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Momsie and Popsicle heard the delightful chime of their front doorbell ring. The arrival of their beloved and one and only daughter during her monthly visit from Shiz had been what they were most excited for all day. Wasting no time, Momsie quickly ran to the door, ready to greet her little one, while Popsicle stood aside.
She glanced quickly through the peephole, but was met only with a section of her daughter’s forehead. Of course Galinda would stand entirely too close to the door. Momsie stepped back slightly and opened the door, a smile immediately falling upon her face as she was met with her Galinda.
“Galinda! My baby! Come, come,” Galinda’s mother hugged her tightly, nearly squeezing the air out of her small body.
“Hi Momsie! Hi Popsicle!”
Momsie continued to squeeze Galinda, rocking slightly, until she caught a glimpse of the girl standing to Galinda’s far right. A gasp.
“Oh, Elphie!”
“Momsie! Only I call her Elphie.”
The look on Galinda’s face was rather serious, but it was paid no mind. Momsie let go of Galinda and motioned Elphaba to step closer and wrapped her arms around her. Galinda stepped into the house, now giving her father a hug.
After the hugs and initial greetings had come to an end and the four of them were inside of the house with the door now closed, Momsie sighed and let out a small laugh.
“Galinda, I guess it should be our assumption by now that of course you’d bring your girlfriend, but please let us know ahead of time. That way, we can properly prepare for Miss Elphaba,” Momsie said.
Galinda scrunched her face, looking between her parents and Elphaba. Somehow, she was the only one who seemed to be confused.
“Girlfriend?”
This time, Popsicle spoke up. “You don’t have to lie to us, kiddo. We’ve known for months now.” Momsie nodded. Elphaba’s expression was practically unreadable, even for Galinda.
Galinda laughed nervously. “Oh but see, you’re confused. Both of you.”
She stepped closer to Elphaba and put her hand around her waist, drawing her in. “Elphie and I aren’t… girlfriends. We are simply girls that are friends! Best friends even!”
A faint look of hurt washed over Elphaba’s face as she turned her head sharply to look at Galinda.
“What?”
It was a small and simple question really, but with it being Elphaba’s first contribution to the conversation and maybe even the most shocking contribution, Galinda’s parents looked at each other, before turning back to face the girls.
“Oh okay. Well, maybe it’d be best for you two to go… talk. You know, away from us,” Momsie said.
Galinda, ever so oblivious, shook her head with a small smile on her lips. “Whatever is there to talk about?”
Now, Elphaba’s head was angled down. She appeared to be staring down at her feet. Or perhaps she was doing anything to avoid Galinda’s gaze, though the girl’s arm was still around her waist.
“There seems to have been some miscommunication and misunderstandings. Between all of us. Besides, I think Elphaba would appreciate talking to you alone right now anyway,” Popsicle said.
With that, her parents turned and went straight to their bedroom, giving the girls some space. Galinda removed her arm from around Elphaba and instead grabbed her friend’s hand, tugging slightly.
“Come on, Elphie. Let’s go to my room.”
Elphaba nodded slightly and quickly brought her free hand up to her eye to swat at the tears threatening to fall. Luckily, Galinda didn’t see.
They walked hand in hand upstairs and into Galinda’s (insanely massive) bedroom. Once they reached their destination, they both sat on the edge of Galinda’s bed. Galinda was first to speak.
“Imagine, Elphie. They thought we were dating! All this time,” Galinda laughed, but Elphaba’s expression remained clear.
Noticing this, Galinda’s laughter ceased. “Hey Elphie? What’s the matter?”
“Are you joking, Galinda,” Elphaba asked, a hint of irritation and hurt evident in her voice.
“Joking? What could I possibly be joking about?”
Elphaba shifted on the bed, turning to face Galinda to look her in the eye. “Galinda, your parents thought we were dating because even I thought we were dating. I mean, that’s what all this is, no?” Elphaba gestured in between them.
Galinda’s mouth was slightly agape. It took her a minute to process what she was hearing. “You… thought that we were dating?”
Elphaba sighed in frustration. “Yes, Galinda! That’s what I just said. What else was I supposed to believe?”
“That we’re best friends!”
A tear ran down Elphaba’s cheek, and Galinda reached out to wipe it with her thumb. Well, before Elphaba’s hand met hers and stopped the action before it could occur.
“See! You act like this all the time! You hold my hand everywhere we go, you walk me to class, you cuddle me when I sleep and I cuddle you, you kiss me almost everyday and tell me I’m pretty. Oz, Galinda. We even almost had sex once!”
Galinda looked over Elphaba’s features, fully taking her in as she thought of a response. She inhaled deeply and breathed out before she spoke.
