Chapter Text
It starts by accident.
Elphaba is used to the insults and the green jokes- she’s heard every version of them by this point in her life. Galinda isn’t even all that imaginative, calling her things like ‘green bean’ and ‘artichoke.’ She’s heard better, honestly. It’s almost amusing.
The prank war, though, that’s different. When Elphaba had shoved her way out of the mess of Galinda’s pink luggage to find her smirking at her that first morning, she’d been overwhelmed with rage. Or- she thinks that’s the right emotion. Whatever it was, she was going to get back at the blonde.
Piling all those ridiculous suitcases onto her bed had taken ages-- she’d even skipped class to finish it--but it had totally been worth it for the look on Galinda’s face when she’d stormed out onto the balcony. Elphaba had been the one smirking then, and oh had it felt good!
It snowballed from there. Elphaba would rearrange all of the bottles and makeup containers (she doesn’t even know what half of them are) on Galinda’s vanity. Galinda would “accidentally” turn all of Elphaba’s white laundry pink. Elphaba would spend as long as she could in the shower so that it was sure to turn cold as soon as Galinda tried to take hers.
Oh, it made Elphaba’s blood boil just thinking about the other girl. Galinda Upland had to be the most irritating, insufferable roommate in all of Oz!
Not that she was keeping score or anything, but Elphaba felt like she was losing in their little ‘prank war’ or whatever it was. She was no longer getting the satisfaction of seeing Galinda’s enraged face whenever she was met with one of Elphaba’s clever tactics. Galinda, surprisingly, had perfected the art of complete indifference. Even though Elphaba knew she had to be screaming on the inside.
Cold showers? Very much not Galinda Upland approved. But somehow, she finished her entire routine and walked out of the bathroom with her chin up and her smile victorious. Honestly, getting no reaction from Galinda was somehow even worse than getting insulted. It felt wrong.
Elphaba didn’t know how to up her game, though. She wasn’t even sure she should. A small part of her could admit that what they were doing was petty and childish and that she didn’t want to cross a line. It was immature, especially for Elphaba who was the older of the pair. But she couldn’t help it. Galinda was just…she was infuriating!
Her most recent idea, brilliant as it is, though, came to her by accident. It had been a completely normal day, and the girls were sparring in the courtyard during class. Figures that they’d somehow end up as sparring partners, too. A perfect reflection of their tumultuous relationship.
Galinda is…actually quite good at sparring. She’s light on her feet, spinning out of Elphaba’s reach with the grace of a dancer, quick to strike but hard to touch. Elphaba would almost be impressed if she wasn’t so busy being annoyed by losing.
It was the first time Galinda managed to knock her completely off her feet, the whole class laughing as Galinda stood triumphantly over her prone figure.
“Well. Looks like even beanstalks can get chopped down,” she’d said. She’d hummed haughtily and tossed her hair to the cheers of the crowd.
The insult didn’t even phase Elphaba by that point. But she was just tired of them, tired of wanting to constantly shout ‘Yes! I’m green! Deal with it!’ She couldn’t do that, however, so she just sighed, picking herself up off the ground and letting whatever came to mind tumble off her lips.
“At least this beanstalk gets to say she was chopped down by the prettiest girl in school. That oughta count for something.”
And it’s so stupid really, because Galinda must get told she’s pretty nearly every other hour. The students of Shiz adore her, they pile her with praise. But for some reason, when Elphaba said it, Galinda had frozen. She’d blinked up at Elphaba with a complete lack of words.
And Elphaba had felt a smile stretch across her face. No- not a smile. A smirk.
“What? Not going to say ‘thank you’? Why that’s so unlike you, Galinda.”
Galinda had blinked quickly, her victorious smile slipping into a scowl. “Ew, I don’t want compliments from you,” she’d spat back. But it had lacked its usual fervor.
One of Galinda’s annoying friends--Pfannee, Elphaba is pretty sure--came tumbling up to them, having only caught the last bit of what Galinda had said.
