Chapter Title: Look At Me Now
Quote: Did you hear about me? You pushed me around, but now I'm pushing paper, baby, look at me now.
~o0o~
Elphaba stepped back from the carriage careening towards her and sighed heavily.
Okay. This was getting ridiculous. She didn't know anyone that committed to a prank and it had been three days already. Not to mention she was nowhere near this area just a moment ago. Something hinky was happening and she had no answers.
Scuffing her boot along the ground, Elphaba tried to think of what she was going to do about it.
"Yero, we're here," said the driver of the carriage.
"Already?" Fiyero yawned and lifted his head, immediately noticing Elphaba. "Av, don't buy the absinthe again. I'm still seeing the green fairy."
"Not a fairy," said Elphaba. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Uh… no," he said, pulling his sunglasses off. "Should I?"
"Mm. I guess not," she said, sighing heavily. "I guess technically you should since the Governor of Munchkinland is my father, but he doesn't talk about me."
"Can't imagine why," said Fiyero. "So we've never met?"
"Technically yes, but it would also seem to be technically no."
He frowned. "I'm confused."
"So am I."
Elphaba worked her jaw and looked around. The day was sunny and beautiful, the sky that quintessential blue, the air crisp but not too cold. The perfect autumn day.
"Can I help you with something?" Fiyero asked.
He sounded genuinely concerned, but people usually asked that when they were annoyed. She was just standing there like a weirdo, wasn't she?
"I don't think so," she said. "Sorry for wasting your time."
She walked away as Galinda approached and headed to Madame Morrible's office, running into the woman just outside the administration building.
"Ah, Miss Elphaba," she said. "I have something to discuss with you."
"I have something to discuss with you, too, Madame Morrible," said Elphaba. "It's important."
"I see. Do wait in my office, then. I'll return shortly."
Elphaba nodded and went up to the Headmistress' office. She looked out the window and was able to see Fiyero dancing about as he talked about his stupid Dancing Through Life philosophy. Madame Morrible approached and caught him just as he was about to run off to plan the party.
He must have barely missed her that first day. Of course, Elphaba didn't really stick around to watch him plan his party.
Elphaba sighed softly and wandered along the office, finding a filing cabinet open. She rifled through it, finding her own student file and Galinda's farther back.
Since Elphaba seemed to be the only one aware of the time loop, it wasn't like any punishment for looking through student files would stick. So, she looked through Galinda's student file. Marks for missed classes, note for her academic advisor, another that she had Elphaba as a roommate rather than a private suite. Her entrance exam scores were actually really high, especially in maths and sciences. And then her admissions essay, Magic Wands: Need They Have a Point?
Why would it be saved? Elphaba poked in her own file to find her admissions essay with it, too.
Seemed to be the standard.
Elphaba put the file back, but read through the essay, sitting down in Madame Morrible's chair. She noticed Fiyero's file a mile thick sitting on the desk, but left it in favor of reading Galinda's essay.
She raised an eyebrow. How surprising.
It wasn't the greatest essay in the world, but—
"Ahem!"
Elphaba jumped to her feet and whirled around. Madame Morrible stood there with Fiyero's arm grasped in her hand. The prince himself was disgruntled over being dragged to the office.
"Miss Elphaba," said Morrible, choosing to ignore where her prized pupil had been sitting. "May I introduce you to His Royal Highness, Fiyero Tiggular?"
Fiyero clicked his tongue and winked, making a finger-gun at her.
"Howdy," said Elphaba, awkwardly making a finger-gun back. "Bang."
He grinned. Oh, Oz, he was laughing at her, wasn't he?
"Please sit a moment, Master Tiggular," said Madame Morrible. "Ah! You as well Miss Elphaba."
Elphaba frowned and took one of the seats. They seemed to have been specially made to leave the user exceedingly uncomfortable no matter how they sat, yet Fiyero managed to sprawl out in his. He seemed to be debating whether or not to prop his feet up on the desk, but decided not to.
