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Elphaba
Biology class. They were finishing their unit on botany. Their professor, Dr. Nightshade promised to hand out their big project today.
Elphaba loved botany, and all of its practical applications. She loved anything that could take her out in nature. She loved learning new things that would let her help others.
Dr. Nightshade wasn’t her favorite teacher. She seemed to be of the type to play favorites with the most popular students. This made Elphaba one of her least favorites. At least she graded fairly.
Their professor stood in the middle of the room and got the class’s attention. “Ok class, the day you’ve been waiting for! Your last project for our botany unit. You will be given a category of plant that grows in this region and you will present examples. You may bring in samples, illustrations, drawings, or models. Categories include defensive plants, edible plants, symbiotic plants, medicinal plants, and decorative plants, to name a few. This will be done in pairs and I will assign them.”
Elphaba heard the hisses and whispers around her. She just hoped that she was paired with someone who would do their share of the project. She was going to pass, but she didn’t want to do the whole project alone. And she desperately wished to be paired off with anyone but Galinda Upland, her roommate. They hated each other.
People didn’t talk to her. However, she had overheard multiple conversations about their peers became more open minded in college. However, that was not her experience. Open mindedness seemed not to apply to verdigris. Or forming their own opinions ant basing them off of the words of one blonde in pink.
It wasn’t like she had ever had friends. This was just a continuation of her life in Munchkin Land. Except there was less yelling, less hiding her face. Her father was critical of everything she did and was. She had a few teachers who liked her and her sorcery studies were the best. That made it all worth it.
She discreetly glanced around the room. The only student in the class who liked her at all was her younger sister Nessarose. And Nessa had been cool and distant since the incident at the convocation ceremony. She couldn’t even blame her for that. Elphaba had been mindful to give her space, all while making sure that Nessa new that she was available anytime she needed. The rest of the class hated her. And if someone didn’t hate her, they certainly made no attempt to stand up for her. Thanks to Galinda.
As the professor went down the list, she was assigning partners alphabetically. She almost put Elphaba and Nessa together, but changed her mind on the grounds of fairness. At the last minute, she paired Nessa off with Galinda, and gave them flowering and decorative plants.
Elphaba was paired with Boq Woodsman, a boy who also hailed from Munchkin Land. She knew very little about him. At least he hadn’t expressed his hatred like most of the student body. And he didn’t laugh when Galinda did. He had yet to refer to her as some kind of vegetable. Artichoke, asparagus, and broccoli were the favorites. This might work out as well as could be expected. They were assigned medicinal plants. That was what she had hoped for. She guessed it was time to get started.
Nessa and Galinda
Nessa sat in the front row. It was where she could wheel herself. She turned around, watching Galinda Upland approach. Galinda was the most popular girl in school.
She greeted her partner and saw Galinda’s trepidation. “I’m nothing like her,” Nessa said softly.
Galinda smiled radiantly. As she looked Nessa up and down, she noted her clothes with actual colors and her smile, her loose hair. “No, I don’t imagine you are,” she replied.
Dr. Nightshade gave them permission to use the greenhouse rather than the forest for their project. However, before Galinda could say much, Nessa declared that they would also go outside of the grounds. There hadn’t been any rain lately and she wanted to go exploring. She hoped she would be able to get around on her own, as she didn’t think Galinda would be one to help her push her chair.
She had made it abundantly clear that she didn’t need Elphaba. With the adaptations to her room, she was more independent than ever. She also knew there was absolutely no way she was going to ask Miss Coddle for anything. At least Elphaba respected her wishes to be left alone. Other than a note slid into her mailbox, Elphaba was giving her space. Miss Coddle on the other hand, was overwhelming.
They made a plan. They were going to identify their ten types of flower and would illustrate. Nessa always loved to draw and paint. Growing up, she was seldom without a sketch pad while Elphaba hardly ever was seen without a book.
Galinda also enjoyed drawing. However, she liked sketching people and exciting clothes. She had drawn Nessa in a plum colored sweater last week. She might show her. Since Nessa was excited to draw, let her. See, Galinda was nice. Despite what her roommate said.
As they made their way into the field behind the campus, they would have no problem finding their samples. Galinda seemed aware of what Nessa could navigate, but she drew no attention to it, which Nessa appreciated.
“So, your sister. Tell me something about her.” Galinda stopped, looking at her expectantly.
“What do you want to know?” Nessa asked warily. She might be all but ignoring her sister, but she wasn’t going to give anyone additional reason to hate her. That said, she was also not sticking up for Elphaba. This was her chance at a fresh start and her sister was used to the teasing. Elphaba could handle it.
“That first day, with the benches flying? That was her, wasn’t it?” Galinda asked.
“It was,” Nessa replied, looking down, embarrassed. “Those kinds of things happen around Elphaba. If she could just learn to control her temper.”
“So, she’s dangerous?” Galinda questioned.
