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“Darlings, you need to hear about this!” Galinda exclaimed, rushing to the bench in the courtyard where Boq, Nessa, Elphaba, and Fiyero were already gathered. While it wasn’t quite spring, it was the first warm day since the fall, and it had been Fiyero’s idea to study outside instead of in the library. Well, study and cuddle up to Elphaba, of course. There was still the slightest breeze in the air, which only gave Fiyero the perfect excuse to drape his jacket over Elphaba’s shoulders the minute he watched her shoulders tense up with the chill.
Elphaba was the first to notice the magazine in Galinda’s hand, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, Oz, I’m afraid to know.”
“Nonsense, Elphie, you’ll love this!” Galinda gushed, quickly flipping to the page she had saved. “This article was talking about holidays and traditions that are celebrated outside of Oz. On March 17th, there’s something called St. Patrick’s Day that happens. I don’t know who he is, but everyone gets to wear green that day!”
“You’re just making that up,” Elphaba snapped, snatching the magazine out of Galinda’s hand. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” She briefly scanned the article, frowning. “Fine, it’s a thing that happens. Big deal. So what?”
“So, it sounds fun!” Galinda squealed, glancing around at the group. “The magazine said March 17th. That’s coming up soon! I’ll need to get Phannee and Shenshen on board for sure.”
“On board for what, exactly?” asked Nessa, scrunching her brows in confusion.
“A green day celebration, silly!” Galinda exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I know everyone is in the midst of exams and projects, but just think of how cheerful Shiz will look! We can set up banners, decorate the classrooms and the dorm hallways..”
Elphaba, who was still curled up next to Fiyero, glanced up at him and frowned while Galinda continued to rattle off her ideas, some of which didn’t seem remotely possible. “Galinda, we are not dyeing the Shiz pond! The waterways are off limits!” she shrieked. Even Fiyero started to grow concerned, not just with Galinda’s ideas, but the way Elphaba grew more and more unsettled. But it was Galinda’s last suggestion that took things too far.
“And everyone has to wear green that day! I’m sure everyone owns something. If not, it should be easy to dye or paint the skin temporarily-”
“NO!” Elphaba shouted, realizing that the other classmates had glanced in her direction. Just great, here we go making another commotion, Elphaba thought bitterly, as she quickly gathered her books into her bag, Fiyero’s uniform jacket falling to the ground. “Nobody is dying themselves green for one day! And I’m NOT participating in this. Forget it!” she hissed, before shooting Galinda a final glare as she stormed off.
Boq and Nessa glanced down the path, not sure of what to say, while Galinda just looked confused.
“What? Was it something I said?” Galinda asked, trying to figure out what had set Elphaba off. Fiyero shot Galinda a glare as he quickly packed up his own books and grabbed his fallen jacket, hurriedly tossing it back on. “I’ll let you figure that out,” he snapped, heading through Shiz to find Elphaba.
Elphaba wasn’t in the library or the cafeteria. No answer at her dorm. Too obvious, Fiyero realized, looking out past the gates of Shiz. There was only one place that made sense, and he needed to hurry before it grew dark.
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Back at the forest where the poor lion cub had been released some time ago, Elphaba sat on the damp ground, book bag at her side, not caring that her uniform was getting dirtier by the minute. At least out here, she didn’t have to listen to Galinda’s stupid ideas. She was safe. Daring to look at her reflection in the pond, Elphaba gritted her teeth and raked her hand furiously through the water, soaking her face and her shirt in the process. Of course Galinda would think a green day is funny, she thought bitterly. Let’s dye the pond, no big deal! And everyone else too! What’s wrong, Elphaba? Now everyone gets to look like you! Isn’t that what you want?
“I just want to be NORMAL!” Elphaba shouted aloud, furiously raking her hand through the pond again. Just then, she heard a familiar voice through the trees.
“ELPHABA! Where are you?” Fiyero called, his heart racing as he heard the splash of water. Was Elphaba ok? Where did that sound come from? As he made his way to the pond, his breath slowed and his eyes widened at Elphaba’s soaking wet face and shirt. He slowly knelt to the ground beside her, waiting as she saw his shaky reflection in the water.
