Chapter Text
Elphaba slowly and quietly approached the girl from behind, stopping just next to her and looking into the same pond. Galinda didn’t move a muscle, ignoring her presence, although Elphaba could see her shaking slightly due to the cold air of the night. She placed the blanket cautiously around the girls’ shoulders, not failing to notice how she flinched at the contact. Not knowing what to say, she lowered herself to the floor and sat cross legged next to her roommate, hairbrush placed at her side and out of Galinda’s sight.
After a few moments the blonde broke the silence to ask, “Do you think I’m a bad person?” her eyes never leaving the pond. What an odd thing to say. She had to ask the obvious in return, “What?”
Galinda responded, “It’s a simple enough question” as though she had simply asked for the time of day.
There are far too many factors involved in such a query to provide a straight yes or no answer. Following this morning’s theatrics, she doesn’t believe she would be capable of making an unbiased decision either, so she countered “It’s an extremely complicated question, why do you ask?”
The girl simply shook her head with a sigh “No reason”. She tried to subtly pull the blanket around herself to keep warm, the shivering still visible in her movements.
This could be a perfect opportunity to try and get inside Galinda’s head and see how her mind works. She could find out what the girl thought of her in return. Setting her own opinions aside for a moment she asked, “Do you think I’m a bad person?”
Seeming surprised by the throwback, Galinda looked to be thinking for a moment before answering with a slightly angry tone “No, I think you’re rather impulsive, hot headed, and too smart for your own good, but I don’t think you’re a bad person”
How strange, she assumed the loathing was mutual. She looked over to Galinda who finally returned her gaze. Red marking the left side of her face, looking up at Elphaba almost expectantly. Oh, she also wanted a response, “Well, I think you are many things, but a bad person, I’m not sure”
Galinda seemed almost offended by the answer as her eyebrows furrowed and her lips curled down into a frown. “That is not a no”
Oh Oz what has she started. She couldn’t lie to the girl and say yes because there are times, mostly involving Elphaba herself, where she really wasn’t a nice person. However, there were plenty of other instances where she’s a saint towards other people. It really was an extremely complicated question. “I don’t know what to tell you Galinda”
Galinda looked away with sad eyes. It almost made her feel bad for not lying, but what good would lying have done if it didn’t help the younger girl see the error of her ways. The blonde somehow managed to curl into herself even further. “What am I?”
Had the girl really been sitting here all day letting her mind wander over such curious enquiries? With an open invitation from her roommate, this seems like the best time to get some things off her chest, goodness knows the other girl is likely hoping to do the same. “To me, you are rude, annoying, shallow and overall, a little bit of a bully”
Galinda seemed to wince a little with that last word as though disappointed with herself. Perhaps the statement was a little harsh, after all, she had witnessed her assisting a student who had fallen over just yesterday. Credit where credit is due, she continued her statement “But with everyone else, you seem like a decent person, even if your reasons for being so are not in the right place”
She looked over at Elphaba curiously. “What?” Her eyes showed genuine intrigue into the sentence and not that of annoyance as Elphaba had expected. Surprisingly the girl seemed willing to listen to her listed flaws in this moment, perhaps she was approaching a breakthrough.
She explained, “To your ‘followers’” in quotation marks, “You are kind, polite, always happy to help out if needed, but when you do something nice it always looks to me like you’re doing it to get a good reaction from the crowd, not because you just want to help for the sake of helping or because it’s the right thing to do”
Galinda appeared to contemplate the information presented to her, brows furrowing again in thought, “Why can’t it be both? Why can’t I help just because I want to or because I know it’s the right thing but also get recognition for it? How will people see me as a good person if they don’t see me doing good things?”
Now Elphaba was beginning to understand how her roommate's mind worked. She seemed to be under the impression that if she wasn’t viewed doing good things, she couldn’t be considered a good person at all. But why should she care about other people’s opinions so long as she knows herself to be a good person? How to explain this? “People would just know, if you don’t go around doing bad things, most people will automatically make the assumption of good in anyone. People are often hopeful like that”
The blonde countered “You don’t walk around doing bad things, yet people do not automatically assume you’re a good person”. She seemed as though she didn’t believe Elphaba’s statement based on the facts she held in her little blonde head.
“Well, that’s because they can’t see past outward appearances” Unlike Galinda, Elphaba had come to realise over the years that people’s opinions of her didn’t matter. She expects the looks of disgust, mean comments and judgement. The one thing she could never figure out was why people didn’t like her when she had not done anything to warrant hate.
