Chapter Text
Chapter One: First Encounters & Shiz
The first time I saw you, I thought you were a monster.
You’ll forgive me for thinking so. I’d just turned four, and Mama had started reading me stories out of the new book of fairy tales she’d gotten me for my birthday. Momsie tried talking her out of it, saying they were too dark for a young child, but Mama had smuggled it into the house and read them to me in secret. Even at such a young age, it was thrillifying to have a secret, even one as ridiculous as a book of fairy tales.
Anyway, I’m getting off track. I was a child, thought you were a monster, but I was still oddly fascinated. I couldn’t take my eyes off you, but not for the reasons you’re probably thinking. Believe it or not, it had nothing to do with your green skin, though that was also difficult to look away from. It was your anger that pulled me in, because it was the one emotion I knew the least about.
There you were, sitting alone by a stream with your feet hidden beneath the water. The day was hot and sunny, and I remember sweating underneath my heavy pink pinafore dress. Mama and Momsie were in a meeting with your father about expanding their business to Munchkinland. I’d finally been deemed old enough to come along, and I’d been determined to live up to that conclusion. Even though I wasn’t allowed into the meeting, I took my parents’ instruction of ‘stay close and keep your dress clean’ very seriously.
So, when I saw you sitting on the ground, hurling rocks into the water as though they’d personally wronged you, I couldn’t help but be curious. The rocks didn’t go very far because you were so little, but your anger was something to behold. Your plain black dress was covered in dirt and grass stains, and your black hair was perched in a messy bundle on top of your head. When I dared to come closer, I saw that your green skin hadn’t fared any better than the rest of you.
In short, you looked as though you lived your life out there in the woods.
You were too busy throwing your rocks to notice my approach. The afternoon sun was at its highest peak in the sky, and the exertion of walking from the center of Munchkinland, through the poppy field to the stream where I saw you had taken its toll. My blond ringlets, curled so painstakingly by Momsie earlier that morning, had by that time fallen flat and sweaty, and my feet hurt in my white shoes. I knew that I’d be in trouble if my parents found out that I’d wandered so far, but your magnetic pull had pushed out all other thoughts. Mind you, most four-year-olds are not capable of rational thinking and I was certainly no exception. I’d simply never seen anyone like you before and found myself fascinated.
“What are you doing?” I asked, unintentionally startling you.
You jumped to your feet, the pile of rocks you’d hidden in your skirts dropping to the floor, one of which rolled in my direction and kicked the toe of my shoe before finally stopping.
“Hey!” I exclaimed, earning a small frown from you. “You got my shoe dirty!”
You raked your penetrating gaze over me, taking in my pink dress, white stockings and white buckle shoes. Then up to my blonde pigtails and the pink bows to match the dress. In turn, I examined your filthy black dress, torn black tights, and your muddy bare feet, dirt clinging to them since they were wet from being submerged in the stream. Your matted black hair was in desperate need of Momsie’s magic touch, your face was covered in dirt, and there was a small cut above your left eyebrow that was bleeding a slow trickle down to your cheek. You looked like one of those peasant girls from the stories in my book of fairy tales, and part of me wondered if my imagination had pulled you right out of it to give me companionship in this unfamiliar place.
When I decided to test that theory, raising a hand as though to touch you, you flinched and scampered back as though you expected me to hit you.
“Don’t!”
Your anger was a hard, physical thing. Even at that age, it felt as though if I reached out to you, I’d be able to touch it. I backed up, my eyes wide. You probably thought I was afraid of you, and in a way you’d be right. In fact, you did think I was afraid of you, but not for the reasons you initially thought. You were so used to being treated differently because of your unusual verdigris that, in your eyes, it was the only reason.
How very right you were. And how very wrong.
“Don’t what?” I asked, a tinge of fear in my tiny voice, which did not curry any favor with you.
You narrowed your eyes, looking so much older than your four years. They were clouded over with suspicion and distrust, but the anger was what struck me the most. Again, in my four years living with Mama and Momsie, anger was simply not an emotion I was familiar with. I knew about it, of course. I got angry on the rare occasion my parents denied me something, but it was nothing compared to the intensity of the emotion that was clearly wreaking havoc all over you.
