Fic Tags: Angst; Hurt/Comfort; Time Loop; Illustrated Fic; Romance; Universe Alterations; Warning This Fic Discusses and/or Details: Violence; Self-Harm; Assault; Death; Suicide; Suicide-Ideation; Bigotry towards Fictional Race; Abuse; Animal Abuse; Animal Death; Self-Deprecation; Bullying; You See That Shit? Damn That's Fucked Up; Hi, I'm Rod Serling
Another fic! I'm real excited to be sharing this one. As always you can check out the illustrations on my tumblr artsspangledpumpkin or you can read them in-story on AO3.
Chapter Title: The Switch
You run out of your charms by the time we get home and I ain't got time, oh no, ain't got time for this.
~o0o~
Galinda's singing is what woke Elphaba up rather than her alarm clock. The alarm went off about five minutes later. Elphaba switched it off and sighed softly, looking up at the ceiling. Last night was a complete whirlwind and she still wasn't entirely sure it actually happened.
"I could have danced all night and still have begged for more!" Galinda belted and flung open the bathroom door, steam gushing out. "Morning, Elphie! Isn't it a beautiful day?"
Elphaba glanced at the window. It was almost pitch dark outside thanks to the ash grey clouds hanging over Shiz, promising a heavy rainstorm on the way. Hopefully it wouldn't be a violent storm.
"Very," she said, thinking about how wonderful it would be to read to the sound of rain while wrapped up in a blanket with some tea.
Galinda seemed to think the kitchenette was a place to store more of her crap, but Elphaba could make use of the tiny two-burner stove, her roommate had a kettle at least. Not that the cute little strawberry shaped kettle was used often.
No use dreaming the day away. Elphaba got up and hurried into the bathroom before Galinda could commandeer it again. She counted herself lucky her roommate had a beautiful voice or she might have been really irritated.
A knock came at the door about an hour later.
"Oh Elphie, will you get the door?" Galinda asked, ducking into the bathroom.
"Sure." Elphaba answered it to Fiyero.
With a click of his tongue, he winked and made a finger gun at her.
"Howdy," he said in what he assumed was a charming manner.
Elphaba slammed the door shut and returned to the couch. Fiyero tried the handle and opened the door, striding in.
"That was a little unnecessary," he said.
Elphaba rolled her eyes. He set the precedent by being an ass. He didn't apologize, his driver didn't apologize, and he made a crack about her skin. It was a new response, but it was far from refreshing.
She pulled on her boots and braced one foot at a time against the ottoman to tie her laces. She noticed Fiyero staring at her.
"What?" she snipped.
"You're really tall, you know that?" he said.
"Maybe you're just really short," she retorted.
He rolled his eyes.
"You know, duchess, we should probably learn to get along," he said, resting his arms on the back of Galinda's bubblegum pink reading chair. "Since you're tutoring me and everything."
Ugh, right. When she went to Morrible to strong-arm her into letting Galinda join the Sorcery Seminar, the Headmistress hit her over the head with that responsibility. As if she didn't have enough with her own classes and Nessa.
Not that Nessa really needed her help these days.
Oh well, they had all the same classes save for Sorcery, so she could just arrange it for her own study time.
"Oh, and I'm sure you'll take those study sessions very seriously," she said, standing up. "And I'm not a duchess."
"Could have fooled me," he said.
"Thank you for waiting, dearest!" said Galinda, emerging. "Shall we go to breakfast?"
"Sounds perfect," he said.
"Oh, Elphie, you'll come, too!"
Wow, she didn't leave any room for debate, did she? Elphaba grabbed her school bag and nodded.
"I need to eat anyway," she sighed.
"Ah-ah! Just a minute," said Galinda. "Remember what we talked about!"
Elphaba furrowed her brow and followed Galinda's attention to her braid.
Right.
Sighing softly, Elphaba pulled off the hair tie. Galinda pantomimed tossing her hair.
Elphaba flipped her head forward and back, her hair whooshing around her head.
"You look like a horse," he laughed, then his eyes widened. "That came out wrong."
"Yeah? How was it supposed to come out?" she challenged.
She'd been compared to a horse many times from her stature to her face to her hair. There was a reason she preferred braids to ponytails. Not that they prevented her from the occasional comparison to a mare.
"I… would like to extract my foot from my mouth, please," said Fiyero.
"If you think you can."
"Now you two, let's not fight," Galinda scolded gently, as if they were young children. "We're all going to be the best of friends!"
Elphaba sighed inwardly and wrangled her hair so it was hanging down her back. Fiyero and Galinda walked ahead arm-in-arm, the picture perfect couple in their school uniforms and well-styled hair, while Elphaba hung back the odd one out as always. The wind was sending her hair into her face, her uniform was about three inches too short in her arms and legs, and really why would Galinda want to spend her free time with the freak anyway?