“No. Apparently, she’s had these issues since, well, forever. It usually only happens when she’s really angry or she’s trying to protect someone.” Nessa hoped she wasn't saying too much. “Usually, she thought she was protecting me.”
“Did you need protection?” Galinda asked.
“No. there was never a time I was in actual danger. But she didn’t like when people teased or didn’t listen to me.”
“Does she hurt people?” Galinda asked.
“Not really. I mean, the worst she did was throw rocks or books or something. Bumps and bruises, that kind of thing. She never aimed for their faces,” Nessa explained. “Honestly though, if she just showed her face, people went running.”
“I guess that’s comforting,” said Galinda. From day one, she hadn’t found Elphaba to be ugly or scary. For all that she claimed to hate her face and her clothing, Elphaba didn’t frighten her. She was frustrating, and she encroached on her private suite and sorcery seminar. She didn’t seem impressed with Galinda’s anything. However, this wasn’t the time or person to voice those opinions to. “What’s with her clothes?”
“What do you mean?” asked Nessa.
“I mean the long dresses, the high collars. The shoulder pads. You look like you’ve been inside of a dress shop this century. Your sister dresses like my granny’s granny.”
Nessa was surprised she had never thought of that. “She didn’t go to the dress shops with me. Father sent a tailor back to our house. I don’t know if he picked out her clothes and she didn’t care, or if that’s what she picked. I don’t ever think I’ve seen her bare arms.”
Galinda figured she knew the answer to that particular riddle. Elphaba wore a sleeveless nightgown every night. Was this the first freedom of expression her roommate had ever been allowed?This was actually interesting. “Your father is pretty hard on her, isn’t he?”
“No,” Nessa said defensively. “My father is the best. He has big expectations, and Elphaba is constantly in trouble. He’s only hard on her to get her to fall in line.”
Galinda wasn’t so sure about that. A couple of days ago, she found a folded paper, obviously a letter to Elphaba from her father. Galinda wasn’t snooping. She really wasn’t. The letter must have fallen out of one of Elphaba’s books and made its way to the floor. There was no affection present in the writing. No well wishes or personal questions. Just orders of how she needed to care for her sister, how it was her responsibility to ensure Nessa passed her classes and an admonition not to embarrass him. Galinda’s own parents sometimes failed to listen to things she was excited about, sometimes put their own expectations on her and her future. However, she never doubted that she was loved. She wondered if Elphaba knew the same thing.
“What does she like to do for fun?”
“Let’s see, she’s a pretty good baker. Obviously, she reads everything she can get her hands on. She likes to draw. Animals and people mostly, pencil sketches. Apparently, she likes to climb trees. Oh, and she made my skirt. And my favorite quilt.,” Nessa answered.
So she wasn't always a nightmare?”Galinda asked.
“No. When it was just the two of us, she’s the best.,” Nessa replied.
“Tell me something good about her,” Galinda commanded.
“Elphaba is smart. She lives to help me. She has a sense of humor, and she’s a good listener. I know she seems serious, but she is funny too. She notices everything and she pays attention.”
“Hm,” Galinda noted. “What else?”
“She and I played a lot of games together, and she’s patient. She explained math better than any tutor we ever had. I love her when it’s just the two of us. She just makes other relationships difficult.” Nessa took a deep breath. “We never fight. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her and she’s never seemed interested in having friends.”
Galinda wasn’t sure what to say about that. She had been perfectly nice to Elphaba and it hadn’t gone well. But, then when all of her supporters expressed their disdain for the green girl, Galinda was sure she saw hurt in her roommate’s eyes.
However, she also remembered that nights that she came in late, her lamp would be on, even when Elphaba was asleep. Elphaba had insisted that she needed total darkness to sleep, so it was unexpected. There were other small things that she took for granted, like the time she woke at her desk after writing a paper with a blanket around her shoulders. Or the hot water left for her to make tea at bedtime. Things that she almost didn’t notice, but in the back of her mind, she knew Elphaba had done. For her.
“What makes her mad?” Galinda asked. “So I know what not to do?”
“Be awful to me,” Nessa said slowly. “Hurt people who don’t deserve it. Or hurt an animal. Maybe humiliate her.”
They gathered their samples, and took them to the library. They identified their plants, Nessa drew with her colored pencil set, and Galinda labeled them.
As they finished their presentation, Galinda told Nessa that she had enjoyed working together. They made plans to tighten up their presenting points. And to eat together. She wanted to learn more about her roommate. Plus, Nessa was sweet and spending time with her made Galinda look especially good.
Nessa thought about her sister, and all the ways she showed her support. Nessa determined that she would break the ice between them. After all, Elphaba must be bored out of her mind. She could use a study partner anyway. She could mend their relationship, give her sister her purpose back, and pass her math class.
Boq and Elphaba
The red haired boy approached her trepidatiously. She had pity on him, and attempted to reassure him in her dry way. “I promise, I don’t bite and it isn’t actually contagious.”
