This is my first attempt at writing any fanfiction. I hope that you enjoy it! Reviews would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to comment that this is a mixture of both the book and musical, and that there will be some Gelphie as the story progresses. Also, I don't own these characters etc, ect, ect. Thank you for reading.
Shiz University
Galinda tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't get to sleep. Elphaba was up again reading by candlelight. She watched in amusement as Galinda flounced and flopped this way and that. Finally, the small blonde kicked off all of the covers, crossed her arms across her chest and pouted on the bare mattress. That's when she heard a peculiar noise coming from her roommate's side of the room. She glanced over, and saw Elphaba shaking and sputtering with unreleased laughter.
Galinda's eyes narrowed as she glared back at her roomie and turned away disgusted. 'How dare she laugh at me!' her mind roared. She rolled back around to rebuff the green girl, but stopped short and burst out laughing herself. The sight before her was one of the funniest she had ever seen. Elphaba had failed in her attempt to keep her laughter at bay, and was now doubled over in her own bed wheezing from laughing so hard. Her face was so flushed that it had turned from its usual light green to a deep forest green.
The two laughed together for several minutes, but afterwards an awkward silence filled the air. Galinda opened her mouth to start a conversation at the same time that Elphaba picked up her book to continue reading. Both laughed again at their corresponding movements.
"Elphaba," Galinda started, "It has come to my attention that I have yet to see you laugh."
Elphaba shrugged in response and looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry, if my light was keeping you up." she said quickly ignoring the previous statement.
"Oh, don't be silly!" Galinda replied, "It had nothing to do with you. But it was worth it to see you laugh. Now, at least, I know that you are…" Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying. The atmosphere in the room grew cold and Elphaba's intense gaze on her emerald hands shifted to the fireplace.
"Oh, Elphaba!" Galinda winced, "I'm so sorry. You know me I just keep on blabbing not knowing what's good for me. My mother always told me that it's not ladylike to jabber on like I do! She always told me…. What is it?" Galinda stopped her rambling as she saw a gentle smile spread across Elphaba's face. Galinda found herself smiling too as she looked over at her roomie.
'She really has a pretty smile,' Galinda thought to herself, 'It lights up her face in a way that I've never seen before!'
'She really isn't that obnoxious.' Elphaba mused, 'Actually, the way that she rambles on is kind of cute.'
Both were lost in their own thoughts for several minutes before they realized that they were still smiling at each other. Immediately, both girls turned away and blushed.
"We'd better get to sleep." Elphaba commented hurriedly. "We have class tomorrow."
"Right!" Galinda agreed "Off to bed with both of us!"
Elphaba reached over and extinguished her candle, goodnights were exchanged, and both girls snuggled into their beds to try and get some sleep. But there was none to be found for either seeker. Although both girls remained still and feigned sleep, their restless minds refused to surrender to the call of slumber.
Usually, when this problem presented itself, Elphaba would light a candle and read or review class discussions in her head. Tonight, however, her mind kept cycling back to the same subject: Galinda. True, the green girl had been convinced that she hated her frilly, pink, puffball of a roommate at first, but now she wasn't sure that there had ever been any genuine malice in her feelings. She and Galinda had survived the first few weeks at Shiz with few complications. Although, that stemmed from the fact that they had also avoided and ignored each other during that period of time. Their interaction tonight, however, had left Elphaba with a strange and unusual feeling in her gut. For a minute, Galinda had stared at Elphaba and seen beyond her olive skin, past her carefully erected walls and into her heart. She had looked at her like a normal person, a friend even. This was a rarity for Elphaba, and it simultaneously excited and scared her.
Galinda's sleep was also interrupted with thoughts of her roommate. She had been shocked and humiliated on arrival day when she had been paired up with the green artichoke. She had vowed to never acknowledge her jade roomie. Now, however, she found herself doubting the hatred that she had once freely declared for Elphaba. When she gazed into Elphaba's eyes Galinda had caught a brief glimpse at the pure, lonely soul locked deep inside of that green frame. In that brief moment, Galinda had seen Elphaba unguarded. She had seen a conundrum of a girl who was both the same age a Galinda and at the same time much older, someone who had been beaten down by the harshness of the world from birth but carried on standing tall, someone who was easily hurt yet never acknowledged it. Galinda had seen through Elphaba's rigorous self conditioning, and realized with horror that it was people like her that had trained Elphaba so well.
In an instant, she was overcome with self loathing. She reflected on how she had been conditioned by the world as well. She had been trained to put on girlish airs, and judge people according to social standards. It made her sick to think of the way that she had acted and treated others she considered to be below herself. Now, more than ever, Galinda wished that she could take back all the hurtful things she had said behind their backs, behind Elphaba's back. That night, Galinda made a promise to herself. She vowed to be a better and more caring individual, especially when matters concerned her emerald roommate.