You had a right to it. Oz knows you did, but you simply must understand that, at such a young age, it was uncommon to have it practically rolling off someone so young in waves. That was what struck me the most about you. Not your green skin, tattered clothes, or dirty face.
“It won’t rub off on you.”
You gestured at your face, clearly indicating your green skin. I frowned, shifting in my white shoes, which by now were becoming caked in the dirt we were standing in. If I had been in my right mind, I would’ve insisted we take the conversation elsewhere, but I knew that if I moved even an inch, you were likely to run away, and the thought of never seeing you again did something to me even then. It wasn’t anything I wanted. I wanted you to stay for as long as you were willing, and you know only too well how accustomed I am to getting my way.
So, instead of acknowledging your green skin, I pointed my small finger at the cut above your eyebrow. “You’re bleeding.”
I didn’t miss the way you flinched at my hand, even though I didn’t take a step toward you. I didn’t miss the way your eyes darted around, a new emotion replacing your anger for the first time. Fear was another thing that I didn’t have much experience with, though of course there were times when the dark sometimes proved to be too much for my childish bravado. Or if I had a nightmare during the night, fear always prompted me to seek shelter with Mama and Momsie. They never denied me comfort when I needed it.
Your fear was something on another level entirely. You looked as though you expected me to hit you, or at least pretend to. Knowing what I know now, I don’t blame you for it one bit, but I do wish you could’ve known during our first encounter that there was nothing for you to be afraid of.
Narrowing your green eyes at me, you lifted your hand to where I pointed, poking your skin tenderly before bringing it down to inspect the damage. Your eyes flickered briefly at the drop of blood on your finger, but otherwise did not react. You acted as though it were commonplace to find a cut somewhere on your body.
“Mama can patch you up,” I explained, unaware that you had no idea who I was talking about. “If you come with me—”
“No!”
The vehemence in that one word nearly sent me to the ground. No one ever spoke to me like that: like I was the dumbest person to have ever lived.
That was when I found my own anger for the first time. It manifested so suddenly, so intensely, that there was nowhere to put it but back at the person who’d caused it in the first place.
“I’m only trying to help!” I snapped as I wiped some imaginary dirt off my pink dress, mostly just to have something to do with my hands. “You don’t have to be so mean!”
Some of the anger fled your features, softening your green eyes and drawing out your lips. You cocked your head at me, as though I’d just spoken in some foreign language. “H-Help?”
“Yes!” I snapped, bringing my hands from my dress up to my pigtails, twirling the blonde hair around my fingers. “But I don’t think I want to be friends with you anymore, so you can just forget—”
“Friends?”
I rolled my eyes, wishing I’d never let my curiosity get the better of me. I’m ashamed to say, Elphie, that at that moment I wished I’d never seen you. You have to understand, I wasn’t used to rejection. Every kid I’d ever met always wanted to play with me or be my friend. They jumped whenever I suggested an activity, eagerly nodding or agreeing to whatever I had in mind. You were the first person not to accept an invitation, even one as simple as following me to my Mama to get your cut looked at.
I didn’t know how to react, so I acted poorly. And, just in case I never told you before, I’ll tell you now. I’m sorry.
“Are you going to say everything that I say?” I snapped.
You didn’t react. You simply continued staring at me in that way that made me think you’d never heard the word before. The urge to leave had never been greater, but something kept me where I was. Call it fascination, or laziness, or whatever, but I watched you move your lips up and down, as though tasting that one word for the first time, as though it were something foreign.
When you did finally speak, your voice was so soft that I could barely hear you over the gentle rush of the water behind you. “You…want to be my friend?”
“Well, I did, but that was before…”
“Okay,” you interjected quickly, speaking over me as you took a step forward, gingerly touching the cut with your hand once more. “I’ll be your friend. Where’s your Mama?”
Something about the earnestness in your tone melted something in my stubborn heart. Maybe it was that I felt as though I’d won some battle that you didn’t even know we’d been waging against each other. Or maybe it was the idea of finding a friend out here in this unfamiliar land. But my anger fled as quickly as it came, and I grabbed your hand eagerly before you could object and pulled you along through the muddy dirt and open fields back toward the populated city.