"Now, Master Tiggular," said Madame Morrible, opening the file. "Your previous school was so kind to send along the contents of your student file from them and your previous schools as well. This is your seventh university and I will warn you now that your previous behavior will not be tolerated here at Shiz. Particularly the incident that resulted in your most recent expulsion."
Fiyero frowned. "And what did they tell you was the reason?"
"That it was a fight over one Cerise Renard and you would do well to avoid such foolishness here."
A girl. Of course.
Fiyero didn't respond except to stare at the Headmistress incredulously.
"Now, I have arranged for Miss Elphaba to be your tutor and assist you in getting settled here at Shiz," Madame Morrible continued. "I'm certain with her assistance, you could become a model student."
Both Elphaba and Fiyero's chests jerked with suppressed scoffs.
"Of course, Madame," said Elphaba. "I did want to ask if you could include Galinda Upland in the Sorcery Seminar? I think she deserves to learn, too."
"Miss Upland?"
"Yes, she has a passion for it."
"Passion and talent are two completely separate things!" Madame Morrible scoffed.
"But with passion you can become skilled, which is better than talent."
She actually wasn't sure about that, it just sounded good.
Madame Morrible pursed her lips.
"Very well, is that all you wished to discuss with me?"
"No, I… I have a private matter that's very important and I need your help."
"Of course," she said. "Master Tiggular, you are dismissed, please wait outside. Once we're through Miss Elphaba will take you to collect your makeup work."
Fiyero made a face and left, closing the door behind him.
"Now, what is it you wished to tell me, Miss Elphaba?"
"Madame, what do you know of time magic?"
"Time magic?" she repeated. "That's much too advanced, even for someone of your talent!"
"But Madame Morrible, I think I'm trapped in a time loop!" Elphaba stressed, standing up. "I've been reliving the same day over and over!"
"Nonsense, my dear!" Madame Morrible stood too, and though she was much shorter than Elphaba, Elphaba felt very small. "I'm certain you must be tired."
"But—"
"Time magic is not well-researched and anyone who tampers with it finds it unwieldy. Even the Magicians who operate the Time Dragon find that they cannot control what is prophesied!"
Elphaba sighed inwardly. She suspected Horrible Morrible would write her off, but she had to try.
"I think what you need is a good night's rest," said Madame Morrible, ushering her out. "Look in with fresh eyes tomorrow."
"But if it's true then how will I tell you if you can't remember?"
"It is impossible, Miss Elphaba," Madame Morrible insisted, unmoving. "If you have a real question about magic. I will be more than happy to answer, but everything you have mentioned is mere speculation! It's impossible."
"But—"
"Please show Master Tiggular to his classes." Morrible shut the door in her face.
Elphaba sighed heavily and looked around for Fiyero, but he was nowhere to be found.
Of course.
She didn't want to drag him around campus, but it was still annoying.
Now what?
Elphaba stuck her hands in her pockets. Guess the only thing she could do was hope Morrible was wrong and research everything she could about time magic.
As she approached the library, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked, but no one was there, so she kept walking. The tap came again, this time on her opposite shoulder.
Annoyed, she spun in a circle and finally came face-to-face with Fiyero.
"Oh, it's you," she said.
"Ouch, it sounds like you already don't like me," he said, eyes glimmering in amusement.
"What have you done to make me like you?" she returned.
"Well, that won't do, duchess. What can I do to change that?"
'Duchess' again.
"You know, not everyone has to like you," she said, rolling her eyes. "I doubt my approval of you is a life or death situation."
He paused, then dramatically leaned against the lion statue at the bottom of the library stairs.
"Oh no! I'm dying! Please! Your approval is the only thing that can save me!"
Elphaba removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had a headache all of a sudden.
"Look, go plan your stupid party," she said, making her way up the stairs. "We'll collect your assignments tomorrow."
"Stupid? And just when I was thinking of personally inviting you to come," he said, straightening up and following.
