Question 2: Describe yourself in 3 words.
"Shall we go on to the second question?" Nessa suggested to Galinda.
The blonde nodded. "Yes. Although I hope it's something better than telling jokes. Let's see."
She peered at the page to decipher her own handwriting. Writing with pink ink, her signature colour, always seemed like a good idea at the time; but trying to read anything she wrote afterwards was always a struggle.
"Describe yourself in 3 words."
Nessa was already thinking furiously about how to answer. She always hated those types of questions, along with "how would others describe you", because she never knew how to respond.
Galinda was happy about this question. She was by no means modest or unaware of her own attributes and the good things about her personality. But still, she put great thought and concentration into deciding the exactly right three words to describe herself, without making her sound conceited or stuck up.
"Well... goodness me, there's so many words! I think I'll say... friendly, good and beautiful," she said finally and smiled at Nessa with satisfaction.
"I wouldn't argue with any of those," Nessa replied and Galinda beamed.
"Thank you, Nessa. You're very sweet."
Nessa laughed ruefully. "Sweet. I suppose that is a good word to describe myself."
Galinda cocked her head. "You disagree?"
Nessa sighed and gave a small shrug. "No, I suppose it's true. People are always describing me as sweet. I'm afraid it comes across as being boring or naive instead."
Galinda immediately shook her head. "No! It's a good thing, not at all boring. It means you're considerate of others, which you are. I can tell that, even if we don't know each other that well."
Nessa blushed prettily. "Well, thank you."
"So, what other two words would you choose?" Galinda urged gently.
Nessa hesitated. "Quiet, I suppose. And... I don't know. It's difficult."
"Well, you know you're beautiful. Everyone thinks so," Galinda told her. "Tragically beautiful."
Nessa did know, she'd heard it her entire life.
"I suppose that will do," she nodded. "So, beautiful, sweet and quiet."
Then she frowned at her paper. "What do you suppose is the point of this? The lesson, I mean."
Galinda shrugged. "I don't know. Do you really think the way people see you determines the way history remembers you?"
"I've never really thought about it. But I do like the idea of getting to know our classmates. And you are Elphaba's friend, after all."
Galinda beamed. "I agree. We should all be friends, I think."
Then her face lit up as she had an idea. "You and Bick should double date with Fiyero and I!"
Nessa was surprised, Galinda and Fiyero were much more popular than either her or Boq. She appreciated the offer, but she was sure the pretty blonde was just being polite.
"That would be lovely," she simply replied.
"If we could find a date for Elphaba, it could be the six of us. But Fabala would never agree."
"I'm working on it," Galinda reassured her. "I just have to find the right boy for her."
"What about one of Fiyero's friends?" Nessa suggested.
Galinda made a face. "No. None of them are good enough for Elphie."
Nessa thought of Fiyero's friends that she knew of, Avaric and others similar and had to agree. She knew their father wouldn't want Avaric associated with their family in anyway. And Avaric was always so awful to Elphaba, no, they wouldn't do at all.
"You'll never convince Elphaba anyway, no matter who it was," Nessa said confidently.
Galinda sighed. "True," she admitted. "But I'm not giving up hope. I think we should get some cake before we go on to the next question. What do you think?"
Nessa agreed. "Cake sounds lovely."
When Elphaba read out the second question, Fiyero chuckled.
"These aren't hard questions. Describe myself in three words. Easy. Handsome, scandalacious, perfect."
Elphaba just stared at him. "That's really how you think of yourself?"
He shrugged modestly. "It's hard being me," he said modestly and she rolled her eyes.
"Why not shallow, self-absorbed and egotistic?" she shot back at him.
Fiyero's mouth tightened. "I thought we agreed to be civil," he said tightly, and Elphaba paused.
"You're right. I'm sorry," she said with difficulty. "But can you take this seriously, please?"
Fiyero sighed. "Fine."
"Three words to describe yourself. How you see yourself. Not how you want the world to see you."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. Ok, handsome- don't look at me like that. Fun, and... stylish."
Elphaba regarded him for a long moment. "Better. More honest, at least. Shallow, but more honest."