She often wondered if she weren’t green, would people still dismiss her regardless? In a world so full of vibrant and outstanding characters, was her Verdigris really so off putting that people would automatically assume she was bad. Do they believe a person can only be as beautiful on the inside as they were on the outside. Did Galinda?
They sat for a moment both lost in their thoughts, watching the pond as a little frog appeared on a Lilypad floating around. What was it like for this miniature green creature to live carefree in a cruel world?
Galinda looked over to Elphaba “I wouldn’t not help someone if there weren’t a crowd around to see it you know” She looked adamant, as though worried the older girl wouldn’t believe her. Why was she so desperate to impress her? Why did she care what Elphaba thought? She seemed to want Elphaba’s validation that she would indeed not let a fellow Ozian suffer over a crowd, or lack thereof.
“I didn’t say you wouldn’t, but I also know you wouldn’t be in a rush to help me if I needed it, crowd or no crowd” She really did believe Galinda would help anybody if they needed, but if Elphaba was hanging on the edge of a cliff, she was almost convinced the blonde would take her time searching for a pair of gloves to wear before even considering reaching for her hand, goodness forbid the green be contagious.
However, the Gilikin girl seemed offended by her response “Do you really think so little of me Elphaba?” Yes? Maybe? She was very confused right now. Would she herself rush to help Galinda if she found her hanging from a cliff? Would she be the bigger person, or would she too find something to occupy her time and make the girl wait?
This was getting much more complicated than she anticipated. Although this may be the longest conversation they’ve ever had and by some miracle, both sides were truly listening to each other. Galinda had essentially asked Elphaba what she thought about her. The truth has gotten her this far so honestly seems the best way forward. “You’ve done nothing but be mean to me since we met…”
Before she could continue, Galinda jumped in to question “Me? What about you, or do you not have a mirror of your own to look in?” Did Galinda Upland really just accuse her of being a bully? “What have I done?” What had she done other than defend herself against the blondes’ constant torments?
Galinda uncurled herself and turned to face Elphaba, pointing a finger in her face as the blanket fell from her shoulders, “You started this” Excuse me?
“What, no I didn’t, you took one look at me that first day in the courtyard and decided you hated me because I’m not your idea of what’s right and that I was going to be your aggression target for the next semester” She could feel herself getting angry now. It seems the pair are incapable of having a civilised conversation at any point in their lives. The blanket on the floor was also making her agitated.
Meanwhile Galinda sat shocked, mouth agape for the second time today at the accusation thrown her way “Do you honestly believe that’s what happened?”
Elphaba now also turned to her side to be face to face with her “I don’t 'believe' that’s what happened, I know that’s what happened, I know your type” She gazed to the blanket on the floor and then back up to Galinda, hoping she would get the hint. She didn’t.
She instead responded with a huff “Well, if it so pleases the court, I’d like to plead my case on the events that took place that day” Galinda moved to be crossed legged, now matching Elphaba’s position and creating an even playing field between them. The blanket was still disregarded on the floor, collecting dirt. It made her eyes twitch.
But by all means if Galinda had a different version of events, then this should be an interesting twist. “I can’t wait to hear this” Nodding down to the blanket again upon seeing the small shivers begin again. Although it’s hard to know if the girl was shaking from anger or being cold.
“First of all,” Oh great there’s more than one point “unlike everyone else I do not have an issue with you because of your Verdigris, Elphaba”
“You could have fooled me” She gave up trying to get Galinda to pick up the blanket and leaned forward herself, picking up the blanket with a sigh to wrap around the quivering girl. Not because she cared of course, only to get the fabric off the dirty floor. Galinda instinctively held the edges around herself.
The girl seemed taken back by the gesture and gave a silent look of thanks before continuing in a calmer manner, “That day in the courtyard, you walked in, and everyone was staring, and not in a good way. I know what it feels like to be watched, judged, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I saw everyone looking and wanted to help”
No no no, “You mean you saw a chance in the spotlight and took it”
The blonde practically growled back “You are impossible, I tried to turn it into a positive situation and offered to help you, I could just have easily taken the chance to make fun of you in front of everyone, but I did not”
It appeared Galinda wanted a reward for not being meaner to her at the time. How utterly shallow and oh so expected, “You made the situation about you and offered to do something you couldn’t even do, how was that helping?”
