XXX
The Oz-dust was exactly what Glinda expected. It was crowded, the music was way too loud, there were several people on the dance floor or at the bar. Some people didn't seem to be there for a quiet evening.
"You are finally here," says Fiyero, arriving with a tray full of drinks. "I ordered beer and wine, I didn't know what you drink.'' He says specifically to Nessa and Elphaba. ''I got the pink cocktail for Galinda, because I know you like it so much."
Glinda giggles. "That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you." Glinda takes the drink from the tray and takes a sip.
Elphaba and Nessa both take a glass of wine. "We sometimes drink wine at a party at home," Nessa explains.
Boq takes a glass of beer. "You're already a few laps behind," says Boq, who is unsteady on his feet.
Fiyero rolls his eyes. "He's exaggerating, this will be our third." says Fiyero.
''Come on Nessa, now I can dance.'' Boq says as he grabs Nessa's handles. Nessa giggles as Boq spins her around again. "Come on guys, you have to come too," Boq shouts to those who stay behind.
Fiyero hands the tray to someone who walks by. There are two more drinks on it. ''Free drinks from me.'' He says. The people shrug their shoulders and take the tray.
Fiyero, who doesn't have any drinks himself, takes Elphaba and Galinda's hands, he pulls the two girls onto the dance floor. Soon everyone is dancing, although Elphaba thinks she can't dance herself. The group has a lot of fun. Soon they run into people they know from school. Galinda goes to talk to ShenShen and Pfannee, while they keep an eye on the others. Fiyero and Elphaba continue dancing for a while, much to Fiyero's delight. Nessa meets some classmates and Boq drinks more water from now on.
Fiyero is taken away by Avaric to pay for his drink, much to his dismay. Elphaba is left a little confused. She doesn't know what to do.
"Hey, Elphie, look, this is Tibet. He's just as much of a bookworm as you are." Galinda says, giggling. "Maybe you two should talk."
Elphaba starts to blush, grateful to Galinda for sparing her the awkward moment of being alone on the dance floor.
Galinda subtly withdraws. She sees Tibet and Elphaba start talking. Tibet accompanies Elphaba to a quieter spot. They seem to be having a great time. Although Galinda notices Fiyero watching from a distance. She hopes that Fiyero, with a bit of jealousy, will finally dare to take things a step further.
"Would you like a drink too?" Boq asks after tapping Glinda on the shoulder.
Glinda looks at her empty glass and nods. "Yes, I'll have the same cocktail please. And this round is on me. Get one for Fiyero too," she says, handing Boq her empty glass and some money.
Glinda watches as Boq goes to find Fiyero. Nessa taps Glinda on the shoulder. "I know exactly what you're up to," she yells over the music.
Glinda rolls her eyes. She doesn't like Nessa because she's so self-centred. Oh, how she currently despises this mission, but it feels good to be out in the field for once. "Tell me, what am I doing then?" she says, crouching down to Nessa's level.
"You're trying to steal my boyfriend," Nessa says seriously.
Glinda can't contain her smile.
"And my sister," Nessa adds, more angrily, feeling dismissed. "You're just jealous of everything I have, so you try to take it all away from me."
Glinda laughs heartily. This is her chance to let out all her frustrations and tell Nessa the truth. "Oh, Nessa dear. You're so selfish. Everyone makes their own choices. Elphaba's choice is to build a life for herself. That doesn't mean she has no time for you. It means you have to accept that the world doesn't revolve around you," Glinda says seriously. "Leave Elphaba alone. Let her build her life without feeling guilty because of you. Yes, you're in a wheelchair, but you can dress yourself, comb your own hair, carry your own books, steer your own wheelchair, go to the bathroom by yourself, and YOU can make friends YOURSELF. So, stop with the childish behaviour. Everyone does everything for you, when do you do something for someone else? Life is about giving and taking." Glinda stands up and looks around, then back at Nessa.
