A/N: There have been a handful of new follows/favorites this past week, so I just want to say thank you to everyone out there who's reading this, especially if you're taking the time to review. Also, shout out to Fae'sFlower, who I'm pretty sure has left a comment on every chapter so far. You're amazing.
"It would seem that it pays to be less materialistic."
Glinda paused in the middle of trying to wrestle her last suitcase shut and scowled up at the green girl. "Your commentary is not helping, Elphaba."
"No, but maybe this well." She set aside her book and knelt down to help fasten the clasps. "Happy?"
The blonde nodded, a bit shyly. "Sorry I'm taking up the whole room," she said.
Elphaba stood and looked around. It was true; while Elphaba's two bags were stacked neatly at the foot of her bed, the blonde's seemingly endless luggage was scattered throughout the entire place.
"It's nothing more than the usual," she said dryly. She let out a cackle as her roommate huffed and pouted.
At the sound of the green girl's laughter, Glinda couldn't help but smile. For a moment she just sat there, marveling at how far they'd come since the beginning of the year. Had it really been an entire semester ago that they met? Was their first year of college really already halfway over?
"What is it?" Elphaba asked, watching the smile fade from her face. Glinda simply shook her head.
"N-nothing. Just thinking… When do you leave tomorrow?"
Elphaba's eyes darkened. "Early. Nessa said the carriage would be here by seven at the latest."
Another pout. "I'll barely get to see you before you leave!"
"You're seeing me now," Elphaba replied, rolling her eyes.
"That doesn't count!" Glinda wandered over to her bed and pulled the fluffy pink blanket back. "But I suppose you're right. This is the last chance we have to hang out before break."
"Oh Oz, you're not going to make me do girly sleepover things, are you?"
"Well, now that you mention it…" Glinda giggled at the terror growing on her roommate's face. "Kidding, Elphie!"
"Thank goodness," the green girl sighed, collapsing onto her own bed. She turned her head to look at Glinda, a grin tugging at her lips. "When does your carriage arrive tomorrow?"
"The train leaves town at noon, so sometime before that." The blonde waved her hand absentmindedly. "I don't know what I'll do with all my time, since you're leaving me so early."
"You poor thing."
"Indeed." The girls grinned at each other.
"Are you excited to go home?" Elphaba asked.
Glinda stretched out on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Yes. I miss my parents, and my Ama, and there are a few girls I've kept in touch with since leaving Frottica who I simply can't wait to see. And then, of course, there's Lurlinemas. My parents always host this elaborate party, and I get to be all dressed up—even more so than usual—and there's music and dancing and so many lords and ladies…"
Elphaba watched her as she spoke, unsure of why she suddenly felt a bit empty. So what if Glinda didn't miss her at all? She should be happy that the blonde would have such a good time.
"But after Lurlinemas, I suppose I'll be bored to tears. There's just not as much adventure in high society as there is at university. And there isn't anyone nearly as entertaining as Crope or Tibbett."
"And I suppose you'd be hard-pressed to find another green bean, too."
Glinda turned her head to look at her, eyes dancing. "I wonder if any of them would believe me when I told them my best friend was green." She giggled as Elphaba went from shock to feigning offense to laughing, all over the course of a couple seconds.
Best friend. Both girls quite enjoyed the sound of it.
"I never asked," Elphaba said after a while. "How did your sorcery exam go?"
Glinda tensed, an action that did not go unnoticed by the green girl. "Alright, I suppose. She told me I received top marks."
"Glinda, that's wonderful!" Elphaba propped herself up on her elbows. "Why aren't you excited?"
"I am," the blonde said. "It's just…well, I'm just thinking about some things Morrible said afterward."
Now Elphaba was really concerned. It wasn't like her roommate to look so uneasy. "Like what? What did she say?"
The last thing Glinda wanted to do was talk about it—she was still trying not to shudder at the thought of Morrible's eyes boring into her—but Elphaba had a right to know.
"She offered me a job next semester, as her assistant. She wanted me to tutor some students in the lower sorcery classes."
Elphaba froze. Her eyes searched the blonde's face, but she didn't say anything. Glinda went on.
"She asked about you as well, if you would do it."
"She what?" The green girl jumped up and began walking around the room, agitated. "That's absurd! I would never—she has to know I wouldn't—what in Oz is she thinking?!"
Glinda sat up, watching her roommate with concern. "Elphie, calm down. I—"
"Calm down? Are you crazy?" Elphaba stopped pacing to glare at her. "Morrible cleared out Dillamond's office when he left, she knows his research went missing. But she already got rid of him, what more does she want? That old hag is up to something, I know it. She's trying to get closer, learn more. She—"
"I know, Elphaba. That's why I told her neither of us would do it."