She rolled her eyes as though Elphaba had somehow missed the point, “Regardless of my ability I meant what I said, it is my heart’s desire to become a sorceress and I am willing to work hard to get there. I had every intention to learn how to help you, it was not an empty statement”
Wait “You ‘had’ every intention”
The constant look of dramatic disappointment on Galinda’s face every time Elphaba apparently missed the obvious, was becoming increasingly frustrating, “Yes, in case you have forgotten you are the only one here in sorcery studies, now you could simply learn how to fix yourself”
“Why do I have to be fixed?” Did Galinda really believe all Elphaba’s problems would be fixed if she were to suddenly wake up de-greenified one morning? “Why can’t you just accept me for the person I am rather than my appearance?”
“As I said before, I do not have a problem with your appearance”
“Then why do you give me such a hard time?” Perhaps there was something else causing her insufferable behaviour. But what else was there?
“Because you give me a hard time”
That was not the answer she was expecting. “What?”
“Selfishly or not, I offered to help you in the courtyard, and you threw it back in my face by calling me shallow”. Elphaba had been in that type of situation far more times than she could count, people wanting to make a display out of her for their own selfish gain. She assumed Galinda had been doing the same.
She tried to defend herself “I di…” but Galinda was having none of it, reaching her hand out from the blanket into a pinching motion to indicate she wanted silence.
“And then, you make a big spectacle destroying the place and get offered the chance to do the one class I had been looking forward to the most. I know you think me an airhead Elphaba, but I worked extremely hard to get into this school for the sole reason of getting to work with Madame Horrible. I had offers from other schools, but I chose Shiz because it has the most respectable sorcery program”
Elphaba knew Galinda wished to study sorcery under Madame Morrible, and just sorcery in general. She often caught the girl snooping through her sorcery books or others she had taken from the ‘book place’ as she called it. Galinda was the type of person who always got what she wanted, so missing out on the seminar had clearly been a reality check for her. She certainly showed initiative for the subject, but Elphaba could tell Madame Morrible was not the blonde’s biggest fan. Still, it wasn’t Elphaba’s fault she was chosen, “I didn’t ask to be given a spot”
Galinda snapped her fingers “Exactly, you weren’t even enrolled and yet you somehow manage to become an exclusive member of my dream class and steal my room”
Not the room thing again. “I didn’t steal your room; you volunteered to share”
“Not intentionally, but again, I could have turned around and said no when I realised what I had done and I did not. I saved space for your bed and a whole drawer for your clothes when I could have left you with nothing” And the award for most selfless person goes to... “and to thank me you made fun of me for being blonde in your letter to home as if my hair colour is as rare and curious a feature as your Verdigris”
Of all the mean things Galinda has called Elphaba since they met, she is upset over a factual statement of her hair colour? “You called me lots of things in your letter”
“I called you peculiar which is hardly an insult, there are far worse things I could have said” And far worse things she has indeed said since. Artichoke.
Who does she think she is anyway? She walks around the school like she’s Royalty with all her adoring subjects stalking around her waiting for instructions. She certainly isn’t a princess, as much as she likes to act like one, “Why do you think yourself so much higher than everyone else?”
She growled in response “Mirror! You think you are far superior to me because you can do things I cannot” Mirror? Was she insinuating Elphaba thought herself better than others? Well. The school by no means had great company to choose from, but to a certain extent, she does believe she has more maturity than most within the place. She can see straight through people and hasn’t encountered many genuine folks.
Lost in her thoughts for a moment she was brought back to the surface by another snap of Galinda’s fingers “And I’m certain you used magic to pile all my luggage on the bed”. Her magic reacts to her emotions, mostly negative ones, and Galinda provokes plenty of those on the daily. When moving the luggage over to the intended area, she had noticed how some of the cases felt lighter than they should have, and how some moved before she even touched them as if anticipating the action. It had still taken a lot of time and energy though, all worth it to see the look on her face.
Hang on. Galinda doesn’t have magic. “How did you get all your stuff in my space without waking me?”
