AN. I'm going to Melbourne tomorrow to see ANNIE- my first ever trip to Melbourne!
Seven
As the semester wore on, Elphaba did something she never thought she'd do- she began to long for the three week break over Lurlinemas that was just under a month and a half away. The teachers were really beginning to pile on the readings, homework and assignments; and having proved her value as an employee, her shifts at Identity (and sometimes the OzDust) were becoming more numbered and longer hours.
Elphaba wasn't about to knock back the extra work- her landlord had just increased her rent and the utilities for the crapartment were more than she had been expecting and hence budgeted for. But it was getting so she was getting up earlier or going to bed later in order to stay on top of all her schoolwork. She hadn't slept well all semester either, she wasn't used to being alone; and as much as she appreciated the space and silence, it was quite another thing to be alone at night with the sounds of the town outside her window, when the neighbourhood wasn't exactly top notch and her building had little security.
So, she was tired, stressed and busy. The situation at Shiz with her peers still hadn't improved either. Fiyero didn't even talk to Elphaba anymore, although she wasn't sure if that was because he had discovered she was an orphan and had likewise decided she was beneath him or because his girlfriend had ordered him not to. And she was trying to convince herself she wasn't hurt by the sudden cold shoulder.
Yes, Fiyero Tiggular and Galinda Upland were the "it" couple of Shiz University. They were at every party together, and from the rumours floating around campus, an engagement was already imminent, despite the fact they'd only been dating for a few weeks. So, all in all, Elphaba couldn't wait for the holidays- even if that only meant seeing less of Galinda and her posse.
There was a bright side though- Elphaba had saved and saved, and managed to squirrel away enough spare cash to purchase a piano from a pawn shop in town. It was old and scratched, but it played music and to Elphaba, it gave the crapartment the first semblance of feeling like a home.
Plus, in the last week or so, she'd started to have her old dreams again- dreams she hadn't had in years. The familiar lullaby was once again haunting her sleep, and Elphaba wasn't sure why.
She wasn't thrillified when her Politics teacher, Dr Benh, announced their next assignment would be a group presentation. Elphaba loathed group presentations. She much preferred to work independently, you just couldn't trust that whoever was in your group would take the assignment as seriously as you would and put the effort in to reflect that.
"This assignment will be completed in pairs, and you will be paired randomly," she told them.
Elphaba was tense as she waited to hear who she would be paired with.
"Bayley, Murtand… Thropp, Smooter… Rozek, Tiggular…"
Elphaba's heart sank. Great, so she was paired with someone who not only wouldn't talk to her, but who's attendance was minimum and his effort even less so- if that were possible. This boded well. She saw all her hopes of getting an 'A' for this assignment vanishing before her very eyes.
She looked around to find Fiyero, who was actually in class that day and sitting four rows from the back of the room. He wasn't looking at her, taking notes or paying attention to the teacher. He was scribbling something, but Elphaba doubted it was notes.
As she waited for class to finish, she formed a plan. She wanted this 'A', and she wasn't going to let Fiyero's lack of effort get in the way of that. The plan was to talk to him after class, before he left and returned to Galinda. But considering he was much further from the door than she was, he was gone as soon as the bell went, and Elphaba had no choice but to chase after him.
He headed straight to the garden overlooking Suicide Canal where Galinda and her posse of giggling, snooty girls were enjoying the last of the fall sunshine before winter set in. Elphaba hated the thought of having to interact with those girls, but she didn't have a choice.
So, she straightened up, took a deep breath and marched right up to Fiyero.
"Fiyero?"
He looked up from his conversation with his friends Cailean and Fyonn. "Hey, green girl," he greeted her, but the title sounded less friendly and warm than it had that first day in Identity. "Can I help you?"
"I need to talk to you. About the assignment," she said flatly, not beating around the bush.
"Sure," Fiyero agreed. "Let's step into my office, shall we?"
He winked at Fyonn and got up from the group, moving over to a bench a short distance away and looking back at Elphaba to follow him.
She supressed a roll of her eyes, walked over and sat down stiffly.
