Chapter 28
The first day back at school felt different.
Elphaba wasn’t sure what she expected—the world hadn’t ended just because she and Glinda had kissed on New Year’s. And yet, it was all she could think about.
She had barely stepped through the front doors of Crage Hall before Glinda found her.
“Good morning, Elphie.”
Elphaba tried not to react at the nickname, at the warmth in Glinda’s voice, at the way her eyes softened just for her.
“You’re disgustingly cheerful for a Monday,” Elphaba muttered.
Glinda giggled. “It’s a new semester. Fresh start. Plus,” she added, stepping closer, her voice dropping just enough to make Elphaba’s stomach flip, “I get to see you more.”
Elphaba exhaled sharply, not trusting herself to respond.
As luck would have it, they ended up in a few classes together.
History of Oz II, of course, was still under the unflinching eye of Professor Dillamond.
Literature was new, a small seminar-style class where Elphaba had no choice but to sit next to Glinda unless she wanted to be stuck next to Avaric.
And then there was study hall.
Not just with Glinda—but with all of them.
Boq, Crope, Tibbett, Fiyero. Their group.
Somehow, without needing to say it, they had formed a safe place.
No Pfannee. No Shenshen. No Milla.
No expectations.
Glinda could just be.
Elphaba could breathe.
And when Glinda absentmindedly reached for her hand under the table during their first study hall session, Elphaba didn’t pull away.
Glinda had gotten too comfortable.
She should’ve known it wouldn’t last. That she couldn’t just float between worlds without someone noticing.
It happened in the hall between classes—Pfannee, Shenshen, and Milla cornered her.
“You’ve been impossible to find,” Pfannee said, arms crossed. “Too busy with your new friends?”
Glinda’s stomach dropped.
She forced a laugh, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, stop it.”
Shenshen raised a brow. "Then why have you been so quiet at lunch?"
Milla scoffed. “And you never text us back anymore.”
Glinda felt boxed in. “I’ve just been busy. Cheer tryouts are coming up—I can’t afford distractions.”
Pfannee’s eyes narrowed, unconvinced.
Glinda hated how guilty she felt.
Elphaba was waiting in study hall, tapping her pencil against her notebook.
When Glinda slipped into the seat next to her, Elphaba barely glanced up. “You’re late.”
“Got caught,” Glinda muttered, sinking into her chair.
Elphaba smirked. “By your fan club?”
Glinda shot her a look. “By my friends.”
Elphaba hummed, unconvinced, but didn’t push.
Still, when their hands brushed under the table, Elphaba didn’t move away.
Neither did Glinda.
Tryouts were always brutal, but this year, they were worse.
More girls, more expectations.
Glinda had no room for error. She was captain, the face of the team.
And yet, the only thing distracting her was Elphaba.
She spotted her across the field, sitting with the boys, pretending not to be watching.
Glinda’s heart jumped.
Then Pfannee’s voice cut through her thoughts: “Focus, Captain.”
Right. She couldn’t afford distractions.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
Glinda wasn’t sure when she had started craving this.
The risk. The thrill. The pulse-racing tension of almost getting caught.
It had started as something innocent—brushing hands under the table in study hall, a fleeting glance across the lunchroom, an excuse to walk by each other between classes. But now? Now, it was a game neither of them wanted to stop playing.
She felt Elphaba before she saw her, the familiar presence at her back as she stood in front of her locker. Close. Too close.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Elphaba murmured, voice low enough that only Glinda could hear.
Glinda inhaled sharply. “I have not.”
Elphaba hummed, unconvinced. She leaned in, her breath warm against Glinda’s ear. “Liar.”
Glinda nearly dropped her books. She hated how much she liked this.
But they were in the middle of the hallway. Anyone could see them.
She turned, forcing a smile that she hoped looked normal—not like her heart was trying to escape her chest.“Someone’s feeling bold today.”
Elphaba smirked, stepping even closer. “Someone makes it too easy.”
Glinda wanted to argue. She wanted to push her away and tell her to stop making this so difficult. But instead, she said, “Meet me in the library. Fifteen minutes.”
Elphaba’s eyes flickered with something dangerous. Amusement. Excitement. Challenge.
“Make it ten.”
The library was quiet, the perfect place to disappear.
Glinda’s heart was still pounding when she slipped into one of the back aisles, hidden between towering shelves.
She didn’t wait long.
A moment later, Elphaba was there.
She didn’t hesitate. She moved with purpose.
Glinda barely had time to register it before Elphaba’s hands found her waist, pressing her back against the bookshelf.
Glinda’s breath hitched. “You’re very confident today,” she whispered, eyes gleaming.
Elphaba’s smirk only deepened. “Should I not be?”
And then she kissed her.
It was slow at first—intentional, teasing, in complete control. But when Glinda gasped, fingers tangling in Elphaba’s braids, Elphaba deepened it, pressing her body flush against Glinda’s.
Glinda arched into her, heart hammering, losing herself completely.