"And why on earth would I want to do that?" she asked, nodding at the librarian.
She went straight to the Sorcery section.
"Because there's nothing like a Fiyero party," he said, leaning too close for comfort. He needed to stretch up on his toes to reach her face.
Elphaba rolled her eyes and moved the ladder. She was not going to let some spoiled prince play chicken with her. She'd seen this before. A guy would act all flirtatious, get into her space and try to make her flustered. Then he would chicken out or—on one occasion—vomit. She had come to expect that no one would be genuinely interested in her. Even those who were colorblind had something negative to say about her. Her face was too funny, she was too tall, too skinny, too awkward.
"The last thing I want to do is go to some place where people will stare at me," she said, climbing to reach the top of the Sorcery section.
She would just have to start from the very beginning and read through every book on magic starting here and then to the Library of Sorcery in town after.
Fiyero leaned against the ladder. "How can they help it?"
Elphaba sent him a withering scowl and loaded her arms up with the first ten books in the collection.
"I'd rather not spend the entire night sitting against the wall with no one to talk to, anyway," she sniffed and carefully carried her books down.
"I'll talk to you," he declared, taking half the books off the tottering tower.
"Tch!" She took her books back and moved to the reading area.
"What? I will!"
"Don't feel obligated."
"Just stop by for a bit," he insisted. "I guarantee you'll have fun."
"Yeah, and maybe then we can chew glass," she scoffed, sitting down in a reading chair. "Maybe after that we can relive my mother's death, or visit a gynecologist."
He snorted and rested his arms on the arm of her chair. "You hate parties that much?"
"Haven't exactly had the best experiences with them," she muttered. "Besides, even if I agreed, I doubt your date will relinquish you to another girl for even a second. Even if that girl is me."
She wasn't a threat, but nobody would want her around.
Fiyero narrowed his eyes.
"No one owns me," he said. "I'm a free agent!"
"Great. Go be a free agent somewhere else."
"Fine. I will."
"Fine!"
"Shh!" a librarian hissed.
Elphaba firmly opened the book on the top of the pile while Fiyero left. There had to be something to free her from this curse.
~o0o~
Elphaba removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
"Yero, we're here."
"Already?" he yawned and there was a pause. "Av, don't buy the absinthe again. I'm still seeing the green fairy."
Elphaba looked up with a frown.
"I'm not a fairy," she said, replacing her glasses.
"No?" He climbed out of the carriage. "Huh!"
"What?"
"Nothing. You're just tall." He poked her cheek. "Are you really green?"
She bit his finger.
"YEOUCH!" He shook his hand out and checked for blood.
"Miss Elphaba!" Galinda appeared at her side. "Do you have any idea who this is?!"
"Of course I do," she said. "But his hand was in my face."
"So you bit him?!"
"Don't worry, I have all my shots." She clacked her teeth together.
Fiyero snorted. "Funny. What do you do for fun around here?"
"We were going to study!" said Boq, popping up between him and Galinda.
"I see I came at just the right time," said Fiyero. "Now I can impart my words of wisdom."
"Oh! I know this one," said Elphaba, raising her hand. "Your trouble with schools is you think they teach the wrong lesson and you've been kicked out of enough to believe you know. You think they want you to become less callow, but clearly you aren't majoring in economics or business."
"I see my reputation proceeds me," said Fiyero. "So you agree?"
"No," said Elphaba frankly. "I don't think people should dance through life."
He looked surprised. "No?"
"No. I think that kind of thinking is only afforded by rich people who have their needs met and therefore can afford to live their life without working hard," she said.
"And what do you know about my life?" he demanded defensively.
"Not much, but you shouldn't convince people that nothing in life matters," she said. "Because if it really doesn't then what hope do any of us have to try? Does living your life this way really make you happy?"
Fiyero flinched.
"What do you know about him, Artichoke?" Galinda scoffed. "You're not even fit to kiss his boots!"