“This way!” I sang, ignoring the way you tried pulling out of my grip, pretending not to notice as I only tightened my hold so you couldn’t get away. I had the strangest feeling that you’d disappear if I let you go and that I’d never see you again.
The prospect did not sit well with me, so I wasn’t about to risk it.
“They’re going to love you!”
I didn’t give you time to object. I ran so fast in my fancy shoes that you would’ve thought I was an expert at running through grassy fields. Or running. As you might recall, I wasn’t one for nature, or physical activity, preferring to play inside whenever possible. But I was so eager to show you off to my parents that I hardly noticed the bits of dirt and grass that clung to my dress as we continued to run further in the direction of Munchkinland.
By the time we entered the center of the village, my pigtails had practically fallen out, and my dress was ruffled from all the running, but I hardly noticed as I continued to drag you toward the building where Mama and Momsie were in their meeting with your father, although I didn’t know that at the time. I didn’t pay any attention to the business of the adults around me.
I didn’t notice the way you stiffened when we approached the little cottage set apart from the others. It was nestled on the edge of the town, right where the trees and the fields began. You tried pulling out of my grip again, but I was too strong for you, hardly noticing your discomfort. “Come on!” I exclaimed as I pulled you harder in the direction of the cute little house. “They’re just in there!”
“No, please,” you replied, the fear suddenly returning to your voice, though I hardly noticed over my own excitement. “He’ll be mad.”
“Who?” I asked, hardly listening as we approached the door. I raised my hand to open the door, but by then you finally freed yourself from my grip, your sharp nails cutting a thin line along my palm in your haste to get away.
I opened my mouth, about to complain and accuse you of hurting me on purpose, but the wild desperateness in your eyes had me swallowing back my words. For once, I was speechless as I stared at you, watching your eyes dart fearfully at the door, as though you expected it to come alive and strike you.
If only I’d known.
“Please don’t go in there!” You pleaded, putting yourself between me and the door, extending your arms to place them on either side of the frame to act as a makeshift barrier. It only made the dirt on your dress more noticeable, as well as the cuts and scars on your filthy feet that I noticed for the first time.
You frowned when you noticed what had caught my attention, but your need to keep me out of your home was greater than your desire to hide the obvious signs of neglect. Not that I had the first idea what it all meant at the time. I just thought you were careless and didn’t like nice things.
Again, the innocence of children. Especially the ones who never wanted for anything. I can only hope you forgive my childish naivety.
“But Mama…”
“Father will be angry if we interrupt,” you interjected, raising yourself higher to emphasize your point. You were practically standing on your tiptoes by then. “Please.”
I wanted to argue further—you know me –but that last word softened my resolve enough to let you win this battle. I wanted to show you off to Mama and Momsie, but something about the urgency in your tone made me think that if I pushed too hard on this, you’d run away.
So, I shrugged and sat down on the bench underneath a nearby window, flaring out my dress so that it surrounded me in a sea of pink.
You kept eyeing me suspiciously, as though you expected me to change my mind and try to get past you. I patted the seat next to me, but you ignored it, opting instead to remain standing by the door, fidgeting with your hands as you kept glancing at it out of the corner of your eye. I didn’t know what to make of that, and you ignored my attempts to talk to you, so eventually I gave up.
By the time the door finally opened, the sun was lower in the sky and the air had grown cooler. Your cut had stopped bleeding, but it was still red and irritated. You jumped at the squeak of the door, your gaze darting around nervously, as though you wished to be anywhere but there. I got to my feet too and flung myself at Mama and Momsie, who laughed as they braced themselves, used to my antics by then.
They made some comment about the state of my appearance, but there was no fire to it. I waved them away and pointed to you, standing behind me, fidgeting with your hands again and looking as though you wanted the earth to swallow you whole.
You visibly flinched when a man stepped out of the cottage a moment later, walking around Mama, Momsie, and I, though he paused when he caught sight of you. I figured this had to be your father, though I couldn’t understand why you didn’t run to hug him as I’d done with my parents. All children loved their parents, or at least that’s what I’d thought at the time.