Then—
A voice. Too close.
“Glinda?”
They ripped apart, Elphaba’s breath ragged against Glinda’s lips.
Glinda barely had time to recover before footsteps sounded in the next aisle over.
Pfannee.
“There you are,” Pfannee drawled. “You just disappeared after class. What are you doing back here?”
Glinda forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “Just looking for a book.”
Pfannee scoffed. “You don’t read.”
Glinda willed her heartbeat to slow. “I do now.”
From behind the shelf, Elphaba moved—silent, calculated. She pressed herself into the corner, slipping just out of sight, waiting for the right moment. The second Pfannee turned her head toward Glinda, Elphaba was gone.
Glinda exhaled sharply, schooling her face into something neutral.
Pfannee squinted at her. “You look weird.”
Glinda smiled, feigning innocence. “You always say that.”
Pfannee rolled her eyes, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Come on, I need your help picking out a dress for the game after-party.”
Glinda cast one last glance at the empty aisle behind her before following, pretending her hands weren’t still shaking.
This was getting dangerous.
And Glinda loved it.
This was going to get them both in trouble.
She knew it. She should stop. They should stop.
But when Elphaba’s fingers curled around her wrist and pulled her into an empty classroom, the door clicking shut behind them, stopping was the last thing on her mind.
Elphaba backed her against the wall, green eyes flickering with that same wicked challenge. “We can’t keep doing this.”
Glinda smirked, breathless. “Then let me go.”
Elphaba didn’t move.
Glinda knew she wouldn’t.
Instead, Elphaba tilted her head down, lips brushing over Glinda’s jaw. Light at first—just a whisper of contact. Glinda’s breath hitched.
“Elphie,” she warned, but it came out more like a plea.
Elphaba grinned against her skin. “Yes?”
And then she was pressing deeper, mouth trailing down the column of Glinda’s throat, slow and deliberate. Glinda’s fingers fisted into Elphaba’s blazer, gripping like she needed something to ground her.
Elphaba hummed against her pulse point, and Glinda nearly melted. “You like this too much.”
Glinda didn’t bother denying it.
Her hand slid into Elphaba’s braids, tugging just enough to make Elphaba exhale a sharp breath, her grip on Glinda’s waist tightening.
Then Elphaba kissed her.
It was hungry, demanding.
Their lips crashed together, Glinda’s back pressing harder against the wall. Elphaba kissed like she was trying to consume her, like she had been waiting for this all day.
Glinda whimpered against her mouth, her fingers tightening in Elphaba’s braids, her other hand sliding up, resting an arm of Elphaba’s shoulder.
Elphaba pulled away just enough to bite at Glinda’s lower lip before kissing her again, deeper this time, leaving Glinda dizzy and gasping.
Then she moved lower.
Elphaba’s lips found the sensitive skin of Glinda’s neck, kissing, sucking, nipping. Each press of her mouth sent a fresh wave of heat down Glinda’s spine.
She kissed just under Glinda’s jaw, lingering, teasing, then sinking her teeth in slightly. Glinda let out a shaky breath, body arching into her.
Elphaba soothed the bite with her tongue, mouthing at the mark she had just made.
Glinda was going to lose her mind.
Then the bell rang.
Reality slammed back into place. Glinda pushed at Elphaba’s shoulder, breathless, flushed, completely ruined.
Elphaba stepped back, looking obnoxiously composed. Smug. Pleased.
Glinda groaned, smoothing down her uniform. “You’re terrible.”
“You love it.”
Glinda rolled her eyes, but she didn’t disagree.
She almost made it out of the classroom unscathed.
Almost.
Until she saw Pfannee and Shenshen waiting outside, arms crossed.
Glinda froze.
“Where the hell have you been?” Pfannee demanded, eyes narrowing. Then she took a closer look—Glinda’s ruffled collar, her slightly dazed expression, the way she still looked like she was catching her breath.
Shenshen smirked. “Oh, she was definitely up to something.”
Pfannee’s eyes gleamed. “Who is it?”
Glinda choked. “What?”
Pfannee gestured toward her neck. “That.”
Glinda’s stomach dropped.
Her fingers flew to her throat. And sure enough—just under her jaw, barely hidden beneath her collar—was a mark.
Oh. Oz.
Pfannee grinned like a cat with cream. “You’re so obvious.”
Glinda scrambled for an excuse, any excuse, her mind racing.
Shenshen tapped her chin, feigning thoughtfulness. “She was giggling with Avaric after lunch.”
Pfannee gasped. “The basketball team?”
“Oh, definitely the basketball team.”
Glinda almost laughed in relief. They thought it was Avaric.
She could work with that.
So she forced a giggle, flipping her hair. “Please. As if I’d tell you two.”
Pfannee shrieked. “You absolute whore, tell me everything.”
Glinda let herself be dragged away, all while trying not to think about the very green girl responsible for the mark burning against her skin.
She was so screwed.