I was overwhelmed with the positive responses from last chapter. Thank you! Part of me was nervous that some would think I had Galinda "get over" Fiyero too quickly; after all, how many fics have we all read where that very thing happened in service to the Fiyeraba storyline? But your kind responses assured me I didn't mess up. The thing is, in this fic, Fiyero never actually kissed/dated/explicitly expressed interest in our favorite bubbly blonde, so the issues she needed to "get over" were her own imaginary romantic constructions. Fiyero and Elphaba are very lucky to have a friend who can understand that differentiation.
This is short but stars our beloved socialite, who had just come to Fiyero's aid when she found out Elphaba kissed him but was hiding from him.
"She hasn't talked to me at all."
It was the first thing Galinda said to him as he dropped down next to her in what was supposed to be Dr. Dillamond's history class. He hadn't said anything to her but perhaps his cheerless mood invited her to share her own.
Elphaba had arrived to class before they did, as usual, but rather than sit next to her sister in their cluster as she normally did she had chosen to sit near the front, opposite side from the exit so as to isolate herself as much as possible from them and presumably from everyone else. This fact seemed to only increase Galinda's stress about the situation.
"She wouldn't say a word to me last night after you left - I can understand her being upset with me about forcing her to talk to you – but I thought she'd sleep it off, you know? But she didn't even say good morning to me before she left. It's been so reminiscent of that time before we were friends and I just can't stomach the idea that it might return to that…"
"She's mad at me, not you. She'll forgive you, so don't you worry yourself, okay?"
This reassurance seemed to calm her somewhat. "What about you?" she asked him, paying no heed to the new history professor who was scribbling his name indecipherably on the chalkboard and mumbling incoherently. He needn't pay attention: he had sat through this introduction once before and he cared even less this time than he did the first time, if it was possible. "Are you going to apologize to her?"
"Is she the one deserving of an apology?"
"Oh, it's hard for me to say. Last night was just horrendible."
"The only thing I can think to apologize for is calling her stupid, and I'd rather let that fester if that's fine with you."
"Can't say it's entirely undeserved, even if it is a little bit unkind. For someone so brainy she can be quite impetuous. If you won't go apologize, what will you do?"
"I'm not sure what else I can do," he continued in their undertones, turning to find the blue of Galinda's eyes. She was trying to read his expression, perhaps to better comfort him, but he remained closed off even though she was one of the closest friends he'd ever have, regardless of the reality. "I've played my hand. It's her turn."
She patted his hand kindly and he offered her a pathetic excuse for a smile. For the rest of class, he tried not to look down at the dark head of hair in the first row but even in his disappointment with her he was a truly hopeless case.
"I think I'm going to change my name," Galinda said as they exited class. "To show my solidarity and outrage about poor Dr. Dillamond! I will no longer be known as Galinda but as simply Glinda—"
He knew it was her stress over her strained relationship with Elphaba that was inspiring her, but at that moment for him it was too much to handle. "That's very admirable. Can we talk about this later?"
Galinda nodded, trying not to seem hurt by the brush-off. "Of course."