I waited for you to say something, but when it was clear you wouldn’t, I decided to break the tense silence, pulling out of my parents’ grip and moved closer to you. You took a step back, but I wasn’t deterred as I scooped up one of your hands and pulled you with me toward Mama and Momsie.
“I made a new friend!” I exclaimed to them, watching as their expressions shifted from curiosity to something else, their smiles dimming as they took in your tattered dress and green skin. “Her name is…” I trailed off, realizing that I’d never asked you for your name.
“Elphaba!” The man supplied, though the way he said it, like it was some foul-tasting concoction he’d been forced to swallow, indicated that he was anything other than happy to see you. “What do you think you’re doing? You know you’re supposed to stay away when I have guests!”
“Elphaba?” Mama interjected suddenly, standing up straighter in her beige dress and matching heels. “This is Elphaba?”
I didn’t miss the way you squirmed uncomfortably, clearly at a loss what to do with the attention suddenly surrounding you from all sides.
“Yes!” I exclaimed, walking over to stand beside you, pleased when you didn’t try to pull away. It felt like a hard-won victory. “And Mama, she has a nasty cut on her forehead!”
Mama came closer to inspect it, Momsie right behind her, both of them examining you carefully, unfazed by how uncomfortable you looked, or by your green skin. I grinned at you, wanting desperately to say, “I told you so,” but the voice of your father cut through everything else.
“She’s fine,” he said, his tone brokering no argument. He took a step in our direction, but Mama and Momsie stepped between us and him. I followed their lead, stepping in front of you even though I didn’t understand at the time what was going on. But Mama and Momsie looked angry for the first time that I could remember, so I decided to follow their lead, not wanting that anger pointed at me.
Instead of replying to your father, Mama turned to you, her expression softening as she raked her gaze over you. “Why don’t we all go inside and have a little chat?”
Elphaba loved water, so she didn’t object when Galinda had suggested they make the trip to Shiz by boat. She rarely objected to any of Galinda’s suggestions, since she usually got her way no matter what. Elphaba was used to it by now.
Her pile of luggage took up most of the space, leaving only a small corner for Elphaba’s things. Unlike Galinda, Elphaba had a reasonable amount of bags. She had one trunk for her clothes, another for her shoes, and a smaller trunk full of books, a mix of required reading for her upcoming courses, and the ones for pleasure she’d try to sneak in during her spare time.
Galinda had scoffed when she’d learned that Elphaba only planned to take three bags with her. “Where’s the rest of it?” she’d laughed when their attendants had begun loading the boat from the private dock on the Upland estate. Elphaba had merely glanced at the tower of belongings Galinda had insisted on bringing with her, claiming they were all necessary, before she’d rolled her eyes, not bothering to answer as she helped the attendants load the bags even though it wasn’t her job.
The idea of spending an entire boat ride in the vicinity of Galinda Upland, the girl she’d grown up beside, did not appeal to her. The girl was insufferable at the best of times. Her incessant need to always get her way, her bossiness, and her entitlement made her nearly impossible to live with. There had been a time when they were inseparable, when they could spend hours getting into mischief together without growing exhausted by the other’s presence. It had been Galinda, after all, who’d been the catalyst for Elphaba’s unexpected departure from Munchkinland all those years ago. There was no denying the girl had a large heart.
But sometimes that was the problem.
Now, Elphaba watched the blonde as she climbed her mountain of luggage to sit on a precarious pile on the back of the boat, smiling widely at the scenery around her. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Elphaba had to admit that Oz was beautiful this far north. The river would lead them straight to Shiz, but the countryside on the way made the long journey worth it. The sky was a clear shade of blue, with wisps of clouds painting abstract designs up above. The air was breezy, and Elphaba was glad she’d opted for the long-sleeve black dress that flared out around her ankles, rather than the sleeveless gray one that would’ve accentuated her long arms.
Galinda, in typical Galinda fashion, had selected a light purple long-sleeved vest with a matching pleated skirt that dipped just below her knees. She’d insisted on wearing pristine white gloves despite them being impractical on a boat. Her purple heeled loafers matched her over-the-top ensemble, though Elphaba had bit her tongue when Galinda had emerged from the estate. The girl had been so excited, and Elphaba knew better than to get between Galinda and her outfits.