Nessa pales. "Why?" she whispers.
Glinda doesn't hear what she says, but she can lip-read. She sighs and kneels down again. "Nessa, you're almost an adult. You have to know that people come and go. If they distance themselves from you, it doesn't mean they don't love you anymore. You're only looking at the things you don't have, look at the things you do have. A kind sister who always stands up for you, a father who gives you everything, you're going to university, you have a small group of friends. Try to enjoy that. You have a boyfriend who does everything for you. But you scare him away with your own behaviour. How would you feel if he commended you all the time?" She says more gently.
Nessa is deep in thought. I definitely give something to others. Isn't it bad enough that my sister is green or that I'm in a wheelchair? I give enough to others. Her brain can't think of anything anymore. And Boq, I'm really not going to whine about him, she thinks worriedly. I have to do something to keep him with me, what do I have to offer him? Soon I'll be really alone. Galinda has such a power to keep everyone away from me. Or do I chase them away, with my behavior?
"Hey, I'm back," Boq says cheerfully, handing Glinda the drinks. He looks concerned at Nessa. "Nessa, are you okay? You look very pale."
Glinda shrugs. "Maybe it's the music," she says to Boq. "Maybe you should have a drink," she says to Nessa.
Reluctantly, Nessa takes a sip. "Boq, I have a really bad headache. Can we go?"
"But we just got here," Boq protests.
Nessa is about to demand they leave; she doesn't want to be around Galinda any longer. But she sees Galinda giving her a meaningful look. "Maybe when our drinks are finished? Please," she asks innocently.
Boq's jaw drops. Nessa has never asked "please" before. "Uh, yeah, sure," Boq says, looking at Galinda for clarification.
"What did you say to her?" he whispers in her ear.
Glinda shrugs. "The truth," she whispers back.
Boq looks questioningly at the girls. He shrugs and starts to steer the conversation to a different topic. Glinda scans the room and sees Elphaba still talking. Another boy has joined her. She seems relaxed and is smiling. Glinda feels a pang in her stomach but ignores it. A voice in her head tells her it's better this way. She needs to connect with other people. Maybe the feeling comes from Nessa's conversation, she thinks, just to get a logical explanation for her feeling. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hard on Nessa, she thinks guiltily, but sometimes a person has to tell the truth.
"Alright, Nessa, we've finished our drinks," Boq says after a quarter of an hour. "Still want to go?"
Nessa thinks for a moment. She had a nice time, and the three of them had a decent conversation. But she still has a headache, and she wants to think about everything Galinda said. She puts on her sweetest smile. "Yes, I'd really like to go, but could you just take me to my room alone, then you can go back?" she asks innocently.
Boq's eyes widen. He blinks a few times and moves his mouth, making no sound. "Are you sure? Shouldn't I help you with your dress?" he asks, surprised when he finds his voice again. If Nessa is willing to change, then so am I. This will only benefit my mission, Boq thinks with satisfaction. Maybe I should start changing my character slowly.
Glinda watches with satisfaction. No, it was the right decision to talk to Nessa like that, Glinda thinks with satisfaction.
"I would really appreciate your help, but I don't want to ruin your evening," Nessa says, with much uncertainty. She doesn't want to lose her boyfriend but also knows how much power Galinda holds. She needs to keep Galinda on her good side. It's better for her reputation and her own gain.
"Uh, it's no problem, Nessa. I'll help you," Boq says, thinking if Nessa is making an effort to be nice, he can too.
Nessa looks confused. Did she hear that right? Boq is willingly coming with her. "I really appreciate that," Nessa says, with a sincere smile.
Boq smiles too. They say their goodbyes. Glinda squeezes Nessa's hand one last time, holding eye contact. Glinda hopes her message gets through to Nessa.
Glinda takes the glasses to the bar and orders some water for herself. She scans the room and panics when she can't see Elphaba anymore. She walks around, trying to find Elphaba. Her heart is pounding in her throat. She curses herself for being so careless.
