Galinda took a knife from her purse and Elphaba looked at her strangely.
"My dear, I do hope you haven't taken to murdering our classmates or small animals on campus. I shall be quite cross with you."
"Hush, you mean green thing." Galinda said with a smile, and took her green girlfriend's hand within her own. She walked with her down farther the shaded, almost invisible path down into the woods around Shiz. She stopped at a large tree, distinctive for the pink and green flowers that bloomed all year 'round. "I just want to carve our names in the tree."
"Why?" Elphaba asked.
"Because, don't you realize how cute and romantic it is? Just the symbolism, carving you and your love's name in a tree, so years and years later you can still come back and it'll be there." Galinda said, as she began to carve her initials into the bark.
"It's a pointless thing to do. The tree will probably be cut down in a few years."
"Elphie, must you be so stubborn and suck the fun out of everything?" Galinda pouted, and turned to her. Next to her head was a painstakingly simple carved heart, and within it, spelled out "G " she held out the knife for Elphaba to finish the carving.
Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at the knife, then to the tree. She contemplated the idea of humoring her blonde beauty of a girlfriend, but this idea of a carving lasting for years was unrealistic and unimportant. What's to say they could even find their way back to this tree after years of behind away, or that this area would even exist? And the idea of a symbol, saying that they would be together forever raised hopes within the pit of Elphaba's heart, a feeling she had learned to ignore and degrade.
Galinda's eyes began to show a hint of worry, a speck of concern, a microscopic spot of embarrassment as the seconds turned into minutes, and Elphaba still didn't move nor reply.
"Elphie…?"
Elphaba didn't have to answer, for the clouds above them turned gray and Galinda dropped the knife.
"Sweet Oz, Elphaba we need to get you inside, quick!" Galinda hurriedly pulled along the slightly fearful and relived Elphaba along towards Shiz.
They never went back to the tree together.
AUTHORS NOTE: One more chapter after this one, then that's the end.