A/N: Chapter two! So I have a lot of this already written, so updates will be pretty frequent to start out. But I am moving back in to college next week, so don't hold me to that. And yes, this is a Gelphie story, but they've obviously got a while to go. ;) Let me know what you think!
"But then I saw her standing there—just standing there, listening in on our conversation! And I said, as gently as I could of course, 'Miss Elphaba, it's rude to eavesdrop on others.' And you know what she did?" The group crowded around them all stepped closer, eager to hear the rest of the story. "She grabbed my hand, no doubt trying to spread some sort of horrible disease, and just laughed at me!" Pfannee finished with a huff.
The four girls were sitting on a cluster of benches near the center of campus. To their delight, they had yet to have a class alone. After life sciences, Pfannee and Shenshen had gone to mathematics while Galinda and Milla went together to Ozian Literature. The girls had spent the morning twisting the tale of what happened at breakfast, and that was exactly what they were doing just then. Their classmates huddled around them excitedly, drinking in the gossip of Shiz's resident vegetable.
"The nerve!" a girl exclaimed.
"What a terrible green thing she is," another said.
Everyone was nodding in agreement, but one Munchkin boy spoke up. "But…why was she there in the first place?"
"Why, I'm sure we don't know," Milla said.
"But if you ask me," Pfannee said, her voice dropping, "She was following Miss Galinda here."
"Following her?"
"Why in Oz?"
"Well, they're roommates, are they not?" Shenshen answered the sudden burst. "No doubt she was planning some sort of torment."
"She's been awful all weekend long," Galinda added, sticking her bottom lip out in a slight pout. At once, the boys all reached forward to comfort her. Pfannee scowled a bit at that, but no one else noticed.
"Following you? Are you sure?" the Munchkin boy said.
"Are you trying to defend her, Boq?" another boy asked.
"I'm just saying she can't be that bad."
"Why not?" one of the girls countered. "I heard that her green skin is a result of some terrible sin her parents committed."
"Parents?" one boy laughed. "Are you sure she didn't just pop into existence one day?"
"I bet that's what her parents wish!"
"Can you imagine having a green child?" Galinda said, her voice hushed with horror. But then she saw someone walking up the sidewalk towards the group, her nose buried in a book—a very green someone, in fact. Galinda grinned and raised her voice so that it carried across the courtyard. "I can only imagine how ashamed her parents are. Perhaps that's why she's at Shiz. Anyone in their right mind would send such a hideous child away as soon as possible."
Elphaba did not look up from her book, but her shoulders tensed and her knuckles lightened as she gripped the cover harder.
"Oh, the horror they must have felt! I bet the midwives fainted when they saw her come out!"
"I'm surprised her father didn't throw her in the well the minute she was born!"
The others had seen Elphaba now, and while they didn't address her, it was obvious she was meant to hear them. Still, she made no reaction. She didn't even pick up her pace. She just kept walking by them, never tearing her gaze away from her book. Despite it, though, Galinda leaned back, knowing that she had won this time.
Her victory was not to last.
By the end of the day, every student at Shiz was talking about the horror that was Elphaba Thropp. Whispers followed her around campus as her peers spoke to each other behind their hands. Elphaba had to roll her eyes at that—as if they had any idea how to be inconspicuous. But it didn't matter; she was used to whispers. If her classmates wanted to get to her, they would have to try harder than that. So the green girl went through the day without reacting to a single person.
Her roommate, however, was a different story.
Oh, that Galinda Upland had stepped over the line. It was one thing to insult the green girl, but when someone delved into her personal life…well, that was when things got complicated. Elphaba was sure that the blonde didn't know what she was talking about. After all, she had probably been spoiled and pampered from the day she was born. Her comments only came from her ignorance. But still, those comments had turned an entire school against her. It's not that Elphaba had expected to have any friends at Shiz. But was it too much to ask to be left alone? Apparently so, because thanks to her roommate, she was public enemy number one.
