Author's Note: Kind of a warning not to expect TOO much from me for the next few weeks. Teachers start school 2 weeks before the kids do, so I've got my job and a community theater production I'm in. It's been a bit insane, because I have to drive back and forth for the next 2 weeks or so.
Chapter Two: Shiz University Campus, The Next Day
She had eventually managed to convince Fiyero to take her one more time after she'd woken. A little after that, her father had pounded on the door, reminding them that they needed to leave within a tock. Elphaba and Fiyero had dressed in silence and she'd opened the door. Her father looked past her into the room, nodded at Fiyero and smiled at the blood on the sheets. He'd patted her on the shoulder and said, "Good girl."
Elphaba cringed at the memory from only hours previous, but continued unpacking her things. Her roommate, a slender Gillikinese girl with blonde hair and grey eyes, watched her as she did. Their Ama was in the adjoining room getting settled. "You don't have to stare," Elphaba told the girl sharply.
The girl flinched. "I'm sorry. You look tired. Were you so anxious for Shiz that you stayed up all night? I know I could hardly sleep a wink."
She had slept a little, though it had been uncomfortable. There had been the pain, and the fact that Fiyero was there. He hadn't stared at her or anything, but after what they'd done, how it had made her feel, she'd simply felt awkward. Elphaba had lain there for at least an hour before getting any sleep at all. "I'm fine," she said simply. "What was your name, again?"
"Galinda. And your name is Elphaba. Did I say that right?"
"Yes."
"It's nice to meet you." Galinda said halfheartedly.
Their Ama, a middle-aged plump Gillikinese woman with red hair, entered the room again. "Is your father gone so soon, Miss Elphaba? I thought he'd want to help you get settled."
Oh, he made sure I was settled… "He had to get things set up at his new church."
"Of course. Besides, I'm sure a young woman doesn't want her father hanging around, especially on a campus full of eligible bachelors. There are quite a few Munchkinlanders here."
Elphaba almost laughed, but coughed instead. "I've seen most of Munchkinland. I'm not interested in finding a bachelor. I don't need one." And that was for certain.
"You never intend to marry?" Galinda asked with a gasp.
"I don't." Elphaba said staunchly.
"Well, you did say you were Thropp Third Descending, yes?" Ama Clutch asked.
She hadn't. Her father had. "Yes. And I'd prefer not to marry at all, as I said." Although it was a bit too late for that.
"But don't you need to pass along your title?" Galinda pressed.
"If I don't, I suppose it would pass through my sister or brother. I'm not concerned about it."
"Apparently not!" Galinda seemed horrified, twisting her curls tightly around a pale finger. "Miss Elphaba, college is for more than just learning. Everyone must have a lively social life."
"Not everyone."
"I, for one, have already made several friends."
"Of course you have," Elphaba muttered.
As if they'd been summoned, two knocks came at the door and Galinda rushed to open it. Two Gillikinese girls, one with a squished looking face and another who was very freckled, burst in. "Galinda, you will never guess what we just saw…" The squished-faced one stopped, staring at Elphaba. At that point, their Ama came in behind them, a squat woman.
"Ah, that's, um, Elphaba. She's my roommate. She's from Munchkinland." Galinda said quickly, answering the unasked question about Elphaba's heritage.
Elphaba had avoided questions about her skin so far - probably because her father had been with her for some of the time - but she knew that was about to change. "I'm a freak of nature," she informed the two girls, shrugging.
It took the girls a moment to gather their wits and then the freckled one choked out, "Pleased. I'm Pfanee. This is Shen-Shen."
"That's nice." Elphaba went to her closet to hang up her clothing.
After a strained silence, Shen-Shen spoke. "Anyway, Galinda, we were about to tell you. There's a Winkie here! I've never seen one. Oh, and his skin is just so dark!"
Elphaba bit her lip. Fiyero. Racial tensions in Oz were a bit high - not between Munchkinland and Gillikin, but anyone who looked different was targeted. Sometimes, because of this, Elphaba was looked down upon, sometimes she wasn't because of her ancestry. But she knew that Fiyero would likely be ostracized.
"He must be an absolute barbarian!" Pfanee exclaimed.
