confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Elphie

Glinda gently opens up a beautiful red, velvet bag on Nessas bed.
We all stare at it excitedly, I'm hoping she brought the right things.
The contents of the bag are slightly underwhelming, red string, black string, strange crystals and a few sticks.
Apart from the crystals nothing seems to exiting, but I'm sure we will have a good time regardless.
I hope so.
Nessa shakily sits herself up further and mother pulls a chair, admittedly one that I was going to sit on, beside Nessas bed.
She takes a seat and Glinda and I stand on the opposite side.

Abruptly, mother throws her hand out and takes ahold of Nessas, who jumps at the sudden movement.
She's quick to calm down but mother looks as though she may erupt with tears, too much stress could cause Nessa to get worse, so I decide to start our activities.
"Right," I say clasping my hands "were going to be making charms."
Nessa rolls her eyes, in quite hurt.
"You said this yesterday," she moans "what are theses charms actually going to do?"
"Good luck," I reply enthusiastically.
"Wonderful," Glinda chimes, I can hear the room growing impatient, Glinda taps her foot against the hard wooden floor.
"Fine." Nessa reply's sounding reluctant, "what do we do?"
I smile briefly as I instruct everyone on what to do.

I watched as Nessas shaky hands begin to wrap the three around the stick and crystal, carefully she binds then together.
"Now once your done, you make a wish." I announce.
Glinda closes her eyes and brings her charm up to her face, she scrunches her nose excitedly, like a child wishing for sweets.
I reach behind me and grab ahold of the Grimmere.
I carefully flick to the bookmarked page.
"Elphaba what are you doing?" Mother asks,
"Just skimming." I reply hastily.
There, I found it.
The charm activation spell.
Carefully whisper the words from the book under my breath.
Once I'm finished I hear Nessa and Glinda gasp.
I rest my spell book back on the table behind me.
"Elphaba look!" Mother cries out in delight,
I peer at the charm in Nessarose's hand.
The crystal is glowing brightly.
"You should make your wish again." I say calmly.
Nessa and Glinda divas they're told.
As they make their wishes I watch carefully as the light slowly dies out.
"I have to admit, that was pretty magical." Nessa whispers.
I smile cheerfully to myself.

Abruptly, mother stands up and leads me out of the room.
Confused, I follow her.
She has an fed up expression and she looks ever so tired.
"Elphaba." She says pausing slightly "your dads in love with me."
It's such an abrupt and odd thing to say that I burst out laughing, mother doesn't look amused.
"Sorry," I mumble quickly "I just don't mind at all, though it depends on if you love him back."
Mother strokes one arm with the other.
"I don't not love him, but I have to look after my daughter." Mother replies, a guilty look strung about her face as she gestures towards Nessas current room.
"There's five of us here that will look after Nessa we will all..."
mother cuts me off.
"I just feel that i need to make up for the lost time, your so grown up, I just don't feel that you need me as much."
She's right, I don't need her as much as Nessa does.

We Both shuffle back into Nessas room, I have hopes that she may be asleep, but instead she's staring up at the ceiling, I gaze at her carefully as she draws sharp painful breaths.
"Five days." Nessa mutters "five days" she repeats "until that Doctor comes back and probably give me more bad news."
Glinda furrows her brow and puts her hands on her hips.
"Don't say that Ness." She chimes, trying to sound positive but I can tell she struggling."
"Even if I don't say it, it will still be true, I'm hopeless" Nessa wails, suddenly wincing violently.
She lets of a brief cry of pain, then falls silent.
Glinda turns to me, strategically facing away from Nessa.
"She's getting worse." She mouths worriedly.
I nod subtlety and mother puts a hand on my shoulder before going off and kneeling at Nessas bedside.

"Do you think I'm prone to illness or I'm just extremely unlucky?" Nessa grumbles sarcastically, I can't help but chuckle, she's always getting ill to the point where it's less usual to see her on full health.
"Bit of both." I reply bluntly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see mothers recoil from nessas, as she pulls herself under the blankets.
Mother, Glinda and I all stare wide eyed at eachother, unknown to what Nessa wants by retreating under the duvet.
"Ness..." my voice rising in pitch.
"What?" She reply's snappily.
"There's no need to be like that Nessarose." Mother reply's firmly, but I can see that she doesn't really want to say it.
"I'm sorry" Nessas sudden tearful voice shaking from underneath the blanket "I'm just so fed up of feeling awful and I want to be alone but I can't and I want to be at work but I can't and..." Nessa suddenly pauses, I can hear her suddenly cry out in pain.
"And theses stupid twinges, I just want everything to be okay again!" Nessa pours.
Mother throws the blanket off of her face, she's almost soaked in tears.
Gently, mother sits her up and hugs her ever so gently.
"And I'm a twenty year old woman who still needs hugs from her mother," Nessa laughs through teary eyes.

Glinda puts her hand to my ear,
"A twenty year old woman with the body of an eighteen year old." She whispers.
I raise my eyebrows and tilt my head towards her.
Glinda does the same back.
"Mum, I'm okay." Nessa says suddenly sounding uncomfortable, "you really don't have to hold me for this long."
"I'll hold your for twenty minutes," mum suddenly sounds tearful "one for each year I missed."