Well. Maybe Galinda Upland, rich blonde socialite, could win over an entire school. But Elphaba Thropp, iron-willed green genius, had subtler ways of revenge.
"Here you go, dear—Ozwald's Sticking Solution. Let me guess, you're decorating your dorm room?"
Elphaba hid her grin as she paid the old woman at the counter—not that it would have mattered; the woman was nearly blind anyway. It was the only reason she was being polite to Elphaba, of course. "Yes ma'am. You could say my roommate and I are having some…trouble…with setting the place up."
"Well this'll do the trick. And it doesn't even leave a trace, so you needn't worry about your Madame Head getting onto you for vandalism."
"Brilliant. Thank you." Elphaba left the campus book store quickly, slipping the jar of glue into her bag. When she returned to Crage Hall, her room was empty. Galinda must have been out with her friends, no doubt coming up with the next rumor to spread. Elphaba briefly considered starting her plan now, but she shook her head. She didn't know when her roommate would be back, and besides, the surprise would be so much sweeter in the morning.
So the green girl set her bag on her desk and pulled out her most recent book: Ozian Evolution: When History and Genetics Intertwine. Her first history class wasn't until Wednesday, but she was already looking forward to it. The professor, Dr. Dillamond, had been one of the greatest minds in Oz for years—not to mention one of the most outspoken Animal rights activists. She had read all of his books and papers that she could get her hands on. He was part of what had driven her to attend Shiz in the first place.
She settled onto her bed and curled up, leaning her back against the corner where the walls met. She wasn't sure why she always took up so little space. Perhaps it was because her sister, Nessa, couldn't stretch out. Or maybe it was the fact that she had spent a good amount of her childhood wishing she could just disappear. Whatever the reason, it worked for her. She was tall but thin, and she could easily fold herself up and bury her nose in a book. So that's exactly what she did.
The sun was setting and the room was getting darker when a noise dragged her out of the text. Although the green girl didn't look up, she could see out of the corner of her eyes as Galinda entered the room.
"Good evening, Miss Elphaba," the blonde said sweetly. Elphaba's eyes never left the pages of her book. She knew from experience that her silence unnerved people just as much as her verdigris.
Still, she had to give Galinda credit. She was much more resilient than most. She bounced around the room, setting her purse on her desk and turning to her wardrobe to pick out the next day's outfit. That, or she was just too dimwitted to realize she was being ignored. After a few moments of silence, the blonde started humming to herself. Elphaba barely noticed, drifting back into the pages of wars and decrees carried out centuries ago.
Galinda pulled out a cream-colored dress and hung it on the door to her wardrobe. Her pale blue hair clip would look lovely with that color, and ooh, she had a pair of blue heels to match. She hummed absentmindedly as she pulled out the shoes. It was too quiet in the room. If her presence weren't so sickening, Galinda could almost forget that the green freak was there.
Almost, but not quite.
The silence deepened as Galinda stepped back from her outfit. She smiled to herself, but it didn't last long. Finally, she crossed her arms and looked at her roommate.
Elphaba heard the huff, but she just kept reading. Another sigh, louder this time. But no, it wasn't time yet. Without looking up, she turned the page.
Galinda sank onto her own bed, her frustration building. "Miss Elphaba."
Elphaba bit back her smirk, instead settling on tilting her head slightly toward the blonde and raising an eyebrow.
"What in Oz are you doing that's oh so important?"
"Reading," Elphaba said calmly, looking back to her book.
"Is that all you ever do?"
"Miss Galinda, I thought you told me not to speak to you," the green girl replied, her eyes never leaving the pages.
"I…" Galinda faltered. "Are you not going to pick out clothes for tomorrow?"
"Hm…No, I believe I'll go to class stark naked tomorrow."
"Miss Elphaba!" Galinda gasped, her cheeks tinged with red.
Now a smirk tugged at the dark green lips. "Unless, of course, you've taken a keen interest in my outfits?"
