"Miss Glinda, Miss Glinda!"
Through all the whirling of airstream around her head, it was hard for Glinda to recognise the voice but as she did, she wasn't so sure if it was better breaking her neck on the ice or giving in to the mortification of getting saved by Boq.
Wasn't there anyone else willing to help her?
Where was her boyfriend when she needed him?
She started to feel nauseous because of all the spinning and blurry landscape flashing in front of her eyes and slowly she came to the conclusion that she didn't really care who exactly saved her as long as someone would make this hell ride stop.
"I'm going to get you!", she heard Boq shout in her direction when she came close to where he was standing.
"Help me!", she shouted back demandingly, before the charmed ice skates made her lunge in the air again.
She felt the ice cave in slightly under the force of her jump and started silently pleading that she wouldn't have to die in this ridiculous manner.
Her limbs were uncontrollably flailing to all sides and she wondered how she had even been able to stand upright for so long.
The wand had long since fallen out of her pocket so she couldn't even try to change the spell and save herself.
However, just as Glinda was about to give up, she felt herself being swept off of her feet and the sudden stop of her movement caused the environment to spin around her so fast she thought she would throw up.
The magicked ice skates were still moving her feet and legs, but since they were held up in the air, they couldn't do any harm anymore.
Glinda closed her eyes and let herself being carried away, not even thinking about who had saved her.
"Are you all right, Miss Glinda?", a nasal voice asked caringly as someone was taking the cursed shoes off of her feet.
She opened her eyes and to her terror, it really had been Boq who had carried her off the ice.
"Boq! How did you even manage to catch me at this speed?"
"I watched the pattern of the skates and they kind of hurled you in my arms as soon as I stood in the right place."
"You saved my life, Boq", Glinda noted somewhat perplexed and quickly added, "I most certainly owe you a favour now."
Boq smiled.
How ironic that this fateful event happened just at the right time for him.
There no longer was a need for him to trick Glinda into going to the ball with him, she would happily agree to go with him now if he asked her.
"In fact, I'd already know something to ask you for", he said smiling and he observed Glinda trying to keep her face straight.
She cleared her throat.
"Yes?"
"I'd like to invite you to go to the Lurlinemas, no excuse me, Christmas Ball with me."
Incredulous, Glinda stared at him.
"I- I'm already invi..."
Her expression slipped into something desperate and she looked at him with a crooked smile.
"Actually, I haven't been invited yet. So, since you saved my life and I obviously owe you something, I'll be going...to the ball with you, Boq."