Title: Letters

Author: Crystal (ellowyntinuviel)

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Galinda/Elphaba

Verse: musical, but not specific

Summary: It's always easier to tell a girl you love her when you're not looking in her eyes.

Word Count: 1,644 for the actually story (not the stuff above it)

A/N: How strange. My muse has struck again, and this time not because I couldn't sleep. How odd. I think I'm getting my mojo back after not having written anything in over a year. Also, I'm in a very random mood today, prone to more acts of stupidity than is normal for me. An example: I said, "It's a sort of, um, hover type thing, and it, like… hovers, like a… hover thing…" Yes, it is an exact quote. (hides head in shame)

Review me, critique me, flame me – whatever. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

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"Dear Elphaba," she began, quickly scratching the words out – too informal. Galinda bit her lip. "My Dearest Elphie," she tried again. No, too lovesick. "To Whom It May Concern:" she wrote, frustrated. Elphaba would probably read that, decide that it didn't concern her and abandon the letter without reading its contents.

Galinda was sure she had no idea what to say. She was bored, and as usual, her thoughts landed on her roomie Elphaba. The two were secret friends, keeping their friendship safely locked behind their bedroom door. Galinda didn't like it, but she knew that the idea of their friendship becoming public made Elphaba just as nervous as it made her.

They each had their own reasons to be sure. Galinda's reputation demanded that she put on a show as a blissful, blonde airhead capable of looking pretty and making her compatriots laugh with her wit. She was sure that she was not that stupid, but she knew her future depended on the connections she made now. So, whatever society wanted, society got – her own free will be damned. She knew why she hid her friendship with the awkward green girl; Elphaba's reasons were lost to her.

So what do you write in a letter to your secret best friend? "You are amazing," she wrote on a random place on the parchment still lying on her desk. That was a pointless subject for a letter. "I love green," she tried, choosing a different place on the page. That was also a pointless subject. "I need you…" she tried. No, too desperate. "I want you…" she wrote. No, pushed the bounds of propriety that she was used to. "I love you," she inscribed, biting her lip and frowning. She shook her head. Absolutely not - too forward. She needed subtlety, she needed finesse… she needed some brilliant inspiration. Nothing was forthcoming.

"Boredom is the root of all evil," she scribbled randomly across the page.

Galinda folded up the parchment, placed it behind the front cover of her textbook and chanced a look around the classroom she was sitting in. Doctor Dillamond was lecturing incessantly, most of the students ignoring him. Elphaba was sitting front and center, taking careful notes, Galinda was sure. To Galinda's left sat Shenshen, who was currently flirting with the boy next to her. Pfannee was on Galinda's right side sleeping, not even attempting to hide it. Galinda turned her gaze towards the person sitting in front of her – Fiyero.

Just as her gaze settled on his back, he turned around, smiling at her. He leaned towards her and dropped a folded up piece of parchment on her desk, winking at her before turning around.

Galinda frowned. She picked up the paper in front of her, carefully unfolded it, and started to read.

"Hey Galinda. Want to get together tonight? We could grab dinner, head back over to my room, see where the night takes us. We can finally give in to passion inside of each of us. You must want me as much as I want you. I promise you'll have fun. I could be everything you've waited for and more. Fiyero."

Galinda's jaw fell, and a deep blush crept up her cheeks. Now that was too forward. Goodness, he made her seem almost like a harlot. And to proposition her in a letter? The nerve of some people. If they had not been sitting in the middle of class, she was sure she would've slapped him.

Glaring at his back, she reached for her pen. She may not have been able to slap him, but she could certainly cause him some mental anguish.

"To Whom It May Concern:

No. I do not want to get together with you. I do not want to eat dinner with you. I do not want to go back to your room. I pray to the Unnamed God that I never end up in such an awful place. I'm glad He has seen fit to not bless me with unbridled passion for you. Simply put, I do not want you. I do not wish to have fun with you. And frankly, I don't believe the rumors. I've no reason to think you could be that fulfilling. Sincerely, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands."

Galinda smiled at her handiwork, and kicked the back of his chair, lightly but still hard enough for him to notice. He turned around, leering at her, and took the offered parchment back.

A few moments later, he turned back around to face her, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping. He gestured to the parchment in his hand, his face a mask of confusion.

