confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Elphie

Boc stands before me, tail between his legs.
"Why don't we get on?" He asks sounding unusually sad.
I don't dare look him in the eyes.
I know why I don't like him, but I don't want to admit it.
"Have I done something to you?"
Boc sounds more persistent.
"Elphaba..." he mumbles, soon his persistency turns to anger "I'm not going to do this with you, if you don't want to tell me, I don't care."

Boc begins to storm off, he marches down the hallway.
"Boc wait." I call after him, he turns around impatiently but stays put.
Defeatedly, I trail over to him.
"I'm jealous" I splutter, "Nessa puts so much more trust into you than me, but I'd  looked after her for eighteen years, I did everything for her when we ran out of Oz, she spend months getting over what happened to you, I don't understand how it's so easy for you and it's not for me!"
Boc looks amazed.
"What happened to me was terrible but I know why she did it, Elphaba your smarter than all of us, perhaps you can figure out why she doesn't want to talk to you."
I stare at Boc with my eyes as wide as saucers.
I feel incredibly upset but he's right.
"Because your her friend and I'm her family."
Boc smiles cheerfully but there's a hint of spite in it.
"My house is five minutes away from here, Glinda has her own suite in the emerald city but she doesn't use it, instead she stays here with you because she doesn't like how the people gush about her." Boc pauses "she stays here because this is her family, Glinda and I are your family, Nessa has been with you all her life, it doesn't mean she loves you any less."

And with that, Boc walks away.
I'm left on my own in the hallway, to deliberate on whats been said.
Slowly, I make my way over to the outside of the room that Nessas in.
Third room in the hallway.
Carefully I open the door just a crack and expect to see Nessa lying in bed but instead she's nowhere to be seen.
I push the door open further and realise she's sat glumly in her chair in the corner of the room.
"Where's Glinda?" I ask, sounding rather interrogational, in truth I'm just annoyed that she's left her alone.
"She went to get me a glass of water," Nessa mumbles, she cranes her neck and peers out of the window.
"And she just left you?" I ask, knowing that I may be pressing to hard considering what Bocs just said to me.
Nessa whips her head around and glares at me.
"And what was she supposed to do?" She cries "cart me to the kitchen, give me a drink and then come back and wait for me to feel dizzy enough to want to lie down?"
I walk over to her bed and perch myself on the edge of it, the mattress is surprisingly soft and the blanket is cool to the touch.

"Are you still feeling dizzy?" I prod anxiously.
Nessa huffs and leans back in her chair.
"Yes but it's fine,"
She places her arm under the sling and expels another mournful sigh.
I hear Glindas shoes tapping there way along the corridor, until finally they draw closer and walk into the door.
Glinda strides forward and hands Nessa her glass of water.
Nessa sips it appreciatively, then hands it back to Glinda.
"Is that better?" Glinda asks, a hopeful smile on her face.
Nessa nods gently and closes her eyes softly, she leans her head against the side of her chair.
"Are you tired Ness?" I ask politely, Nessa open her eyes suddenly and looks glumly at me.
"I suppose." She replies slowly.
I look over at Glinda, she has a plastered smile on her face.
Though it's one she's practiced for years.
Munchkins, no offence to Boc, aren't the brightest of people, so if Glinda smiles, they smile.

"Would you rather be in bed?" I ask.
Nessa glares at me once again.
"Goodness Elphaba, I've got a broken arm, I'm not dying!" Nessa grumbles "I'm perfectly fine where I am."
The room falls silent, Nessa sighs and hangs her head.
"Sorry," she mumbles "I'm just stressed,"
I go to respond, when suddenly Boc calls out for Glinda.
"Oh, what do you want!" She exclaims, rushing out the room.
Nessa looks over at me and sighs.
"Sorry again," she whispers "I'm not in the best state of mind."
I nods gently,
"It's okay, your allowed to be angry with me, I'm the one who broke your arm."
Nessa sighs.
"I'm trying so hard to not become livid with you, I know you couldn't control it." Nessa says shakily.
I move closer to the edge of the bed.
"If I'd have known you were there I'd have controlled it." I say honestly, though I don't know how I would have done that.
Nessa smiles subtlety.
"You can't that's the whole point and that's why I have no place being angry at you for it." Nessa replies.
I stand up and go and lean on the wall beside her.
"I'd never hurt you like that intentionally, I remember how miserable you were last time."
"Oh please don't remind me about that," Nessa says rolling her eyes but she's smiling at least.
"I just wished you hadn't have spoken to Frex, I'm not mad anymore but it still hurts, I think I'm more angry that he left before I could say goodbye."
I put a hand on Nessas shoulder, she shudders when I touch her.
"Didn't you get to say goodbye when he died?"
"No," Nessa shakes her head "he knew he wasn't well, he wouldn't let me in the room, he didn't want me having to bear seeing him pass."
Nessas voice shudders, she sounds on the brink of tears.
"He did love you Ness and I'm sorry that I didn't think better of talking to him."
Nessa shrugs as best as she can with one arm.
"What's done is done," she replies flatly "Elphaba can you put me in bed, please."
She smiles at me whilst tears drip down her face.
I'm glad we're not fighting anymore.