“Compliments? Oh my Oz, did the green thing actually try to compliment you?” he’d cackled with laughter, turning to face Elphaba. “What? Did you finally come to your senses? Here to beg Galinda for a spell to turn you into a 'real girl'?”
Elphaba had felt her anger flare--she hated Galinda’s friends--when another voice had interrupted. ShenShen, of course, who Elphaba hadn’t even noticed was there.
“Pfannee, Pfannee,” she’d chanted, tapping his shoulder several times and giggling to herself. “What if she likes Galinda? What is it they say? About little boys who are mean to a girl?”
The pair had doubled over laughing, Pfannee nearly hysterical. “Oh Oz, could you imagine?!” he’d screeched, crying with laughter as they fell against one another.
But Galinda. Galinda’s face had drained of color, her brown eyes wide wide wide as she’d gazed, horrified, at first her friends, then Elphaba. A little ‘ding!’ went off in Elphaba’s head.
Check.
It was the best thing that could’ve happened, and Elphaba hates that it was Pfannee and ShenShen that made it possible. But oh was it sweet.
This prank was perfect. It was beautiful. It required no effort, no planning, no physical labor. There was no risk of injury or missed classes. No, all it required, was a compliment.
Elphaba enacts her genius new plan that very same evening, Galinda having stormed off with her friends, still laughing, and not returning to their dorm until after dinner. The result was even more delicious than she could have anticipated.
Galinda is sitting at her vanity, taking her makeup off, when she notices Elphaba staring. “What?” she snaps, glaring at Elphaba through her reflection.
Elphaba pretends to duck her head. “Nothing,” she says quickly. Then she peeks up again, making sure she has Galinda’s full attention. “Just- I wasn’t lying earlier. You really are the prettiest girl in school.”
It’s fascinating. Galinda’s fair skin can’t hide a thing, not when she blushes that hard. Her whole face turns a delightful pink color, her mouth opening and closing like she can’t quite remember how to speak.
“You- You can’t just- ugh.” She growls and glares harder, her arms crossing over her chest. “Was ShenShen right? Because I’ll tell Miss Coddle. She can’t possibly make me keep rooming with you if I tell her that.”
It should be insulting, probably one of the worst things Galinda has said to her yet considering the underlying meaning. But Elphaba is too busy reveling in the way Galinda can’t quite look her in the eye, the way she tangled her hands in her skirt when she said the words, the way her cheeks are still bright pink, to really care.
Elphaba laughs, waving away Galinda’s concerns just in case she really does try and spread that rumour. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t have to like you to be able to recognize that you’re stunning. I have eyes you know.”
Galinda seems completely speechless now, unable to keep the glare on her face as she gapes at Elphaba. Then she’s the one to duck her head, even the tips of her ears turning red as she spins around as though that will keep Elphaab from seeing. It’s the least composed Elphaba has ever seen her, and she feels a hot rush of emotion flood her chest at the sight.
Yes. This is what true victory feels like.
---
Elphaba kept at it for several days, planning out when she'd have the most people around to notice. To see Elphaba knock Galinda Upland speechless. Oh, it was priceless. The way Galinda could never quite stop herself from reacting. The way Elphaba finally felt like she had the upperhand.
“Pretty,” Elphaba says softly. The students near her giggle lightly at the interruption. She hums to herself and internally smirks when she notices Galinda turn to her, a tiny frown on her lips. Elphaba pretends to notice her looking, blinking innocently and going ‘hm?’ as if she’d overheard Galinda whisper something.
“Oh- yes, you are too, Galinda. But I was talking about the sky. It’s so pretty today, isn’t it?”
The students laugh even louder, several of them reaching out to poke at a flustered Galinda’s shoulders. Pfannee gives a shudder, but ShenShen is all in, leaning forward to whisper something right in Galinda’s ear.
Shaking her head like that will dispel her light blush, Galinda ‘humphs’ snootily and crosses her arms. “Yes, I do think it is pretty out today. Amazing that you’re able to notice such things being so hideous yourself,” she tries. But Elphaba is already grinning, the girl having set herself up perfectly.
“Well, I notice how pretty you are all the time. So I guess I have to have some level of good judgment,” she says sweetly. “Or do you disagree?”
