Just a short one shot I'm writing in honor of Exam time……. (Evil music plays). Yeah, you get the picture. I am a study freak, but my therapist (aka my annoyed family members) says that taking breaks helps avoid panic attacks…….

Welcome to my way of not freaking out!

Exam Cram

Elphaba Thropp slammed her Life Science book shut, it resounded throughout the room like a sign from the Unnamed God. It was over, she had been studying like a madman ever since Exam week began and now she was finished studying for her tests tomorrow. Elphaba had an almost OCD way of studying, all of her notes from each class got a folder. Then after shorting out what she needed, Elphie went through the review sheets answering every single question and writing down on a separate piece of color coded paper. Then she went through and put stars by the stuff she just couldn't seem to remember before putting the color coded notes into their respected flooders. And this was only the green girl's organizing process. The rest of the time was spent studying……from 6:00 am till midnight. Tonight was the night before exam day and Elphaba had gone over her notes for each class countless times. Finally the clock struck midnight, just when she put her final notes away.

Elphaba looked rather satisfied with herself and was just preparing to get to her most coveted bed. She had almost pulled the covers over herself when her dormitory door flew open.

"HI Elphie!" Glinda squealed as she slammed the door.

Elphaba groaned, not really prepared for her perky roommate's entrance.

"Oh, sorry were you asleep?" the blonde asked suddenly concerned.

"Unfortunately no"

"Oh, well in that case Fiyero and I had the best time together!"

Elphaba sighed knowing full well that once Glinda had something to say about the boy she wouldn't stop until she told somebody.

"So, did Fiyero and you get any studying done?" Elphaba asked interrupting Glinda's narration.

"It's rude to interrupt……SWEET OZ I FORGOT ALL ABOUT STUDYING!" Glinda suddenly screamed.

Elphaba was disturbed by Glinda's outburst and almost rolled out of her bed.

Glinda began frantically running about the room like a panicked animal, gathering her books. Elphaba's eyes widened upon seeing the mounds of paper stuffed crudely into Glinda's textbooks. Glinda meanwhile seemed on the verge of tears but instead of crying, she was starting to hyperventilate. Elphaba tried to convince herself to pull her quilt over her head and go to sleep without a care in the world. But Glinda's panicked breathing told her otherwise. Elphaba grudgingly rolled out of her bed and knelt next to Glinda on the floor. Study guides and notes were everywhere and Glinda was currently having a panic attack.

Elphaba grabbed Glinda's shoulders forcing the other girl to look her in the eye.

"Glinda calm down you will get this done." Elphaba said sternly.

"I…..can't…..there's too much…..I…..can't" Glinda squeaked out between strangled breathes.

"Yes you can, now take and deep breathe."

Glinda continued to hyperventilate.

"Glinda for the love of Oz breathe!"

Glinda took a shaky breathe.

"Ok, now let it out slowly…." Elphaba instructed.

Elphaba noticed her friend's shoulders relax after doing this and released her grip.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Fine, thanks" Glinda replied softly.

"No problem"

Elphaba once again surveyed the mess, "We best get started."

Glinda watched as Elphaba started sorting notes into piles according to subject. Was Elphaba actually doing what she thought she was?

"Um Elphie what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to help you study." Elphaba almost couldn't believe her own words.

She suddenly felt Glinda pull her into a constricting hug so hard that it would have given a python a run for its money.

"Thank you, thank you Elphie!"

"Your welcome….." Elphaba managed to squeak out.

After releasing her, Elphaba got to work on helping Glinda sort her notes and transfer them to note cards.

"Glinda, why is it that the poles give off more EMR than they receive?" Elphie asked, giving Glinda a pop quiz.

"Like I'd know anything about that." She answered laughing.

"Um…..that was one of your study guide questions for science."

"Oh, this is bad isn't it?"

The green girl answered with a wary smile, it was going to be a long night.

After 4 hours of studying both girls were exhausted. Glinda was currently leaning up against her bed nodding off every so often and Elphaba was sitting beside her, also teetering on the verge if sleep.

"The fourth ruler of Oz was……" Elphaba asked through yawning.

She was answered with silence from the blonde girl next to her.

