With Love: Galinda (Wicked Fanfic)

Elphaba is feeling lost on Lurlinemas. But Galinda has the perfect way to make it special.

The semester at Shiz was winding down.

Finals were on the go through the week, finally in the home stretch. Lurlinemas was soon. Decorations were strung along the architecture of Shiz, professors perhaps trying their hardest to bring some cheer among the stress. White waves of snow rippled over the landscape in thick, soft layers. Many Shiz students had finished early and departed to their homeland for the holiday. Some were still left behind; among them, Elphaba and Galinda.

On one side of campus, Elphaba walked through the halls. Smooth festive music flowed from the intercoms above and the entrances to classrooms were lined with white snowy garlands. Her green skin was sticky with sweat even amid the cold, having just come from the room of Dr. Dillamond. History exam. Elphaba was confident she did well but her nerves sent emergency signals to her brain regardless. But now, she could finally relax. She realized then, this would be the first break of her university life.

Elphaba never celebrated Lurlinemas, nor did her whole family back home. She could recall her father’s reasoning for that; belief in Lurline was “pleasure faith.” They never had time for that. But, even if such a celebration was custom in their household…Elphaba’s heart sank at the sudden thought. She would have certainly been hidden away from guests and denied the love and generosity she’s since seen during such a time of year. Elphaba did her best not to think about it.

On the other side of campus, there was Galinda. Books and papers were scattered across the dorm room, all for Galinda’s potion making class. The exam for such was the very next day. But Galinda was never like her roommate, studying till the break of dawn and writing until her hands were stiff and sore. No, she had more important stuff to do than look at words all day.

Galinda was seated on her bed. Ink and quills and coloured paper turned the dorm room into a tornado of colour and crafts. Of course she waited till the last minute. Galinda cursed at her procrastination. At least the first half of this project was finished the day before. But Elphaba would’ve had this done in a heartbeat. It had to be perfect, she told herself. Perfect, just for her. She was sure to be back soon.

Galinda just finished when the handle turned and the door swung open. Elphaba stepped in. She froze at the doorway and surveyed the dorm.

“Sweet Oz, Galinda,” Elphaba couldn’t help but chuckle, “what happened here?”

Galinda hopped from the bed and scrambled with papers, books, and materials. She threw some things into drawers and even under the bed as Elphaba could only watch on.

“Well, studying of course! Gotta keep this thing up here,” she tapped her head, “in Shiz-shape!”

Elphaba slid her satchel off her shoulder and hung it off a chair. She sat on her bed and crossed her legs.

“My sweet, you and I both know you wouldn’t be caught dead studying.”

Galinda touched a hand to her chest and gasped amusingly. “Scandalocious!”

Elphaba laughed, her classic cackle making itself known. Galinda moved from her bed over to her roommates and flopped down on top of it. The bed heaved and bounced as they faced each other. She hoped her Elphie couldn’t see the stuff she accidentally left on top of it.

“How’d it go?”

“It wasn’t too difficult. I’m sure it was alright.”

It silently began to snow outside the dorm. Little soft pieces of ice floated down from the vast sky. Outside, the two could see a group of Shiz students exchanging gifts in the snow. Galinda grinned at both the snow and the students below. This quickly reminded her of her project. This was the perfect moment for what Galinda had been anxiously waiting and preparing for. As she began to move to her bed, Galinda just caught the downcast eyes of Elphaba.

She spun on her heels and observed for a moment. Elphaba shifted on the bed and rested her back to the headbroad, bringing her knees up so her head rested atop them. Galinda sat back down.

Her Elphie had spoken many times of her home life. Never celebrating the holidays, her harsh treatment at the hands of her father (who Galinda swore to Oz she’d give a good speech to one day), her responsibility for Nessa. Galinda wondered if the sudden change in mood was the result of a memory of such. Galinda shifted in the bed and approached gently, making room beside Elphaba so they were both snug close together.

“Are you alright, Elphie?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“No, no, Elphie, you’re not. What happened?”

