Everything's fine was slightly fallacious as everything was not really fine, not for the next half term anyway. After Fiyero and Elphaba's conversation the two had endured a rather awkward silence after that and Elphaba had made her excuses and returned to Crage Hall and her dormitory. Galinda looked up from where she was lounging on her bed reading the now cleaned up issue of Ozmopolitan to see a rather dejected looking Elphaba.
"Did you speak to him?" Galinda asked her quietly, not wanting to cause any upset.
"I did," Elphaba said, barely acknowledging her roommate as she slumped down onto her bed and retrieved her book from her bedside table but before she had a chance to open it a carefully manicured hand snatched from her and placed it back where it came from.
"Speak to me Elphie," Galinda instructed firmly, as Elphaba looked down at her hands and intertwined her fingers distractedly.
"He just told me why he wanted to be my friend that's all," Elphaba explained.
"Well that's good isn't it, that is what you wanted to know, I told you he would have good reasons Elphie," Galinda smiled assuring her friend to some extent.
"He said really lovely things Glin, I mean a boy saying decent things about me it just seems wrong. I had finally come to the conclusion that all boys are like Avaric Tenmeadows, uncaring and soulless but he isn't like that, it seems abnormal." Elphaba continued reluctantly.
"Elphie he is human, you are human and he likes you, it really isn't that hard to comprehend, when it comes down to it you have friends just like the rest of us," Galinda smiled at her, as always looking for the positives in her seamless, unspoiled world.
"Hm," Elphaba conceded eventually, adding a little shrug of the shoulders before resting her head on Galinda's.
"You know maybe, just maybe, there might be a future for you and Fiyero, there is definitely some kind of magnetic attraction there," Galinda smiled and Elphaba scoffed.
"Please Glin, no soppy, girly talk, I cannot take it, and before you ask no you cannot give me a makeover and try and set me up with Fiyero," Elphaba smiled at Galinda's pouting, she was so predictable.
"But," Galinda started.
"No buts Galinda," Elphaba warned her with a threatening finger, "otherwise the contents of that vanity table will be in Suicide Canal before you can say Ozmopolitan."
Galinda's fish like impression of mouth opening and closing finally stopped as she admitted defeat and left the topic of Elphaba and Fiyero dating alone.
Classes got better after a few weeks for Elphaba and proved a welcome distraction from her 'boy problems' as Galinda named them and she was happy listening to her blonde friend prattle on about the Gillikinese boy she had set her sights on who was new in her Ozian Literature class.
"You know he has got the most gorgeous blue eyes Elphie, we are a perfect match," Galinda giggled as she skipped down the corridor alongside Elphaba.
"You do realise that it was only a few weeks ago you were making eyes at Fiyero across the green, stating that you would make a perfect couple?" Elphaba mocked her teasingly.
"But this is different," Galinda stated austerely.
"How exactly?" Elphaba asked her, her features taking a slightly condescending expression.
"It just is Elphie," Galinda said dismissively, waving her friend off with a swish of her blonde curls.
"Right, well I need to grab a couple of books from the dorm for my next class, how about I meet you in the cafe?" Elphaba suggested calmly.
"Ok," Galinda agreed before flouncing off in the opposite direction to Elphaba.
Elphaba smiled to herself as she wandered slowly back to her dorm and prayed that when she returned to the cafe Galinda had not ordered coffee because it made the blonde even more hyper active than normal and what Elphaba thought constituted humanly possible.
She pushed her key into the lock without any specific eagerness and opened the door, throwing her satchel down on her bed which was closest to the door before stopping as her foot caught something on the floor. A look of confusion crossed her face as she knelt down to pick up a green envelope from the ground, her brow creasing in concentration as she fingered the gold lettering emblazoned on the front. It was addressed to her and she turned it over to be faced with the official wax seal of Oz, the letter had come from the Emerald Palace.
She vaguely recalled Madame Morrible mentioning something about writing to the Wizard in her name at the start of the year but she had long since forgotten about it, presuming that he had taken no apparent interest in her but she was obviously wrong. Carefully she broke the seal and pulled out a letter written in flowing calligraphic gold lettering just like the envelope.
She could not believe what she was reading, the Wizard of Oz himself had written to her. Elphaba was ecstatic and immeasurably proud of herself, she was finally going to make good in the world. Hastily she forced the letter back into the envelope, completely forgetting about the books she had been intent on retrieving and without her satchel she ran all the way back to the cafe in search of Galinda.
"Glin," Elphaba smiled, gasping for breath as she ran up to her friend's table in the cafe, clutching her side as she tried to regain composure, "I got a letter."
"What kind of letter?" Galinda asked, her brow furrowing showing her confusion.
"From the Wizard, he wrote back to me," Elphaba smiled, the words almost coming out as a girly squeal but that was beyond her so she refrained from it.
