A/N: I'm so sorry for my delinquency regarding my *cough*summer*cough* challenge. It seems to have turned into a fall challenge. This summer was more hectic than I had anticipated, and my writing unfortunately had to be pushed aside for a bit. Anyway...at long, long last, here's the first chapter of my challenge!

"Elphaba, please?"

"No." It was one of the few times in her life that she had denied her sister. But this was ridiculous.

"Oh, c'mon Elphie, it'll be fun!"

"Then the two of you go on and have a blast," she responded dryly, this time to Galinda.

The blonde sighed. Even with her head buried in a book, Elphaba could hear Galinda pouting. It was kind of amazing. "But Elphie, it's Shiz tradition!" she whined. "All the sophomores prank each other this week!"

Elphaba was not moved. "The fact that something has been done before does not mean I have to do it again."

There was silence for a while, the girls stumped on what argument to make next. Finally, Nessarose spoke. "Let's just go, Galinda. She'd just be a buzz-kill, anyway. Elphaba's never any fun."

Despite Elphaba's resistance, the conversation had been light-hearted up to that point. Elphaba may have been irritated with her sister and best friend, but Galinda had seen through her annoyed exterior, and had recognized that her roommate was at least somewhat amused by their wheedling. But the atmosphere changed at Nessarose's harsh comment, and though Elphaba quickly covered it up and composed herself, Galinda could tell that she had been hurt by her sister's assessment of her.

Galinda regarded Nessarose reproachfully, then turned back to Elphaba. "You said you wanted to be popular. To do that, you have to have school pride! Take part in tradition!" she enthused.

Elphaba sighed. "I never said I wanted to be popular, Galinda. This," she motioned to her hair, worn loosely instead of in her typical tight braid, and to her face, accented with the makeup Galinda had insisted she start wearing on a daily basis, "was your idea," she finished dryly.

"And it was a good idea," Galinda pointed out. "So is this," she said stubbornly.

Elphaba sighed again, defeated, and put down her book. "What do I have to do?" she asked resignedly.

Galinda squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing slightly. Nessarose smiled.

***

Elphaba leaned against the wall outside the boys' laundry room. After a few minutes, she shifted uncomfortably.

"Galinda, really, how much longer?" she called.

"Elphie!" The other girl hissed. "Don't talk to me! You're not being a very good look-out."

"Oh, Oz," Elphaba moaned, exasperated.

All was silent for a few minutes more. Then suddenly—

"Elphaba! Hi!"

She glanced up, startled. "Oh…uh, Fiyero. What…I mean…what are you doing here?" She could feel herself blushing, and trying to consciously stop doing so seemed to only make her blush more.

"I live here. And occasionally wash clothes here," he joked gently, with that damned half-smile that prevented her blush from fading. "But what are you doing here?"

"Well…" she thought quickly, her irritation about being pulled into this at all resurfacing. "The machines in Crage Hall are all full. But I really needed to do laundry, so…"

"So." He responded with a nod. She found herself trying to think of a good reason to prevent him from going in and catching Galinda and Nessarose in the act, but then she suddenly realized that he didn't seem in any particular hurry to get his clothes into the dryer.

She glanced at him again, and noticed him watching her amusedly.

"What?" she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"You've been…Galinda-fied," he observed.

She looked away, not knowing how to respond.

"You don't have to do that, you know," he said softly.

Galinda and Nessarose chose that moment to emerge from the laundry room.

"Hello, dearest," Galinda greeted him cheerfully, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "Did Elphie tell you about the machines? It's dreadful, really, having to haul all our clothes over here." She sighed dramatically.

"I'm sure it is," he said with a grin, glancing back at Elphaba, who wouldn't quite meet his gaze.

"Well, we must be off!" Galinda said, oblivious. "Still on for tonight?"

Fiyero nodded. "Eight o'clock."

*

At eight-oh-one, there was a knock on the girls' door. As Galinda was still in the bathroom getting ready, Elphaba went to answer it.

Fiyero stood on the other side. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh, and to remind herself how ridiculous this all was.

"Machines broken, huh?" He asked dryly. He held up a bright pink camisole. "This somehow got mixed in with my whites."

She smiled, and finally managed to choke out, "So I guess…you've been Galinda-fied?"