A beat of silence. The green girl's eyes widened slightly. "You…did?"
Glinda rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes. I told her I wouldn't be a good tutor, and you wanted to focus on history and life sciences. Then I suggested some other girl for the job. I'm not as dumb as you think, Elphie. I still remember why Dr. Dillamond had to leave."
Elphaba winced a little, and her shoulders sagged. She moved over to her bed and sat down once again. "Sorry," she said quietly, but Glinda shook her head.
"It's alright."
"I don't think you're stupid."
The blonde sighed. "I know. I don't know why I said that."
"Because I treated you like you were."
"You didn't mean to."
"Still."
Glinda went over to the green girl's bed and sat next to her. "We're going to be okay, right Elphie? Whatever Morrible's planning…we'll get through it. Won't we?"
Elphaba forced herself to meet shining blue eyes. This was why she kept Dr. Dillamond's research a secret. This was why she had to keep going with his work. So that people like Morrible couldn't hurt anyone else. Especially not Glinda.
"Yes," she said finally. "We'll be okay."
The blonde smiled and moved to rest her head on Elphaba's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you terribly, Elphie," she said after a moment. More than you could possibly know, she added silently.
Elphaba shifted to wrap an arm around her roommate. "I'll miss you, too…my sweet." More than I'll ever say.
They sat together for a while, drifting in and out of peaceful conversation, until Glinda said that Elphie needed to sleep. But even after they'd both climbed into their respective beds, they stayed awake, staring up at the ceiling and stealing glances across the room, each lost in their own thoughts of the upcoming break, and why the month apart suddenly seemed so dreadful.
Glinda woke with Elphaba the next morning. She watched quietly as the green girl put the last of her things together and pulled on her boots and coat. When she was ready, she turned and made one last sweep of the room, looking for anything she had forgotten.
Her bed was neatly made, although her mother's green bottle was packed safely away. The wardrobe was hanging half-open, revealing completely empty shelves. While Glinda had enough clothes at home to leave some things here, Elphaba's closet was far more limited. The only thing that looked as if it still belonged to someone was the desk. Although she had stuffed as many textbooks and journals into her bags as she could, there were still countless papers and notebooks lying out on her desk. None of it, however, had to do with Dillamond's research. She had made sure to bring all of that with her.
Glinda opened the door for her and followed her out of Crage Hall. Very few of Shiz's residents were up and about this early, especially when it was this cold.
"Are you sure you'll be warm enough?" Glinda asked, eyeing her thin coat. The train she would be taking back to Frottica later today was heated. Elphaba's carriage was not.
"The carriage will block out the wind," the green girl said. Normally she would have been impatient with the concern, but the way Glinda was looking at her drove every negative thought away. She grinned toothily. "Besides, I have my books. You know I'll be fine."
The blonde smiled back. They stood out in the cold by the gates as the minutes dragged on. "You don't have to wait out here. Go back inside and warm up," Elphaba told her, but Glinda rolled her eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous, Elphie. I came to see you off, and that's what I'll do." She did, however, step closer to the green girl, pouting up at her until Elphaba gave in and wrapped a thin arm around her.
The cold disappeared immediately.
Before long, a dark, somewhat ornate carriage appeared down the road. The driver was unquestionably a Munchkin. Elphaba untangled herself from Glinda and picked up her bags as her ride approached.
"Miss Thropp," the driver said, hopping down and bowing a little.
"Please, call me Elphaba," she said. Glinda was sure only she heard the discomfort in the green girl's voice.
The driver frowned a little as he studied Elphaba. "I'll…just take your bags, then, Miss Elphaba."
He grabbed her things and took them to the carriage, leaving the girls to say goodbye.
Glinda huffed. "That was rude. I thought everyone at the Colwen Grounds knew about your skin."
"Just because they know doesn't mean they like it," Elphaba sighed. "It's fine, Glinda. I'm used to it." She turned to face the blonde, looking her straight in the eyes, and suddenly everything inside of her was begging her not to go.
Glinda saw the rich eyes darken, and her heart twisted. She didn't want to let Elphaba go, not back to a place where she had no friends, no one to care about her. But there wasn't anything she could do to stop it, either. So she did the only thing she could think of. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to Elphaba's cheek.
"I'll miss you, Elphie. Have a wonderful break."
She was rewarded by a small yet dazzling smile. "You too, Glinda." Elphaba grabbed her hand and squeezed it before stepping up into the wagon. The driver clucked the reins and the horses started forward.
It wasn't until the carriage had pulled away from Shiz's front gates that Elphaba allowed herself to look back, her hand reaching subconsciously to touch the place where pink lips had brushed her skin.