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Elphaba flipped to her side, hearing the bed springs as she rolled away from Galinda’s melodic, yet ever so quiet humming and nail painting. She faced the wall, now, her little pool of darkness from Galinda’s lights which bled onto her side of the room. A month ago, all she would’ve wanted was for Galinda to switch the light off and just paint her nails in silence, but now there was something strangely soothing about the blonde’s antics. The humming was almost like a lullaby, something Elphaba heard so often that it simply became a part of Galinda’s presence–however strange that presence might be.
Elphaba, ever so lovingly, had come to the conclusion that she, not Galinda, was the normal person in the room. The more she got to know Galinda, the more she realized how adorably weird she was. Vowing to make Elphaba “popular” with a human case of the zoomies was an act only Galinda could have mustered, and Elphaba couldn’t have helped but blush when Galinda declared her beautiful, a feeling so jarring that Elphaba had to leave the room. She knew that feeling and had never felt it with another girl before. Only Fiyero had ever made her quite so flustered, but he was Galinda’s, anyway. By no account should Elphaba be feeling those things for Galinda as well.
Galinda’s soft melody, however, was having the opposite of its usual, soothing effect. Elphaba’s heart beat fast in her chest, anxiety over her feelings beginning to consume her. Galinda had not said anything to Elphaba since after Ozdust raised any suspicions of a shared sentiment, and consequently, Elphaba felt all the more guilty.
Fiyero, on the other hand, seemed to share impossible emotions that he could never act on. Maybe that was Elphaba’s dirty little hope or delusion, that he would leave Galinda for her, but considering her growing care for Galinda she felt all the worse. Saving the lion cub with Fiyero’s help had led to a strange intimacy, a moment only they shared or even knew about, and she wished she could relive the moment on repeat. It was her first glimpse through Fiyero’s facade, a glimpse at the Winkie prince’s brain that was ever so hidden away. Under that facade of a fraternizing delinquent, there was a man with a heart good enough to help beings the world saw as less.
Now, what was Elphaba left to do except contemplate her feelings late at night as Galinda kept her awake? She couldn’t necessarily act on them, and the rest of the school was still convinced she was a freak of nature. Galinda’s compassion at the Ozdust could only go so far as to stunt their constant ridicule. The only people who mattered in Elphaba’s life, really, were right in front of her, but she was excluded from them in the way only a third wheel could. Nessarose was too preoccupied with Boq, but she had never been too interested in Elphaba anyway. The only people for Elphaba, therefore, were Galinda and Fiyero–the lovers.
She wasn’t going to sleep any time soon, and Elphaba knew that. She rolled back onto her back, and stared up at the dimly lit ceiling.
“Galinda?” Elphaba said, voice firm against Galinda’s coloratura.
“Yes, Elphie?” the blonde’s curls bounced as she turned her head, “Having trouble sleeping?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Just having trouble thinking about that poor lion cub.”
“That was weeks ago! He’s probably a whole lion by now.”
Elphaba had to stunt a laugh at Galinda’s innocent stupidity.
“I’m sure the guard caught him, anyway. He’s probably safe by now.”
Elphaba closed her eyes. There was a fine line between stupidity and ignorance. As much as she had grown to care for Galinda, the blonde definitely had a different outlook on life from her, and not the brain of Fiyero to see through it. Galinda would never understand what it was like to be the Animal in a cage, not like Elphaba. That fact was a dagger in any sense of kinship Elphaba was beginning to feel–reality would always set in.
“I know, Galinda. But I can’t help but hope that he ran off and found shelter with other Animals, away from here. That way, at least he’s free. Poor thing,” her voice died down, feeling her heart lull in her chest. “I had a bear as a nanny, growing up. The Animals have always been dear to me.”
“The governor of Munckinland employed a bear as a nanny?”
“A very sweet bear,” Elphaba added, and sat up in her bed, leaning against the wall, before continuing. “She did more for me than my mother ever did, before her death, and certainly more than my father. So it… it hurts me to see the Animals mistreated. That day, way on back, when Dr. Dillamond received that nasty message in class, I split my sandwich with him. I didn’t really have friends, at the time, but it hurt me more to see him treated like that so I reached out. He then told me that the Animals are essentially having their personhood erased, Galinda, and when I heard that my heart just… broke. The lion cub demonstration was just my first opportunity to have an impact.”