“Fae,” he whispered gently. “Talk to me, please?”
Sighing, Elphaba slowly willed herself to look up at Fiyero, his blue eyes filled with worry and concern.
“She can’t get the whole school to dye themselves green. What kind of sick joke is that?” Elphaba hissed.
“I don’t think she realized how insensitive she was being,” Fiyero began, taking a breath. “Galinda is-”
“Just like everyone at Shiz, careless and stupid!” Elphaba retorted, glancing towards the pond again. “She’s going to tell everyone to dye themselves green for the day, and they’ll do it because it’s Galinda and they love her. And everyone gets to wash off the paint and dye at the end of the day like it’s nothing, while I’m still the ugly, wicked green witch!” Elphaba snapped, rising to a stand. But she hadn’t noticed that her earlier splashes had made the ground slick beneath her feet, and she felt her right boot nearly give out under herself.
“Elphaba!” Fiyero gasped, quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the water. The shock of his grasp sent Elphaba landing hard on her stomach.
“Urmph,” groaned Elphaba, thankful that the mossy ground offered her at least a bit of cushioning. Fiyero crouched down next to her, gently placing his hands around Elphaba’s wrists and ankles, checking for sprains and broken bones. She winced slightly when his hands graced her knees.
“Does this hurt?” he asked gently. “It doesn’t feel sprained or broken.”
“I-I’m fine,” Elphaba stuttered, looking away from his gaze. “I think my knee is just bruised. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Fiyero gently brought his hand to Elphaba’s face, cupping her gently so she’d look back in his direction.
“Fae, listen to me,” he murmured, taking her hand in his. “Of course I worry about you! You’re my girlfriend for Oz’s sake! And you’re allowed to be angry for what Galinda said. Nobody should be painting or dyeing their skin green; it isn’t right.”
“No, it isn’t,” Elphaba said, holding back the tears that had started brimming. “I don’t want to be viewed as a joke.”
“You aren’t,” Fiyero told her solemnly, holding up their clasped hands to kiss her knuckles. “And you aren’t an ugly green witch. You never have been, and you never will be. I promise you that.” A single tear began to fall down her cheek, and he wiped at it with his free thumb. “Let’s go back to Shiz, before everyone starts wondering where we’ve gone. I know Galinda will be sending out a search party”
“You’re right,” Elphaba nodded, heading back towards the pond to retrieve her book bag. The sun had just begun to set, and she shivered, realizing that her shirt was still damp from her pond outbursts. Wordlessly, Fiyero shrugged out of his jacket and slipped it back over Elphaba’s shoulders as he had done earlier that afternoon. Elphaba smiled, her shoulders relaxing.
Hand in hand, the two of them made the trek back to Shiz. As they headed towards Elphaba’s dorm, she felt her pulse race as she rustled in her bag for her room key. She was dreading the conversation with Galinda, but a small part of her hoped that maybe things would work out, that things weren’t too far gone. Fiyero gave Elphaba’s hand a small squeeze, as if to say “I understand, and I won’t leave you”. Please don’t hate me for explaining things to you, she silently pleaded, slowly turning the key in the lock.
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“ELPHIE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I’VE BEEN WORRIED ALL AFTERNOON!” Galinda exclaimed when she saw Elphaba in the doorway, hands on her hips. “Both of you, get in here!”
Elphaba tentatively stepped into her dorm, with Fiyero following right behind her, closing the door behind them. Galinda immediately rushed to hug Elphaba, but Elphaba pulled back, glaring. Fiyero also gave Galinda a tight look, his arms crossed.
“Elphie, why are you mad at me?” Galinda asked, still confused at Elphaba’s behaviour. “You just took off and I had no idea where you ran off to!”
“I had every right to take off!” Elphaba retorted, her hands flying in exasperation. “I did not appreciate what you said about our classmates painting or dyeing their skin green for our little celebration! Maybe you intended your idea as a joke, but it wasn’t funny to me.” Elphaba could feel her magic through her veins, and she took a deep breath, making her way to sit on the edge of her bed in hopes of calming down. Not now, please not now, she thought. Give Galinda a chance before you lash out.
