Today is exactly one year since I published my first fanfic! This one is also quite old as I wrote it around the same time (I think it was the third one I wrote), but never published it until now.
The crisp, cool air blew in Elphaba's face as she ran. The library was due to close in less than fifteen minutes and she had still yet to return the textbooks she had studied religiously for the last few months. She had had her last exam this afternoon and was eager to take her mind away from the stress that had previously plagued her.
Plus, she didn't want any reminders of her impending results. This set of numbers could determine her courses for next year and, although she would never admit it, she was terrified.
No one seemed to understand what she was feeling. Galinda brushed her off with something along the lines of "you always do well" whenever she brought it up, Nessa was too concerned with her own exams, and Elphaba knew that Fiyero was already stressed enough without having to listen to her anxiety. She couldn't risk him giving up again. The only person who seemed to be in a similar situation was Boq, but she hardly knew him well enough to properly talk. He would probably end up changing the subject to Galinda.
So that left her on her own.
Elphaba was used to being on her own. She was good at it. But sometimes it got lonely in an unusual way - It wasn't that she had no one to talk to; Galinda was constantly trying to engage her in some form of conversation, so much so sometimes that it could become unbearable, but it felt like no one could fully understand her situation.
They invalidated it. They said that, because she usually performed well academically, she had no excuse to worry. And maybe it was true.
Elphaba turned the final corner into a hallway she knew too well. As she approached the library doors, the pure familiarity seemed to ease her mind and her frantic thoughts began to relax.
If there was one thing that could calm her down after a particularly stressful time, it was her books. But not textbooks. She wouldn't be going near that section of the library for a long time.