Chapter 3 – A Plan of Action – and its Consequences

'I love you,' says Fiyero, and Galinda averts her eyes.

'I…' she tries, but her lips will not speak dishonestly. Better to lie by omission; to not say anything.

'I love you,' Fiyero repeats, and his voice begins to change as he speaks the words again and again. Galinda looks up and sees green spreading across his face. It trickles down his neck, arms and body like shiny wet paint. His appearance morphs – slight curves jut from the hips and cascades of dark hair tumble down to the waist; dark chocolate eyes glint with sexuality.

Galinda smiles.

'I love you too, Elphie,' she says.

Then the green girl takes her hand, draws her in and kisses her. Galinda kisses her back hungrily. They tumble onto a bed with white silk sheets and surrounded by candlelight and roses. They both wear elegant peignoirs but it isn't long before clothes are thrown off and tossed to one side. Their movements are synchronised, like liquid, like perfection. Her Elphie's skin is oh, so soft, and those lithe fingers are heaven as they caress her intimate areas. She opens herself up willingly, allowing her Elphie to enter her with ease and stimulate her until she is so overcome that she screams with unadulterated pleasure.

'Elphieeee!' she cries as she reaches her climax…

.../...

Galinda sat up too quickly and felt blood rush to her head. The room span around her and she squeezed her eyes shut. As soon as the room was still again she leapt out of bed, raced into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.

I did not just…

Her eyes sought out her still sleeping roommate whose black hair poked out from the top of her blanket. Elphaba could never find out about this or Galinda would die from humiliation.

She also felt incredibly guilty.

She perched herself in front of her vanity and gazed at her reflection. Her lips and cheeks were flushed and her hair was a wreck, as though the real thing had just occurred. She frowned. This was how she was supposed to look after a night spent with Fiyero, not after a sexual dream about…

She would have to do something about it. A date with her boyfriend would be the perfect way to eradicate such a memory. Dinner, followed by a night in, just the two of them. It was probably a good time to move things along a bit further. They'd dated for a few months already.

With the plan in mind, she got ready to go about her day. When Elphaba awoke, Galinda felt too guilty to look at her let alone speak to her, and ignored Elphaba's teasing that for once, Galinda was the first to wake. She applied her make-up at record speed and left for breakfast, choosing a lone table in the corner for the first time in her life.

She caught up with Fiyero just before the beginning of her first class.

'Fifi!' she squealed as he rounded the corner. She embraced him in a hug and planted a kiss on his lips. 'I had the most fabulocious idea in the whole wide world!'

'And what would that be?'

'Let's go on a date,' Galinda declared.

'I think that's a wonderful idea,' Fiyero said.

They went to dinner that evening at an expensive restaurant in town called Clandestine. Fiyero, to Galinda's delight, had reserved a private booth. Upon the white silk tablecloth were a vase of roses and two sets of white gold cutlery and crystal wine glasses.

This was the part Galinda wanted to get out of the way quickly.

She enjoyed her poached salmon – it was cooked by the restaurant's master chef, one of the finest in all of Gillikin – but her thoughts travelled to Fiyero's room in Briscoe Hall. The dim candlelight casting shadows on Fiyero's handsome face. The soft, rumpled sheets getting kicked to one side. The moans of desire as she gave herself completely. Last night's fantasy would fade into a distant memory and she would finally realise that things were already perfect and not to be ruined by a mere curiosity.

She declined desert.

'Really? I thought you loved their tiramisu,' said Fiyero.

'I'm not hungry enough tonight.'

She wanted the tiramisu. She wanted Fiyero to take her virginity.

They left the restaurant. The walk back was short. Briscoe Hall came first, and then Crage Hall. When Galinda stopped outside Briscoe Hall, Fiyero looked at her, confused.

'I – I want to,' Galinda stammered, flushing red. Something was holding her back, and it vexed her. Eventually she sighed and took his arm. 'Come on,' she muttered and led him into the boys' dormitories.

'Oh…okay,' said Fiyero.

Their footsteps clanged through the building. They went to the top floor, where the private suites were located. Galinda would have been on the same floor in Crage Hall if she had not unwittingly given up her private suite to room with Elphaba. The private suites were even bigger than the shared rooms – an ironic fact considering there were less people occupying them. She couldn't help her envy that Fiyero had an entire double bed to himself and that it only filled a quarter of the space.

She all but shoved Fiyero into his own room, not giving much thought to his perspective of the situation, just knowing that she needed to do this for her sanity's sake. This must be desire, this desperation and determination; this overpowering feeling of want. Galinda almost looked demonic if not for being just too pretty to pull off evil.