"Oh my gosh Elphie, this is so excitifying," Galinda squealed herself, jumping up from her seat completely thrilled as she hugged Elphaba tightly, drawing the attention of most of the other students in the cafeteria, "what does it say?"
"Could we possibly talk about this outside, it feels like everyone's intruding on our conversation in here," Elphaba asked politely, before taking Galinda's hand and practically dragging her outside, the two passing Fiyero on their way.
"What's up with those two?" Fiyero asked Boq, gesturing to the doorway as he walked up to the counter.
"Elphaba got a reply from the Wizard, I'm presuming it was good news," Boq smiled cheerily, taking a bite of an apple.
"Yeah, good news," Fiyero said, his voice slightly dismal, he had only just met Elphaba, they were finally getting somewhere and now she was leaving for the Emerald City.
Outside Galinda and Elphaba were sat on the wall surrounding a section of the gardens outside the cafeteria as Galinda scanned Elphaba's letter quickly, trying to pick up all the relevant information.
"So you are leaving Shiz?" Galinda asked desolately as she handed the letter back to Elphaba.
"No, not leaving as such, I am just taking a break, I leave just before the mid-term holidays and I return about two weeks after them," Elphaba explained to Galinda, everything had already been clearly clarified and arranged.
"I am going to miss you so much though Elphie, who am I supposed to talk to?" Galinda moaned, pouting slightly.
"Glin you have got the most friends in the whole of Shiz I am certain you will find some form of entertainment," Elphaba said before recoiling slightly at her wording, "that did not come out how I meant it."
"I know what you meant Elphaba," Galinda assured her with a smile.
"So this meeting with the Wizard, you are going to need a decent dress to wear," Galinda said firmly, raising a hand to prevent Elphaba from talking, "and don't you even think about arguing Miss Thropp, we will be going into town, no questions asked."
"Ok Glin, I suppose this is an exceptional occasion," Elphaba agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips and she could not refrain from hugging Galinda again in her excitement.
"I will go and accessorize myself, we should meet in the courtyard in twenty clock ticks," Galinda instructed before skipping off inside.
Elphaba only had a few moments alone to herself to think about what was happening when Fiyero turned up, Elphaba standing quickly, surprised to see him.
"Fiyero," she smiled politely.
"I hear congratulations are in order," he smiled proudly at her.
"Yeah, I suppose you could say that but nothing has happened yet, it is only an audience with the Wizard, I don't even know if he will approve of me becoming any sort of figure of authority in Oz, especially with my skin being, well, green." Elphaba said, putting a slight downer on things as she thought of the possibility that the Wizard may reject her opinions completely.
"Elphaba I have told you not to put yourself down like that, I am certain he will see you for who you really are. You are intelligent, kind and beautiful," Fiyero smiled at her and he noticed as Elphaba froze at the final word, another awkward silence ensuing.
"Well I had better get going, I don't want to keep Glin waiting, I will see you when I get back Fiyero," Elphaba smiled gratefully at him before passing him to head back inside.
Fiyero stood looking forlorn and alone outside; he had barely had a chance to say anything to her, let alone the words he longed so much to speak to her. He had told her she was beautiful and he had not received the reaction he was hoping for. When, well if, she returned from the Emerald City she could be the Grand Vizier, or the Grand Vizier in training and that would give her almost celebrity status in Oz, how on Earth was he supposed to connect with her when she had a life like that, dedicated to all the other citizens and Animals in the country. He feared that he may have lost any chances of any kind of relationship with Elphaba Thropp but he sincerely hoped there was still a flicker of a chance somewhere out there.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Elphaba as she made her way back towards her dorm room, why was she so romantically inept? She was so unable to convey her feelings for Fiyero and speak them to anyone it was killing her. When she came to think about it though she wondered exactly what it was that she felt for Fiyero, was it just some silly school-girl crush that would fade with time? She wondered if once she had been drawn to the bright lights of the Emerald City and thoughts of fitting in finally she would forget all about her dull life at Shiz, but that was just it, she could not imagine life without Shiz. Ok it was not always pleasant, especially when Avaric was around but she loved Glin and her classes, her teachers and most of all she really liked Fiyero. What if she had to make a decision between the Emerald City, becoming the Grand Vizier and Shiz.
There was no competition really when it came down to it, Shiz was the first place she had ever felt some modicum of integration with anyone. Galinda was the first and only best friend she had ever had and she finally thought maybe she was destined to belong somewhere yet the intrigue and captivating thoughts of the glamour of the Emerald City was too much for her to resist. It wasn't that she was like Galinda and craving celebrity/debutante status that came accompanied by glittering balls and beautiful dresses, no. Elphaba wanted to make a difference and be renowned for helping Animals achieve the prominence they had once held in Oz. It had always been a goal of hers to meet the Wizard and make good in the world, now was her chance and nothing was going to bring her down.