She could call Elphaba a silk purse all she liked but at the end of the day she would still be a sow's ear.
As they walked to the restaurant, Fiyero kept glancing back periodically as if to make sure she was still following.
Or perhaps hoping she had broken off, leaving him and Galinda alone.
The fact that he stopped walking when she diverged from the path to collect a paper from the stand at the entrance of the school didn't make things much clearer. The skid marks were still in the grass from Fiyero's carriage.
"Hurry up, Elphie!" Galinda sang.
"I'm coming," she said, tucking the paper under her arm.
They went to a café that was just barely off campus and was popular for its superior coffee to the cafeteria's. Elphaba thought it was overpriced, but she didn't really eat breakfast anyway. She always woke up with a sour stomach and food tended to make it worse.
Since the weather wasn't right to dine on the patio, the inside was crowded, but they managed to get a table for two, cramming in a third seat. Fiyero and Galinda cozied together on one side while Elphaba was left on the other. Usually she could stick her legs out to one side, but the weird seating situation left her battling Fiyero for room.
"Do you need to stick your legs out like that?" he asked.
"Well, the other option is this," she said and brought her legs up. They promptly collided into the table, sending everything on top sliding. Her knees hurt, but the look on their faces as the caddy sailed towards them was funny.
She dropped her legs before it could fly off the table entirely, knocking them back into Fiyero's.
"Fair enough," he said and opened his menu. "You know, it should be against the law to start classes before noon."
Galinda nodded eagerly. "And they shouldn't be longer than an hour!"
Though she had an opinion on the topic, Elphaba just looked down at her menu even though she knew what she was going to order.
If they wanted to act all lovey-dovey that was their business. If they were trying to suck each other's faces off, then they weren't making fun of her. She still didn't entirely trust Galinda's intentions.
That's why she chose that secret. If it was spread, well, her reputation couldn't get any lower and she expected it. Everyone in Munchkinland knew she killed her own mother, it was the worst-kept secret.
Once Galinda lost interest, they would probably just be reduced to roommates who didn't talk to each other except for, 'Did you move the hand soap or are we out?' and things like that.
"That menu must be fascinating," said Fiyero.
She looked up. "Hm?"
The waitress was standing nearby with her pencil poised, looking both agitated and disgusted.
"Oh." Elphaba closed the menu. "Toast with jam and black tea. Please."
"You can order something else if you want," said Fiyero. "My treat."
Elphaba shook her head and handed over her menu. The waitress wrinkled her nose and didn't take it, but she did flutter her eyelashes at Fiyero.
Fiyero took the menu from Elphaba and held it up, the waitress immediately taking it so her hand touched his.
Elphaba rolled her eyes and brought out her planner.
"What'cha doin'?" Fiyero asked in a cutesy voice.
"Penciling in tutoring sessions," she said. "Let's start off with after our last class on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday."
"Hey, don't I get a say?" he protested.
"You showed up yesterday," she retorted. "I hardly think your schedule is jam-packed." She tapped her eraser against the page. "Now you know what to schedule around."
"And what if I decide not to show?"
"Doesn't impact my grade," she said. "I'm going to class and study whether or not you deem fit to grace me with your presence."
"You don't like me much, do you?"
"Don't take it personally, I don't like anyone."
"Now, Elphie, you just have to give them a chance," said Galinda. "Get to know them!"
Right, and subject herself to targeted ridicule instead of just a snide comment here and there to gain brownie points with the A-crowd.
"Mmhm."
"Once I'm through with you, you'll have a busy schedule yourself!" Galinda insisted.
"Yep, I'm already beating off the men with a stick," said Elphaba sarcastically, toss-tossing her hair.
Thunder cracked outside like a reprimand, making her freeze. She flexed her fingers and slowly lowered her hands to the table, counting silently to ease her breathing.
"Such a dreadful day," Galinda pouted. "I was hoping for a walk around campus, Fifi."
"Fifi?" Fiyero repeated.
"It's a nickname. Isn't it just darling?"
"I suppose," he said. "It's a little perky."
"You know, Elphie said the same thing about her nickname!"
It made him sound like a yappy little dog.
How apt.
Amazingly, Elphaba's food arrived first, but as the waitress batted her eyes at Fiyero, the mystery to that was solved. She even went as far as to put Elphaba's breakfast in front of him.
"Thank you very much," he said charmingly, sliding it across the table towards Elphaba.
Oz, he'd flirt with anything that moved, wouldn't he? Elphaba buttered her toast and poured herself some tea. She sipped it and frowned at the bitterness. Too strong. She liked her coffee strong, but was pickier with her tea.
"Sugar?" Fiyero asked, pointing at the shaker with his lips.
