Ok, so I know I haven't updated in a very long time...well long for me anyway but I am updating now and I'm sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy this slightly shorter chapter! Please review afterwards!
Elphaba rushed back to her dorm as fast as her legs would carry her but after her journey from the library to Nessa, one side of campus to the other, this wasn't very fast. When she reached the door she fumbled with her key finally managing to get it into the lock and she flopped down on her bed, exhausted.
"I didn't know you were part of the athletics team Elphie," Galinda smirked from her own bed and Elphaba sat up sharply, she hadn't noticed the blonde in her flurry into the room.
"I didn't know you had inherited part of my voice; sarcasm does not suit you Miss Upland," Elphaba retorted scornfully.
"Well maybe I want to change, I can be sarcastic if I wish to be," Galinda said back haughtily, sticking her nose in the air rather childishly, "what's got you all narked anyway?"
"Galinda I am in no way narked," Elphaba said, sighing deeply as she leant back on her bed, knowing she would have to tell Galinda what was going on, she would after all find out eventually, "my father's coming to visit."
"What he's coming here, to Shiz?" Galinda asked, intrigued, aside from their conversation when they had first become friends Elphaba had never really spoken in much depth about her family life.
"Yes," Elphaba said, running her hands over her face, trying to figure out how she was going to greet her father when he arrived.
"Well that's lovely Elphie, it'll be nice for me to meet him, I can tell him what a wonderful best friend you are," Galinda smiled excitedly.
"No Galinda, you will not be meeting him," Elphaba said sternly, her voice clearly showing there was no room for Galinda to dispute anything.
"Why not?" Galinda asked incredulously, "Is this because of what you told me last year? Because he hates you?"
Galinda waited patiently for some kind of response from Elphaba but she got nothing so continued.
"Elphie I am sure it is not as bad as you make it out to be; besides you would be proving his opinions wrong, he'll be able to see that you have been accepted." Galinda smiled, way too chirpily for Elphaba's liking, Galinda didn't understand, she could never understand.
"Galinda just leave the subject alone will you?" Elphaba snapped angrily, sitting up sharply and cricking her neck painfully.
"Why?" Galinda asked inquisitively, her voice determined as she challenged her roommate, "What happened that was so terrible that you cannot tell me?"
Elphaba froze for a moment and then she laughed; well it sounded more like a cackle to Galinda who now had a very anxious expression painted on her face.
"You think that family life is so perfect Galinda, all fancy summer balls, presents, picnics, and all that rubbish, but that's crap. My life is not like that at all," Elphaba spat menacingly as she crossed the room to Galinda, towering above the blonde, intimidating her, "you do not know the first thing about me so don't pretend that you do. You are living inside a bubble Galinda, you cannot see what's going on around you, and you are so small-minded, oblivious to even the most simplistic of details. My childhood was shit, but I'm sure you grew up with pampering and guidance and doting parents who waited on you hand and foot. Do you not think that maybe I desired a life like that, one where I wasn't the one being forced into the kitchen to cook, where I wasn't the one waiting on my family?"
Galinda's eyes had long since clouded over and it wasn't long before tears began to roll down her cheeks, they weren't tears of pity, she was scared. She had never seen Elphaba so angry before and Galinda knew what could happen if she lost control of her powers. As Galinda began to shake with nerves Elphaba realised what she had done, she stepped forwards hesitantly but Galinda stepped back.
"Don't touch me, please," Galinda pleaded, desperate for this situation to end.
"Glin?" Elphaba questioned, trying gravely to get through to her friend, all the while she was subconsciously forcing Galinda into the corner of the room.
Galinda evaluated the situation and fear crossed her porcelain features and without stopping to over think things she ran for the door, opening it sharply and running faster than she had ever run into the gardens.
"Galinda," she heard Elphaba's voice calling out from behind her and Galinda realised the green girl was pursuing her.
Other students began to turn and watch the pair warily and wonderingly, none of them had ever seen the unblemished Miss Upland in such a state before. When they realised Galinda was clearly upset and scared they began to shout their concerns over to her and everyone began talking loudly among themselves, all the while shouting mean insults at Elphaba, who they believed to have hurt her.
"What in Oz is going on out here?" Madame Morrible's voice drowned out the students' as she made her way through the crowd of people.
"I haven't the faintest idea Madame," Boq answered her question politely.
"What's going on?" Fiyero asked Boq as he came up behind him, trying to get a better view of what the other students were looking at.
"Something to do with Elphaba and Galinda, that's all I know," Boq whispered to him, aware that Madame Morrible was still in their presence and listening in.
"Galinda please stop," Elphaba shouted, stopping suddenly and clutching her side, an agonizing stitch sending searing pains through her body.
