Chapter Two:

The next time Galinda's carriage arrived at Shiz University was after the holidays to clean out her dorm of her belongings, tell Madame Morrible that she was leaving, and to say goodbye to her friends. The wedding was in a week, Larena had sent a letter to Sir Chuffrey the night that Galinda said yes and he had wasted no time in the preparations of the wedding. Galinda's mother was already looking for dresses.

As for Galinda, time was passing her by way too quickly. She was fearful of how her friends would react to the reality that she was not coming back, and she was fearful of her own reaction when everything sunk in.

Galinda disembarked from the carriage as soon as it stopped. The familiarity of the University seemed to mock Galinda as she passed through the halls with her empty suitcases and Ama Clutch up to her dorm.

She unlocked the door and opened it to find Elphaba sitting on her bed with a flimsy blanket around her and of course with a book in her lap.

"Blondie," she greeted with a nod as Galinda put her suitcase on the top of her bed. To Galinda suddenly the whole arrangement of being married seemed foreign, something that she was not ready for, and she sniffled a bit to keep the silly tears back as she opened the suitcase to put her belongings away.

Truth be told, Galinda was going to miss being in college. She loved everything about Shiz, even her roommate who had just taken a few months to get to know. The thought of leaving the life she now knew seemed unbearable.

Galinda felt Ama Clutch's hand on her shoulder as the older woman looked at her and nodded gently.

"Better to tell her now than later," said Ama Clutch as she took one of the suitcases and went over to the closet to retrieve the clothes that Galinda had left behind.

Elphaba had now stared at Galinda for a while now with a critical look in her eyes.

Galinda stared back at her, more like she glanced at everything else but her roommate.

"Miss Galinda, I trust that you had a good holiday," said the green bean slowly. She waited in silence, like a striking cat that waited for its prey.

Galinda swallowed hard, "I did," she said absently.

Elphaba leaned forward, her spectacles sliding down her thin nose, "Then why do you seem so… off?"

Her eyes flickered to the now open and empty suitcase that lie on the bed, and back to Galinda.

"I have… good news," said Galinda looking up from her feet at Elphaba.

Elphaba waited, and raised an eyebrow. The rest of her face was impassive, almost emotionless.

"I'm to be married, to Sir Chuffrey," the words sounded weird as they came out of Galinda's mouth and she probably made a face as she said them.

Silence came next for a while. Galinda could judge by the look on her friend's face that she was thinking. She had her eyes focused on something that was not here, and her body grew rigid.

Galinda would sorely miss seeing Elphaba think, or do anything for that matter. She was actually quite glad that they had become friends after all. If Galinda had stayed friends with Pfannee and Shen-Shen, she would have gone mad from their pettiness. At least with Elphaba she could talk about something other than gossip. It was nice to have such a friend to rely on.

That's why the next words that flew out of Galinda's mouth were of no surprise to either girl," And I want you to be my maid of honor."

The green girl seemed to be unphased by that, and that only brought more silence.

Galinda stood there in front of her bed, her fingers twitching in irritation.

"Don't you have anything to say?" she blurted out as Ama Clutch left the room to tell Morrible of the situation.

"Well, you don't mean the wedding is now, do you? Surely you mean after graduation, Miss Galinda?" said Elphaba after a moment of pause.

Galinda bit her lip, tilted her head upwards as the tears pooled in her eyes. It was stupid, surely that she was crying over this, but for some reason Galinda was getting very emotional.

"No, I mean next week," she managed out with a few sniffles.

Elphaba's face remained unchanged, "Oh," was all she said.

The door reopened and Galinda saw Ama Clutch and Morrible entering the room as she wiped her tears away.

"Oh, Miss Galinda," greeted Morrible as she strode over to the blonde, giving her a very rare hug, "How wonderful and yet how sad your situation is!" Morrible patted Galinda's hands with her own, "But yet life goes on dearies. I hope you don't mind, but I brought Grommetik along to help you and dear Ama Clutch with your luggage. Your Ama already arranged for you to be taken off the lists of classes, but I do expect an invitation to the wedding!" Morrible grasped her hands and looked at the blonde.

"I do hope you please him," were her parting words as she left the blonde, her roommate, her caregiver, and the machine to themselves.

Galinda reeled at that statement and stood there frozen for a bit. Her breath became ragged and her hands grew icy cold. What if Chuffrey hated her? What if he tried to kill her, or got so drunk that he did something dangerous to her? What if harmed her so badly on their wedding night that she bled to death? Galinda knew what her expectations were as a wife but she hoped that Chuffrey would wait a few years before they had any children. Galinda was only seventeen after all! She'd be petrified if she became pregnant at this age. Her mind went through many different and all horrific scenarios of being married to Chuffrey as she stood there in her state.

Suddenly Elphaba put both hands on the blonde's shoulders and shook her hard, "Galinda, snap out of it!" she yelled at her.

After that, Galinda seemed to refocus and she shuddered before she did anything.

"Sorry," she muttered as she folded her hands together, and gazed downwards.

She looked better now, to Elphaba, the color had returned in her cheeks and her blue eyes were not glossed over.

"Galinda, everything is going to be fine with your husband. You're better off than the rest of us," said Elphaba with a grim smile.

Galinda smiled back at her friend, "Yes, I suppose so." Her happy mood vanished then as tears spilled down her cheeks again, "But you will come to the wedding, right? You, Fiyero, Boq, Avaric, Crope, Tibbett, and you can even bring your sister Nessa. I regret how I won't be able to meet her."

Elphaba smirked at her roommate.

"No, you don't but thanks for saying so anyways. I guess she'll have to room with me now that you're leaving."

Elphaba did not seem too pleased about that. But she did not stay on that subject for long, "So who is this Sir Chuffrey?"

Galinda swallowed and told her all about the Paltos baron that she was marrying in a week, feeling better with each minute that she spent with Elphaba.

After spending some time in her dorm with Grommetik taking things to and from the room, her luggage was finally all packed up and Ama Clutch was waiting in the carriage outside whilst Galinda said her goodbyes.

In her dorm, Galinda looked around at her now bare side of the room and compared it to Elphaba's. There wasn't much on either side but she was still going to miss it.

"So," said Galinda turning to her green friend, "I shall see you in a week at my house, and please for the love of Lurline, Elphie wear something other than black! My wedding is not a funeral! Oh and can you be a dear and make sure that Crope and Tibbett do not show up in dresses or drag, I think my mother would faint from such a sight!" laughed Galinda as she hugged Elphaba one last time from the doorway of her dorm.

Elphaba glanced down at her attire, which was a black nightdress, and sighed, "I'll do my best, Mrs. Chuffrey or shall I call you Lady Chuffrey?" Elphaba was teasing and Galinda knew it but for some reason the whole honorific bothered Galinda.

"Neither, you will still address me as Galinda," said the blonde as she stood up tall, and started to walk away from her dorm.

"Galinda!"

The young woman turned on her heel, "Yes?"

"I guess that your maid in shining combat boots will be there at the ceremony next week, whether it is by force or choice is still unclear to her," said Elphaba with a wry smile as she flashed a few green fingers as a wave goodbye and disappeared as the door closed.

Galinda smiled and stood looking at the door for a moment. Then she shook her head and made her way to the carriage that awaited her that took her far from the place that she had called home these past few months.

What are all of your thoughts? Oh and what should Galinda's dress look like?

Bubble