“Well, that is true. But you see, Elphie, you’re my very best friend. The best friend I’ve ever had, even. I just want to be close to you. I love y-”
“Stop!”
“Stop what?”
“You keep doing it and you don’t even realize. How could I be so stupid?”
“You’re not st-”
“I am,” Elphaba interrupted firmly. “I absolutely am. For months now, I believed that I was your girlfriend. Months, Galinda. But it just so happens that you over step every possible boundary that should exist in a friendship.”
Galinda furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m sorry, Elphie. I really am. But don’t blame me for your misunderstandings! I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Elphaba wiped her tears away and blinked a few times rapidly. She sniffed and took a deep breath before talking again. “You’re right. I should’ve known that it was too good to be true.”
“Don’t talk like that, Elphie. If I were a man, I’d choose you in a heartbeat!”
Oh. Elphaba thought that she could physically feel her heart break even more. “What? So you just act all lovey dovey with me because you don’t have a boyfriend right now? Is that what that is?”
Galinda’s eyes widened immediately. “No, Elphie! Absolutely not! Whenever I get a boyfriend, I will not be doing all of that with him! Disgustifying!”
Even when Elphaba was feeling much betrayal and heartbreak from her gi- friend*, she still couldn’t help but laugh at her dramatical antics.
“You won’t kiss your boyfriend?”
“Well, I guess I’d have to. But it wouldn’t be ideal.”
Elphaba tilted her head, slightly out of confusion but also slightly out of concern. “So let me get this right. You’ll kiss me, all over my neck and chest as well mind yo-”
“Oh please! That only happened once.”
“Right. Like I was saying, you’ll kiss me, very enthusiastically might I add, but wouldn’t want to kiss your boyfriend?”
Galinda nodded. “Yes, Elphie. Do I have to go around Shiz and survey all the girls to show you how common it is for best friends to kiss each other?”
“I bet those girls who occasionally kiss their friends also enjoy kissing their boyfriends a lot more.”
Galinda thought about it for a moment, and she could admit that what Elphaba was saying did make sense.
“That’s probably true. Perhaps, I’ll just have to bear the pain,” she laughed.
Elphaba’s heart ached a bit for the girl. She grabbed her hand and moved closer.
“You do know that you don’t have to have a boyfriend, right Galinda?”
“Sure. But who wants to be single forever! I won’t rush it, but the day must come someday, Elphie,” Galinda said.
Elphaba shrugged slightly. “I wasn’t exactly suggesting that you never date anyone. I just meant that… maybe you don’t have to have a boyfriend? You could have… a girlfriend?” She mumbled the last part.
“That won’t do, Elphie. What would my parents think,” Galinda worried herself.
“Galinda, your parents quite literally thought we were girlfriends for months, as did I, and they’ve had no issue with it,” Elphaba said.
Elphaba could see the gears turning in Galinda’s pretty blonde head.
“So…” Galinda started. “… if I had a girlfriend, then I could just, what? Kiss her and be with her all the time and hold her hand and go on dates with her and oh! Shopping-”
“Slow down, Galinda,” Elphaba laughed. “It’s no different than it would be if you were dating anyone else. Well it is, but that’s not the point right now. I was only bringing it up to let you know that men weren’t the only possibility. But of course, who you date would be entirely dependent on who and what you’re attracted to.”
“I’m attracted to you, Elphie.”
The bluntness of the statement caught Elphaba off guard. “You are?”
Galinda nodded. “And… we basically do all of those other things, right?”
Now Elphaba nodded, a small smile forming as she realized the conclusion that Galinda was walking towards.
“So basically… we’re almost like girlfriends?”
Elphaba continued to nod and laughed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, you idiot!”
“Well, you never asked me!” Now, Galinda was laughing.
Elphaba didn’t need to be told twice. Quickly, almost without thinking, she asked. “Galinda, will you be my girlfriend?”
Her eyes were soft and full of hope.
“Of course, Elphie!”
“Don’t act like it was obvious for you all this time,” Elphaba said.
“Wait.”
“Yes, my sweet?”
“Why did Momsie and Popsicle think we were together?”
Elphaba looked puzzled. “Did you forget that they walked in on us making out a while ago?”
“I didn’t know they took it that way!”
“Well, it seems as though everyone took it that way except for you,” Elphaba shrugged. Galinda only laughed.
“And Galinda?”
“Hm?”
“Kissing your friends is not normal. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that with anyone except for me, now that we’re actually together now.”
Galinda profusely shook her head. “No worries! I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone but you, Elphie!” She leaned in and pecked Elphaba’s lips.
What a beautifully beautiful and positively adorable idiot, Elphaba thought.