Elphaba moaned from frustration and lack of sleep and elbowed Glinda in the ribs, jarring her awake.

"Um….sorry what was the question?" she asked sleepily.

Elphaba repeated the question and Glinda answered it incorrectly.

"Face it; we're both to tired to study anymore. Maybe we should call it a night; after all you've improved loads since we started."

Elphaba felt Glinda lay her head on her shoulder.

"Glinda, wake up."

"The answer is 4!" Glinda said snapping awake.

"Glinda, go to bed." Elphaba repeated.

"That sounds good." She answered slurring slightly.

Elphie watched as Glinda collapsed on her bed, she chuckled to herself before crawling over to her own bed for some well deserved rest.

Early the next morning, Glinda was awoken by the ominous ringing of her alarm clock calling her to her doom. The blonde closed her eyes and prayed that it was all a bad dream and that she really didn't have to get up. But as the ringing persisted she rolled out of bed and got ready for the day in dream like state. When she had finished curling her hair Glinda remembered that she still had to get her notes together. With this in mind she scrambled out of the bathroom to get to work. But much to her surprise, her books and folders were neatly stacked on the desk. Glinda rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't just dreaming. Nope, she was awake. Glinda walked over and gathered her books but paused when she saw a green sticky note on the top book.

Good Luck, Glinda!

Was written on it in Elphie's curvy script. Glinda smiled, so that's why her books were together. The green girl must have gotten up earlier then her and done it when she was still asleep. Glinda made a mental note to thank Elphie for everything after school that day.

When Glinda walked into her first class an odd feeling of calmness seemed to overtake her. All of her friends were currently freaking out, and for once she didn't share their panic. She prayed that it wouldn't wear off as soon as the exam was placed in front of her. But luckily it didn't, and the calm, collected feeling lasted all day. All of Elphaba's goofy or weird tricks to memorize things actually worked! After exams Shenshen came over to join Glinda at a table in the lodge.

"Gosh, weren't exams hell?" she remarked flopping on the chair.

"Actually I didn't have a problem with them." Glinda replied smugly.

"What did you and Fiyero actually study on your date?"

"Of course not, don't be stupid!"

"So you just don't care?"

"No, I had a great tutor."

"The night before exams?"

"Yes, I'll have to thank her later."

"Dang, who'd you get to teach you at midnight?"

"Well, Elphie was kind enough to…."

"Wait, hold up Elphaba? The green freak?" Shenshen remarked, her eyes wide.

"Well she's hardly a freak, but yes that Elphaba."

"Glinda, you hate her remember?" Shenshen reminded.

"You know she's not all that bad. Anyone who's willing to stay up till all hours to help a friend study is pretty nice in my book." Glinda snapped.

Shenshen looked a bit thrown off by this, but regained her composure.

"Sweet Oz, Glinda what has she done to you."

Glinda stood up and with a saucy flip of her golden locks left the lodge and a confused Shenshen behind.

Elphaba was sitting on her bed, preparing to take a well deserved nap. Now that exams were over, she could kick back and relax.

"Elphie!"

Then again, maybe not.

"Glinda, I really don't have time to listen to how Fiyero holds his pen in his right hand for the first half of class and then switches to his left at the end of class..."

"No Elphie, not that! But you picked up on that to?" Glinda asked curiously.

Elphaba turned a darker shade of green, which Glinda thought was possibly blushing for the green girl.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything. I've never felt so confident about exams before!" Glinda squeaked happily.

"Anytime Glinda……on second thought never again, I'm so tired." Elphaba replied smiling.

"Thank you so much!" the overly perky girl said as she threw her arms around Elphaba pulling her into a hug.

'What is it with this girl and hugs?' Elphaba thought still not used to being hugged by anyone.

"Well, Fiyero and some of the other people are going out tonight in honor of exams being over you want to come?" Glinda asked releasing Elphaba.

"I really don't think I'd fit in…"

"Oh, nonsense Elphie with my help dare I say it you'll be…..popular!" Glinda said dramatically.

Yes, this seemed like a good place to end this one. And I'd like to thank you all for reading my version of stress relief. Please review!