"Galinda, have you seen Elphaba?" Fiyero suddenly asks, panicked.
Glinda doesn't have time to wonder why Fiyero is so worried. "No, I'm looking for her too. I've checked the restrooms, she wasn's there. Can you check the front entrance while I check the back?" she suggests.
Fiyero swallows and nods. "She was still talking to those two guys, Crope and Tibet. The next moment she was gone. I've been keeping an eye on her the whole time."
Alarm bells go off in Glinda's head. Why is Fiyero so interested in Elphaba? But she knows finding Elphaba is more important. "We'll find her."
Glinda heads towards the back exit, placing her glass on a table along the way. She must find Elphaba, even if it's the last thing she does. She has her panic under control now. She has to act from logic and not from emotion, that is what she learned from her parents.
XXXX
Once outside, she looks around frantically. She finds herself in a dark alley. To her right, she sees the lights of Shiz's main street. To the left, she ventures deeper into the dead-end alley. She runs left, trying to hear any noise, but her ears are still accustomed to the loud music. She pauses when she sees three bodies on the ground and a wounded Animal. She quickly checks for a pulse. Fortunately, their hearts are still beating, and she doesn't see much blood. She stands up and runs deeper into the alley.
At the end, she sees four figures with their backs to her and Elphaba backed against the wall.
"Elphaba," she calls out in relief.
The boys turn around.
"Galinda, go away, it's too dangerous."
"Why?" asks one of the boys with a cap. "We were having a great time," he says with a wicked grin.
Glinda approaches slowly, surveying her surroundings. "What's going on?"
"We were just having some fun with an Animal, then our green bean came to visit," says one man without a cap. ''Now we want to have fun with her.''
Glinda swallows.
"First, there were two handsome gentlemen to save her, but they're taking a nap now," another laughs. "But come join us. We'll teach the green bean not to stick her nose in other people's business. Maybe we should teach you the same lesson."
"Galinda, go away," Elphaba shouts desperately. She was having a great time chatting with Tibet. Crope joined briefly, but he quickly left. Next thing she knew, he returned, saying he needed a smoke and then saw an Animal in distress. He was about to call the Gale Force. But Elphaba wanted to see for herself. She saw two men kicking the Animal. She was furious and wanted to stop them with her magic. She hit one person, but suddenly three men emerged from behind them. They knocked out Crope and Tibet, who had also rushed out to help Elphaba. Elphaba used her magic again and managed to escape, but she ran in the wrong direction. Now she's backed against the wall. Apparently, she only knocked out one man with her magic because now four men surround her.
Galinda takes a few steps back so Elphaba can't see them anymore. The men approach her with grins. Galinda stands still, ready to fight. "Come on," she says.
The men laugh and rush towards Glinda. She dodges one man and hits another hard in the stomach. Then she turns and kicks the other man in the face with her foot. The men are dazed from the blows. They didn't expect that. Galinda takes advantage of their confusion and punches one in the face and knees another in the groin. The men fall to the ground with pained expressions. Galinda nods in satisfaction. She picks up two empty bottles from the ground and hits them hard on the head. The men lie unconscious on the ground.
Galinda hears Elphaba screaming and runs back into the alley just in time to dodge a magical beam.
She sees one man on the ground and another glaring at Elphaba. Elphaba is unconscious on the ground. The man kicks Elphaba's stomach.
Galinda feels a surge of adrenaline. "Hey, leave her alone, you filthy man."
The man turns around, eyebrow raised. "Filthy man, is that the best you can come up with?" he asks amused. "I don't know how you tricked my two men, but I won't make the same mistake."
Galinda nods and adopts the same stance as the man. They begin to circle each other. "What do you want from her?" Glinda asks.
The man looks surprised. "Nothing, she needs to learn not to meddle in our affairs."
"So, you don't know her and know nothing about her magic?" Glinda asks.
