Title: Atrocious

Pairing: Gelphie

Location: Shiz

Rating: T

Timeline/Universe: School years/Booksical

A/n: Hopefully a good mixture of book and musical.

Galinda flounced into the room and shut the door noisily per usual. Elphaba glanced up from her book briefly, the scent of Galinda's perfume filling the air. She was fighting a losing battle, trying to concentrate on her book. Galinda had been wearing that perfume all week and every time she caught a good whiff, Elphaba couldn't help but lose her train of thought. It smelt like peppermint and honey, and for some reason reminded Elphaba of a memory long forgotten. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You seem lost in thought." Galinda commented absently.

Elphaba shook her head. "Not particularly."

Galinda scoffed. "What a horrible lie. You're always thinking. You spend more time thinking than anyone I've ever met." Her shoes dropped to the floor with a thud. She then proceeded to take down her hair and brush it out.

"What a wild generalization." Elphaba responded, trying to refocus her attention on her book.

"Well, what are you reading tonight, Miss Elphaba?" Galinda asked, redirecting the conversation.

"A book on amphibians." She replied, turning the page at last.

Galinda wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ew, like salamanders and frogs?"

Elphaba nodded, not bothering to voice a reply.

"Yuck." Galinda repeated, glancing out the window at the waning daylight. She reached over her bed to draw the curtains, sighing at the silence that had enveloped the room. Once again Galinda found it irritating how losing the attention of her sullen roommate bothered her so. Devising a quick plan, she plopped down on Elphaba's bed and looked at the book over her roomie's shoulder. But Elphaba seemed to take no notice.

"So what does it say about frogs?" Galinda asked, her breath tickling Elphaba's cheek. "If kissed do they really turn into a prince?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "This book is fact, not fiction, Miss Galinda."

Galinda shrugged and leaned back against the wall. She watched Elphaba read for a few minutes before succumbing to boredom. Well this just won't do. She thought.

"Sit up." Galinda urged.

"What for?" Elphaba asked sharply.

Galinda sighed in exasperation. "Just sit forward."

Elphaba glanced at Galinda briefly before reluctantly shifting forward.

Galinda positioned herself so she could reach Elphaba's hair. She began to undo her roomie's braid, running her fingers idly through the silky locks. Elphaba squirmed slightly, her shoulders stiffening. Galinda barely suppressed a grin upon noticing her roommate's uncomfortableness with the situation. Galinda hummed a little tune while continuing to run her fingers through Elphaba's hair. She thought she heard Elphaba take in a deep breath. To Galinda's complete surprise, Elphaba set the book down in her lap, leaning back slightly into Galinda's touch.

"Where did you get your perfume?" Elphaba asked out-of-the-blue.

Galinda paused in her task at hand. "I can't remember. It was lost for a long time. I found it again about a week ago. I really should clean more often. Who knows what else I've misplaced." Galinda chuckled a bit at her own expense. "Why do you ask?" She added, resuming running her fingers through Elphaba's hair.

There was a long pause. "I'm uncertain." Elphaba squirmed. "It was silly of me to ask. There was no reason."

"You're a terrible liar, Miss Elphaba." Galinda smirked, wrapping her roommate's hair in a bun and beaming proudly at her work.

"There. Its still out of your way, but not in that horrid braid"

Elphaba returned Galinda's smile, their eyes locking briefly. Suddenly, Elphaba was overwhelmed with the closeness of her roommate. It was suffocating.

"I should go." She insisted, scrambling up from bed and grabbing her cloak.

"Now?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba thought she heard disappointment in Galinda's voice, but hurried for the door nonetheless.

"Yes, I'm supposed to meet Boq." She grabbed a different book.

"Well... okay..." Galinda trailed off.

It was the last thing Elphaba heard as she bolted from the room.

Boq chuckled to himself as he watched Elphaba push her way through the crowded street. She came in, a swish of black cape, nearly knocking over a few patrons on her way over to the table.

"You've got what I need?" She asked, taking the cloak from her shoulders in one quick movement and settling in across from him.

"Why you're right this weather is strange. I'm quite fine thanks for asking. So are the rest of the boys." Boq replied, a wry smile on his face.

Elphaba sighed in exasperation. "I don't have time for particulars."

She handed him the book he had given her last time. He traded it with her for a new volume.

"Where are you rushing off to?" Boq asked, taking in her slightly flustered state. "Had I known I wasn't going to be your only social engagement of the afternoon I would've made sure not to order you tea."

The book clattered to the table and Elphaba shot him a baleful glare.

Boq couldn't suppress his grin. "So now you must converse with me. Tell me Elphie, what has you so riled up? Is Dr. Dillamond on the verge of a break through? Or have students been teasing you for your verdigris again?"

"Nothing. Neither. Perhaps its the weather." Elphaba said, glancing outside as if to prove a point. "If Dillamond was on the verge of a break through do you really think I'd be here?" She said as if Boq's questions were just sinking in. "And yes, of course, I'm so unused to being taunted it's effected my composure so completely."

Tea was brought to the table and Boq took a sip of his, grimacing. He pulled something out of his pocket and stirred his tea with it.

"So what is it then?" He asked, taking another sip and seeming pleased.

"If you keep pestering me you'll have no one to interrogate. Besides, I'm sure you'd much rather hear what Galinda's been up to." Elphaba insisted, taking a sip from her cup.

"Quite, right." Boq nodded. "Peppermint stick?" He offered, holding one out.

Elphaba nearly choked on her tea. "No. I'm fine."

Boq shrugged. "I thought the tea needed something extra. It is that time of year after all. Ah, well, since you brought it up, how is Miss Galinda?"

"Fine. I'd assume." Elphaba shrugged.

"Surely you talk some at least. Has she mentioned me?" Boq pressed, stirring the peppermint stick around in his tea.

"We talk, it's true. But she's mentioned no one special to her if those are your hopes." Elphaba continued, draining the last of her tea.

"Ah, but if there's no one else then she could be thinking on me. Whenever her face gets flushed, or her eyes are filled with a certain spark..." Boq trailed off, composing sonnets to Galinda's beauty.

Elphaba laughed. "Still a fool in love."

"Yes," Boq said, a fierce spark in his eye. "And I intend to be until I win her heart."

"That may take an awfully long time." Elphaba glanced outside. "Oh, wonderful." She groaned.

"Why! It's snowing!" Boq said happily. "I bet it'll blanket the entire school grounds before you know it." His smile soon faltered. "Well it can't be quite as bad as rain."

Elphaba grimaced, securing her cloak. "No, much worse." A flash of green fingers was all Boq received as a good-bye; soon all he could see was the back of a black cloak disappearing down the street.