The indescribable days of Shiz

A/N: please note that this chapter takes place after Elphaba and Galinda and their lovely group of misfits arrive at Shiz. It's mainly musicalverse, a little bit of bookverse influence such as Elphie's aversion to water and her attitude. I need to stray from my A/N and say that I love the book Unwind and Neal Shusterman's writing style, so in an attempt to make my stories worthy, I have decided to write in his style. I don't know, but something about his writing makes everything sound so…professional in a sense.

1: Elphaba

Elphaba rolls her eyes at her blonde roommates antics, if she was to be roomed with such a…an insufferable dimwit then she figured she was eternally doomed. Elphaba shifts slightly in her chair, balancing her book precariously on her knees as she tries to see what Galinda is doing. She's at her vanity, carefully re-doing her makeup again. She notices Elphaba watching her, which inevitably causes her to smudge her eyeliner. Elphaba looks away and in turn Galinda scowls, though at Elphaba or her smudged eyeliner Elphaba will never know.

"Miss Elphaba, what is so strikingly interesting about watching me re-apply my makeup? I would appreciate it kindly if you would cease your staring, it's highly unnecessary." Galinda says, turning slightly on her stool to look at her verdant roommate. Elphaba can see that she's become increasingly upset but that's due to the lack of attention she was giving her.

"You call my staring 'unnecessary' when I'm not even looking at you…Miss Galinda I'm slightly confused. Care to enlighten me?" Elphaba replies, not bothering to look at the girl opposite her, keeping her gaze focused on the text of her book.

Elphaba hears Galinda sigh angrily, a high growl that came deep from her throat, as she turns back around to fix her eyeliner. Elphaba just returns her attention back to her book. Moments later she hears Galinda sigh out of boredom and possibly just to annoy her. Elphaba ignores her and continues on with her reading; at least she tries to continue with her reading until Galinda sighs again, a dramatically loud sigh that breaks Elphaba's concentration. Elphaba sighs, giving up on the matter of reading and turns her head to look at the blonde socialite.

"Miss Galinda is there any reason as to why you're sighing?" she asks, scanning the girls' face to see what was disgruntling her.

"I'm bored!" Galinda replies, simply and in a most unladylike fashion, as she throws herself down on the pink fluffiness that she calls a bed dramatically.

Galinda tilts her head back slightly, trying to get a better look at her verdant roommate. When she doesn't get any kind of reaction, Galinda sighs again, even louder this time. She notices Elphaba's eyebrow twitch in annoyance, but is slightly disappointed when the green girl didn't look up. Turning herself onto her stomach, Galinda stares intensely at the girl, her eyes never leaving the girls' face. Elphaba has a strong sense that Galinda was watching her and she looks up, her eyes locking with Galinda's for a few seconds before tearing away and focusing her attention back to her book. Silence settles between the two girls for a few moments; it wasn't an uncomfortable silence but rather a strangely comforting one. Galinda can hear Elphaba sigh quietly, whether to herself or just to break the silence she doesn't know. The soft sound of a book closing causes Galinda to look up. When she does, she is met with the sight of Elphaba's hawkish features looming over her. She is lost for words so she just stares, a look of blank ignorance settling over her face.

"Don't keep your mouth open, you'll attract flies." is all the verdant girl says before turning to leave the room, leaving a slightly stunned Galinda in her leave.

"Miss Elphaba-" Galinda begins but is cut off by the slamming of the door. Galinda lets out a huff of annoyance, crossing her arms in a childish manner as she stares at the door. How dare Elphaba leave her all alone without a proper response! Galinda decides to dismiss the sudden rudeness of Elphaba, and comes up with the conclusion that the green girl is just having a bad day, that's all. And so, Galinda just resumes her application of makeup, disregarding the whole situation altogether.

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Elphaba stalks across the courtyard of Shiz, making a beeline straight towards the library. She sighs quietly; she lets her thoughts wander to Galinda and hers argument, where it hadn't been so much an argument than a bit of lighthearted banter. She looks up, and a black cloud stares back, looming overhead and it's then that Elphaba realizes that it's going to rain. She walks faster, her boots echoing in the silence of the courtyard, because getting caught in a downpour would ultimately lead to getting seriously injured or a painful demise.

She finds her solace in the comforting silence of the library, a place that those socialites probably never even step foot in. There are only a few people there, no more than two or three at a table. But Elphaba knows that there are at least a dozen more scattered about the room, some perched on armchairs, some sprawled across the couches, there were even some seated on the floor.