The man shakes his head. "We don't want anything to do with women. That Animal was annoying, and we wanted to teach it a lesson. Later, the others came, so they needed to be taught a lesson too. Now it's your turn."
Glinda nods. She believes the man. She's more cautious now, knowing the man won't underestimate her. "Are you going to attack or flee?" Glinda challenges.
The man smiles. "You're going down." The man takes a few steps forward, and Glinda does the same. Glinda narrowly avoids the man's kick and sticks her leg out, causing the man to fall to the ground. She punches the man in the jaw. The second time, the man grabs her wrist and pulls her over. Glinda does a head roll and gets back on her feet. When she tries to turn around, she's tackled from behind. The man lies on top of her and holds her wrists above her head.
"Now the tables have turned," he says with a grin. "Let me ask the questions now. Why do you think we're after the green bean?"
Glinda tries to free herself, but the man is too strong. She stops struggling and thinks quickly. They hear a loud bang in the background. The man is distracted, and Glinda manages to free her wrists. She pushes the man off her.
"Hey, stay away from her," Fiyero shouts as he tackles the man. Glinda quickly grabs an empty bottle and hits the man hard on the head. Fiyero looks surprised at the man lying beneath him. "What happened? What's going on?" he asks in surprise, looking around to make sense of the situation.
Glinda helps him up. "Nothing happened that you need to worry about."
"But how? Did you defeat those men?"
Glinda laughs. "No, Elphaba did with her magic, and you handled the last man," Glinda reassures Fiyero.
"Why were these men after her?"
Glinda shrugs. "Elphaba was protecting an Animal when they attacked her. Elphaba had almost all of them with her magic, except for this guy," Glinda says as she kicks the man. "Then you came to rescue me." Glinda gives him a hug. She feels the adrenaline still pumping through her body. She tries to calm her breathing.
Fiyero returns the hug. "Come on, we need to check on the others."
Glinda nods. "You check on the other three, and I'll stay with Elphie."
Fiyero looks sceptical. "Are you sure? What if someone wakes up? Or..."
Glinda puts her finger to Fiyero's lips. "They're all unconscious. We need to wake Elphie, Tibet and Crope all up and leave."
Fiyero swallows and nods. He can't think straight after everything that just happened. He runs off.
Glinda sighs and goes to Elphaba. She gently taps her cheek. She sees a bruise forming on her jaw. "Elphie," she says softly. "Elphie, wake up. Come on, we need to get out of here. The ground is filthy," Glinda says a little louder, tapping Elphaba's cheek a little harder.
Elphaba slowly opens her eyes. "What?" She looks around in confusion. She hears Glinda's voice.
"Take it easy. You passed out from all the magic you used. Try to breathe slowly."
Elphaba still looks confused. "What happened?"
"What do you remember?"
Elphaba looks thoughtful. "I, uh... We were at the Oz-dust."
Glinda nods.
"I was talking. Then Crope came with a story. I was in an alley. There were men." Elphaba's eyes widen. She tries to sit up, but Glinda surprisingly keeps her down. "Where are the men? Are you okay? Where are Crope and Tibet? And the Animal. I don't even know what kind of Animal it was."
"Easy now. Getting worked up won't help. The Animal, a Deer, is with Tibet and Crope, unconscious a little further away.
''Is everyone safe? I didn't mean to endanger people."
Glinda sighs. She wants to tell Elphaba to rest, but she also sees Elphaba's worried and scared eyes.
"Yes, everyone is safe. Fiyero is with them "
Elphaba nods in relief. "Fiyero?" Elphaba asks in alarm as the words come through
Glinda nods and smiles. "Shall we exchange stories later, in a safe place?"
Elphaba swallows and nods. "The group of men?"
"Elphie," Glinda says sternly.
Elphaba closes her eyes and nods. "You're right, thank you."