"I'm the eldest daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland," Elphaba retorted flatly. "Technically speaking, I'm more Fiyero's equal than you are."
Galinda turned quite the shade of pink at that remark.
"I just don't understand what's painless about partying every day and getting expelled from school every semester," she continued. "And I think setting that example is dangerous because not everyone has a golden safety net."
While Fiyero stared at her in astonishment, a crowd had gathered quickly and was muttering amongst themselves at her words.
"Well, that's because you're unappealing," said Galinda.
"Yeah? Well… I knew that already." Elphaba shook her head. "Forget it. The Ozdust is the place to host."
"You can still come," Fiyero said and flashed a thousand watt, charming grin that made half the girls swoon. "I promise it would be a night you'd never forget."
"Master Tiggular!" Madame Morrible boomed. "Allow me to welcome you to Shiz University! Ah, I see you're already acquainted with Miss Elphaba. I have assigned her to be your tutor and assist you in getting up to speed with our curriculum. Miss Elphaba, please show Master Tiggular around campus and to his classes to collect his makeup work."
"Of course, Madame," said Elphaba. She was about to ask to add Galinda to the Sorcery program, but was feeling spiteful and said nothing else.
"I'll leave him in your capable hands then," she said. "Good day to you all."
Elphaba watched her leave and wondered if she should try to show Fiyero to his classes.
"Finish announcing your party and we'll get to it," she decided. "Don't worry about time, I'll just show you to the classrooms. The full tour can wait."
"Well, thank you very much," Fiyero said and turned back to his adoring public.
Boq started hopping for Galinda's attention and Fiyero turned back to Elphaba.
"Given any thought to attending the party?" he asked.
"I don't think I'd be able to find a date in time, but thanks anyway," she said.
"So you'd go if you had a date?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"In that case, duchess—"
Boq appeared between them, pale and shaking like a little dog.
"Miss Elphaba!" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice two octaves to it's normal tone. "Will you do me the honor of attending the party with me?"
Elphaba frowned and slowly blinked.
"You mean you want to ask Nessa," she said.
"No, I mean to ask you!"
Elphaba looked up at Galinda, who seemed very pleased with herself and was giggling with Milla, Pfannee, and ShenShen.
Well, this was different.
No doubt they thought the height difference hilarious.
"Wonderful!" said Fiyero. "You have a date, so you must attend the party."
Ah, perhaps that's what he was getting at. For a brief second Elphaba thought Fiyero was going to ask her to the party. A ridiculous notion and clearly one she shouldn't have even entertained. Fiyero just meant that he'd help her find a date and now that Galinda pawned Boq off on Elphaba, she and Fiyero would be free to dance above life or whatever.
"Well, golly-wolly-gumdrops," said Elphaba flatly. "I got me a man. Oh, happy day."
"I-I guess I'll p-pick you up at seven—seven-thirty?" Boq suggested.
Elphaba looked at Galinda and her spite grew. People thought the green girl was unfashionable and ugly then—oh! Oh no, it was too funny. Maybe only she would laugh, but Oz did she want to see Galinda's face if she pulled a stunt like that.
"No, I'll meet you there," said Elphaba. "At about eight. However, it'd be nice if you showed up early and asked my sister to dance. She'd love it."
Boq looked around her where Nessa was chatting with her friends and watching the hullabaloo from a distance. He seemed less daunted by that task and nodded eagerly at the chance to impress Galinda further.
"Of course," he said.
"Swell."
"Shall we, then?" Fiyero asked. "I do have to arrange everything."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Elphaba asked.
He looked confused and took her hand, raising it up to his lips. She pulled it away.
"No, dingus, you didn't ask Galinda to the party!"
"Huh?"
"You said find the prettiest girl and give her a whirl," Elphaba huffed. "Well, there's the prettiest girl in Oz, right there!"
"Ah! Right! I do say that."
Elphaba rolled her eyes. Oz, this cycle was weird. Maybe Fiyero was poisonous and she was hallucinating.