Elphaba shifted her gaze away. It hit her earlier, but only now she started to digest it. This would be the first break of her Shiz life. She didn’t know what that would mean. Would she go home? Would she not go home? Her father certainly wouldn’t care to see her. But part of her knew her father would likely force her departure to Munchkinland regardless. He was controlling like that.

But Galinda already knew that. Elphaba mentioned it before, before exams began. This had to be something different than that. Elphaba swallowed, fingers tightening around the fabric of Galinda’s sleeve. Her voice came out quieter than she wanted.

“I…don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.” She admitted quietly. “Everyone is leaving, celebrating, and being wanted. I don’t have that. I never have.”

Elphaba exhaled slowly and her eyes suddenly flooded. She tried her best to keep any tears, tears for the years of a loveless life, inside. Galinda moved in closer so the two were practically cuddling.

Galinda was silent for a moment. “That may be what you think, Elphaba, but I know that isn’t the truth.”

Elphaba glanced up to look at the blonde whose face had now turned serious. Galinda’s words reminded her of that night after the Ozdust, when Elphaba had confessed her secret about her father. Her mother. Nessa. Perhaps Elphaba was living more lies than she thought she was. Galinda once again shifted on the bed so she was facing Elphaba.

“We have each other. You have me. And I will never again make you feel like you’re not wanted.”

Elphaba sniffed and blinked away a few tears. How did that not cross her mind? Galinda was there. The first to ever make her feel deserving of kindness. She made her feel wanted, needed, loved. More than anyone else ever had made her feel, when others made her feel like a mistake, a hideous person for just existing.

She then remembered Fiyero. Then Boq. Then, the only one from her family that ever cared, Nessa. Blood is thicker than water, Elphaba had always been told. She never truly believed it when her father treated her like a piece of trash rather than a child in dire need of affection and love. But ever since coming to Shiz and finding friendship and belonging, she realized that phrase isn’t always true. They made their own family. Maybe this Lurlinemas wouldn’t be such a bad one after all. Galinda suddenly perked up.

“Idea!” She said in a sing-song voice. “I have the most thrillifying way to lift your spirits! Just give me a clock tick.”

Galinda moved from Elphaba’s bed to her own. She crouched down and peered beneath the bed, eyes scanning for something. Elphaba looked on with confused anticipation, curious about what in Oz’s name Galinda had in store for her.

It took a few seconds, but Galinda finally let out a little squeak of victory and pulled out a decently large, green gift box. Like many of Galinda’s gifts, a pink ribbon adorned with a bubble pattern decorated the box.

Galinda then moved to the drawer. The one that she had thrown a mess of paper and materials into. She searched through the drawer for a moment before she pulled out an unevenly folded piece of shiny ivory paper. She held the paper right in front of Elphaba’s face.

“Tah dah! I made this just for you!”

Elphaba backed up a bit on the bed so her vision was more than a sheet of white paper. It hit Elphaba that this was a card. She took it in her hands. The paper was thick and smelled faintly of ink. A hand drawn snowglobe sat in the middle with a tiny, unmistakable green figure with a pointed hat inside. Surrounding it, a border of stars and swirls in pink marker, some a tad crooked. Fancy lettering in pink ink outlined in green read “For Elphie”. Below, “With love: Galinda.”

Elphaba struggled to find the words. She looked up to see Galinda’s toothless grin. Elphaba opened it up. Glitter appeared to have been used sparingly, until it wasn’t. Some sparkles immediately flaked off. A pressed poppy petal was carefully glued down on the right. On the left, a simple photo from the night of the Ozdust. Written in that same pink ink, the lettering below the photo read, “Lurlinemas, make it our own”.

“Galinda, what is this-?”

“But wait! There’s more!”

Galinda grabbed the green box and thrust it into Elphaba’s hands. She grunted at the sudden force of the box being shoved into her hands. Galinda backed away and stared with sparkling wide eyes with anticipation. Elphaba apprehensively pulled at the ribbon until it untied itself and lifted the cover. Inside, a small book. Elphaba took it in her hands, disbelief crossing her features. Her mouth began to form words before it halted.