And besides, she’d long ago stopped caring about anything the blonde girl did.
“Are you excited?” Larena asked softly, wrapping her arms around Elphaba’s shoulders as she stepped up beside her adopted daughter. Elphaba leaned into the touch, savoring the affection whenever it was freely offered.
“Hmm.” Elphaba closed her eyes as she rested her head on the older woman’s shoulder, watching the fish in the river as they jumped out of the water and dove back in, looking as though they were trying to chase the boat along its journey.
There were no fish back in Munchkinland. Or rivers. Just small streams with muddy shores.
“You’ve worked so hard,” Larena continued, seemingly unbothered by Elphaba’s lack of a real answer. “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
Elphaba couldn’t help the small smile that escaped her lips at the compliment. Galinda’s parents were never stingy about the praise they heaped upon both of their daughters. Galinda demanded more of it, and usually Elphaba was all too happy to step back and let her soak in the attention she so desperately craved, but she had to admit that it was nice whenever that attention was given to her.
Elphaba didn’t know what to say, though Larena didn’t seem put off by it. She never was, a fact for which Elphaba was grateful. It had taken her so long to open up after she’d been brought to Gillikin after that fateful encounter with Galinda all those years ago. Larena and Laoise had been nothing but patient with her as she’d come to terms with her new reality.
Sensing Elphaba’s need to be alone, Larena squeezed her shoulder silently before moving on. Elphaba wanted to say something, wanted to convey just how grateful she was for everything the Uplands had done for her, but she couldn’t find the words. Nothing seemed adequate, so most times she simply said nothing.
She was about to turn back to the river in front of her, but she caught Galinda’s eye against her will. The blonde had a knack for sensing her most private thoughts, and Elphaba was in no mood to indulge her now.
Frowning, Elphaba looked away and turned her attention back to the fish, ignoring the way her stomach clenched when Galinda’s face fell in obvious disappointment. Well, it served her right. The distance between them was her doing, after all.
Elphaba’s mood only soured further when the massive stucco walls of Shiz came into view two hours later. Galinda’s excited squeal upon seeing the golden archway that invited them into the prestigious university. By then Elphaba had taken a note out of Galinda’s book and sat down on one of her trunks, her hands folded demurely in her lap as they sailed through the archway. Galinda’s legs pumped up and down, expressing the open joy she was unable to subdue. Elphaba tried to ignore it, not wanting to be charmed by the blonde’s antics, but her excitement was contagious. They were finally going to strike out on their own. Elphaba loved Larena and Laoise immensely and would be forever grateful for everything they’d done for her, but she was excited to start her new life. One that was hers, and not one that had been given to her.
As the docks of Shiz University came into view, Elphaba took in the sight of the massive sconces, looming towers that looked as though they’d been plucked straight out of a fairy tale, and the crowd of people jostling for space on the docks ahead. Elphaba began fidgeting with her hands at the sight of so many people crowding in one place, a nervous habit left over from a neglectful childhood lived mostly in fear.
And then she was there. Galinda had appeared at her side, seemingly out of nowhere, placing her gloved hand over Elphaba’s green ones, offering a small, tentative smile. Elphaba was tempted to accept the comfort until she remembered who stood beside her, and what she had done. She pulled her hands out Galinda’s touch and stepped around her to the locked hinge in the center of the boat that would open for them once they’d docked. She was going to be the first one off, then she was going to find her room assignment and take her luggage up to get settled.
And then she was going to stay as far away from Galinda Upland as possible.
The boat pulled into an open part of the dock a moment later. A man in a bright blue and orange uniform tied a heavy white rope around the front of it, then opened the latch, startling at the sight of Elphaba’s unusual appearance.
“Oh!” He exclaimed, though he spluttered into a cough when Larena and Laoise stepped up behind her, each of her adopted mothers placing a hand on her shoulders. “Here! Let me!”