Barbaric? The boy she'd been with last night had been polite and kind, even if she hadn't been the happiest about being there. He'd been much more courteous than she had been, for sure. She'd been willing to suffer, and he'd tried to keep her comfortable. That was certainly not barbaric!
"He's a prince. I mean, why else would he be here?" Shen-Shen added. "I bet he doesn't even speak one word of the common tongue!"
"He does!" Elphaba huffed, getting frustrated.
"Excuse me?" Pfanee looked at her.
"I just meant…" Elphaba faltered, trying to recover. "In order to conduct business, anyone of importance knows the common tongue. We, um, we went on missions in Quadling Country when I was younger. My father's a preacher. Not all the common folk knew it, but the leaders did." She hoped they didn't ask her why she was blushing. "I would assume it's the same way in the Vinkus."
"How interesting," Shen-Shen replied, voice condescending. She turned back to Galinda. "As we were saying, his skin is so dark I bet you couldn't see him at night!"
Elphaba clenched her jaw and shook her head. How could they be so hateful and ignorant? Fiyero's skin was dark, but difference wasn't necessarily bad. Some might find it appealing, attractive… she shivered.
"And he has these tattoos," Pfanee added. "Diamonds. Everywhere. Well, I mean, I don't know about everywhere. But at least everywhere that you can see!"
They were, in fact, everywhere. But she certainly wasn't going to tell them that. And she thought they were intriguing. She had wanted badly to touch them, but worried she might offend him if she asked.
"A prince, you say?" Galinda seemed nonplussed. "Well, I suppose one needs an education to run a kingdom. After all, he can't be here to find a wife. There are no other Vinkuns here."
Elphaba's level of respect for Galinda immediately rose when she called him Vinkun and not Winkie. She looked over at the girl gratefully, though she wasn't looking back. So Elphaba said, "Not everyone is here to get hitched. Some people are hoping for an education."
Shen-Shen fixed her with a look, then turned back to the blonde girl. "Miss Galinda, would you join us for tea?"
"Our Ama will be with us, so Ama Clutch can stay and supervise your roommate," Pfanee said with a bit of a sneer. Their Ama, who had been silent up until this point, yawned and nodded in Ama Clutch's direction.
"May I?" Galinda asked.
"Go on," Ama Clutch waved her out.
"Thank you!" Galinda grabbed a pink pocketbook and ran out the door.
Ama Clutch sat down in the chair next to Galinda's desk. "In a way, it's probably a relief that you're not looking for a man," she told Elphaba. "I won't have to worry about you sneaking off and doing anything unbecoming."
Elphaba cackled at that. "No, certainly not."
There was a mandatory meeting of all first-year students in the large lecture hall that afternoon. Girls had to attend with their Amas, so she was stuck sitting beside Galinda. The boys were in a separate section of the hall, and she couldn't help but notice Fiyero. Perhaps she only noticed because he was sitting alone, or because of all the people staring and muttering. Yes, she was getting stared at, but she wasn't isolated as he was. She felt sorry for him.
When their headmistress, a tall and imposing woman in her sixties, entered the lecture hall, everyone stopped their chattering. She smiled strangely at the group of students before her. "Welcome to Shiz. I am headmistress Madame Morrible. I know you are all anxious to begin classes tomorrow. I hope you have gotten comfortable in your dormitories."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "There are some rules I wish to remind you of, since Shiz is currently the only University that allows entrance to both genders. Girls are to be with their Amas at all times unless they are in their dormitories or a parent is supervising. Boys are never to set foot in the girls' dormitories. Girls are never to set foot in the boys' dormitories. I realize that you are of marriageable age, but proper conduct must be followed at all times."
A few boys groaned at this.
"And on that note, I must remind you of the law our Wonderful Wizard put in place. There shall be no courting or fraternization between people of high status from separate countries. It will be taken as an insult to the Wizard's power and considered treason, punishable by death."
Elphaba looked at her hands for a moment, and watched Fiyero out of the corner of her vision. He did not flinch. She had always rallied against the idea because she didn't want a marriage, or a child. Elphaba had never cared that she was risking her own life. Her life had never had value to her. Yet Fiyero was risking his life, as well, for what? A vision? A prophecy? She was doing it out of familial obligation. What, exactly, was his motive? The same?
