Hello! My name is Elle Dottore, and I would like to share with you the most amazing fic! This is a reeeeeally long chapter, but a LOT happens! And, I graduated high school on Sunday, and some of the stuff that happens to Elphie in this chapter happened to me. You'll have to guess what stuff!

Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Elphie

About a week before the senior dance, Elphie decided to get some coffee early in the morning, before Glinda woke up. She thought about seeing if Fiyero, Nessa, or Boq could join her, but sometimes she kind of missed the days when she had no one to feel obligated toward. She still wished that Glinda would stop with the silent treatment (Elphie found it to be worse than their loathing days), but she also knew that Glinda needed time to heal.

When she arrived at the Peach and Kidney, she was happy to see that her favorite barista was on duty: a Chimpanzee named Ryta. Ryta's eyes lit up with she saw Elphie. "Well!" she exclaimed. "Look who's finally resurfaced from all her books! Elphie! How've you been?"

"Great!" Elphie replied. "I'm so happy you're working today!"

"Me too, honey!" Ryta said with a chuckle. "I'm gettin' dat money. Tall Red Eye, I assume?"

"Yep. Ten Ozmas, I assume?"

"Yep!" They both started laughing. This was a customary routine for them; Elphie was such a frequent patron of the Peach and Kidney. Ryta started pouring Elphie's coffee. "So, is it true?"

Elphie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Is what true?"

Ryta smirked. "You and Prince Fiyero! Heard he crushed that little Gilikinese girl's heart, all for you!" She looked amazed, almost envious.

"Yeah." Elphie looked down at the counter. "He's … a sweetie; it's just … that little Gilikinese girl is … kind of my best friend." She handed Ryta the money.

"Oh." Ryta looked crestfallen. "I take it she hasn't been putting sisters before misters, huh?"

"Not really."

"Well, she'll get over it. Here's your coffee." Ryta plopped a mug on the counter. "I put complementary extra red stuff in there, just for you."

Elphie grinned. "Thanks!" She sat down at her usual table and picked up a nearby copy of The Shiz Daily. There was an article about an unarmed Animal (a Snake) being shot by the police in Qhyore. That type of thing seemed to be happening a lot lately. Elphie sighed. The sooner she got to the Emerald City, the better. Stuff like this could not continue, but she hadn't the faintest idea how to change it.

"I'd like a grande latte, with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and whipped cream, and chocolate sauce on top. Please." Elphie hid behind her newspaper as she recognized that voice – and that order.

Ryta chuckled. "Okay. That'll be twenty five Ozmas, please. And give me a minute to make it."

"Sure!" Elphie pretended to be engrossed in the final score of a handball match between the Shiz Cubs and the Shale Shallows Monkeys while Ryta made Glinda's drink. She stayed in that holding pattern for what seemed like forever, until …

"Oh, come off it, Elphie!" Glinda snatched the paper from her and sat down at her table. "I could see your hands holding the paper! You're not the type to just blend into the woodwork. There's no concealing you!"

Elphie blushed. "I get it, Glin."

"Anyhoo," Glinda said, taking a deep breath. "I woke up, and you were gone, but I wanted to talk to you, so I checked the library, and then the cafeteria, and then I came here."

"Good … deducing!" Elphie exclaimed, feeling awkward. "What do you want to talk to me about?" Her heart was pounding; she already knew the answer.

Glinda sighed. "Fiyero … what else? Anyway, I've been thinking, and … you two look really cute and really in love, and hey, I didn't really love him to begin with, so … let's be friends again. What do ya say?"

Elphie nodded and grinned. "Sure. I've missed you, Glin."

"Aww! I've missed you too!" Then Glinda turned serious. "Now, the dance. Fiyero's taking you, I presume?"

"If I say yes, does that mean I have to sit through one of your makeovers?"

Glinda threw her a look. "Elphie. It's our last formal dance at Shiz – ever! You have to look pretty!"

"Hmmph. I'll think about it."

But, on the night of the dance, Glinda's pleas wore down Elphie's resistance. Glinda did let her wear a black dress, but she insisted on curling Elphie's hair and applying eye and lip makeup that Elphie secretly found repulsive. "There!" Glinda exclaimed, arranging one last raven curl into place. "Pretty as a painting! Now, I just have to put some blush on, and we'll be ready to go!" Just then, there was a knock on the door. Glinda started jumping up and down. "Answer it, Elphie! It might be Fiyero!"

Elphie rolled her eyes. "Or it might be Rovin." Rovin was one of Fiyero's friends who had agreed to accompany Glinda to the dance.

"Just open the door! I haven't finished my left cheek!"

