Books firmly set aside, the green girl follows her best friend with a laugh, “I’m coming! Nessa and Boq should be getting out of mathematics soon.”

“Well, it might be nice if it’s just Fiyero, Boq, Nessa. . . Pfannee and ShenShen. But it’s up to you, it’s your celebration.”

“Do you want to invite the whole school? Make it grand affair? Or keep it smaller with just our little circle of friends?”

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. . .

“Dance party at the Ozdust?”

“We should celebrate your advancement!” Elphaba is quick to change the subject.

would have kept her from pursuing anything outside of caring for her sister. Even though Nessa is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And there is a fear that should the Wizard deny her, Frex will drag her right back to obscurity.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes, yeah?”

“Ah. . . Well. . .”

It’s not that she doesn’t want to work with Galinda, but outside of the opportunity to work with the Wizard, well. . . She’s just never thought of what else she could do. Seriously, at least. There had been childhood dreams, but prior to all of this, her father ~

“I’m sure you’ll have no issues convincing him,” she smirks at her friends antics, forever confusified about the significance of the hair toss. But one thing is certain, Galinda is a master at it. Convincing and hair tossing, that is.

“I mean, I don’t see why he necessarily wouldn’t,” she shrugged, eyes speaking with the possibility. “I know he’s not expecting a second sorceress to show up, but two seems better than one to me.”

Green fingers wrap around fair ones as she marvels at Galinda’s confidence. “I believe you can, too. And if you ever need help with anything, you know you only need to ask.”

A grin breaks out, “The Wizard will just have to accept both of us! Sorry, we’re a team, Your Ozness.”

And it all makes her want to melt into the floor. Especially, putting Nessa in such an unintentional spotlight that first day.

“Yes. . . but I didn’t 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 to do those things. Learning to control magic, to use it intentionally and not emotionally was very hard for me.”

𝘉𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦, 𝘌𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘢. 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴. . .

“It took me quite a while to succeed, too. Sorcery can look simple, but it’s actually quite complex.”

Undoubtedly, her new friend has instigated this exchange. Instead of accusing, however, she closes her book, sets it down in her lap, and attempts civility.

“How can I help?”