Galinda stuttered for a moment before responding. "I—you—don't flatter yourself!"
"Well, then, mind your own business." And with that, Elphaba went back to her book. Still, fuming, Galinda jumped up from the bed and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. "Slamming the door is quite unbecoming, Miss Galinda," she called, chuckling when she heard her roommate muttering angrily.
"Don't worry, Miss Galinda," the green girl said quietly. "Our fun is only just beginning."
When the blonde came out of the bathroom, she seemed to have calmed down. Elphaba risked a glance at her. She had changed into a nightgown, but—Oz, was she still wearing makeup? Why? The green girl shook her head. She would never understand the female population.
Galinda settled herself in front of her mirror and began brushing through her hair, enjoying the way the golden curls shone in the dim light of the lamp that hung between the beds. She loved this part of the day, where she could just sit and admire how that specific color of blush made her eyes shine, and how the scent of her flowery soap still lingered from her bath, and how…
Her roommate walked out of the bathroom, pulling her hair back into its usual braid. A sudden, horrible thought occurred to Galinda, and she spun around to face her. "Miss Elphaba, aren't you going to wash up?"
"What do you think I was just doing?" the green girl asked, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't hear the water running."
Elphaba rolled her eyes again, but this time she drew the motion out, searching desperately for a reply. "Strange," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Are you really that self-absorbed to not notice anything around you?" There. That was a good enough excuse.
Galinda huffed and returned to her reflection. Letting out a quiet sigh, Elphaba pulled back her dark sheets and leaned against her pillows, picking up her book once again. That had been too close. She didn't need to give Galinda or her friends any ammunition against her.
The room was silent for a while as both girls immersed themselves in their own activities. Galinda did her best to ignore her roommate's presence as she readied for bed. She almost managed it, too, until one slight problem appeared.
"Miss Elphaba, would you mind putting out the light?"
"Yes, I would mind, actually. How kind of you to ask."
"I'm trying to fall asleep, here."
"Well then, I recommend you stop talking." Elphaba could practically feel the glare Galinda was giving her. She faced the blonde. It was amusing, really, how angry such a tiny person could be. Elphaba let out a laugh. "Dirty looks will get you nowhere, Miss Galinda. And besides, you wouldn't want to mess up your pretty face, now would you?"
Galinda shuddered at her roommate's laugh—that hideous cackle. "You terrible thing!" she said hotly. "In all my life, I've never met someone so…so monstrous!"
"What tipped you off?" Elphaba chuckled. "The green skin? Or was it my razor sharp wit?"
Galinda scowled. "Are you going to put the light out or not?"
"Nope."
With a tiny, frustrated squeal, the blonde turned away from her roommate. Elphaba laughed softly. "You could always pull the blanket over your head."
"Good night, Miss Elphaba."
Oh, it most certainly will be, the green girl thought, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
It wasn't long before Galinda's breathing evened out. Slowly, Elphaba reached over and put out the lamp. She didn't know how long she lay there, listening to her roommate sleeping, but not once did she feel tired. Instead, an excited energy buzzed through her. When she was sure the blonde was out for good, she slid out of bed and went to her desk. She dug around in her bag for a moment before her fingers closed around the jar.
For a moment, she considered just going back to bed and letting the whole thing go. It was just a bit of gossip and really, she was completely used to that. But then again, if she didn't put up a fight now, everyone would walk all over her. She had to show them right away that she was not to be messed with. Nodding slightly to herself, she pulled out the jar and held it close to her face, struggling to read the label in the darkness.
Ozwald's Sticking Solution: Just paint this clear glue on a possession of your choosing, and it's guaranteed to stick to the next thing it comes in contact with! Warning: Mixing with oils will negate the effects of—
Perfect. It didn't have to be permanent. Of course, Galinda wouldn't know that…
Elphaba couldn't hide the grin that spread across her face as she unscrewed the lid.