It was bound with pink and green ribbons. The cover was the same shiny ivory as the card. Snowy blue tape surrounded a simple but detailed sketch of a snowflake in the middle of the cover. Elphaba glanced over at Galinda who gestured for her to peek through the pages. Elphaba did so. It was slowly dawning on her. Galinda made all this. For Elphaba. It felt abnormal, foreign to her. This was something friends did for each other.

Thick cream pages. Some with bursts of colour. So many pages of affection. Some were adored with affirmations and notes in pink ink. Elphaba noticed a particular note, telling her that she belonged here. Flowers were pressed on the pages and more snowflake sketches, some clumsy, some surprisingly delicate.

But most of the pages contained carefully written memories. Memories from Shiz. Anecdotes, inside jokes, and moments Elphaba could tell Galinda never wanted her to forget. The Ozdust. The day the girls and the others built a tennis net out in the woods. Resting in the vibrant field of poppies. Finally, pressed onto the first page, the very flower Galinda gave Elphaba the day after the Ozdust. Below, a promise. Lurlinemas doesn’t have to be about belief, but about the people who make you feel loved. Elphaba became stuck staring at each and every page.

“Sooooo,” Galinda’s intrusion brought Elphaba out of her little trance. “What do ya think?”

Elphaba spoke, voice smaller than she intended. “Galinda.”

“I don’t typically make gifts for my friends but I wanted to make your first Lurlinemas special so I-“

Galinda was cut off as she was nearly taken off her feet. Elphaba grabbed and wrapped her friend in a giant, crushing hug. Elphaba buried her face into Galinda's shoulder who shook with each of the green girl’s sobs. Galinda rested her head on Elphaba’s and shifted her in her arms so the two were more comfortable.

Galinda’s heart sank, fully realizing the extent of Elphaba’s lost childhood. Never given a gift, let alone a handmade one. Never feeling wanted. It made her blood boil. With Elphaba still in her arms, Galinda gently shushed her and rubbed circles on her back.

They held each other like that for a long time. The snow still continued to fall in light, quiet drifts, as if Oz itself hushed just for the two friends. It silenced the world outside the windows for the time being. The music from the intercoms in the hallways slowed.

Elphaba’s sobs gradually diminished, breaking into scattered, uneven breaths. She pulled away just to wipe the last of her tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her outfit. She chuckled in embarrassment but overwhelmed all at once. Galinda only smiled at her. It made her feel even more seen rather than exposed and humiliated.

“I’m sorry-“

Galinda cupped Elphaba’s cheeks on her hands, pink sleeves brushing against green skin. “No, no apologies on Lurlinemas. It’s forbidden.”

A watery laugh escaped Elphaba despite herself. Galinda smiled, triumphant in getting her friend to laugh. Elphaba took the keepsake back in her hands and hugged it to her chest. For the first time, the holidays didn’t feel like closing doors and harsh glares. But open doors and warm gazes from people who really loved her.

“You really went and did all this.” Elphaba said softly. “By hand.”

“Of course I did.” Galinda replied as if it was the most obvious thing ever. “Anything for my Elphie.”

Outside, laughter faintly echoed. The group of students had begun tossing snowballs and chasing each other across the white blanket. Elphaba moved toward the window, Galinda joining her, shoulders brushing against each other. After a moment, Elphaba chuckled.

“I guess,” she said, voice steady, “the holidays aren’t so terrible.”

Galinda hopped in place and squealed. “That’s the spirit! We’re gonna make cocoa and cookies tomorrow-don’t argue, I’ll find a way-and we won’t study till noon.”

Elphaba raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “You have a potions exam.”

“And you have me.” Galinda countered, beaming. “It balances out.”

Elphaba shook her head in amusement with a smile and leaned slightly into Galinda. For the first time she could remember, Elphaba felt warm inside. Full of memory, full of the quiet certainty that she was no longer in this life alone. Finally, the holidays, Lurlinemas, belonged to her.