She smirked at him, raising her eyebrows in challenge. She was glad to see him shake his head and turn around.

The rest of class passed quickly and uneventfully. The moment it was over, Galinda exited to avoid a confrontation with Fiyero and headed back to the room she shared with Elphaba.

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Elphaba and Galinda were in their room that afternoon, the green girl studying silently as Galinda readied herself to meet with her other 'friends' in Milla's room for some girl talk.

"Hey, Galinda, have you seen my life sciences text?" Elphaba asked, searching through her satchel.

Galinda didn't even turn around from her vanity. "No. Why would I have seen it?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I don't know. I was just wondering; you do live here, after all. I suppose I left it in the library."

Galinda stood up and grabbed her purse. "Well, you're welcome to mine. I've no need of it," she said, walking towards the door. She turned back around briefly. "And Elphie, please try not to study too much. You'll strain yourself. Relax alittle, won't you?" she smiled, and exited in a rush of lace and frills.

Elphaba shook her head and walked to Galinda's desk. "My silly little Galinda, always trying to encourage laziness…" she said to herself, picking up Galinda's life sciences book.

A folded up piece of parchment fell out of the book, fluttering soundlessly to the floor. She bent to pick it up. "Hmm. What have we here?"

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Galinda crept into her shared bedroom carefully. She had been at Milla's later than expected, and when she opened the door, there was no light on. She did her best to remain quiet as she readied herself for bed, changing clothes, brushing out her hair, and removing her makeup.

Galinda slid into her bed wearily. The day had taken its toll on her. After the Fiyero debacle, she had to sit through an evening with the biggest gossips she had ever meant. Apparently, word had already gotten around that Galinda had rejected the Winkie Prince. This meant that she had to field questions and face speculation from her circle of 'friends' who were dead-set on finding out her motivations. She had told them most of the truth: she didn't want to date an arrogant ladies' man. Still, she had spent the better part of two hours trying to move the conversation away from her and Fiyero and towards anything else. Unfortunately, when she finally did, they had wanted to gossip about Elphaba.

Galinda sighed. It always came back to Elphaba. She closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly, her dreams full of visions of Fiyero trying to seduce her, and Elphaba saving her at the last possible moment.

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The next day passed quickly for Galinda. She was glad that it was nowhere near as stressful as the previous day. She attended her classes and spent the evening quietly with Elphaba, the two working in comfortable silence, stopping only to eat – separately, of course. After their dinners, they had spent the rest of the evening talking, mostly about school, but allowing the conversation to flow wherever until it was late into the night and they retired to their separate beds.

It wasn't long before another day passed, and Galinda found herself back in Doctor Dillamond's class, observing her classmates, this time with a different view. She had decided to sit in the back row nestled between Milla and the insufferable Boq. Still, she found it easier than sitting near Shenshen, Pfannee, and Fiyero. And she also found that if she leaned forward ever-so-slightly, she had a rather nice view of Elphaba in profile across the room. She was far away, but still within eyesight.

Bored, Galinda opened her textbook, seeing that dreaded piece of parchment from days previous. She had tried so hard to pen deep, meaningful thoughts on the square of paper, but alas, it was a lost cause.

She unfolded the parchment and gasped, gathering the looks of several nearby students. Elphaba had obviously read what Galinda had written. After her initial shock wore off, she couldn't help but smile at he words written in the center of the page in small, tidy script.

"To My Dearest Galinda, Whom It May Concern:

I find green rather boring on its own. I must say it is much nicer when paired with pink. I dare say that they need each other, for each is made better by the other's presence.

In fact, one might say green alone is boring and therefore, evil. Yet the sight of green and pink together is breathtaking.

The effect is amazing, as are you.

All my love,

Your Dearest Elphie, Whom It Also Concerns"

She leaned forward and looked towards her best friend, who had seemed to hear her gasp as well. Elphaba winked and smiled at her quickly before turning back towards the front. Galinda could feel her heart swell, and she could swear she was going to swoon. Apparently, it didn't matter whether she was informal, lovesick, pointless, desperate and pushed the bounds of propriety to their limit all at the same time. Her dearest Elphie was still concerned in the matter.

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The End

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