“To have an impact…? Elphaba, you don’t mean…”
It took Elphaba a moment to realize what she had just confessed. She opened her mouth to backtrack but decided against it. Galinda should hear the truth, even if it upsets her. But Elphaba would leave Fiyero out, for numerous reasons.
“I saved the lion cub. I left him in the forest so he could run away and be free of human constraints. All Animals and humans deserve the same basic rights, Galinda.”
“You need to be more careful! What if you get caught? I understand that you have good intentions, but you can’t risk being seen going against the Ozian guard! Don’t you want to meet the Wizard, Elphie? I don’t think you can meet the Wizard if you’re actively breaking his laws!”
“Honey, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’ll never get anywhere in life if you play things to other people’s liking. Sometimes you need to stand up and make a change yourself!”
“Well, I’ve gotten along pretty well so far-“ Galinda huffed, before gasping. “You made me mess up a nail!”
Elphaba sighed- “I’m sorry, Galinda. I appreciate your concern, I really do. I just know that if I don’t help them, no one will. Whatever small change I can make, if it’s under people’s noses, I will try to do it. But for your sake, how about I don’t risk my reputation? So you aren’t rooming with a delinquent.”
“Alright,” Galinda agreed, though Elphaba sensed hesitation in her voice. “Well, Elphie, since you’re up, do you want me to paint your nails?”
“Paint my nails?” Elphaba repeated, confused by Galinda’s decision to again suggest a “beautifying.”
“I am awfully good at it, at least when my roommate isn’t nearly giving me a heart attack. It’ll be fun, I promise. I could do them in pink, to match mine,” Galinda fluttered her fingers, showing off her pale pink polish, brandishing the sell with a grin. “Or I have a dark purple if that’s more your fancy.”
“Purple, please,” Elphaba said, forcing herself to get out of the covers and approach Galinda’s desk.
“Are you sure? As I’ve said before, pink does go good with green.”
“I’m sure,” Elphaba said dryly. Galinda then, with careful attention to her own drying nails, picked up a container and began to coat each of Elphaba’s green nails in clear polish.
“You seem like a purple sort of gal, anyway. Green, purple, and black–ooh! Maybe you could incorporate purple into a look, sometime. I’m sure you could find a dress with black and purple in it-” she scrunched her nose- “Well, you may need to have it made, but you would look positively stunning in it. I kind of want to see you in one.”
Galinda twisted the cap shut of the clear polish and reached for a dark violet that she quickly unscrewed. She worked with remarkable expertise despite having her own fingers wet, beginning with Elphaba’s pinkie and working down the hand.
“Now I know what to get you for your birthday, Elphie,” Galinda made eye contact with Elphaba and smiled softly. “That is, if you’ll tell me when it is!” She giggled. “No more secrecy. I need to know when I can spoil you!”
The idea of Galinda spoiling Elphaba was amusing, certainly, and the thought that Galinda cared all the more warming. For all of Galinda’s faults (which, as Elphaba had been learning, were numerous), she truly did have good intentions and was far more giving than Elphaba could have imagined. In all her life, Elphaba had never encountered someone who cared quite so much for her.
“It's October 24,” Elphaba responded. “But I’m not too much of a party girl.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to be one. But wouldn’t that be fun? A little get-together with you, me, Fiyero, Nessa, maybe Pfannee and Shenshen? It’ll all be to celebrate you, Elphie, and you can wear a dress I may or may not have made for you.”
Elphaba laughed, the idea bizarre yet intriguing. She decided it couldn’t hurt, and gave Galinda the answer she was looking for. Galinda squealed and began her next layer of polish.
“You won’t regret saying yes, I promise,” Galinda said and took a moment to finish up the nails before saying anything more. She hummed her way through and quickly applied both of the final layers. The nails were flawless, and the color stood in perfect contrast to Elphaba’s green skin. Elphaba fluttered her fingers in the air as Galinda had, and gave Galinda a knowing look.
Galinda blushed, put the polish away, and moved to sit on her bed. She gestured to Elphaba to come join her. Elphaba took a seat on the plump mattress, void of the springing that haunted her own.