Galinda started to head towards Elphaba’s side of the room to offer comfort, but Fiyero stepped forward with a hand raised and the same cool expression on his face.
“Galinda, I’d think before speaking if I were you,” he warned. “Before you argue that you didn’t mean to, or you didn’t think it was a big deal, put yourself in Elphaba’s head for a minute.”
Galinda glanced from Fiyero to Elphaba, biting her lip. Elphaba and Fiyero were right, she hadn’t considered how hurtful her ideas had been. She remembered how everyone had treated Elphaba from the beginning at Shiz, including herself, when she’d screamed and freaked out upon their first interaction. This is Elphaba’s reality. And you’re part of the problem. It was your fault at the Ozdust for tricking her into wearing that stupid hat. I can’t let our classmates torment Elphaba over this. Giving Fiyero a careful nod, she finally made her way to Elphaba’s bed, sitting on the floor in front of Elphaba.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t have suggested that people dye or paint their skin. I thought it would be funny, but I realize now that I’d be allowing everyone to be cruel to you. I’m sorry, Elphaba.” Galinda nervously looked up towards Elphaba, trying to read the expression on her friend’s face.
“Have you told Phannee, Shenshen, or anyone else about your idea?” Elphaba asked quietly. She decided that she might be able to forgive Galinda if the news hadn’t spread beyond their small group. If those two already knew though…
“No, I haven’t told anyone else,” Galinda assured Elphaba. “When you ran off, I went to look for you in the library, but I didn’t see you, so I came back here.”
Elphaba looked at Galinda’s fearful expression, not quite smiling, but calmer than she felt minutes ago. “Apology accepted. And thank you for not telling anyone else. I-um-” she started, wringing her hands, “I think the green day is still a good idea, because you’re right, we could all use a day of cheer and fun.”
“Really?” Galinda grinned. Elphaba chuckled, but shook her head as she raised her hand to slow Galinda’s train of thought, “However, we have to be clear that any painting or dyeing of skin is grounds for immediate punishment.”
“Deal!” Galinda agreed. “And you get the final word on what the punishment should be!”
When Galinda stood up to offer a hug to Elphaba, this time Elphaba allowed it, slowly rising from her bed. As Galinda wrapped her arms around her friend, she sniffed Elphaba’s hair and frowned.
“Elphaba, you smell like algae and who knows what else! What happened?”
“It’s a long story,” Elphaba sighed. “I’ll tell you later”
Galinda turned to Fiyero and led him back towards the door. “I’ll take it from here. Miss Elphaba needs a proper shower and some clean clothes before setting foot in the cafeteria. After that, we’ll all plan the green day event. And I promise, no dye!”
Elphaba let out a laugh as she wrapped her arms around Fiyero. “I’ll see you in a bit. Save some dinner for me.”
“You know I will,” Fiyero promised, leaving Elphaba to wash up.
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The Shiz Green Day event had arrived, and even Elphaba couldn’t help but be proud of how things had turned out. Banners and ribbons hung from everywhere- the entryway, main courtyard, dorm halls, the cafeteria, and even the library, yet it looked cheerful, and not as garish as Elphaba had thought it would be. Also to Elphaba’s relief, Galinda had kept her promise on not encouraging cruel behaviour.
“My fellow Shiz classmates,” Galinda had announced a few days before the event, “This upcoming green day is meant to celebrate all the beautiful shades that we see around us! You may wear any shade of your choice, but this extends only to clothing and accessories. Any dyeing or painting of the skin is forbidden and will be dealt with accordingly. I promise you won’t enjoy the consequences” A few snickers could be heard from the courtyard, but nobody dared to challenge Galinda.The entire school knew who would be administering the punishments, and it wasn’t worth the risk.
As Elphaba gathered her things for the day, Galinda dragged Elphaba towards her giant mirror and beamed.