"Here's what's going to happen. This assignment is worth forty per cent of our final grade, and I want to do well. We're going to meet at least three times a week to work on this- together. You're going to do your fair share and take this project seriously. We're going to work our meeting times around my work shifts and no complaining if it takes you away from your social life. Are there any questions?"
Fiyero raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yeah, do I get a say in any of this?"
"No," she refused immediately.
"Well, then, it looks like you've got it all planned, GG," he said casually.
It was Elphaba's turn to raise an eyebrow. "GG?"
"It takes an awful lot of time to say 'Green Girl', and if we're going to spend all this time together, I should come up with something easier to call you," he explained.
"You could call me by my name?" Elphaba suggested dryly.
He studied her critically. "I don't know… you don't really look like an 'Elphaba.'"
"And what do I look like exactly?" she asked coldly, feeling like she was walking into a trap of some sorts.
But his answer surprised her. "Fae."
She blinked in surprise. "Fae?"
"You really don't like GG?"
"I really don't," she confirmed.
He grinned. "Then Fae it is. See you around, Fae."
Fiyero got up and left before she could protest that name too.
"Fiyero?" she called after him, and he turned.
"Tomorrow afternoon, two o'clock. Our first meeting. Outside the library."
He merely waved in acknowledgment and strolled off, leaving Elphaba sitting there, wondering just what she was getting into here.
She was hopeful in the beginning- Fiyero arrived promptly on two o'clock, and she dared to hope that this was a good sign and indication of how the project would go. That optimistic feeling lasted all of a minute as they exchanged pleasantries with one another.
Fiyero insisted on sneaking into the library, lest someone should see him enter the building.
"I can't tarnish my reputation," he explained to Elphaba.
Elphaba knew his reputation, and it was all she could do to keep from laughing or retorting sarcastically.
"So… what do we have to do exactly?" Fiyero asked when they were in the library.
She looked at him in exasperation. "Weren't you listening to Dr Benh?"
"I know she said I was working with you," he shrugged, which Elphaba took as a "no."
"We're supposed to pick a political issue and create a presentation about how its affected Oz? From the list she gave us with the assignment? We have to present to the class and summarise it for them? With the fact sheet they can use to study for finals? Is this ringing any bells?"
"I remember the fact sheet," Fiyero offered.
Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
"Because I remember thinking about how it's really going to help limit my studying load for finals," he grinned.
She scoffed. "Please, like you study."
"Hey, I could study!" Fiyero protested.
At her pointed stare, he added admittedly. "Ok, so I don't actually study that much. But I could, if I wanted to."
"If you wanted to…" Elphaba repeated under her breath.
"So, what political issue are we doing?"
Elphaba pulled out the list from Dr Benh. "I was thinking we could do this one. The debt of the Glikkus from ten years ago? What happened, how they dealt with it, what the current financial state of the province is?"
Fiyero shrugged. "Sure, whatever."
"Is there one part you want to research in particular?"
He stared at her blankly. "Research? You want me to research?"
Elphaba was lost for words for a moment. "You're kidding me, right?"
Fiyero laughed and broke into a laugh. "Yes, I'm kidding, Fae. I mean, I hope you're not expecting anything brilliant. But I suppose it's only fair I share the load."
Elphaba bristled. It was only fair that he did his part for their group assignment? That was rich.
Fiyero kept to his word, and shared responsibility for the research, although it was reluctant and half-hearted.
He also agreed to Elphaba's rule of meeting three times a week, and working around her shifts, although he kept the time strictly limited to an hour. Then he would dash away to a date with Galinda or to meet Cailean and Fyonn for drinks or a night out. Elphaba was careful to keep the topic of conversation- as little conversation as it was- focused on the assignment or school. Fiyero often tried to ask little questions about Elphaba's life before Shiz, but she always refused to answer.
Galinda was actually nastier to Elphaba than usual, given the situation. Elphaba had heard whispers of rumours that she was trying to steal Fiyero away from Galinda, but they didn't bother her. So, Galinda and her friends had simply fallen to showering Fiyero with pity and condolences that he was being forced to spend time with the Artichoke Girl.