Elphie opened the door to their room, and found not only both Fiyero and Rovin, but also Boq and Nessa. "Hey, Elphie!" Rovin shouted joyously. "Elphie-rino! How ya doin?"

She scoffed. "And you are already drunk, aren't you? Whatever. Just don't come into the room. Glinda hasn't finished her left cheek."

"Done!" Glinda shrieked, rushing outside to meet them. "Hello, Rovie dearest!"

Fiyero stepped forward. "Hey, Fae."

"Hey," Elphie said, incapable of not smiling. "You look … sharp!" Elphie prided herself in not being a stereotypical girl, but she had to admit: Fiyero was completely studly in his tux.

"And you … are utterly gorgeous. Glindafied, but gorgeous."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're not drunk too, are you?"

He grinned mischievously. "Not yet."

"Fiyero!"

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm supposed to guide Rovin back to Briscoe Hall anyway. Boq too, for that matter."

"Boq won't get drunk!" Nessa cut in indignantly. "Will you, Boq?"

Boq looked surprised at being addressed. "What? No! I-I mean, maybe. I don't know. I could get drunk if I wanted to!"

"No! It's bad for your liver!"

"I can do what I want! Just because I'm a Munchkin doesn't mean I'm a child!"

"Okay!" Glinda yelled, trying to stop disaster from happening. "Let's go to the dance! It's gonna be fabulotious!" So they went, with Boq and Nessarose moving into a stony silence.

Shiz had rented the Ozdust Ballroom for the senior dance, and Elphie could not help but think back to her first dance at the Ozdust, her first party ever. She remembered how Galinda had set her up, and how everyone had laughed – until Galinda did the unthinkable: breaking away from her little friends to join Elphaba on the dance floor. Well, tonight Elphie would experience no humiliation whatsoever. Glinda was her friend, Fiyero was her date, and the whole class had caught the graduation sentimentality bug anyway.

Fiyero was about to pull Elphie into a dance, when suddenly they heard two voices chorus in unison, "Elphie!"

The green girl turned to see the two most unlikely people rushing up to them. "Pfannee? ShenShen?"

"Hey, Elphie!" Pfannee said with a giggle. "Can you sign my yearbook?"

"Yeah, and mine too?" ShenShen added.

Elphie chuckled in surprise. "Sure! You have to sign my yearbook too."

"Of course!"

They passed their yearbooks around. "You know," Pfannee started. "I really wish I'd gotten to know you better."

"Me too!" ShenShen agreed. "You're so smart! I always wanted to be like that."

Elphie was thinking: Really? So you skipped most of your classes and made my life a living hell? But she said, "Well, I always admired both of your styles. So unique!"

"Thanks!" Shenshen said brightly.

"Well, good luck working with the Wizard!" Pfannee chirped. "We'll keep in touch!"

"Definitely!" Elphie said happily. "We'll hang out!" After they were gone, she turned to Fiyero with an extremely un-Elphie-ish smile. "I'm going to miss them!"

Fiyero looked at her skeptically. "Don't you hate them?"

"Yes, with a fiery vengeance!" Elphie kept her joviality as she continued. "They picked on me for three years! Evil bitches."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Wanna dance?"

"Sure!" A medium paced song started as they stepped onto the dance floor.

"It's got you too," Fiyero said with a grin as they began dancing. "This whole graduation warm fuzziness feeling. It's like the whole senior class has turned into the era of Ozma the Reformist, just without the weird clothes and the hairy armpits."

Elphie scoffed. "Oh, come on! You've got to have at least some feelings about Shiz!"

"Not about Shiz. About the people at Shiz: you, Glinda, Boq … Trust me, when you get expelled from five universities, you don't really get close to any of them." He pretended to be annoyed as she burst out laughing.

"Right! How could I forget? Mr. Dancing through Life! You've definitely changed."

"Yeah, I have." He took a deep breath. "Look, Fae, I've gotta tell you something …"

"ELPHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" They suddenly caught sight of Glinda rushing over towards them, clearly a bit tipsy. "Aww! You and FiFi look adorabubble! But did I see Pfannee and ShenShen over here? Were they bothering you?"

"No, Glinda," Fiyero said matter of factly. "Elphie decided to have a chat with them."

Glinda looked astounded. "Elphie! You told them off?! That's wonderful!"

"Well … she didn't exactly 'tell them off.' She …"

"I signed their yearbooks," Elphie cut in. "And they both signed mine. It was nice." She chuckled a little at Glinda's bewildered expression.

"Oh. So I don't have to beat them up in the girls' bathroom?"

Elphie laughed louder and shook her head. "No. Please don't." Glinda looked a little disappointed.