“Oh Elphie, I’m so glad we became friends. There’s nothing I’d rather do than spend my night with you.”
Elphaba sat in bewilderment, “What about Fiyero?”
“Oh, Fiyero? He’s just… he’s not you, Elphie. Men are different from your friends. I don’t want to be with him for every moment of your life, but I could spend every last moment of my life with you! Just because you’re dating someone doesn’t mean that he becomes your everything!”
Elphaba raised her brows- “You really feel this way? But you… you were obsessed with him from the moment he got to campus!”
Galinda nodded, “And I still do love him, don’t get me wrong. But its… it's a different sort of love from the love I have for you. Friends last forever, but lovers come and go. I better hang on tight to the friends I have, right?”
Galinda’s giggle seemed unconvincing.
“It doesn’t sound like you’re in love with him, Galinda.”
Galinda’s face fell, and there was a new expression in her eyes that Elphaba didn’t quite recognize.
“Well, it isn’t up to you to tell me what I feel about him! We’re going to get married someday, I just know it, and then I’ll be his beautiful, sorceress princess wife who hosts dinner parties you can attend as the Wizard’s right hand. Oh, and Elphie, you can visit and stay in our guest room! Now, that’s a nice image! Can’t you imagine sitting on a balcony overlooking Winkie country with a cute cocktail in hand, knowing that we both got exactly what we wanted?”
Elphaba sighed, but Galinda’s musings felt weak. Suddenly the thought of working with the Wizard didn’t sound as good knowing she’d be on her own. “It sounds nice, Galinda.”
“Exactly! And it will happen someday. You’ll be his protege, and Fiyero and I will live happily ever after. You’ll see.”
The words somehow felt like an affirmation to Galinda herself rather than directed at Elphaba. There was so much to digest: the word choice of princess, Galinda’s hope for Elphaba, the guest room, sitting on the balcony—the more Elphaba thought about it, the more pleasant it seemed, but she forced herself to push it aside. Galinda rest her head on Elphaba’s shoulder, but Elphaba didn’t flinch at the sudden movement. Galinda’s optimism and touch… she found herself softening her posture, head resting on Galinda’s.
“Well, the second I receive that invite, I’ll be there at your side,” Elphaba said just above a whisper.
“I love you, Elphie.”
“I love you too, Galinda,” Elphaba said, leaning away from Galinda and turning her head towards her. They locked eyes, Galinda moving her chin to dig into Elphaba’s shoulder. They were inches away from each other, and Elphaba was not surprised when Galinda moved suddenly to kiss her.
The kiss was a strange sensation, a sudden intimacy Elphaba was so alien to. Galinda lifted her chin from Elphaba’s shoulder and grew more level as their lips touched. For a moment, Elphaba felt her heart stop beating, this odd feeling she had never quite been privy to emerging with Galinda of all people. With Galinda…
Galinda pulled away suddenly, eyes widening before she moved away from Elphaba on the bed, staring at her knees.
“I’m so sorry. I… I crossed a boundary.”
“No, Galinda,” Elphaba reached out to lift Galinda’s chin to look at her. “That was exactly what you needed to do, it…” she was at a loss for words, not quite wanting to tell Galinda to kiss her again but wanting it all the same. Instead, she moved her hand to frame Galinda’s face and leaned in to kiss her herself. After a few moments, Galinda pulled away on the verge of tears.
“I… I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Elphaba, can we just go to sleep?”
Elphaba’s heart nearly broke. Her first kiss, only to be met with hesitation on her kisser's behalf.
“Galinda, wait-”
“Its not about you, Elphaba. I, I- I just need sleep.”
Elphaba put her hands in her lap and stared at them for a moment.
“Okay,” she said, remaining for a moment, before nodding to herself. “Okay.”
Elphaba stood up and moved to the other side of the room, pausing for a moment at the mirror to look back at Galinda. Galinda sat criss-cross on the bed, hands on her temple, deep breaths. Without her glasses, things were a bit blurry, but Elphaba imagined there were tears under her eyes.
Oh, Galinda…
Elphaba sighed in concession and slipped into her own bed, letting the covers fall over her shoulders. She took deep breaths until sleep carried her away.