The man offered a hand for her to take, which Elphaba accepted, mostly so she could gauge his reaction at having to touch her green skin. She found it to be the quickest way to get to someone’s character. Either they flinched, refused to touch her or, the rarest scenario, accepted her hand and acted as though she were no different than anyone else. The man did not pull his hand away, though his lip did twitch. Elphaba had expected it so she couldn’t say she was disappointed, although she had to admit that she’d wanted to be proven wrong.
She rarely was.
But she let him pull her to the dock, stepping to the side so the rest of her family could join her. The crowd of people around her all stared at her openly as she joined them, but she pretended not to notice as she brushed by her fellow students, pulling her long braid over her shoulder so she could twirl the end of it between her fingers.
“Elphaba!” Galinda’s anxious voice trailed after her, the patter of her heels on the concrete below following behind her like a persistent headache. “Elphaba, wait!”
Elphaba pretended not to hear her as she crossed a nearby bridge, only stopping at the sight of a young woman talking to a familiar looking man dressed in black.
The years had aged the two of them, but there was no mistaking the sight of Frexspar and Nessarose Thropp.
Her father’s familiar black cape and matching black top hat appeared unchanged from the last time she’d seen him. His face was older, with more lines and wrinkles surrounding his eyes and mouth, but there was no mistaking his cold eyes, or the way he carried himself with purpose, even as he kneeled to speak with Nessarose at her level.
Nessa was much changed from the one-year-old girl she’d been the last time Elphaba had seen her. She was no longer the fretful, anxious little girl who’d screamed and cried any time Elphaba was in the same room as her. Frexspar had told her once that Nessarose cried because she could sense the wickedness within her.
Elphaba had been too young to do anything other than believe him.
Then, to her horror, Nessarose turned her head and caught sight of her. Their gazes locked, and Nessa tensed, the smile falling from her face at the sight of her unusual appearance. Elphaba wanted to melt into the scenery, or do the more likely thing and flee, but then Frex followed what had caught his daughter’s attention, and Elphaba knew the moment when he saw her, because his jaw locked, and he stiffened his already tightly wound body.
Her hands began fidgeting again as Frex stood up and walked behind Nessa to grip the handles of her wheelchair, then turned her around and walked away, leaving Elphaba standing alone and feeling like a fool.
“Elphaba!”
Her feet were rooted to the spot. She couldn’t get them moving in time, and so she had to endure the whirlwind of Galinda appearing in front of her once more, blocking Elphaba’s view of the path her previous family had taken. The blonde made a big show of breathing heavily, placing a hand on her chest as though she’d just run a marathon to catch up to her, rather than crossing the small bridge.
“What happened? Why are you so pale?” Galinda went on as Larena and Laoise joined them, circling the girls protectively.
Where was that protection a moment ago? Elphaba thought before she could stop herself, then hastily shoved it to the back of her mind where it belonged. The Uplands had rescued her from her life of neglect and done nothing but make up for it ever since. They’d had no way of knowing the Thropps would be here, especially because Nessarose was three years younger. Why would she be here with them?
“Pale?” Elphaba forced a laugh to cover up her unease. “How can you tell?”
The question came out harsher than she’d intended, and it didn’t miss its mark. Galinda’s smile faltered, though she did her best to cover it up by straightening her posture and carefully touching a strand of her perfect blonde hair as though she were checking to make sure it was still perfect.
“What happened, darling?” Laoise asked, stepping past Galinda to subtlety block Elphaba’s view of her. Elphaba wasn’t sure whether she was grateful or disappointed by this, since usually Galinda’s presence comforted and soothed her. Today, however, Galinda’s presence settled like long nails scraping down her bare back.
“I…” she trailed off suddenly as she thought back to the last few minutes. Had she actually seen Nessarose and Frexspar? It had been fourteen years since the last time they’d seen each other, after all. Just because she’d seen a young woman in a wheelchair and a man in a large black top hat didn’t mean anything. Elphaba was seeing ghosts. That was all.
Soon she managed to convince herself of the fact that she knew, deep in her heart, was a falsehood, and plastered what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face. “It’s nothing. I was just swept up in the moment, that’s all.”