The woman continued to welcome them, offered them her advice and then dismissed them. As they were leaving, Fiyero caught her eye. His eyes were so dark brown they were almost black, and she felt lost for a moment looking into them. He smiled at her out of the side of his mouth, nodded and walked away. She tried to stop her cheeks from getting inflamed. This was a natural, physical reaction after their intimacy, right?
Galinda babbled at Ama Clutch as they walked back to the dormitories, but Elphaba wasn't paying attention. It wasn't until Ama Clutch said her name a second time, "Miss Elphaba, will you be joining us?"
"Huh?"
"We're going out to buy some necessities that we've forgotten. Would you care to join us?" Galinda asked, exasperated.
"Oh, um, certainly." She needed to get to an apothecary, anyway.
Galinda grabbed silly things, like frilly pillows or flowers. Elphaba rolled her eyes and went to the apothecary next store for oils and potions, ignoring Ama Clutch's look when she came back. It wasn't as though she'd gone far.
The first week of classes was spent discussing rules, procedures or going over things she already knew. The only class of note was life sciences. The professor was a Goat named Dr. Dillamond, and it seemed that bigotry didn't only extend to Vinkuns, but to Animals as well. By the end of the first class, several wads of spit-covered paper had been flung at the poor man. Elphaba stayed behind to help clean them up.
"Thank you, Miss…"
"Miss Elphaba." She sighed. "I wish I had seen where it was coming from." But she'd sat near the front, and most of them had been tossed from the back of the room.
The old Goat didn't seem perturbed, though. "It's fine. You're very kind to stay, though."
"It's nothing." She put the pile of papers in the trash. "This is university. People should be more mature."
"Some are," Dr. Dillamond assured her. "And some will take more time to get there."
Elphaba shook her head. "What makes them think they can treat you that way?"
"Because the people in power treat us that way."
She froze for a moment. "You mean Morrible? Or the Wizard?"
"All of the above, Miss Elphaba. But that's not what you came here to learn." The Goat went back towards his desk. "Again, thank you for your help. I'll see you next week."
Elphaba left, wondering what exactly he had meant.
Saturday afternoon, her father came by the dormitories to "take her to dinner," and then have her help with Sunday's sermon. What that really meant was that he was throwing her into another dank room in a rundown inn while he sat down the hall. Fiyero would meet them there.
She waited for Fiyero naked on the bed, legs spread. His mouth fell open when he entered, and a bulge immediately formed in his nether regions. Elphaba liked knowing she had done that. It made her feel wanted and powerful. This time, no longer afraid of seeming inexperienced, she undressed him, pushed him onto the bed, and took him into her over and over again without a word.
"How was the first week of classes?" He asked later.
"Fine," she replied. Elphaba slid her hands down his chest.
"When I came in, I was going to ask if you were feeling less sore, but you didn't even let me say anything." He commented.
"Because it doesn't matter." She shrugged, sitting up on the bed. "I don't know why you're so insistent on talking."
"It'd be nice to talk to someone," he muttered.
Elphaba bit her lip. He was lonely. She'd noticed him around campus, in classes. No one sat with him or spoke with him. Occasionally, someone would yell racial slurs from across the way, but that was as close to communication as he seemed to get. She softened a little at that. "What's your roommate like?"
"Shy and awkward, I think. He doesn't speak much."
"People haven't been kind to you, have they?"
"Not necessarily unkind, but… they certainly don't care to speak to me or help me."
"It's this stupid law, Fiyero. They think people who are different are less than them." Elphaba sighed. "Is that why your roommate won't talk to you?"
"I don't sense that from him. I'm sure he notices it, and perhaps it's why he won't speak, but more because he doesn't know what to say. He's a Munchkinlander, actually. Maybe you know him."
"Does it matter if I do? You couldn't ever speak to him of me."
"I suppose that's true." Fiyero looked over at Elphaba, examining her body for a moment. "You're different, too."
"I've noticed."
"Not in a bad way…" Fiyero seemed to falter. "I just meant… are people being kind to you?"
"My roommate clearly thinks it's odd, but she's not been cruel. Her friends want nothing to do with me, which is fine. I want nothing to do with them. I'm not here to make friends." Then she turned back to Fiyero again. "And we are not here to talk."
And so they fell to their task with vigor.