“Why Elphaba, you look beautiful!” Galinda gushed. And for once, Elphaba couldn’t argue. Galinda had taken the five of them out shopping a couple days before the celebration for suitable attire, agreeing to cover everyone, much to Elphaba’s shock.
“Oh, Elphie, it’s the least I can do!” Galinda insisted. “Plus, you can choose whatever you want, as long as it isn’t black! You deserve something fun!”
Elphaba fell in love with a teal vest that came with coordinating pants, marveling at the way the fabric and color looked against her skin. Fiyero enjoyed the way the vest showed off her toned arms, which had sent Elphaba blushing at that remark. Today, Galinda had helped style Elphaba’s braids into a half up, half down style, which complemented the ensemble quite well. As Elphaba studied her reflection in the mirror, Galinda rushed to Elphaba’s bedside table, opening the small box and pulled out an emerald green teardrop-shaped brooch.
“Elphie, you almost forgot this!” Galinda exclaimed, pinning it to the upper left side of Elphaba’s vest. “There! Now you’re ready!”
Elphaba chuckled as she finally grabbed her bag and followed Galinda down to the cafeteria for breakfast. As part of the group shopping spree, Galinda had encouraged her friends to select accessories that would complement their outfits. Elphaba and Nessa chose matching teardrop brooches (the teardrops reminded Elphaba of leaves), Galinda a necklace, and Boq a new belt buckle. Fiyero, surprisingly, opted for nothing.
“Fiyero! Are you sure?” Galinda asked. “There’s so many options here! Even a lapel pin or-”
“Galinda, don’t worry about me,” Fiyero had chuckled, looking towards Elphaba. “I have something else in mind, and it won’t be found in any store.” Galinda had shrugged, not sure of what Fiyero had in mind.
Fiyero was the first one waiting at their usual table, wearing a dark emerald green button-up shirt instead of his usual blue. But it wasn’t the shirt that caught Elphaba’s attention, rather, what was attached to it. Elphaba squinted at what looked like a green flower, but the material didn’t look familiar.
“May I?” she asked Fiyero, bringing her hand up to touch the material. Fiyero nodded, watching as she gently caressed the flower, realizing what he’d done.
“Fiyero, you-made this?” Elphaba asked, marveling at the structure, trying to figure out how it held together. “Where did you? How did you-?”
“I used some of the long blades of grass near the pond,” Fiyero finished, giving Elphaba a knowing smile. “I learned how to weave from a few grassland elders back at the Vinkus. See, I can do more than eat it, you know!”
As Elphaba laughed, Fiyero pulled out a small woven bracelet from his shirt pocket. “And this is for you. To remind you that green is always beautiful,” he murmured, gently sliding the bracelet around Elphaba’s wrist.
“I should’ve known,” Galinda chuckled, as Nessa and Boq made their way to the table.
“Should’ve known what?” Nessa asked, turning her gaze to Elphaba’s wrist. “Elphaba! Your bracelet! That’s beautiful! Where did you get it?”
Galinda smiled at Elphaba and Fiyero, then turned back to Nessa. “Fiyero made it for Elphaba, Isn’t that wonderful? I should’ve known that he’d look to the natural environment instead.”
At the mention of the word natural, Fiyero looked up and down at Elphaba’s full outfit, then playfully shook his head at Galinda. “And you’ve Galindafied my girlfriend!” Fiyero chuckled, pulling Elphaba in for a deep kiss.”You still don’t have to do that, you know,” he whispered, his lips brushing the back of her ear. Elphaba shivered, and Fiyero couldn’t help but smirk, finally pulling away when Galinda stepped in front of them, pretending to look scandalized.
“Honestly you two, it’s too early for that! Save it for later!” Galinda teased.
Smiling to herself, Elphaba looked around the cafeteria and her friends, feeling content, and happy. No, she couldn’t change her green skin, but for once, green didn’t mean ugly, disgusting, or fearful. Today, green meant joy and cheer. A connection to the land and the animals who made themselves home near Shiz. And most importantly, beauty. She knew deep down that most of her classmates would go back to how they usually saw her, but just for today, she didn’t feel alone. And that was enough.