She gathers a hearty stack of books in her hands, balancing them against her chest and holding them in place with her chin as she walks to her back corner, careful not to step on any unsuspecting students. She steps carefully over a sleeping student, but her line of sight is blocked by the stack of books and her left foot catches the blanket and she goes flying. Everything happens so quickly, one moment she's standing and the next she finds herself staring at the ground, splattered with a few drops of her blood. A coppery taste in her mouth signals that she's either busted her lip or that she's lost a few teeth. She runs her tongue over her teeth, and is relieved to find that all teeth are there, but when she licks her bottom lip a sharp stinging lets her know that she has indeed busted her lip. Elphaba struggles to get up, disentangling her foot as she does. She is met with an angry looking boy, who probably really wants to punch her face in now.

"Watch where you're going, Artichoke." The boy says cruelly, emphasizing the horrid name that everyone at Shiz seems fond of using for Elphaba.

Elphaba is back on her feet and does nothing but stare icily at the shorter student, her eyes staring him down. A frown is etched onto her angular face. An insult rises to the top of her throat, begging to be released but she keeps quiet and slowly bends to gather her scattered books. Her lip throbs and the blood still gushes but she ignores that. All she really wants to do his head back to her dorm where her insufferable dimwit is. She shoves the rude boy out of her way, his back slamming against a bookshelf, as she saunters out of the library. The sound of her footsteps echoes in the awkward silence as the circle of students that had apparently gathered while she got yelled at watch her retreating form before turning to help the injured boy.

The sound of thunder indicates the oncoming storm, and Elphaba picks up her pace as she dashes across the wide quad that stands between the library and Crage Hall. Elphaba is halfway across the courtyard when the first drops of rain pelt the unsuspecting earth. Elphaba looks up slightly, her face set in subtle panic, tilting her head a little, just so she can look. It's a stupid thing to do because as soon as her face meets open air a fierce burning engulfs every other sense and all she can do is grit her teeth in pain and try not to scream out in agony. Thankfully for her, it's only on one side of her face and the burn marks are thin streamlines of red, so it won't be too hard to heal. Elphaba shields the rest of her face with her bag as she rushes indoors, her hands littered with searing red marks along with her face, making her way to the staircase. She's careful to avoid any other passing students.

Nobody can know about her allergy to water.

Nobody could ever know.

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Elphaba fumbles around in her bag, in a desperate search for her room key. She isn't about to knock, that would bring too much pain to her hands. Her fingers brush against the cool metal and jagged edge of her key, and she pulls it out. Jamming it into the keyhole she forces the door open, accidentally letting it slam into the wall before sheepishly closing it, quieter this time.

"Hello, Miss Galinda." Elphaba says, announcing her arrival as if the loud slam of the door wasn't enough to alert her roommate.

Elphaba silently slips into the bathroom and Galinda hears the soft click of the lock sliding into place. She knows she shouldn't care about the other girl but Galinda can't help but feel some sort of urge to check on her. She carefully rises from her bed and pads across to the bathroom door. She presses her ear to the polished wood of the door, and hears the dull shuffling of clothes.

Elphaba knows that Galinda is right outside the door, but doesn't drop any hint that lets Galinda know that she knows she's there. Elphaba looks at her reflection again, and grimaces as she realizes the true severity of the burns. Several red streaks run down the length of her face, clashing horribly with the green of her skin.

It makes her look like some tortured victim of Oz's Great Hundred Year Holocaust.

More red streaks and dots mar her flawless hands, long fingers trembling as she runs an oil soaked cloth over them. The oil helps to sooth the pain but does nothing to help conceal the water inflicted damage done to her skin.

She jumps slightly when she hears Galinda's soft voice call out to her.

"Miss Elphaba is something the matter?" she hears Galinda ask, and it confuses her because she never thought of Galinda as the worrying type.

Elphaba sighs, not wanting Galinda to know about her current situation, it would ensure a lifetime of even greater Hell for her if Galinda were to find out. She hears Galinda's voice again, quieter this time and she has to strain to hear it properly.

"Miss Galinda, you are going to have to speak up…I can barely hear you." Elphaba says, tearing her gaze from the mirror as she looks at the polished wood of the door.

"I have an idea, why don't you open the door?" Galinda replies, a sassy tone added to her voice.

Elphaba is slightly struck down at the girls' snide suggestion but gives her what she wants, bowing her head slightly as she opens the door.

