Accidents Will Happen

Chapter Four

A small group of students arrived at the lab no more than a few seconds after Galinda's bottom had touched down on her chair. She cast them a fleeting look, but they weren't even loosely associated with her or any of her friends. Overcome by a sudden wave of fatigue, she let her folded arms slide forward on the table and wearily rested her head on top.

Oz, she really hadn't expected that painful pang in her chest when Elphaba had so casually exposed her pathetic, little strategy of deception and pretence. Perhaps it didn't seem like much for someone like Elphaba to expect that Galinda at least acknowledge that interacting with the 'green freak' wasn't at all as horrific and unpleasant as generally assumed. For someone like Galinda, however, too much was at stake. The higher she soared, the further she might fall. It was a principle she'd accepted and followed ever since primary school. Just like a leopard, she couldn't easily change her spots. Was she really such a terrible person for not being willing to risk her status and popularity on behalf of a girl she hardly even knew?

"Rise and shine!"

The sound of Pfannee's voice and the touch of her hand on Galinda's shoulder made her jump. She blinked twice, then lightly rubbed her hands over her face.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" asked Shenshen empathetically.

"Not particularly," lied Galinda.

Truth be told, she'd slept just fine, except for the fact that she'd gotten up far too early again just so she could still make it to lab prep. Neither that, nor her distress over Elphaba's disapproval of her personal coping mechanisms were reasons she was willing to voice though.

At the end of class, Galinda took just long enough with clearing her desk of the dirty beaker and the sad remains of her dyed strawberry DNA for her friends to go ahead without her. Thus being the last student of her stream to leave the room, she gathered enough courage to murmur a quiet goodbye in Elphaba's direction.

Elphaba, for her part, looked up, which supposedly meant that she'd heard the soft words, yet didn't reply. It made her wonder whether she'd really hurt her feelings earlier, or whether she simply couldn't be bothered acting civil with her if Galinda herself wasn't actually fully committed. The more she considered this notion, the more annoyed she got.

She understood, to some degree. On the other hand, why did it have to be all or nothing? Why couldn't Elphaba simply be happy that Galinda was talking to her at all? It was a whole lot better than plainly ignoring each other, wasn't it? This lab camaraderie, their secret, circumstantial almost-friendship; Galinda had to admit that she kind of liked the unconventional nature of their relationship. As long as it didn't spill over into other aspects of her life to create confusion and havoc, of course. Was that so wrong?

She was glad that she wouldn't have much time to keep pondering over her minor predicament. While she usually spent the two hours between bio and her next architecture class with readings and research for her upcoming essays, she and Milla had other plans that day.

They met up at Uni Square, and together they walked to the botanical garden. Milla wore a cute, fur-trimmed, white coat that flared out at her waist like a skirt. Her Leggings were black, as were her shoes, bar the light grey rabbit fuzz that covered the front. Her red hair was carefully coiffed and half pinned up with sparkling clips. When they reached the old greenhouses at the heart of the park, the girls stopped, and Milla produced a heavy camera from the depths of her bag. Carefully, she put the broad strap around Galinda's neck.

"You do know how to use one of these, right?" she giggled as Glinda studied the camera's numerous buttons and digital interface.

"Yeah, sure. Popsicle has a similar one back home in Frottica. At least I know enough about the basics to shoot a decent picture. It's just for a dating app, not a model magazine."