Fiyero felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
"What's your answer?" he asked, making an effort to change the subject. "Three words to describe yourself."
"Green."
Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Um, that's only one word Thropp."
"That's all I need," Elphaba replied stubbornly, making notes in her notebook.
He scoffed. "Oh, come off it. Surely you can think of another two words to describe yourself."
"And what would be the point of that?" Elphaba returned sharply, her head shooting up. "No matter what words I use to describe myself, 'green' is all people will see. That's the only way I'm going to be remembered, as the weird green girl. And you can't deny that."
Fiyero fell silent. He couldn't deny that.
"Smart."
Elphaba met his gaze across the room. "Excuse me?"
Fiyero shrugged sheepishly. "You're smart. That's another word. And... sarcastic."
Elphaba was quiet for a long moment. "Thank you?"
An awkward silence fell. Neither was used to Fiyero complimenting Elphaba and neither was really sure if being described as "sarcastic" was a compliment or not. Finally, Fiyero hastily cleared his throat.
"So, ok. Are we done with this question now?"
Elphaba looked at her paper, with Fiyero's three words- as moronic as she considered the words he had chosen- written in the space for question two; followed by the single word for her own answer. Green.
She hesitated another moment, and then slowly lifted her pen and wrote another two words. Smart. And sarcastic, although she still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Her father certainly didn't.
"Yeah. I guess we are," she finally said quietly.
Avaric snorted when he heard the question.
"This is such crap."
Boq sighed wearily. "Yes, you've made that clear."
"I mean, whatever the supposed point of this lesson is, how is the way we describe ourselves going to help... history... or whatever shit the old Goat was rambling on about."
"The point is that we make history," Boq explained for the thousandth time, his patience growing thin. "The way people see us affects how we are remembered in history."
Avaric shrugged. "Whatever. So again, why should we describe ourselves? Wouldn't it make sense for the other person to describe us in three words?"
Boq blinked. It almost sounded like Avaric had just made a logical point.
"I think the point is the way we see ourselves and think about ourselves says a lot about us," he said slowly. "The way I describe myself might be different to how you would describe me, so we get to know each other better. You might think of me differently because of the three words I use to describe myself."
Avaric looked bored. And highly sceptical. "I doubt it."
"Well, you go first then," Boq said irritably. "Describe yourself in three words. Go."
"Easy," he said confidently. "I'm handsome, popular and awesome."
Like Fiyero's initial response, Avaric's answer was shallow. Unlike Elphaba however, Boq didn't care enough to challenge him for another answer.
"Great. Awesome," he muttered, writing it down and once again cursing his misfortune to get stuck with Avaric as a partner.
"So, Munchkin? What's your answer?"
Boq shrugged. "Nice, I guess. Smart. And short," he added gloomily, resorting to the default descriptor everyone used for him, no matter how much he protested that he was actually tall for a Munchkin.
It occurred to Boq as he stared at his three words that the three words that summed him up, was everything that made Galinda look right through him to people like Fiyero Tiggular; who was the complete opposite of Boq.
Actually, that wasn't fair, Boq admitted to himself with a sigh. He didn't know Fiyero very well, and for all he knew, Fiyero was nice. Boq hoped he was, he didn't think Galinda would be with someone who was a horrendible person. Just apparently, Boq was too nice. Which was what had gotten him into this whole mess with Nessa.
Boq was startled from his musings as Avaric laughed throatily. "Yeah, you are short," he snorted as though it was a great joke.
"I'm tall for a Munchkin," Boq protested weakly, but he was ignored.
Avaric threw his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out. "I need a drink to get through the rest of this pathetic class."
"I... I don't think we should go to a bar," Boq said awkwardly, and Avaric laughed.
"No shit, shrimp. You think I want to be seen drinking in public with a geek like you? No, let's go to my dorm. I've got a stash."
That didn't surprise Boq in the least.
"I don't want-"
"Come on. Don't be such a stick in the mud," Avaric cut off his protests, and walked away before Boq could form any further arguments.
With a huge sigh, Boq wearily and half-heartedly followed him. This was going to be the longest hour of his life.
