For a while, Shenshen and Pfanee would peek a head in the lavatory every few minutes, but Galinda cried for so long they must have gotten bored. She had missed breakfast, and probably quite a few lessons. Unwilling to punish her stomach for her heart's pain, she slowly calmed herself down until she could walk to the cafeteria to bring her lunch back to the bathroom.
While choosing her meal, the lunchroom chatter quieted. Galinda turned around to see Elphaba walking toward her. Her tray dropped from her hands, she was so surprised. Her roomie smirked at her reaction, then stooped over and picked up the tray.
"My, pretty. You'd think you've seen me enough not to be so disgusted by my color." She said, then leaned in to whisper while giving the tray back, and the warm breath tickled Galinda's ear. "Act normal, sweet, we're in public. Try to insult me, if you're not too overcome." As the taller girl retreated slightly, the blonde cleared her head some and managed to resume picking out her meal. It was, however, very hard to pay attention when her crush was right next to her. Even though they were fighting, Galinda still loved Elphaba. More than one time a green hand would reach over and take a choice off her tray, replacing it with something she'd like better. For instance, her limp carrots were replaced with fresh strawberries.
"Really, Miss Elphaba. I can pick out my own food."
"I doubt that. If I let your tray alone it would be full of inedibles." Galinda huffed and walked off, with the green girl following her. She sped up, but her companion kept up easily due to her long legs and sensible shoes.
"Have you no common sense? I don't want to be seen with you! Why can't you act normal?!" She was only half-acting when she yelled these words at her roomie. If they harmed their target, she didn't show it.
"If people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it? It liberates you from convention." Elphaba shot back, but slowed some, to lengthen the distance between the girls. Galinda was looking over shoulder while walking away, and ran straight into Fiyero. Her tray was tilted toward her and squished food into her blouse as the new boy looked down in surprise. She heard gasps of shock and glee behind her, then saw Elphaba sprinting past her. Galinda quickly apologized, then ran after the green girl hoping she could catch up.
Unfortunately, Galinda quickly lost sight of her roomie. She cursed her short height and her fancy shoes, and slowly regained her breath on the walk to the dormitories. When she made it to their room, she found it empty. The blonde sighed, and turned around to look elsewhere.
Elphaba awoke from her nap, and went to the cafeteria. She had been trying to patch up her relationship with the petite princess, hoping they would simply forget about Fiyero, when Galinda just walked right up to him! As the green girl saw their blushing faces, she couldn't stand it. Dropping her tray, she bolted past the pair, and ran as fast as she could. Her tears streamed, burning down her face, and her brain was going in an endless, heart-shattering loop.
Galinda loves him, you stupid girl! She doesn't love you, she never has, she never will! Get over yourself! Galinda loves him, you stupid girl! She doesn't love you, she never has, she never will! Get over yourself! Galinda loves him, you stupid girl! She doesn't love you, she never has, she never will! Get over yourself! Galinda loves him, you stupid girl! She doesn't love you, she never has, she never will! Get over yourself!
Around and around, a never-ending cycle of self-loathing and pain.
Elphaba ran until she couldn't breathe, and found herself in the forest. She sank against a tree, curled into a small ball, and sobbed herself into a fitful sleep.
Galinda couldn't find her friend anywhere, she had looked all the places she could think of. Elphaba wasn't at the Nurse's Office, nor at Doctor Dillamond's, nor with Nessa and Nanny, or any other of the countless places she had searched. Worn-out and lonely, Galinda spent a restless night in their bedroom, simply staring at the empty bed and crying.