“Are you sure, darling?” Larena pressed, her brows drawn together in concern as she lifted her hand to point in the direction the Thropps had gone. “Because I thought I saw…”
“I’m sure,” Elphaba interrupted, her tone brokering no room for argument. “It was just a trick of the light.”
Both women looked as though they wanted to press the matter further, but they thankfully let the subject die.
The urge to fall into Galinda’s arms had never been stronger, but then she remembered the reason for the distance between them and took a step in the opposite direction instead.
“Well,” Larena began, unaware of the tension that had sprouted up between the two girls she’d raised. “This is it. This is where we leave you.”
The words sent unexpected tears welling up in Elphaba’s eyes. She’d never really thought about leaving home behind until the moment it became real. She spared a look at Galinda, whose large doe eyes were watery with unshed tears of her own.
“We’ve raised the two of you to be strong, independent women,” Laoise continued where her wife left off, making Elphaba wonder if she was listening to a rehearsed speech. “We trust you to make your own decisions, and we expect them to be smart decisions. Don’t let your hormones get in the way of reaching your dreams. I’m talking to you, Galinda.”
“Mama!” Galinda exclaimed in mock outrage, though Elphaba could sense there was no real bite to it. “How can you say that? I am the picture of smart decisions.”
“Only because you’ve had Elphaba as a guiding hand all these years,” Laoise replied, smiling fondly at the blonde. “But she’s taught you well. We know that you’re both going to go on to do great things.”
“We only wish that we could be here to see it,” Larena finished, tear lines flowing down her cheeks as she opened her arms and scooped Elphaba and Galinda into one of her signature hugs.
Elphaba savored the hug, as she did with each hug she received. The first one she could remember receiving had come when she was four years old, on the carriage ride to the Upland estate for the first time after Laoise had declared that she would be going home with them. Back then she’d spurned them, but as she grew older, she found herself addicted to the contact. Now she couldn’t get enough of them, a fact that both older women were aware of only too well.
Elphaba’s shoulder brushed against the sleeve of Galinda’s ridiculous outfit, but she didn’t bother moving away. It would’ve ruined the moment, and Elphaba was determined to remember this goodbye with nothing but fondness.
Laoise soon joined them, and Elphaba found herself in the center of an enormous Upland family bear hug, which was the catalyst her unshed tears had needed to finally slip free. She didn’t know until that moment just how much she would miss the women who had rescued her and raised her as though she were one of their own.
This goodbye, unlike the goodbye she’d tried giving to Frexspar and Nessa all those years ago, was difficult to endure.
“We’re going to miss you, too,” Galinda said once the family had reluctantly broken out of the hug, saving Elphaba from having to respond.
“No, you won’t,” Larena said shakily, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she’d produced from her silver purse. “You’re going to be having too good a time.”
“Yes, we will!” Galinda insisted, her own voice shaky with the cries she tried to suppress. “And we’ll write to you! Won’t we, Elphie? Every night!”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Laoise replied with a laugh, winking at Elphaba knowingly. “But I guess it’s time for us to go. Just remember that you girls will be coming home for Lurlinemas! Don’t bother arguing.”
“We wouldn’t dream of it,” Elphaba replied before Galinda could spout off a snarky comment. “We’ll be there.”
Both women smiled, hugged the girls one last time, then crossed the bridge to board the boat, leaving Elphaba and Galinda alone.
“Well,” Galinda said once the women were gone. “I guess we should—”
But then bells began to chime, coming from all around them as a loud tinny voice spoke over her, enhanced so that everyone gathered on the docks could easily hear. “Would all new Shiz students please report to the quad!”
Elphaba sensed Galinda’s inquiring stare, her beady gaze burning a hole along the side of her head. “Can we go in together? Please? I don’t want to go in by myself.”
Elphaba fought back the retort that nearly sprang from her mouth, but she reigned it in. As mad as she was at Galinda, as furious as she was at the girl who acted without thinking of anyone but herself, a touch of tenderness sprang from the depth of feelings she still had for the girl she’d grown up alongside. The blonde looked so small; so lost in that moment that Elphaba couldn’t deny her, even though she wanted to.
“All right,” she replied softly, then extended her hand for the blonde to take.
