Green with envy | Wicked | Book 1/3

Nessa

Today is the day that the prince arrives and he's here on the courtyard talking to Glinda.
Of course he's talking to Glinda.
Everything must come so easy to her, she's pretty and popular and well...
She can walk.
Everyone is staring at him, and so am I.
It's hard to look away.
"Fiyero!"
That must be his name
"Fiyero, if you want to party, then I suggest the OzDust Ballroom" Glinda says  loudly,
Fiyero turn to everyone,
"Then it's decided Let's all meet at the OzDust ballroom later tonight" he says, grinning widely.
I hear girls squeal in delight as they begin to rush back into the school one by one.
I'm guessing to plan their party outfit.

I see a munchkin with a funny little hat go over and talk to Glinda, I bury my face in my book as to not be nosey.
Glinda turns away from him and faces Fiyero again.
The munchkin walks away from Glinda and starts to walk towards me!
"Miss nessarose" he says, with a polite squeaky little voice "there's something I'd like to ask you."
I blush and look up from my book.
He grabs ahold of my handles all of a sudden, he's pushing me slightly too fast for my liking but I don't say anything, he moves me user a tree and looks at me awkwardly.
I hate it when people push me out of nowhere, it's like I'm just an object that needs to be moved.
"I have something I'd like to ask you" he announces for the second time.
"You've already said that" I laugh,
He looks down and hold his arm.
"Well you could start by telling me your name" I say quite abruptly.
He's still staring down at the floor, I get conscious of my short skirt and my leg braces that father has decided I must wear, since I broke my leg last year the doctors have told him just how fragile my legs still are and father took action.
"I know they look strange don't they" I say solemnly,
"Huh," the boy says, his eyes dart to my braces "my names Boc and I hadn't even noticed the braces"
Boc smiles at me,
"Not to be rude" Boc says "I've never seen you walk, so why do you wear braces?"
I stare at Boc confused,
"People walk in braces?"
"Yes" he chuckles "did you not know that?"
I want to say,
Look at me, does it look like I know anything about walking?
But I don't, instead I just smile at him,
"You said you wanted to ask me something,"
"Oh yes!" Boc says fumbling with his words, "will you go to the dance with me tonight?"
My goodness, I've never had anyone ask me to dance before.
"I don't know if you noticed but I'm not much of a dancer" I say pathetically,
Boc smiles cheerfully,
"I'm not either, so will you go with me?"
"Yes" I gush.

I meet up with Elphaba in the corridor on the way back to my dorm, she looks bored.
"Elphie I'm so exited,"
She crouches down beside me to see what I have to say next,
"Everyone is going to a dance and I've been asked by Boc" I say clasping my hands exitedly, "he was to shy to ask at first but then Glinda encouragarrised him.."
"Glinda," Elphie cuts me off, rolling her eyes,
"Elphie stop it, I'm about to have the happiest night of my life" I squeal "I'll see you later!"
Elphie pats me on the shoulder and I push myself down the corridor towards my dorm,
"Have fun ness!" I hear her call out to me.

I'm back in my dorm with Madame Morribles assistant, she isn't the one I'm used to, I'm told that my usual one is off with family matters.
So today I have Julia, she's a tall, ginger woman.
I prefer her to my usual.
"So your going out partying tonight?" Julia asks excitedly.
I would love to sit and chat about it, but I'm sat on my chair wearing nothing but tights and my bra and Madame Morrible has this horrible tendency of just barging in and I really don't want her to see me.
"I have a pink dress with a matching headband in my wardrobe somewhere, could I wear that?"
Julia rummages around in my wardrobe and brings out the dress, it's not as beautiful as I remember it being but I don't care.

Once Julia has put my dress on me she passes me my headband, I put it on gently and push myself over to the mirror.
I look odd.
But at least Boc shouldn't mind.
"Nessarose, what shoes do you want to wear?"
I know exactly what shoes I have in mind,
I point over to the box of jewelled shoes that father brought me,
"Those ones please" I say exitedly, Julia carefully takes them out of the box and lifts up one of my feet at a time and places the shoe on it.
"Could you take my braces off?" I ask quietly,
"Very sorry" Julia says "anyone who assists you is under strict rules from Madame Morrible that they only come off when your sleeping."
I blink slowly and look at myself in the mirror again.
I'm so unappealing, I don't understand why anyone would want to invite me to the dance.
Unless...
He just felt bad for me...

This place is magical, I can't believe I've never seen it before,
I can see Glinda and Fiyero dancing together,
"Nessa" Boc says suddenly
"Yes?"
"I have a confession, the reason I asked you hear is because..."
I was right, I feel a sort of sinking feeling in my stomach,
"I know why, it's because I'm like this" I say gesturing towards my chair, "and you felt bad for me"
Boc looks panicked,
"No, no" he protests "it's because... because your so beautiful."
Time stops around us.
Me?
Beautiful?
"Nessa do you want to dance with me?" Boc asks hesitantly,
"Boc I really can't..." I'm barley able to finish my sentence when Boc grabs my chair and pulls be into the crowd of students dancing.
Everyone seems so synchronised.
I start to mumble an apology when Boc pushes me again, through the crowd and back again,
I lift my hands up in the air as he does this.
I'm dancing.
I'm really dancing, with someone who genuinely thinks I'm beautiful, I've never felt happier.