Boq laughed nervously. “Oh, okay. “
The poor boy couldn’t tell that she was joking. When her father had acknowledged her, contagious was one of his excuses why she wasn’t present. Even some of their hired servants were sure they would catch a case of the greens. She usually laughed it off, because crying was worse.
She would have to be more straightforward with this boy. “You want to discuss ideas for our project? I’ve got some, but I don’t want to take over.” She pursed her lips in the way that worried her peers. “I won’t be doing the whole thing alone.”
“I guess i should tell you, biology in general is not my best subject. I’m terrible at presenting. I'm not great at drawing plants. However, I have excellent penmanship. I’d love to hear your ideas.” Boq looked embarrassed.
“Perfect,” she said briskly. “Biology is one of my best classes. Presenting is fine. I’m a decent artist. And you can label and write to your hearts content.” She actually had nice penmanship as well, but Boq needed to do something.
“My thoughts were that we could go out, gather some herbs and fruits and flowers and make a couple of blends of tea. We need to come up with a few issues that students have, and teas that can help.”
“Off the top of my head, staying awake during class, falling asleep at night, and curing a hangover,” Boq mentioned.
“That’s perfect,” Elphaba replied. “Maybe something for immune support, clear skin, and weight control.”
“Definitely,” said Boq and they were off to the forest. As they walked, Boq mentioned, “I’ve sort of met your father before. I’ve heard him speak a few times. I didn’t know he had another daughter.”
“I’m the surprise?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“I’m an embarrassment to my family,” she said, matter of factly. “He usually only claims Nessa in front of others.”
“I’ve heard her introduce him at rallies and events. She always seemed so shy,” he said.
“She is,” Elphaba replied. “But she makes him look good.”
“I’m a true middle a child, two older and two younger. Mine barely noticed me when I was home,” he said.
“I’d take that over being a constant disappointment,” she remarked.
Feeling the conversation becoming too heavy, he changed the subject. “Tell me about your roommate?”
Elphaba raised an eyebrow. “She hates me. What else do you need to know?”
Boq adopted a dreamy expression. “She’s just so pretty. And kind. And good. Tell me anything.”
“Do you know her?” inquired Elphaba.
“I met her the first day of school. We had an instant connection. Except, she keeps forgetting my name.”
“Let’s see, her bedside lamp has a pink lightbulb. She sleeps on her back. Her perfume of choice is cherry blossoms and vanilla. She snores very softly. She sticks her tongue out of the corner of her mouth when she reads. She hates me, and has gotten most everyone else to hate me too.” Elphaba took a deep breath, and allowed herself to relax slightly.
“I don't hate you,” he said. “I think you and Galinda just got off on the wrong foot.”
“Maybe,” said Elphaba flatly. “But I don’t know how to get to the right one. Or if I care if we do.”
“But if you were friendly to each other, people wouldn’t hate you. And she’s just so nice.”
“Nice, right,” she muttered. Galinda Upland was an insufferable, attention seeking, mean girl, and that type would never wish to be her friend.
They gathered herbs and plant material. Boq catalogued while Elphaba sorted. She sketched what would go into each blend. She planned out spaces to dry the herbs. He threw out intermittent remarks about how beautiful and kind and good Galinda was and Elphaba ignored it for the most part.
Boq, surprised, was glad to have been paired off with her. She was actually a nice person, who was willing to go above and beyond. Their project wasn’t painful to participate in and even he could tell it was more ambitious than the professor was expecting. He knew, without a doubt, this would raise his grade. He was paired with the brainiest person in the class. When he mentioned trouble with geometry, she offered to help him study for that too. He wished, not for the first time, that he had enough spine to stand up for what was right. Galinda might be perfect, but Elphaba did not deserve the hate she received.
Elphaba
On the day of their presentations, her project was last. The other pairs all took the same approach. Drawing or pressing their samples and presenting on them.
She was pleased to see that Nessa appeared to be engaged in her project. Elphaba could tell that Nessa had used her artistic talent on their poster. The hand writing, the neat and rounded letters, were all Galinda. The two had eaten lunch together the day before. Elphaba was thrilled that her sister was making friends, even if her choice was questionable.
Their project was last. Thank goodness the science class had burners, because she was able to get water boiling. She did most of the speaking, but she pushed Boq enough so it was apparent that he had participated too.
She had tied the herbs in cheesecloth sachets. She shared what was in each blend and offered teas to the class. At first, no one moved. But Nessa then asked for the energy blend. Immediately, Galinda asked for the clear skin tea. She made a quip about if it killed her, everyone would know who did it. Others came forward, and even the professor was suitably impressed.
Elphaba appreciated the gesture from Galinda. She wouldn’t draw attention to it. Mostly because that would involve speaking with her insufferable roommate. She planned to study in the library that evening until late, to give Galinda some space. It wasn’t much, just a tiny gesture. However, she would know and she felt sure Galinda would know too.