"Hey, Glindy!" Rovin yelled, stumbling over to them. "Ready to do the Ovvels Shake?"

"Oh, yeah! Woooooooo!" Forgetting Elphie and Fiyero, Glinda bounced over to where some students (including Nessa) were lining up to do some strange dance.

Elphie turned to Fiyero questioningly. "The Ovvels Shake?"

He reddened. "Yeah. It's a dance … that, um, originated in Ovvels. We don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Well, you were about to tell me something." She arched an eyebrow at him.

He grinned mischievously. "It can wait." Everyone else was too busy doing the Ovvels Shake to notice Elphie and Fiyero celebrating their last dance at Shiz in their own way.

The next day was a blur for Elphie. She and Glinda went down to the dining hall to get their caps and gowns, her father showed up, and she had a very awkward lunch with him and Nessa, where Nessa talked the entire time about Boq. Frex, thankfully, ignored Elphie to an extent. She knew he would not be happy about her love life or her career plans, but she also knew that Nessa and Madam Morrible could convince him.

The following morning, Elphie woke up to, "Elphie, Elphie, Elphieeeee! Wake up! It's graduation day!"

Elphie groaned. "Glinda … it's too early … go back to sleep."

"It's 9:00!" Glinda shrieked. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we have to start getting ready!"

"Ugh," Elphie said, sitting up. "You are going to give me no peace until I get up, aren't you?"

"Nope!" The blonde girl giggled happily, and then suddenly remembered something. "Ooo, Elphie! I forgot to tell you! Madam Morrible came by while you were still sleeping, and guess what?"

"What?"

"You have to guess!"

Elphie sighed. "Glinda, I just woke up. I haven't had any coffee yet. For the love of Lurline, what did Madam Morrible say?!"

"ELPHIE! YOU'RE VALEDICTORIAN! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Glinda bounced in excitement.

"I-I'm what?!" Elphie was shocked. "She's telling me this NOW?! Sweet Oz, I have to write a speech!" She bolted out of bed and rushed to her desk.

"But … our breakfast with the others!"

"Send them my regrets!"

By the time noon rolled around, Elphie had finished writing her speech, both she and Glinda were all ready, and they were lined up outside Shiz's auditorium. Elphie felt someone poke her from the back. She turned around to see Nessa. "Hey, Fabala," she said. "Fiyero is behind me, and he would like me to tell you that you look really beautiful."

Elphie snorted. "Tell him to shut up before Madam Morrible kicks him out of line." Nessa giggled, and Fiyero grinned sheepishly.

The graduating class processed in, and Madam Morrible began speaking. "Congratulotions, Class of 1294," she started. "You all proved more or less adequate. I can even say that 99% of you improved to an extent during your time here at Shiz University, so well done. Today marks the start of your lives as adult citizens of Oz, and I, as headshiztress, can only hope that Shiz has prepared you well for that challenge …"

Elphie rolled her eyes and turned towards Nessa. "Kill me now."

Nessa smirked. "I know. I've got to go to the bathroom."

"Do you want me to take you?" She prayed to no one in particular that Nessa would say yes.

"No, that's alright. Morrible would probably kill us." Elphie had to reluctantly admit that Nessa was right about that.

"… But I won't take up your time anymore, because our esteemed valedictorian is to speak next. Let me introduce the best student in the class of 1294, and the best student Shiz has seen in many years, Miss Elphaba Thropp!"

Elphie flushed, and there was some polite applause as she took to the stage. As she climbed the steps, she saw Fiyero mouth to her, You rock. She met Madam Morrible at the podium.

"Congratulotions, dearie!" she told the green girl quietly. "You have something ready?"

Elphie nodded.

"Wonderful! Take it away!" Elphie felt a chill as her teacher breezed by her to sit with the rest of the faculty.

"Good morning, Class of 1294!" Elphie began.

"WOOOOOOOOO! GO ELPHIE!" She grinned as she saw Glinda in the back row of the graduating class, waving her arms in excitement.

Elphie couldn't resist chuckling. "Hi Glinda. Anyway, today is a day in which we could lose ourselves in the triumph of what we each have accomplished. But we must not forget what it took to get us to this day. It took hours of textmarking books for Doctor Lenx's class, or writing 4000-word essays for Doctor Nikidik's class. We functioned not as individual students, but as a tight knit class. I remember when we were sophisters, and I was studying alone in the library when Fiyero Tigulaar came up to me, out of breath, and he said, 'I've been working on this calculus problem, and I need your help.' Now, this is the first time that I can recall Fiyero ever trying to learn anything …"

She looked directly at him and grinned, and everyone laughed genuinely.