"You ever think about how many people in a day touch that?" she asked. "They eat, touch their face, maybe use the bathroom and do a half-ass job washing their hands, if they wash them at all, and then come back and put their hands all over that?"
"…well, now I do."
Her toast came with three mini jars of spread: strawberry jam, grape jam, and marmalade. She selected the strawberry.
"Like me to open that for you?" Fiyero asked.
Elphaba pressed the lid into the hollow of her palm and twisted, removing it easily.
"I'm sure you could've loosened it," she said and used a knife to dump it into her tea.
"Are you still tired, Elphie?" Galinda asked.
"This was deliberate," she said, stirring it.
She took a sip, hummed, and nodded. Much better.
"Is it any good that way?" Fiyero asked.
"You ever think about how it's only acceptable to put milk in water if the water is already steeped with tea or coffee?"
"Well, now I do."
"You say the funniest things Elphie!" Galinda laughed, though Elphaba really wasn't sure what part she said was funny.
It was an observation. Things were only as weird as you made them out to be. Tea infusions were very popular in the Gillikin. In Munchkinland, black tea was often mixed with some sort of fruit, usually iced. But still, it shouldn't be that strange to drink it hot.
Elphaba raised her toast to her lips and looked up to see them both still staring at her.
"I promise I eat like a normal person," she said. "I don't have a secret mouth at the back of my throat, my teeth are human teeth, and my tongue is not forked."
She stuck it out as proof.
Oz, she hated when people watched her eat. She opened the newspaper she picked up and folded it so she could hold it in one hand but also hide her mouth. By that point the rest of the food arrived.
Fiyero and Galinda took their time eating, mostly flirting over their food.
"We're going to be late to class," Elphaba noted.
"Oh, go on without us," said Galinda, lost in Fiyero's eyes.
Of course.
Elphaba headed to campus, wondering how long it would take for Galinda to ditch her. Probably once she strangled Fiyero.
In an instant, everything was much too bright and Elphaba heard the squeal of tires, instinctively jumping back. She blinked rapidly and shook her head as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light. The impending storm was nowhere to be found, the sky as blue as can be with some fluffy white pillows sweeping through it.
Morrible must've decided to make it a nice day.
Elphaba looked at the horseless carriage that almost hit her and rage surged through her. Two days in a row? Seriously?! She stomped her foot against the carriage door, making a huge dent and rocking the entire thing.
"WATCH IT, STUPID!" she roared.
The passenger snorted and raised his head. Elphaba did a double-take and furrowed her brow.
Fiyero pulled his sunglasses off. He was no longer in his uniform, but in the clothes he wore yesterday: the red vest and tight white trousers. He focused on Elphaba and his eyes widened.
"Av, don't buy the absinthe again," he said. "I'm still seeing the green fairy."
"When did you have time to change clothes?" Elphaba demanded. "Did you ditch Galinda at the café?"
Fiyero stared at her a long moment.
"I put this on this morning," he said, patting his vest. "Who's Galinda?"
"Did somebody say my name?" Galinda asked, gliding over. "Hi there, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands."
She glanced at Elphaba and wrinkled her nose.
"Artichoke."
Right. Elphaba pursed her lips and tried not to feel too hurt. At least they could only manage to keep it up for one day instead of a week or more. It wasn't long enough for her to believe she might have actually made a friend.
And yet it still made her heart ache.
"Cool prank," she said tightly. "I'm not laughing."
"Prank," said Fiyero, climbing out of the carriage. "Did someone paint you green?"
"Unfortunately she was born that way," said Galinda in a false whisper.
"Oh. Groovy. What prank, then?"
Elphaba looked between them and back at Milla, Pfannee, and ShenShen who were giggling and sending her nasty looks. That was when she realized her hair was back in a tight braid and she was wearing her knitted beanie.
More confused than ever, she staggered away and went over to the newspaper stand, finding the Monday paper there instead of the Tuesday paper she picked up just a couple hours ago.
Well okay, but two hours would be enough time to send someone to change out the papers.
"Elphaba? What's going on?" Nessa asked.
"What day is it?" Elphaba asked.
"Monday."
Okay. Nessa couldn't lie to her. Not convincingly anyway. Practically raising her, Elphaba knew when she was lying and she couldn't have magically become good at it overnight.
"Elphaba, we were just in History, you know what day it is."
Okay… did she have a vision? Usually they were feelings, she wasn't sure why she'd have such a vivid vision or for a full day of things and night of dreaming.
"I… I'm just having a moment," she said and turned, bumping into Fiyero. "Excuse me."
"My driver is pissed about the dent you put in his car," he said.
Elphaba looked at it, able to see her boot print from there. She looked back at Fiyero.
"Well, maybe he should watch where he's going," she said. "He almost hit me."
