Chapter 7
Galinda hadn’t left her dorm in two days. She told anyone who asked that she was sick. Headaches, fatigue, a vague mention of a “fever” here and there. Fiyero had tried to speak to her, but she had sent him away and made it clear she didn’t want to see him. She partly blamed him for giving her the nudge to speak to Elphaba. No one else had appeared at her dorm, but Galinda suspected it wasn’t concern for her health that kept them away. People didn’t linger too long around someone who wasn’t the cheerful, glowing socialite they expected her to be.
She lay on her bed, the curtains drawn tight, her room dim. A half-eaten pastry sat on her nightstand, untouched since the morning. The ache in her chest wouldn’t go away, no matter how many excuses she gave herself.
A sharp knock at the door jolted her out of her thoughts. Galinda groaned, turning over and burying her face in her pillow. Maybe if she stayed silent, whoever it was would go away.
But the knock came again, more insistent this time.
“Galinda?” a familiar voice called. “It’s Nessa. I know you’re in there.”
Galinda sighed, rolling out of bed and padding to the door. She opened it just a crack, enough to see Nessa’s determined expression.
“Nessa,” Galinda said weakly, “I’m really not feeling well.”
Nessa raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “You’ve been ‘not feeling well’ for two days. Let me in.”
Galinda hesitated, but Nessa pushed the door open before she could protest, wheeling herself inside. Her sharp gaze swept over the dim room, the discarded clothes, the untouched food.
“Well,” Nessa said, “this is a sight.”
“I told you, I’m sick,” Galinda mumbled, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Did you just come here to insult me?”
Nessa folded her hands in her lap, fixing Galinda with a pointed look. “You’re not sick. You’re hiding.”
Galinda flinched but said nothing.
Nessa sighed. “Fine. If you won’t tell me what’s wrong, I’ll just get straight to the point. Boq said he saw Fiyero kissing another girl in the dining room yesterday.”
Galinda’s stomach twisted, but she kept her expression neutral. “It doesn’t matter,” she said lightly. “Fiyero and I aren’t together anymore.”
Nessa frowned. “I only told you because I thought you’d be upset.”
“Well, I’m not,” Galinda said, forcing a bright smile. “So you can go now.”
Nessa didn’t move. Instead, she studied Galinda for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Her face softened. “Elphaba told me what happened at the Ozdust,” she said finally.
Galinda froze, her forced smile slipping. “What…what did she say?”
“She said you told her you wanted her,” Nessa said bluntly.
Galinda’s breath caught. Her cheeks flushed as memories of that night flooded back—Elphaba’s wide eyes, her stunned silence, and the way Galinda had panicked, running away before Elphaba could say a word.
“Well…is it true?”
“Why are you bringing this up?” Galinda whispered, her voice trembling.
“Because you’re sitting here, miserable, and I can tell it’s not about Fiyero,” Nessa said, her tone softening. “I’ve never heard my sister talk about anyone the way she talks about you. She told me you came to see her after the performance and that you…” Nessa paused. “That you ran away after telling her that.”
Galinda looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting in her lap. “She was mean to me,” she said quietly. “When I tried to talk to her, she pushed me away.”
Nessa sighed, wheeling closer. “Elphaba might be an idiot some times, but you need to know that she has been told she’s unlovable and unwanted since the day she was born. Being mean is her armour. She pushes people away before they can hurt her.”
Galinda swallowed, her throat tight.
“I’m not saying it’s fair,” Nessa continued. “But I think she was just scared. And I think you are too.”
“I’m not scared,” Galinda said quickly, but her voice wavered.
“I hope that’s true,” Nessa said, tilting her head. “Because if you let her push you away, you’ll regret it. I’ve never seen her open herself up to anyone the way she has with you. She deserves someone that can see what others don’t. She’s a good person and has never deserved any of the cruelty she’s received. I can’t tell you how many nights I heard her cry herself to sleep as a child after other kids were mean to her. I used to feel so helpless and like I was the only one that could see the true her. I never understood the hate. And for what it’s worth…” She hesitated, then added, “I think you see beyond the exterior that everyone else is blinded by. I really hope you see what I see and are brave enough to go for what you really want. For once, try to ignore that voice that worries what others will think. If you want this, really want this, you will have to convince her that your feelings are real because she will never be able to let herself believe she is wanted, not without a fight. I hope you work out what you want because I saw you both watching each other at the Winter Ball and really, I think you deserve each other. I’m rooting for you both.”