Galinda appeared to hear her roommate stop and she too slowed to a standstill and charily she turned to face her. Elphaba noticed her friend's make-up was smeared down her cheeks and her eyes were red and swollen, her face a pale white, she really was scared.
"Galinda I'm sorry," Elphaba pleaded guiltily, she had never meant for any of this to happen, "please? I would never ever, do anything to hurt you."
All the while Elphaba was taking miniscule steps towards the unknowing blonde who was still in tears. Eventually Elphaba made it to her and wrapped her arms around the blonde, pressing a reassuring kiss to her hair and Galinda hugged her back tightly.
"I'm sorry," Elphaba said, choking on the words slightly as a tear swam down her cheek.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X
The two girls had cleaned up the mess that had been present on their faces in the bathrooms of the cafe in silence before Elphaba had taken Galinda's hand and led her back outside, sitting them down on the grass, watching the small stream that flowed past this section of the gardens.
"I know that you are my best friend and as my best friend you have a right to ask about my personal life," Elphaba began, her hand still intertwined with Galinda's on the grass between them, "but I have never spoken up to anyone Glin, it's hard. I'm sorry but I just can't tell you."
"That's ok Elphie, I overreacted. I shouldn't have pressed you to answer, you will tell me when you are ready to open up, which may be never but I can live with that, as long as you know that I will always be here for you." Galinda smiled kindly at her.
"Of course I know that Glin, thank you," Elphaba smiled back, pulling Galinda into another tight hug.
"You know you are getting way too soft-hearted Elphie, I think I preferred the old you who was all cynical and pessimistic," Galinda joked heartily leaning into her friend more and they both laughed.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Fiyero slipped away from the crowds that were now more or less dispersing from the gardens and down to the Grove, it was nearly sunset.
"What's going on up there, I heard shouting?" Sam asked Fiyero when he arrived.
"Oh I don't know just something to do with my friends, Elphaba and Galinda, causing some kind of commotion as usual," Fiyero smiled at his little brother.
"Oh I know Elphaba, your friend," Sam smirked knowingly at Fiyero, teasing him.
"Leave it Sam," Fiyero retorted, knowing what Sam was like once he thought he knew something, he did not think he could put up with Sam's incessant teasing about the girl he liked.
"You like her," Sam beamed cleverly at Fiyero, ducking to avoid the punch to his upper arm that had been heading his way.
"Sam seriously, shut up," Fiyero warned angrily.
"Ok, ok, I'll leave it," Sam smiled, "geez Fiyero no need to get all tetchy."
The two were silent for a few moments, Sam looking at the ground and kicking the dirt beneath his shoes before he looked expectantly up at Fiyero again.
"But you do fancy her though right?" Sam said quickly and Fiyero cuffed him gently on the back of the head.
"Sorry," Sam smiled, holding his hands up defensively in case more attacks were coming.
"I thought we were here to play baseball?" Fiyero asked Sam mordantly before turning to walk away, "but if you don't want to?"
"Hey you made me a promise," Sam shouted after Fiyero loudly, his tone now serious.
"Fine, but you can do all the work, buddy," Fiyero said, throwing the baseball from his pocket hard in Sam's direction and he caught it smoothly.
"No need to get all agitated, we can always talk about Elphaba and play at the same time," Sam suggested casually as he practised his bowling stance.
"Sam, for the last time," Fiyero started but Sam cut across him.
"I know, we will not be talking about Elphaba, sorry," Sam interrupted as he bowled the ball fast at Fiyero who caught it in Sam's glove, "but can I just ask you one more thing?"
"Fine but after that, no more questions, ok?" Fiyero asked him sternly.
"Ok, no more questions after this one," Sam agreed and Fiyero nodded, awaiting Sam's question, "why don't you just ask her out?"
"Because it's complicated Sam, she isn't the kind of girl you can just go up to and ask out straight away. Elphaba is the most incredible person I have ever met Sam, she's not like any of the other girls I've dated, she's intelligent, stubborn and beautiful, I don't deserve someone like her, not after the way I've treated girls in the past." Fiyero concluded sadly, not noticing he had inadvertently dropped the baseball to the floor.
"Fiyero, seriously, you need to get over yourself, just ask her out," Sam smiled instructively; he sounded rather austere for a younger brother.
"That's not quite as easy as it sounds," Fiyero thought to himself, "How can I ask out Elphaba, we're friends, if she doesn't feel that way about me then we will lose everything we have, I can't drive her away. 'But she does feel that way about you Fiyero' he told himself, otherwise why did she blush each time she saw him, when he accidentally brushed his hand over hers in classes, when he complimented her? Besides she had been on her way to tell him how she felt all those weeks ago in the library, when he bumped into her in the gardens outside and she avoided the task at hand, surely all of that concluded that she was certain to say yes? Wasn't she?
Ok, so reviews would be nice please? Thanks for reading! :D