She released an absurd laugh. Grabbed Fiyero by the collar. Kissed him heavily while beginning to rip off his clothes. They hadn't even made it to the bed yet. He was baffled and delighted by her enthusiasm, and let her continue. She pushed him backwards, falling on top of him on the mattress.

'I want this,' she growled, and removed his shirt completely, tossing it to one side.

It was right. She knew it was. What else would drive her into such a state? Trousers quickly followed the shirt, followed by her own underwear. The dress was irrelevant: she didn't want him wasting time ravishing her body, she wanted him inside her. He barely had time to get stimulated before Galinda lowered herself onto him and started to move in a calculating manner. She knew the theory, and would execute it. She measured out each thrust, the speed, the pressure, aiming for optimum performance.

She was shocked to find that soon her muscles were beginning to tire. Her body was weak. The thrusting became a slow repetition, each one the exact same as the last. There didn't appear to be any sort of build-up. Wasn't that what was supposed to happen? Some form of ecstasy?

Fiyero seemed completely oblivious. He lay there happily letting her do her business, moaning occasionally with pleasure, clearly a lot more lost in the experience than Galinda was. He was nearing his climax, and Galinda wondered if she was nearing hers. She had never climaxed before and didn't know what it felt like. When Fiyero groaned with ecstasy, Galinda added her own loud cries and then collapsed onto the mattress next to her boyfriend.

Now what, she wondered. Was she supposed to say something?

'Love you,' she offered.

'Love you too,' said Fiyero.

Then he fell asleep and Galinda lay there feeling confused. She had heard of people being in a stage of blissful content after sex, but instead she felt on edge. She looked across at Fiyero, feeling decidedly uncomfortable about falling asleep next to him but thinking it rude to leave. For hours she waited in silence, but became too restless to remain still. Guiltily she got out of bed and made the journey back to the sanctuary of her own dorm.

The click of the door was far too loud in the silent early hours. It screeched open, and slammed shut, and Galinda's shoulders sagged. She crept through the room, pausing to glance in the mirror, which reflected tousled locks, smudged remains of old make-up and stilted posture.

Shenshen had looked like this many times.

Galinda collapsed into bed and stared at the ceiling. The whole event had come and gone rather quickly. It felt odd that such a moment that had been anticipated throughout her teenage years was suddenly behind her.

It hadn't been what she'd expected.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Perhaps her youthful ideals had gotten the better of her. Perhaps there was no perfection to it after all, and the whole concept was completely romanticised. Perhaps that was why people did it less as they got older – because they'd gotten it out of their systems and moved onto better ventures.

Or perhaps – a sneaky voice in the back of her head offered – you would rather do it with Elphaba, wouldn't you?

Her eyes flew open. That meant her plan had failed.

Her throat tightened and a guttural sob burst through the silence. She pressed a hand against her mouth, but it was too late – Elphaba had already sat up and was looking over at her. And how could Galinda bear to face her knowing that she'd just had this awful revelation?

Of course Elphaba, for all her negative traits, was not one for sitting around watching a girl cry. She was by Galinda's bedside in a flash, and Galinda rolled over so as not to have to look at her. The tears were heavy and forthcoming and flowed into her pillow, and by the time she managed to diminish them to sniffles, the pillow was drenched.

'It was supposed to be perfect,' Galinda stuttered.

'What was, my sweet?'

Galinda shook her head.

'I…I thought it would help. It was supposed to work. It didn't work…'

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Elphaba went to get her some tissues.

'Did you even sleep at all?'

'No, I couldn't, I…sweet Oz, I think I made a mistake, only it wasn't supposed to be a mistake, it was supposed to be perfect…'

She grabbed the tissues off her roommate and pressed them against her face, watching as they turned from pure white to dark grey.

'It was supposed to be passionate,' she explained more calmly. 'Fiyero and I, that is. I intended to get completely lost in the experience, but somehow I couldn't help thinking and thinking.'

'My sweet, allow me to clarify: am I correct in saying that you and Fiyero have had sex?'

'Do you have to be so blunt? But yes; at my suggestion. And that makes it all the worse because I was the one who wanted it, and now I don't know what I want.'

She went red saying it. It was a half-truth again: she knew exactly what she wanted but was unsure if she could ever be brave enough to admit it. Perhaps it was best left alone and the desire would eventually die of its own accord.

'I think you pushed yourself a little far and did something you weren't ready for.'

'You must think me so stupid. I suppose I am though…I never could be smart about things.'

'Oh Glin, I don't think you're stupid. Misguided greatly, and really confused about something. Why don't you let me help y…'

'No!' Galinda interrupted. 'Elphie, I couldn't possibly tell you! It would be risking everything!'