"Elphaba, you can't make a scene like that!" Nessa scolded.
"Nessa, what if I had been injured?"
"I don't care! You should apologize to His Highness!"
Elphaba flinched. Just slightly, but she flinched.
"Uh, that's fine," said Fiyero. "No foul, no bruise. I'm sure we can pop the dent right out."
Elphaba shouldn't have felt stung by Nessa's comment. It was just thoughtless words. She would, in fact, care if Elphaba had been hurt.
Wouldn't she?
"I… I should go," she said. "This day is getting too weird for me."
"What do you do for fun around here?" Fiyero asked.
"You should ask someone who actually has fun," said Elphaba.
"I would be more than happy to help you there," said Galinda, wrapping her hands around Fiyero's bicep.
Elphaba used their distraction to hurry away.
What the hell?
She went into town to double check. Newspaper stands, passersby (those who didn't run away screaming anyway), and the library.
It was Monday, so it didn't seem to be a prank. Unless time magic was involved, but Elphaba hadn't studied time magic yet. She read about the Time Dragon, but nothing about resetting a day. Why would only she be aware?
No, it had to be an elaborate prank. Make her think she was crazy and then laugh at her for her gullibility. Well, it wasn't going to work.
Elphaba took a deep breath and headed back to campus where everyone was talking about the party Fiyero Tiggular was throwing at the Ozdust.
She found Nessa who was practically glowing.
"Elphaba, there you are," she rushed. "It's so wonderful! For the first time in my life, I'm going to have a fun night with this Munchkin boy Galinda found for me. I wish there was something I could do for her to repay her kindness. Boq and I deserve each other! Oh, Elphaba, try to understand."
As if she would stop her sister from attending a party. So often excluded due to her chair, but even more so due to her sister. Elphaba wouldn't ruin something like that.
"I do," said Elphaba. "Would you like help getting ready for the party?"
"No!" she cleared her throat. "No. A couple friends from my class are helping me. Thank you anyway."
Elphaba was no less stung, even though that was the same response as yesterday. Today?
"Of course," said Elphaba. "Have fun, Nessie."
And again, almost immediately, she bumped into Galinda who was carrying her new pink dress over her shoulder and the hat with her entourage behind her.
"Miss Elphaba, we were just talking about you!" she said. "I thought you might like to wear this hat to the party tonight! It's so sharp, don't you think? You know black is this year's pink." She giggled at the impromptu rhyme. "This hat is so smart, just like you!"
Was Elphaba really so disagreeable that people felt they had to get all arguments out at once before she could rebuke them?
Okay, maybe she was.
Elphaba took the hat. She knew everyone else thought it was hideous, but that's why she liked it. It was the unwanted chapeau. If she didn't love it, it would just be stuffed into Galinda's closet with the other hats her grandmother sent that she was too polite to reject, but too popular to wear.
"Here, out of the goodness of my heart!"
Right… and Elphaba was the Wizard of Oz.
Did she go and be humiliated and gain an unlikely friend? Or did she stay home this time? This could be a lesson: she wasn't meant to make friends.
Elphaba went to the library to mull this over in peace and quiet, just as she had yesterday while Galinda and her posse got ready in their dorm.
Sighing heavily, she stared at the hat. At 7:45, she made her way back to their dorm and sure enough, by the time she got there, everyone was gone.
She changed into her nicest frock, slapped on deodorant, and jammed the hat onto her head. As an afterthought, she let her hair down. She headed off to the Ozdust and could hear the music in full swing.
Like yesterday, as soon as she walked in the party came to a dead stop. She slowly walked down the stairs, scanning the room. Giggles and whispers rose up.
"What is she wearing?"
"I don't know what's uglier: that dress or that hat."
"Has she ever seen a brush in her life?"
Nessa dropped her head and looked away as if everyone would forget her relation to the green girl if she was ashamed enough.
Did Elphaba dance to no music alone again? Hope Galinda took pity on her again?
No. She didn't want to do that.
Instead, she sucked on her teeth and stuck her hands in her pockets.
"Huh. So parties are like funerals," she said.
Only one person laughed and it was Fiyero. Elphaba accepted that. She waited another half a minute for the music to start up or Galinda to approach her, but it didn't happen.
"Well… bye." She turned and left.
No one stopped her, and as soon as she stepped outside, she heard the music kick back up.
What was different this time?
Oh.
She didn't make Morrible accept Galinda into the Sorcery Seminar.
Well, she could always do that tomorrow.
A man hung around under a street light just past the 26-hour diner across the street from the Ozdust.
"Hey, honey, you lost?" he asked and her temper snapped.
"GET BENT!" she snarled and he backpedaled.
Elphaba stomped back to campus and slammed the hat into a bin on the way. Oz, she was stupid to think anyone would be her friend.