"… But he was trying now, and he was brave enough to ask for help. It's not as easy as one might think. When I first started here, I thought I could go it alone, but then I met Glinda Upland."

At the mention of her name, Glinda perked up happily and sat forward.

"As accidental roommates, thrust together when we were freshers, we weren't exactly the best of friends at first. In fact, I do believe we hated each other. But Glinda showed me that first impressions can be wrong, even negative ones. Someone might seem dumb, or shallow, or evil, but sometimes when you get to know them, they're really not what you thought they were, and ta da, you've actually made a friend. With this knowledge, I can go out of these halls and into my adult life, and be open to any situation. So, thank you Shiz, thank you Madam Morrible, my sister Nessarose, my best friend Glinda, Yero, Boq, all my friends, you all are my safety net. So just, yeah, thanks."

Everyone burst into applause. Fiyero was punching the air and cheering her name, Nessa was smiling widely, and Glinda was crying into Yweno Utmack's shoulder. Elphie smiled a little at his uncomfortable expression. She had nailed it. And, because everyone still had "graduation warm fuzziness feelings," as Fiyero called them, everyone was genuinely cheering for the girl who had once been called the Resident Artichoke, the Green Menace. To Elphie, it was the best feeling in the world.

Then came the exhaustifying degree distribution. Madam Morrible called everyone's name in a monotonous tone. "Cattery Aaliyas, Linguification."

Elphie mused about how happy she was that she wasn't first.

"… Densloth Cebko, Mathematics."

Fiyero whispered to her, "Math. What a snore!" She covered her mouth to hide her snigger. Nessa glared at both of them.

"… Oonid Eastain, Natural Sciences."

Bored now.

"… Elphaba Gester, Agriculture."

Elphie sat up straight. What?! There was another Elphaba in their graduating class?! She exchanged surprised looks with Fiyero and Nessa. It was a common Munchkinlander name, and the girl who walked up to receive her degree was definitely a Munchkin. "She's not green," Fiyero muttered.

Elphie glared at him. "That's the absolute worst possible thing you could've said!"

"Be quiet, you two!" Nessa hissed.

"… Thorus Isston, Law."

Elphie realized she had to use the bathroom too.

"… Boq Riddle, Agriculture."

Elphie, Fiyero, and Nessa sent up a cheer as Boq nervously walked onstage, with Nessa screaming, "THAT'S MY BOYFRIEND!" Elphie and Fiyero exchanged a look.

"… Rovin Statmeier, Business."

A shriek erupted from the back row. Glinda. Of course. Rovin did a little dance before he accepted his degree. Everyone laughed. Nessa left to go to the backstage ramp. Almost there …

"… Elphaba Thropp, Sorcery!" Madam Morrible looked overjoyed to be calling up her best student. Elphie climbed the stairs, took the stage again, grabbed her degree, shook Madam Morrible's hand, turned to the audience … to find them on their feet. It was a standing ovation. Sweet Oz, they were giving her a standing ovation! The boys who had called her names, the girls who had been nasty to her. She guessed her valedictorian speech was truer than ever.

After Glinda and Yweno had received their degrees, in Sorcery and History respectively, they all recessed out. It took awhile for the Charmed Circle to find each other, but once they did, Glinda hugged Elphie and shrieked, "Oh my Oz, Elphie! Your speech was AMAZIFYING!"

Elphie chuckled. "Thanks, Glin. I've been working on it for weeks."

Suddenly, they heard two familiar voices. "I understand your concern for your younger daughter, Governor Thropp, but you must understand that Miss Elphaba is the only person in Oz who can help our Wizard!"

"I'm sorry, Madam, but Elphaba is my daughter and she can be wherever I want her to be!"

"I'll handle this," Nessa said, wheeling over to her father and Madam Morrible. "Father, I want Fabala to go to the Emerald City and work with the Wizard. I'm proud of her, and you should be too. Boq will take care of me."

"Well!" Madam Morrible exclaimed. "That settles it! Good day, Governor Thropp." She breezed away, leaving Frex speechless.

"Your sister is awesome!" Fiyero declared to Elphie.

"Yeah," Elphie said with a laugh. "She's got Father wrapped around her little finger. That's how I was able to get all the books I wanted when I was younger." She chuckled. "Now, Yero my hero, you had something to tell me at the dance. What was it?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well … it's … um …"

"If it's a proposal, the answer is not yet." She looked at him knowingly.

Fiyero was shocked. "No, no! It's not that! Not that I wouldn't like to … sometime. No, the thing is – the Scrow have declared war on the Arjikis, and … I have to go fight with them."

I know, I know. Horrible cliffie. Don't kill me!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Elle Dottore