Glinda brushes Elphaba's hair out of her face. "No problem," she whispers softly. She looks around at her surroundings, wondering how she's going to resolve this. They lie there for a few more minutes.
"I can stand again," Elphaba says suddenly.
Glinda nods and helps Elphaba up. Elphaba feels very unsteady on her feet and seeks support from Glinda. Elphaba blinks a few times. She feels the contents of her stomach rise, but she tries to hold it back. When she looks up for more air in her lungs, she can't hold it in anymore. She spits everything out. She collapses inward. Her stomach hurts so much. Glinda tries to lift her up, so she doesn't fall into her own vomit. "Take it easy. Just let it all out."
Elphaba nods miserably. "Sorry," she whispers again. She tries to stand up straight again. She feels sharp pains in her stomach. "Come on, let's go," she says weakly.
Glinda supports her.
XXX
Fiyero has woken up Tibet and Crope. The gentlemen are sitting against the wall, tears running down their cheeks. They are confused and want to go home as quickly as possible. Fiyero has checked their heads for any signs of blood, but fortunately, he can't find any wounds.
He tries to tend to the Deer's wounds. He tears a piece of his pant leg and bandages a cut on the deer's leg. The Deer groans occasionally.
Glinda sets Elphaba down next to Tibet and Crope, who immediately hug her. Elphaba is just glad to be sitting again. The whole world was spinning.
Glinda kneels beside Fiyero and tears a piece from her dress.
Fiyero looks surprised.
Glinda notices. "What?"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect that fashionable Galinda would tear a piece of her dress to tend to a Deer's wound."
"There are more important things in life than clothes."
"You've been talking to Elphaba too much."
"What do you mean?"
"You sound like her. Next thing, you'll be acting like her. Rushing headfirst into danger without the support of friends or the Gale Force."
Glinda focuses on tending to the wounds.
"Oh wait, that was you," Fiyero says after a while. He grabs Glinda's wrist. "What were you thinking, Galinda? How could you defeat those men? Do you have any idea what could have happened? The same goes for Elphaba. You're not superheroes just because you can use magic. It's life-threatening."
Glinda glares angrily at Fiyero. She wants to tell him to mind his own business. She looks him in the eyes but keeps her words to herself. She sees only fear in his eyes. "You're right," she whispers. "It turned out okay, but it could have ended differently. We'll do things differently next time. I'll talk to Elphie."
"Hopefully, there won't be a next time." Fiyero turns around and sees the trio almost asleep. He sighs deeply. "We need to take the others home."
Glinda turns around and nods. "You take everyone home. I'll stay here and make sure help arrives for the Deer."
Fiyero looks thoughtful.
"Elphie can barely stand on her own. I think the adrenaline has worn off, and now she's feeling the effects of her magic. I also saw that she was kicked in the stomach. She has a bruise on her jaw, so she was hit there. She might have a concussion. She needs to be carried at least. You're strong enough. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You seem to know a lot about these things," says Fiyero, confused.
"I just stay calm in stressful situations," Glinda defends herself.
"Sure you do. I want to hear the whole story later."
Glinda nods. She watches as he helps Elphaba to her feet. He lifts her up immediately. She hears Elphaba weakly protesting. The other boys support each other. Fiyero gives her another look and walks away.
Glinda sighs. She knows she needs to be more careful. She takes out a phone from the secret pocket in her dress. She calls a doctor she knows. Her parents always make sure there's a doctor available who can assist them in emergencies. It is always a requirement from her father. Normally he takes his wife or butler with him to assist the injured, but if that is not possible. Like now, he makes sure there is a doctor nearby. Glinda is grateful her father arranged this.
After hanging up with the doctor, Glinda tries to call her parents. But they don't pick up. Frustrated, Glinda puts her phone back. She'll call again later.
After fifteen minutes, the doctor arrives. By then, the Deer has already regained consciousness. The doctor tends to the wounds and gives something for the pain. Glinda and the doctor support the Deer and take him home.
