her name
Something's off.
Their newfound equilibrium built of closely-intertwined hands, of grasping contact and a trust so heavy yet gentle it lies like a blanket of snow, tastes sour this day.
So busy she is watching the rigid stiffness of her roommate's spine, she only realises Dr Dillamond has been calling her name until he slams a hoof against the floor.
"Miss Upland! Would you be so kind as to descend from the clouds that appear to be fogging your brain?"
There's a few snickers, but none of them mean. The class adore her, and picture themselves as laughing with her rather than at her expense.
"Oh, forgive me, sir." Galinda blinks innocently at the board, smoothing a hand over her dress. "What was your query?"
Dr Dillamond grumbles, but lets it slide.
Elphaba has no reaction, which was strange in itself. She had been expecting a roll of the eyes, of a nudge of an elbow and a chastising whisper: Pay attention!
But she is silent, still, and looks as tense as a statue.
The tolling of the bell has chairs scraping, satchels being clasped and swung onto shoulders as students hurriedly prepare to leave.
"And don't forget- Chapter 67 to 180. I want it near-memorized for this Friday. Class dismissed!"
Dr Dillamond trots away, and the enigma continues as instead of waiting for the blonde for them to walk back to the dormitory together, Elphaba floats out with a vacant gaze.
No one else seems to notice anything astray, but Galinda does notice Nessa's eyes lingering on her departing form with a blatant melancholy.
"Are you quite well, Elphie?" She asks quietly at lunch, when there's just enough cover in the chatting of their group for the question to go unnoticed.
Elphaba's barely eating her food, pushing the salad around on her plate as if on autopilot.
"Elphie?" She tries again, and her friend snaps to attention, brows raising.
"Hmm? Oh." Elphaba nods, but her eyes don't properly meet hers. "Yes, thank you."
"You seem distracted."
"Yeah, what's going on with you?" Boq chimes in, and Galinda holds back a wince.
At the continued prodding, Elphaba's hackles raise as she'd feared. "I'm fine." She grunts.
Phannee and Shenshen pause in their rapid conversation of hiring a photographer for a project they're cooking up between them, to stare.
"Right." Boq says uncertainly. "If you say so."
Elphaba makes her excuses shortly after, leaving with her tray mostly full.
"I'll go." Galinda volunteers, after watching Nessa's sad eyes for a few moments. She feels a twinge of anger that Nessa hadn't followed her own sister at the note of distress.
She finds her outside, where gleaming marble slopes down into a stunning pond of shimmering water and neat lily pads.
Elphaba doesn't react to her taking a seat beside her, only stares down at the pond with a stony expression.
Their reflections are still in the tranquil water, the dark of Elphaba's clothes a shocking contrast to her own summery pinks, bleeding into transfixed foliage.
"Come here often?" She jokes.
That gets her a small huff of amusement. Both girls know full well how often Elphaba likes to come here. It's one of the more peaceful spots on campus- even the beautiful arcing fields of dazzling colours are almost always populated by students sprawling in the grass, or taking photographs of the tulips.
"I'm okay." Elphaba says after a while. But it sounds uncertain, as if she's pondering the authenticity of her own statement.
"Okay." Galinda accepts, swinging her pale legs beside long dangling ones clothed in flowing robes. The minutes pass in a smooth fluidity, as they bathe in the sunlight filtering through the wisps of cloud above, the stone warmed beneath them.
Galinda hums contentedly, and doesn't react when she hears a sniff to her right, only drifts her hand closer and upturned.
Elphaba takes it with only a little hesitation, and Galinda smiles to herself, smoothing her thumb along the ridges of mossy-coloured skin.
Their half-hour of peace only returns at the end of the day, as they are forced to resume classes and other chores. Galinda is as peppy and fiery as she usually is, skipping alongside her grumpy roommate, the sun brought down to earth.
When the sky has grown ever darker, and the birds are preparing to draw the curtains of stars, Galinda hears the floorboards creak next to the bed.
"Stop this hovering and sit down, Elphie." She mumbles lightly around the salmon pen in her teeth. Her diary lies splayed open on the satin covers, and as the bed dips beside her she doesn't move to shut it; she knows Elphaba wouldn't read it.
Elphaba is silent, but she can hear her fidgeting, so Galinda carefully caps her pen, slides it back into the rings of her diary and shoves it into her drawer.
She flings herself round, bouncing on the springy mattress. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Elphaba shrugs, and it takes a moment for Galinda to get over the sight of the green girl with her raven braids down, unfurling around her neck and draping over toned shoulders.
Damn, she's beautiful. "Would you like to go for a moonlit walk? You seem restless."
Elphaba rolls her eyes. "I'm fi-"
"Don't try and hoodwink me!" Galinda warns. "You are as iridescent as emerald, and as see-through as a crystal chalice, dear. Your turbulent emotions are evident from leagues away."
The ravennette flinches, and Galinda sighs, scooting closer.
"I'm sorry, that was rude."
"No, it wasn't." Elphaba takes the offered hand, and allows herself to fold into her side. "Your cruelty stopped the second our hands met amidst fluorescent lights. You're just being direct, and rightly so. I've been moping."
"You have." Galinda caresses the side of her cheek, smiling at the note of nostalgia. "Why?"
Elphaba's breathing stutters, and she can feel against the sensitive skin of her neck as her long eyelashes flutter closed.
"Someone very important to me-" Her words are strangled, and Galinda smooths a hand along her back. Her hand starts circles, a repetitive motion coupled with her own exaggerated breaths coaxing her friend to continue.
"You have spoken to me of your childhood nanny, Ama Clutch?"
It's phrased as a question, though nothing in its nature requires an answer; in all, Galinda is pleasantly surprised that Elphaba remembers her name. She told her fleetingly, many nights and homework assignments ago.
She hums encouragingly, smiling. "The kindest and wisest of women. Except for you, of course."
That earns her another amused exhale, and like earlier it heats the space between her ribs with pride.
"I had a nanny." Elphaba blurts out. "H-her name was Dulcibear."