"What?"

Galinda, who was still a little tipsy from all the alcohol, giggled.

"Didn't you hear me, silly? I said that it was all a setup! A scam. Avaric bet Fiyero fifty bucks that he couldn't get you to go to the dance with him!" She elbowed the green girl. "You sure showed him, huh?"

Elphaba stood up, her head reeling slightly from the spiked punch.

"Galinda, so what you're trying to tell me is that Fiyero just asked me to the dance just to win a stupid bet?!"

Galinda giggled and nodded. "Y-Yeah, pretty much!"

"Why, that Oz-damned son of a-" Elphaba clenched her jaw. Swearing wouldn't get her anywhere. Instead, she turned to face her drunk roommate.

"Glin, will you be okay here?"

"S-Sure Elphie! Where are ya going?" The blonde replied between hiccups. "Another party?"

Geeze, Elphaba thought. Galinda must be REALLY drunk…

"No, Glin. I'm heading back to the dorm. Will you be alright here?"

"Yeah, Elphie. Don't worry 'bout me. I'll be just peachy." A flash of concern momentarily crossed her face. "What about you? Will you be okay? I-I mean, the whole thing with Fiyero, and-"

"Yeah, Glin. I know. A-And I'm fine." Elphaba ignored the growing lump in her throat and gave Galinda a half-hearted smile. "Besides, I knew this whole night was too good to be true anyway." And with that, the green girl turned on her heels and walked out of the bathroom.

Fiyero was talking with some of his friends by the punch bowl, when he saw Elphaba storm out of the bathroom.

Oh No… Fiyero thought. Galinda didn't tell her anything…did she? Aw, Shiz! I knew I never should've told her!

"H-Hey! Elphaba, wait!" Fiyero ran after and grabber her arm. "Elphaba, you okay?"

Elphaba spun around to face him, her eyes narrowed.

"You dirty, rotten, Oz-damned JERK!"

"Elphaba…" Fiyero was seriously regretting going along with this stupid bet.

Elphaba pulled her arm free from his grasp.

"This was all just a big prank, right?! Just another trick to play on the green girl?! Try and see if we can get her to fall for the hottest guy in school! Well, guess what?! It. Didn't. Work!"

"No, Elphaba. It wasn't like that! I-"

"Don't, Fiyero." Elphaba turned, so that her back was to him. "I-I really thought you were different, Fiyero. I really did." She muttered, tears stinging her eyes. "…I-I guess I was wrong."

"No, Elphaba. Listen,"

But before he could get another word in; Elphaba had left the ballroom, slamming the door behind her.

Elphaba trudged down the hall to the girl's dorms, hugging her arms tight around herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry.

Though, hearing the familiar sound of a wheeled chair, Elphaba opened her eyes, and came face-to-face with her younger sister Nessarose.

"Oh, hi Fabala!" Nessa said, greeting her sister. "I didn't expect to see you back for a while. Didn't you go to that party?"

Elphaba gritted her teeth. I wish I hadn't…

"Yeah."

"It's over already?"

"No, Nessa. I…I just decided to come back to the dorm, that's all."

Nessa looked surprised. This was her sister's first party, after all.

"Oh. Well, did you at least have some fun?"

Elphaba swallowed hard. You don't even know the half of it…

"Um…yeah."

"Well, that's good." Nessa wheeled herself over to hug her. "Night, Fabala."

"'Night Nessa." Elphaba hugged her sister, before retreating back to Galinda's and her dorm.

Sighing, Elphaba shut the door. She walked over to her bed and sat down, glancing briefly at her reflection in the window before yanking the curtains closed.

Close the window,

Draw the curtain.

Hide the bright light of the moon.

Hang the dresses, Ugly dresses.

No one likes maroon.

Elphaba fingered the material of her dress, her eyes beginning to tear up. She walked over to the night-table, grabbed a washcloth and began scrubbing at the makeup Galinda had applied to her face before the dance.

Wipe off all that stupid lipstick.

Return the earrings to their case.

Makeup won't make any difference…

Elphaba stared intently at her reflection in the mirror. How she wished that her skin would just magically de-greenify overnight. But, she knew that would never happen.

It's still the same old face.

Sighing, she walked back over to her bed. Sitting down, she let her shoulders drop; finally allowing herself to cry. How could he do that?! Make her think he actually liked her, ask her to the dance, and all for a stupid bet! Her shoulders shaking, she hugged her pillow, trying uselessly to stop crying. But the stupid tears just kept coming.

Isn't it funny?

Isn't it funny?

Isn't it funny that you believed that it was real?

Elphaba laughed sadly, despite all that had happened. As the tears continued to run down her face, she sighed heavily. Yeah,

Pretty funny…

Trying to stem her tears, she urged herself to consider the good in the evening. Yeah, right. She thought. What good? After all, she is Elphaba Thropp. Not exactly the most "glass-half-full" type of person.

All disasters have an upside.

You can find one if you try.

You went dancing,

You were dancing.

You were dancing with a guy.

Elphaba rubbed her nose on her sleeve. Sighing, she lay down on her bed, still hugging her pillow. Just face it Elphaba; you're gonna die sad and alone with a bunch of cats. Nobody would EVER want to date you. You're green, remember?

Isn't it funny?

Isn't it funny?

Aren't you funny?

Elphaba began sobbing again. She didn't even know why this bothered her so much. It was, after all, just another senseless prank. Like so many others that had been pulled on her before.

Mentally, Elphaba slapped herself upside the head. She should've seen it coming! No one was ever that nice to her, unless they were planning something. It was her stupid mistake to trust him anyway.

Pathetically naïve!

And trying to believe

That you can always find some good.

Well, you misunderstood,

Or you've been dreaming

'Cause people are just…

Cruel.

She sat up, her eyes red from crying. This was the last straw. She couldn't let anything like this EVER happen again. It would just be too painful. Never again would she trust anyone. Never.

Sniffling, she rubbed her eyes and forced herself to stop crying. Crying never lead to anything productive, anyway.

Shut the light off,

Turn the bed down.

No more crying

Don't you dare

You'll wake up sometime tomorrow,

And forget to even care.

Elphaba crawled into bed, exhausted from her tearful ordeal. But, things like this happened to her all the time. She just had to get used to it.

Isn't it funny?

Isn't it funny?

For a moment,

He convinced me,

I could be

Pretty…

Elphaba sighed before laying her head down on the pillow to go to sleep. Hopefully, if she never let herself trust ANYONE ever again, she wouldn't have to feel this awful ever again.

Funny…