"And the other men?" asks the doctor as they walk out of the alley.
Glinda turns around. "Leave them. They're not seriously injured."
The doctor looks skeptical but nods anyway.
XXX
Glinda arrives in her room utterly exhausted. The sun is almost rising. She sees Fiyero sleeping on the floor, and Elphaba's arm hangs off the bed, her fingers touching Fiyero's shoulders. Glinda smiles at them.
Suddenly, she feels her phone vibrating. She grabs the phone and quickly leaves the room.
"You called," her father says seriously. "We reviewed the footage and only saw that boy who is now in your room putting her on the bed. They talked a bit, but it was not relevant. Where were you?"
Glinda sighs. "Relax, Dad. Elphaba had to play hero to save a Deer. Long story short, everyone's alive. The doctor helped the Deer. He checked me too. I'm fine. You'll get a bill soon."
"Glinda, the doctor is only for yourself or for Elphaba in this case," her father sounds much milder now that he knows his daughter is safe.
"Dad, the Deer was in bad shape. If I had called the hospital, I would have been discovered. This was the best solution."
"Or the easiest?" her father questions sharply.
Glinda remains silent.
"You need to be more careful."
"Yes," Glinda says angrily. "I know. I should do this and that. But we still don't know anything. I'm trying everything to protect Elphaba from turning Wicked, but I don't know against what, or whom. I'm doing my best." Glinda feels her frustration easing.
"I know, sweetheart. In a few weeks, there's a time when all parents can come. Then we'll evaluate the mission. Oscar will be there too. If we don't have anything concrete by then, we'll stop the mission. Maybe the Wizard was wrong."
Glinda swallows. Does this mean she failed? That she can never go on a mission again? Oz, she has to go back to her home. Everything she built here. Despite everyone being incredibly small-minded or learning way too much, she still had fun. She had a normal life, and will it maybe go away in a few weeks? She feels tears welling up. "Maybe," she says softly. "I've already spoken to Nessa. Maybe the Wizard will see something in his crystal ball that keeps Elphaba safe."
"Let's hope so. Get some more sleep. Rest up. Think things through. We love you."
"I love you too." Glinda puts away her phone, standing still for a moment to calm down. She finally feels tired. The adrenaline has worn off. She sneaks back into her room and gently falls onto the bed. Before her head hits the pillow, she's already asleep.
XXXXX
Elphaba feels like dozens of horses danced on her. Her jaw throbs as hard as her heart. She has a nasty taste in her mouth. She rubs her face with her hands, trying to piece together what happened. She looks around and, to her relief, sees Glinda in her bed. She looks up at the ceiling and swallows.
First, I need to get rid of this nasty taste, she thinks. She sits up. The whole world starts spinning for her. She falls back onto her bed. Sweet Oz, what happened? she wonders.
Running her hands through her hair, she feels hardened patches. She inspects them and sees dried blood. She tries to find the wound with her fingers. After a few moments, she feels a tender spot. Since it's not bleeding anymore, it should be okay, Elphaba thinks.
Slowly, the flashes from the previous evening start coming back. She closes her eyes again to recall them better. She slowly drifts back to sleep.
XXXXX
Fiyero wakes up late in the morning. To his relief, he sees both girls still sleeping. He heads to the bathroom and washes his face. He hopes the girls won't do anything reckless again. He gathers his things and leaves the room. He wants to check on the other boys. He also has to do damage control on campus. Who knows what everyone is saying. Oz, how did it get so out of hand. But everyone is safe, that's the most important thing right now. He grabs his things and quietly sneaks out of the room. He has to think carefully about how he is going to handle the situation himself. How is he going to respond to Galinda without her knowing anything. How is he going to respond to Elphaba without scaring her away.
XXX
Thank you for the reviews. This week you will get the chapter a little earlier than usual. I will start the next chapter soon. Let me know what you guys think.