It was the end of the first week, and Elphaba was finding herself with a rare Friday afternoon off. She wasn't working at Identity until six o'clock that night, and she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
It was lunchtime and remembering she had no food in the crapartment, Elphaba had decided to have lunch in the Shiz cafeteria. The food wasn't too bad and it was cheap, and sometimes in between pays, it was the only decent meal she ate each day.
As she stood there, holding her tray of soup and bread, she looked around, wondering where to sit. It was crowded today, and she could practically see the whole cafeteria mutually thinking "Please don't let her sit here."
Finally, she saw Nessarose and Boq sitting together at an otherwise empty table. Elphaba debated for a moment, then approached them, figuring they were probably those who talked to her the most.
"Hi. Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, feeling uncharacteristically awkward.
"No, go ahead," Nessarose replied, with a faint smile.
Elphaba sat down next to Nessarose and across from Boq and began to eat quietly. Finally, Boq broke the silence.
"So, how'd you go on the history exam, Elphaba?"
Elphaba paused, swallowed slowly and cleared her throat before answering. "I did okay. You?"
"B-plus," Boq replied happily. "What's 'okay'?"
"A- minus," Elphaba admitted.
Nessa chuckled. "I'd say that's more than okay, Elphaba! That's really good!"
Elphaba shrugged. "I could have gotten an A. I just… ran out of time. I didn't explain a few points as well as I could have."
She wasn't going to admit she'd written half of it at three in the morning the day it was due, after working a nine hour shift at the OzDust.
Boq seemed as though he were about to speak for a moment, and then obviously decided he wasn't going to argue with Elphaba about being unhappy with an A- minus.
"Are you working tonight?"
Elphaba nodded. "Yes. Six to ten."
"Is that at Identity or the OzDust?" Nessarose asked.
"Identity."
"Which do you prefer?"
Elphaba paused for a moment, and then forced herself to relax. If Boq and Nessarose were going to make an effort at conversation, she could do the same, right?
"I like Identity better," she admitted. "The OzDust is a bit more money, but the restaurant's quieter. There's more of a rhythm to it. It has falls and lows. The OzDust is just… constant. More tiring. And people generally tip better at the restaurant which I kind of rely on."
"You're on a scholarship, aren't you?"
"Partial scholarship," she corrected Boq.
He nodded. "Right. So, what does that cover?"
"Tuition," Elphaba replied.
He and Nessarose looked surprised. "That's it?"
She nodded. "That's it."
"So, your pay…"
"Is for books, rent, bills and living expenses," Elphaba said shortly, not comfortable with discussing her finances.
So, she changed the subject.
"Are you both doing anything for the holidays?"
"Just going back to Munchkinland," Nessarose spoke for them both. "The last few years, our families have gotten together for Lurlinemas. We're next door neighbours," she explained.
"So, you've been friends for how long?"
"Well, we've always known each other. Through play dates and school," Boq explained. "But when Nessa moved next door, we became best friends. That must have been…"
"It'll be three years ago in April," Nessa said quietly, looking at her hands.
Elphaba recalled what she knew about Nessa's family- her father's tragic death forcing her and her mother out of their home.
"I'm sorry about your father," she said quietly and Nessarose gave a faint smile.
"Thank you. I miss him dreadfully. I'll never forget that day… April twelfth."
Elphaba startled a little. "April twelfth?"
Nessarose looked surprised. "Y-yes," she stammered. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing," Elphaba answered quickly. "I was just… surprised. That's my birthday," she explained.
"Really?" Boq asked in interest.
"Well… as best as we can figure," Elphaba shrugged. "They found me at the orphanage on the morning of the thirteenth, and the doctor estimated I was less than a day old. So… April twelfth."
"And you were just left on the doorstep?" Nessarose asked quietly.
Elphaba nodded, feeling uncomfortable about the look of pity in her eyes.
"I should go," she said quickly, standing up. "Er…thanks. For letting me sit here," she said awkwardly.
"Any time," Nessarose replied, and Elphaba almost believed she meant it.