Galinda gapes at her, the other students ‘oo-ing’ in unison. There are several “ews” that make it to Elphaba’s ears as well, one student telling the girl beside her: “It’s like getting a compliment from the town creep. Gives me goosebumps!” They snicker, glancing between Elphaba and Galinda with hungry gazes, eating up these little moments of public drama.
Galinda is without any comeback though, and she curls over her books like that she can pretend the whole encounter didn’t even happen. Elphaba smirks and takes her leave just a moment later. She totally won that round.
---
The pattern continues. For every insult Galinda throws her way, Elphaba responds with a compliment. Her shoes, her hair, her sparkly eyeshadow- Elphaba will find something to praise. It throws the blonde off her game every time and has the added benefit of making all her friends laugh at her.
Good. She deserves a taste of her own medicine.
“Oh my Oz, Galinda, can you believe her? The audacity! She touched me! What if the green is contagious??” Pfannee shudders dramatically, jerking further away even though Elphaba had barely even bumped him. She was just trying to get to her seat and the trio was right in the way of the door.
“That’s disgusting,” Galinda sniffs. “You should definitely burn those clothes.” But she’s eyeing Elphaba warily, something unreadable in those brown depths, and Elphaba doesn’t even hesitate.
“We can’t all be gorgeously talented Uplands. Some of us have to actually go to class,” she says evenly. She cocks an eyebrow, pointedly making light of the fact that she’d just called Galinda both gorgeous and talented.
It doesn’t escape anyone else’s notice, however. A few students nearby snicker under their breaths, and ShenShen openly laughs, her books nearly falling to the ground. Galinda does better this time, but there’s still a distinctly pink tinge to her cheeks.
“Ewww, ShenShen, maybe you were right. How gross. Galinda- make it stop! It’s making me uncomfortable.” Pfannee shoves the blonde forward, and Galinda stumbles to a halt right in front of Elphaba, hugging her books to her chest like a shield.
She’s got a frantic sort of look on her face as she stares up at the girl. “You can’t just say things like that!” she whispers harshly. Her eyes dart over her shoulder, to where her friends are still lost in their laughter and dramatics.
“What? It’s the truth,” Elphaba replies. She leans pointedly to the side, tipping her chin at the classroom door. “Are you going to let me by or not?”
Seemingly unable to come up with anything else, Galinda does indeed step aside and let Elphaba pass. Her friends follow after her, Pfannee still giggling on occasion even after the class starts.
***
And so it goes. Elphaba finds little ways to casually drop a compliment into conversation with Galinda, and she continues getting to see the way they absolutely disarm the blonde every time. Her previous witty one-liners and clever comebacks are long gone. She can’t even seem to come up with a vegetable to compare Elphaba to.
“You’re looking radiant today,” Elphaba will say.
“That dress is fantastic on you.”
“Did you change your hair? It looks great.”
All while following up with something simple like asking Galinda to borrow a pencil or if she knew where Elphaba’s toothpaste had gone. Galinda continued to get flustered every time. She’d stumble over air, choke on her tea, stutter out a response that barely resembled a complete sentence.
And always with that signature flush on her cheeks. Elphaba was coming to love the sight of it, of the way Galinda’s eyes got round and soft and her face turned as pink as her blouse whenever Elphaba praised her.
The pranks against Elphaba end almost as soon as she starts her genius plan. Galinda almost seems to be trying to avoid her, now, but that’s a difficult task when they both have the same classes and sleep in the same room. Elphaba gets to appreciate the way Galinda freezes up when her friends tease her, gets to hear the way the other students start joking about Galinda having a ‘green admirer.’
Elphaba doesn’t care about her own status one bit. Let the students say whatever they want about her. But Galinda- she knows Galinda cares. Almost too much if you ask Elphaba. And that’s what made it so perfect. Because giving Galinda compliments didn’t bother Elphaba in the slightest, but it was driving Galinda crazy.
She doesn’t even insult Elphaba anymore- but Elphaba had already committed; there was no backing out now. She still hadn’t gotten that ‘thank you.’