She hears Galinda gasp slightly, and bows her head further, staring down at her brown boots and the carpet.

"Miss Elphaba, why, what happened?" Galinda asks, as she lifts Elphaba's head up so she can inspect the wounds further.

Elphaba tries to pull her face away but in doing so Galinda's fingers brush against a few burn marks and cause her to hiss in pain. Galinda's hands retreat and a look of worry mask her usually perfect features.

"Miss Elphaba, please tell me what happened…" Galinda says, almost pleadingly as she looks into the taller girls' eyes.

It is then that Elphaba realizes that the blonde socialite is genuinely concerned for her wellbeing and she can't help but let the truth slip from her lips.

"I got caught in the rain." Elphaba replies, her voice holds a tone of sarcasm to it.

"I don't need your mockery Miss Elphaba; I just want to know what happened to you. Why is your lip busted?" Galinda replies, a look of annoyance slowly forms on her face as she keeps her blue eyes locked with Elphaba's russet ones.

"I tripped over a student."

"Or did the student trip you? And what in Oz's name happened to your face and hands?" Galinda questions, as she examines Elphaba's burn marks.

"I can't tell you…sorry." Is all Elphaba says before turning to head back into the bathroom.

But she's stopped by Galinda, who holds her forearm firmly with no intentions of letting go until she gets her desired answer.

She drags the taller girl over to her bed and sits her down, glaring at her with a firm expression that almost makes Elphaba laugh if not for the seriousness of the whole situation.

Elphaba begins to protest but is silenced by Galinda.

"Now, Miss Elphaba," she begins, like a teacher to a student. "I want the full story now and no excuses."

Elphaba sighs for she knows that this will be a long explanation.

"After our little fight I headed over to the library and it just so happens that I tripped over a student by accident…nobody tripped me. That's how I busted my lip…what; you thought I got into a fist fight?" Elphaba looks at Galinda with a look of slight disbelief, and then lets out a cackle that startles Galinda.

"It's not funny Elphaba…you could've been seriously hurt. Now, care to explain your burn marks?"

Elphaba's face holds seriousness now, all joking set aside.

"I told you, I can't. You'll publicly terrorize me even more if you knew." Elphaba says, giving Galinda dangerous glare.

"I swear I won't. Just, won't you let me help?" Galinda asks, looking at Elphaba and waiting for a response. Elphaba nods in approval.

"There is a bottle of oil on the counter in the bathroom next to a rag, bring both in please and your mirror." Elphaba explains; hoping that it's a simple task for the blonde to do.

Moments later Galinda returns, oil bottle and all in hand. She perches herself next to Elphaba and proceeds to dab carefully at the cut on her lip. It takes all of Elphaba's self control to not pull away. But she does anyway.

"Elphaba, what's wrong?" Galinda says, not noticing the slip of her tongue and the dismissal of formalities.

"It just stings, that's all." Elphaba replies as she gently eases towards Galinda again.

The gentle dabbing continues.

"So, I ask again, what caused these burn marks?" Galinda asks, lowering the cloth as she looks intensely at Elphaba.

Elphaba shifts uncomfortably on the bed, and averts her gaze, directing it anywhere else but Galinda.

"I-I have a severe a-allergy to water…"

"Well that's certainly…different." Galinda continues her dabbing in silence, letting it settle between each other.

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The rest of the night is uneventful.

Elphaba positions herself on her bed, lounging with a book in hand while Galinda is in the bathroom, removing her makeup and brushing her teeth.

As soon as Galinda re-enters the bedroom Elphaba clears her throat, gaining the attention of her blonde friend.

"Miss Galinda, would it be too much trouble if you brought me the history homework after class tomorrow? I'm not going to be in class the next few days." Elphaba says, referring to her nasty burn marks.

Galinda nods.

That's all she can do because she knows that she can't deny Elphaba's request.

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The two fall asleep on good terms.

Not one nasty word has been exchanged between the blonde socialite and the social misfit.

Elphaba pulls her dark covers up to her shoulders, settling snugly beneath them as she prepares for a dreamless sleep.

Galinda falls asleep immediately; at least, that's what Elphaba thinks.

It isn't until Elphaba is nearly asleep when she hears Galinda's quiet voice resound in the darkness.

"Good night, Elphie."

And Elphaba can't reply because the girl next to her has already fallen asleep, so she just whispers her response.

"Good night, Galinda…"

And with that, Elphaba drifts off into a silent slumber, a slight smile playing at her lips.