Chapter 15

Elphie

The next morning, Elphie was having a quiet breakfast when she heard someone pounding on her door. "ELPHIE! IT'S MEEEEE! WANNA HANG OUT?" Elphie chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm and went to open the door.

"Coming, Glin!" The door opened, and Glinda launched herself at Elphie, making the latter have to catch her breath. "Hi, Glinda. Glad you're in such a good mood."

"Oh yes!" Glinda exclaimed, grabbing one of Elphie's bagels and munching on it. "Milla and I … are going to be married! Eeee!"

Elphie raised an eyebrow; she had heard something like this before. "She's asked you already?"

"Nooo … I asked her."

"And, judging by your demeanor and your earlier statement, she said yes?"

Glinda squealed so loud, Elphie was sure that the entire apartment building heard her. "YES! Oh, Elphie! It's going to be fantastical! We're having the ceremony in the Upper Uplands at Momsie and Popsie's house since it's not legal yet here in the EC, and the Faded Rubies are going to be playing music, and everything's going to be decorated in PINK, and Elphie, you'll be my maid of honor, and …" The blonde stopped to breathe.

"That sounds wonderful, Glin," Elphie said with a laugh. "Congratulotions."

"Thank you! Now c'mon! Let's go!" Glinda seized Elphie's arm and started dragging her out of her own apartment.

"Glinda! What in Oz are you doing?" Elphie had to grab onto the doorframe to keep from falling on her face right in the hallway. "Where are we going?"

"Shopping, of course! We need to get you a fancy dress!"

Elphie rolled her eyes. "I have a fancy dress. It's perfectly nice."

"Yes, but Elphie, it's black! Weddings are supposed to be bright and cheerful. Especially my wedding!"

"Lurline knows …" Elphie sighed. "Alright. Let's get this over with. You know, Glinda, you're lucky I love you so much."

Glinda giggled. "I know!"

Near Elphie's apartment building was a lightrail station. The lightrail provided the most direct route to the center of the Emerald City, where all of Glinda's favorite boutiques were. On their way to the lightrail station, Elphie told Glinda about the previous night with Boq and Lukas. Glinda, of course, was a bit horrified. "You kissed Biq?! But what about Fiyero?!"

Elphie got defensive. "I didn't WANT to kiss him! And his name is Boq, Glinda, for the love of Oz."

"But … but he and Nessa were perfect for each other!" Glinda protested.

"No, they weren't," Elphie said calmly. "You set them up, remember? You, of all people, should know that Boq was only ever with my sister for pity."

Glinda sighed. "I know. But still! Fiyero broke my heart for you, and then you go and find someone else?! While he still thinks you're together?!"

"Glinda, you're a lesbian. You told me yourself that you never had any deep feelings for Fiyero." Elphie looked at her friend knowingly as they boarded the lightrail.

"I know." Glinda slumped down into a seat. But, a few minutes later, she perked up again. "Ooo, Elphie! Look! But don't look! There's Boq!" For once, she managed to squeal quietly.

Dutifully, Elphie looked. "Oh yeah. Sure enough."

"You should go talk to him!" Glinda's better judgment had decided to take a hike, and now her only thought was to play matchmaker.

"Glinda, I'm not sure that's a good idea …"

The blonde girl sat up straighter in her seat. "Of course it is! You see, Elphie, you and Lukas think you kissed Boq simply because you're lonely, but I think the universe had a very important message for you."

"You know I don't believe in that stuff."

"But I do! It's a sign!"

"No!" Elphie exclaimed, irritated. "No one believes that anymore!"

Glinda arched her eyebrow, imitating her friend. "Is that so, O Wise Madam Vizier?" She turned to the man on the other side of her. "Sir, have you read your signs today?"

"Sure!" he replied. "Just today, a pigeon shit right on my head! Look, it's still in my hair." He bent his head down to show the girls, who both recoiled in disgust.

"Are you sure it wasn't a Pigeon?" Elphie asked him.

He scoffed. "Of course! What Pigeon would have the lack of common sense to do that?!"

Glinda turned to the woman across from her. "What about you, miss? Any messages from the universe?"

"Well," she started. "This morning, I was making toast, and I saw the Fairy Queen Lurline's face in the bread! It was so splendified! Her actual face!"

Glinda cheered with the lady, while Elphie just mumbled, "Tish tosh."

"Hey!" a young man called from the other side of the car. "We're talking signs? I just found a sandwich right here on the floor!" He then proceeded to pick it up and eat it.

"That's a sign alright!" Elphie yelled back at him. "A sign that you'll soon be having indigestion or possibly food poisoning!"

"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda said with a sigh. "Stop being so skeptical!"

"Oh, would you look at that!" Elphie said happily. "It's our stop! Oh well, guess I can't talk to Boq after all. Let's go." And in a strange turn of events, it was Elphie who was dragging Glinda towards all the shops and boutiques that lay waiting for them.

Shopping was exhausting for Elphie. Shopping was always exhausting for Elphie. It was always with Glinda, who forced her to try on countless outfits that Elphie wouldn't be caught dead in, and people often gave her looks, like she shouldn't be showing her face in such a sophisticated establishment. On this particular day, it was a job to convince Glinda that since she was the maid of honor, she should be wearing something different from the bridesmaids, in other words, not pink. Glinda finally begrudgingly conceded, saying, "Alright, I get it. Pink's not your color. We'll try something in teal!" In the end, Elphie got a nice, turquoise dress that she could actually tolerate. Another blissful Saturday in the Emerald City.

On Monday, she resolved to have a serious talk with Oscar.