“I took time and had patience, something you seem to lack, you blow holes in our windows, and you throw my belongings around like a child having a tantrum. Take our first night, for example, when you knocked my things over and unplugged my favourite lamp because the light was bothering you”
She hates that lamp with a passion, she should have knocked that onto the floor as well and ended her torment right there. Goodness knows it would have likely prevented many of their arguments. Elphaba will gladly take this opportunity to complain about that damn light. “It’s really bright when I’m trying to sleep, and it’s entirely the wrong colour”
“So tell me. Use your words. Not everything has to get physical” Galinda looked down to the floor space between them as she trails off those last words. Elphaba was reminded again of the pink hue settled on her roommate’s cheek and began to feel her own burning in slight guilt. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you”
Galinda doesn’t look up from the floor but does begin to form a look of guilt on her own face “I guess I should apologise as well, I let myself get carried away in our little prank war”. The blonde almost looked defeated as she spoke.
Our little prank war, huh. Had Galinda really thought this back and forth between them was just a little college fun, like this was simply expected behaviour for students? Did she truly believe her actions to be a game rather than actual bullying? She thought back to the wince she gave upon being called a bully earlier. And her flinch when the blanket was placed over her as though she expected any physical touch to be a continuation of their last encounter that morning.
Perhaps the action had been a true wake up call for Galinda, for her to see that her behaviour and words since arriving had been more than just a harmless bit of fun. Elphaba had been so angry earlier that perhaps she was quick to judge and make assumptions herself about the situation. Had the look on Galinda’s face upon seeing the spilled drink been one of concern over the damage done? Maybe she did trip.
This right here, is the most vulnerable she has ever seen the girl in the entire time they have known each other. And for the first time ever, Galinda had actually apologised to her. Maybe Elphaba herself had not been setting the best example for her younger, impressionable counterpart. If she hadn’t put down Galinda in the courtyard, and messed with her things that day, would their relationship have taken a different path? Could this be their chance to start making amends? There’s only one way to find out.
She held out her hand to the girl. “Truce?”
Galinda looked up in shock, eyes wide with curiosity and examining Elphaba’s face for any signs of deceit. She then looked down at the outstretched hand and after a few moments of silence Elphaba was worried she may have misread the situation and Galinda would walk away, until… “Truce”
Galinda had taken her hand and shook it in agreement. There was almost a smile on her lips. Maybe she had wanted this as well. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry if I made you think I disliked you for your appearance, it truly doesn’t bother me, and I promise to stop making jokes about it” For the first time, Elphaba believed her.
She could see that guilt remaining in her eyes from weeks of harmful jokes, so she tried to comfort the blonde in honour of their newfound allyship “Don’t worry, I’m used to it”
She shook her head, “You shouldn’t have to be”
The older girl was surprised by how upset she sounded. She really did feel bad about what happened between them, and it seems the blonde felt the same way if her guilt-stricken eyes were anything to go by. She looked like she was disappointed in herself. Until just now, Elphaba didn’t think the girl was capable of feeling remorse. Maybe she had misjudged Galinda at first glance, raving to her about judging on appearances when it’s clear now Elphaba had done just that.
There was so much more to learn about her Gilikinese roommate, much more indeed. But for now Elphaba had to start making amends for the errors on her side. “No”
Galinda looked confused, “No what?”
“No, I don’t think you’re a bad person” A bad person would not have apologised for their part in their little rivalry, and certainly wouldn’t have given a genuine promise to stop doing something hurtful, upon realisation it was indeed that, hurtful.
Galinda gave a small side smile in response, like she needed to hear that. “Thank you”. Between the physical attack earlier and the refusal to answer no to the question of being a bad person, it appeared Galinda had truly thought she was a bad person, and that had been eating away at her all day. A bad person wouldn’t have been so affected by that thought.
By no means were they now friends, they only called a truce. “This doesn’t mean I like you, we’re not there yet” They hadn’t made amends at this point, but there would be plenty of time for that now they wouldn’t be wasting time pulling pranks on each other. She was now more than happy to at least give it a go. Maybe one day they truly could be friends… One day.
Galinda clearly felt the same as she laughed a little at Elphaba’s reply, “Baby steps”
Elphaba picked up the brush and stood up. She reached a hand down to help Galinda up as well, who happily took the offer, still clutching the blanket. “Come on, let’s get back inside, it’s getting cold, and you need to eat something” As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, and her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red.
Galinda’s eyes caught sight of her hands, or more specifically, the object in her hands “Why do you have my hairbrush?
She was far too tired to tell that story right now, “Don’t ask”
“But I already did”
She had to laugh at her roommate’s naivety, “Never mind”. And with that, Elphaba placed her hand on Galinda’s back and started walking them back to the dorm.