Galinda’s face lit up as she wrapped her arms around Elphaba’s, and they walked to the quad together.
They found an empty seat in the middle of the packed quad, the bench lined with students dressed in identical blue and gray uniforms. Larena and Laoise had paid the school extra in tuition for the girls to wear altered versions of the uniform. Galinda had insisted on it for purely selfish reasons, but they’d argued that blue would clash with Elphaba’s complexion, and it was important for her to fit in as much as possible due to her…unfortunate verdigris.
Elphaba had never felt different growing up in the Upland household. Larena and Laoise treated her no differently than they treated Galinda, which had made it difficult for Elphaba over the years to feel different. Even when she and Galinda were in school together, the blonde’s constant presence meant that no one treated her as less than. It still took getting used to at times; Elphaba’s traumatic beginnings in Munchkinland stayed with her no matter how many times she tried to shed those years.
The girls sat through the introductions to the professors, applauding politely with everyone else, though Galinda perked up significantly at the introduction of Madame Morrible. “Oh my goodness, Elphie, it’s really her!”
Galinda had worked on her essay for Madame Morrible’s sorcery seminar extensively all summer, at times going so far as to lock herself in her room and turn away dinner, claiming she needed to concentrate. Elphaba had been all too happy to leave her to it since it got the persistent girl out of her hair, but Larena and Laoise had grown concerned, eventually coaxing her out by pointing out that all she needed to do was introduce herself and make a good impression.
Galinda had sent the essay anyway, but they hadn’t heard back from the sorceress for the rest of the summer, which had only increased Galinda’s anxiety.
Now the woman stood before them, wrapped in an elaborate cloak that practically sparkled with the sun, her white hair pulled up in a complicated up-do that must’ve taken hours to perfect. Well, maybe not, if she’d used sorcery. Not that Elphaba would know, since there wasn’t a drop of magic in her bones.
Elphaba said nothing. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t snap at the girl to hush so that she could listen to the speeches. She yearned to find her room and shut herself in, wanting nothing more than to put some distance between Galinda and herself, and to prepare for the first day of classes that would start tomorrow.
She was determined not to disappoint Larena and Laoise by starting her time at Shiz on the wrong foot.
After Miss Coddle, the headmistress of Shiz, dismissed them by showing them where they could find their dormitory designations and room assignments, Elphaba wasted no time in springing up from her seat, leaving Galinda where she was, so she could find her room and, if Lurline was on her side, not see the blonde for the rest of the night.
Elphaba pushed her way through the crowd of students clustering near the boards with the room assignments, determined to find her name as quickly as possible since she had no intention of lingering any longer than she had to.
The girls’ dorm list was located on the left-hand side, closer to the entrance to the university, and was listed alphabetically by last name. Elphaba made her way over to the end of the list, where the U’s were located, as her name had been officially changed when the Uplands had formally adopted her. It meant that there was a chance Galinda would catch up with her, but when she turned her head, she found the blonde chasing after Madame Morrible, no doubt taking her mothers’ advice to introduce herself.
Elphaba had no doubt that Galinda would worm her way into Morrible’s seminar. The girl always got everything she wanted.
Ignoring her, Elphaba turned her attention once again to the room assignments and scanned the large parchment until she found her name.
Elphaba Upland-Building A Room 22
Grateful to have a destination, Elphaba didn’t bother looking at Galinda’s room designation. Galinda had said that if Elphaba refused to room with her, she’d insist on a private suite and, as usual, Larena and Laoise had acquiesced to her request. They’d offered to do the same for Elphaba, but she’d declined, stating that she wanted the full university experience. The students would get used to her appearance soon enough, and Elphaba would have to get used to the stares once she got a job and started her life without the Uplands. She might as well start by getting used to it from a roommate.
She found building A easily enough, then circled the round building until she found the golden placard next to the double doors that had the number 22 inscribed on top.
Taking a deep breath, Elphaba steeled herself for what she was about to find and opened the double doors, only to briefly stumble over her booted feet at the person she found occupying the room with her.
For the first time since she was a scrawny, dirty four-year-old, Elphaba found herself face-to-face with Nessarose Thropp.