Still, she showed Fiyero where his classrooms were and collected his assignments. They parted at the front gates of campus with him going to the Ozdust and Elphaba to acquire a dress.
Elphaba had practice walking in heels, she just didn't care for them. Frex liked her wearing heels even less at six-foot-three since they made her even more taller than him. However, she had practice wearing them for etiquette.
It was difficult to find size thirteen heels, but less so than in Munchkinland. She ended up finding a pair at a shop in the theater district. They carried many shoes in her size, but they seemed a bit confused when she checked out. More about why she wanted heels and less about her skin color. She left with a pair of pink sandals and a coupon for a free suit fitting.
When she reached the Ozdust, the party was once again in full swing. Elphaba took a deep breath and smoothed the skirt of her dress. It was a bit shorter on her than she liked and she had never shown so much skin in her life, but it just needed to last long enough for her to see the look on Galinda's face.
Everyone stopped and stared and the music halted as she made her entrance. Elphaba kept her head held high as she walked down the steps. Nessa, who seemed to be with a small group of friends she made despite her sister, gasped and lowered her head in shame. Elphaba stopped in the center of the room and flipped her hair.
"Toss-toss," she said and looked down at Galinda. "Well, one of us is going to have to change."
Though Galinda boasted her dress as one-of-a-kind, Elphaba had found the exact same style in the store and just used a spell to turn it from blue to pink. She had combed her hair out, adorned it with a pink flower, and put on shiny pink lipgloss.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Galinda shrieked and lunged at her.
Elphaba shot a hand out and grabbed her head, keeping her at arm's length. Galinda swung her arms, unable to get at Elphaba.
"Reach, Galinda!" ShenShen urged.
"What's the matter?" Elphaba jeered. "I thought you wanted me to get a sense of style!"
"Not my style! This dress was supposed to be one of a kind!"
"Chick fight!" Avaric Tenmeadows called.
"Rip her clothes off!" his friend Klyne Ripcully cheered.
Elphaba and Galinda froze and whipped around on him, both sending a spell. Flowers sprouted out of his ears and his underwear pulled itself over his head.
"Creep," Elphaba huffed and snapped her fingers, turning the dress back to blue. She put her glasses on, then dragged her nails down the bodice of her dress and the skirt lengthened past her knee. "I'm surprised at you, Miss Galinda. A wedgie spell?"
"That wasn't me, that was you!" she said, flushing.
"Uh-huh. Okay."
Galinda started giggling and Elphaba grinned.
Her mirth was short-lived as the contents of both punch bowls were tossed onto her.
Oh, Oz, that burned! Elphaba hovered her hands over her face.
"Aw, asparaguses do cry!" Pfannee laughed.
"I'm not crying! You poured lemons in my FUCKING EYES!"
"Elphaba!" Nessa scolded. "Mind your language."
At that, the crowd burst into laughter. Elphaba cringed at the stickiness of the punch and managed to open her eyes. She wiped off her glasses and looked at Fiyero.
"A party I'll never forget, eh?" she said.
"Whoa, hey, I was not behind that," he said.
"Didn't exactly jump to my defense either now, did you?" she countered and smiled tightly. "Enjoy your party."
She stormed out, minding not to slip on the puddle of punch that didn't make it onto her dress.
"Hey, honey, bad night?" the man under the street light asked.
Elphaba pulled the stupid heels off and threw them at his head, stomping back to campus barefoot. She should have known better.
Back at her dorm, she showered and scrubbed away the stickiness until her skin was discolored (well, even more so) and raw. She had to comb through her hair five times before it stopped sticking together.
Once she was in her pajamas and her hair was back in its plait, she climbed into bed. Her sheets would be soaked since she didn't take the time to dry out her hair, but she didn't care.
Tomorrow, she would be back to her books.
Sometime later, the door opened and Galinda entered.
"Miss Elphaba? Are you awake?"