Galinda stared at Nessa, her chest tight with conflicting emotions. She wanted to dismiss her words, but deep down, she knew there was truth in them.
Nessa placed her hand on top of Galinda’s and gave her a sad smile, before turning her chair and leaving the blonde girl alone, once again, with her thoughts.
Galinda sat motionless for what felt like an eternity after Nessa left, her fingers still tingling where Nessa’s hand had rested. Her mind was a storm of thoughts, guilt and longing churning together in a relentless tide. She kept hearing Nessa’s words: She deserves someone that can see what others don’t.
For the first time in days, Galinda allowed herself to confront the feelings she had been trying so desperately to bury. The truth was painfully simple: she wanted Elphaba. She had wanted her since that first time she saw her walk on to the stage at the Ozdust. But wanting Elphaba wasn’t the same as being ready to fight for her. Nessa was right, Galinda had been scared, and she was scared.
But what scared her more, now, was the thought of losing Elphaba forever and without even having the chance to really know her.
She stood, pacing the length of her dim room, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her nightgown. What would people say if they found out? Would Elphaba even want to see her after what had happened? Could she fix what she’d broken? These questions tore at her, but one thought stood out among the rest: If you let her push you away, you’ll regret it.
Galinda sank into her desk chair and pulled a fresh sheet of stationery from her drawer. Her hand trembled as she picked up her pen, staring at the blank page in front of her. She hated writing letters. It was so easy to second-guess every word. But if she tried to talk to Elphaba in person without saying what she truly felt, she knew she’d just freeze up or say the wrong thing. No, the letter had to come first. She could apologize, and if Elphaba wanted to meet her…well, she’d figure out the rest then.
She dipped her pen into the ink and began to write.
Dear Elphaba,
I’m not sure where to start. I’ve been replaying that night at the Ozdust in my head over and over, and I hate how I left things. I’m so sorry for running away. I didn’t give you the chance to say anything, and you deserved better than that. You’ve always deserved better than the way people treat you, and that night, I became one of them. I hope you can forgive me for that.
I was scared. Not of you, never of you. I was scared of what it all meant. Of what people would think. Of what I was feeling and how much it terrified me. But Nessa reminded me of something important: that being scared is no excuse to hurt someone you care about.
Because I do care about you, Elphaba. More than I know how to put into words. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever known. You’re brilliant and brave, and you see the world in a way no one else does. And yes, you can be infuriatingly stubborn and sharp-tongued, but…even that feels real in a way that so many things don’t. I think that’s what I’ve always admired about you. You’re real. You’re unapologetically yourself, no matter how much the world tries to tear you down.
I’m rambling now, and I don’t know if this letter is making any sense. I just need you to know that I want to fix this, if you’ll let me. If there’s even the smallest part of you that might want to talk, please meet me at the Ozdust next week when your band is playing. It would mean everything to me to see you. Will you meet me? If not, I’ll understand, but…I hope you will.
Yours (hopefully),
Galinda
She read the letter over twice, her heart pounding harder with every word. It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest. Folding the letter carefully, she sealed it in an envelope and addressed it to Elphaba. For a moment, she hesitated, the old fear whispering in her ear. But then she thought of Nessa’s words, of Elphaba’s wide, startled eyes that night at the Ozdust, and of the ache in her chest that hadn’t gone away since.
Taking a deep breath, she slipped on a coat and left her room for the first time in days. She made her way to the post room, her hands shaking as she handed the letter over to the attendant.
“Urgent delivery, please,” she murmured.
As she stepped back into the hallway, she felt lighter somehow, like she’d set down a weight she’d been carrying for too long. For the first time in days, there was a flicker of hope in her chest.
Now all she could do was wait.