiasco. 'I don't know if I can do this…'

Forcing a smile, she thrust the hat into Elphaba's hands. "Here. It's very…umm, sharp, don't you think?"

Elphaba blinked.

"I thought you might want to wear it to the party tonight."

"Well, I—"

"Please, Elphie?" Galinda pleaded.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal. I'll come—" Galinda squealed and clapped her hands. "—if and only if you promise to stop calling me that horrid nickname."

"Done." Galinda traipsed back off to the bathroom.

"Galinda?"

"Yes, Elphaba?"

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Thank you."

Feeling worse than ever, Galinda gave her a half-hearted smile. "Don't thank me, Elphaba. Really."

'I can't do this, I can't do this…'

"Galinda, I'm going to go ahead and leave, ok?" Elphaba called a few minutes later.

"Alright, I'll catch up in a minute."

As soon as Elphaba was gone, Galinda collapsed on her bed with a sigh. The sense of guilt she'd been experiencing all day nagged at her, and refused to stay in the back of her mind where she'd put it.

She remembered the night Elphaba had told her about how her mother was dead and her father hated her, and how genuinely sorry she'd felt. She thought about all the teasing and cruelty her roommate had endured just in the last couple of months, and the guilt burned white hot. The teasing tonight would most likely be worse than anything she'd put up with so far at Shiz, and if all went according to plan, her only true friend, FIyero, wouldn't be there to back her up.

Galinda's eyes filled with tears. 'Poor Elphie…' Didn't she deserve to be loved, just this once?

She sat bolt upright. "I have to stop her!"

Galinda leaped from her bed, flung open the door, and bolted out into the hallway, determined to catch Elphaba before she arrived at the Ozdust.