Elphaba kept her eyes closed and tried to keep her breathing even.
"Miss Elphaba?"
Galinda leaned over her, giving her a chance to respond, then sighed and readied for bed.
Elphaba kept her eyes closed until the lights were turned out. She couldn't see much, the only light source being a tiny nightlight in the bathroom, and she hated how crushing the darkness felt.
Yet, she hated how exposed she was in the light.
Eventually, she fell asleep and woke up to her alarm clock at seven. She snatched it up and hurled it across the room, then pulled the covers over her head. She felt cold and clammy after sleeping in wet hair. Her hair was still very damp.
Whatever, it didn't matter. Three more hours and she'd be back at that stupid carriage. No point in getting up now.
"Miss Elphaba, are you awake?"
"No."
The bed dipped.
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect them to pull that," she said. "You had gone through the effort of dressing up and you didn't even get a chance to dance—"
"Why? To give you and your cronies more fodder against me?"
"No, it's not like that. I mean, it was but—"
"Just don't. I don't want nor do I need your pity." Elphaba curled up tighter. "Just leave me alone."
"Don't be like that."
"And what way should I act that will satisfy the masses?"
"I just… you told Fiyero to ask me out. That was kind of you."
"It wasn't kindness. It was logic."
A knock came at the door.
"Fiyero is here," Elphaba sighed.
"He is?" Galinda answered the door. "Fiyero! What a surprise. Oh, how kind of you to bring me flowers!"
"Huh? Oh! Yes… flowers. For you."
"For future reference, dearest, I prefer peonies. These sunflowers are quite beautiful, though. Just a moment, I have a vase for them!"
Flowers were out of the ordinary. Maybe Galinda got a speck of punch on her shoe.
"I'll be ready in just a moment!"
Galinda disappeared into the bathroom.
"Hey, duchess. Feeling sick?"
Elphaba scowled over her shoulder.
"If you follow that up with a crack about my skin, you can forget about reproducing someday," she spat. "If you haven't already."
Fiyero flinched and she felt bad.
"Too far," she said. "I'm sorry."
She dropped her head back into her pillow.
"No, it's okay," he said. "Nothing I haven't heard."
"Doesn't give me the right to say it."
"For the record," he murmured and tucked something under her pillow. "The flowers were for you."
"I'm ready!" Galinda sang. "Sorry to keep you waiting, I can't do a thing with my hair in this weather."
As if it didn't look as perfect as ever.
Elphaba waited until they were gone and worked her hand under her pillow to free the envelope.
She turned it over in her hands and finally opened it. On the cover was a cartoon of a cactus with a frowny face. Inside read:
I'm sorry I was a prick. Can we start over?
Elphaba pursed her lips. This was unexpected. Seemed there was more to Fiyero than what he presented. She finally rolled over to see the flowers. They sat on Galinda's desk and were beautiful and bright.
She had always liked sunflowers, though poppies were her favorite.
He said they were for her, not Galinda. Though, he sure wasn't quick to correct the blonde.
Perhaps out of concern for Elphaba. It was Galinda's friends who humiliated her.
Oz, she couldn't figure him out.
Elphaba looked at the card again. His handwriting was awful but it was more legible than her own.
She couldn't hold onto this, could she?
Unless…
In her studies, she found a spell. Maybe, just maybe, it would be outside the loop. If it was, then there may be hope of her breaking it.
Muttering the enchantment, Elphaba saw her hair glow. She touched it lightly, a shimmer appearing upon contact. She pushed and her fingertips disappeared into a space that was cold, but dry.
She stuck the card in, then got up and put one of the flowers in too.
She sat down on Galinda's love seat to wait out the rest of the cycle.
When she stepped back from the carriage, she recited the spell and was elated when the card came out. However, the sunflower wilted and crumbled in her hand.
Hm… she'd have to test that, but Elphaba returned the card to her hair with a surge of hope.
She headed to the library to continue her research.