The Interview

Part Two

The first thing Elphaba noticed the next morning was the terrible throbbing in her head and the pressure that had started to build up all around it. As she was neither prone to migraines, nor guilty of consuming any alcohol, she didn't quite know how to explain it. Sleep usually wasn't an issue either, so she chalked it up to the high emotional impact of the previous night. That certainly was something she wasn't accustomed to dealing with.

She opened her eyes half way, blinked a few times and arched her stiff spine. She bumped into Glinda, whose body responded by closing the narrow gap, arms probing for something to hold on to. Within a matter of milliseconds, Elphaba was wide awake and tingly from head to toe. It wasn't that she'd forgotten about the petite blonde sharing the bed with her; how could she? Nonetheless, finding her snuggled so close still came as somewhat of a shock. This specific part had much rather seemed like something her overtired brain would have dreamt up.

Anxious, yet curious, she craned her neck in a way so that she could see a little more than Glinda's dishevelled golden curls. Her expression was peaceful now, betraying none of the anguish she'd felt when they had first met at the hotel. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, probably from the heat their close proximity had created. Her lashes looked particularly pretty when her eyes were closed—so long and perfectly curled. Elphaba knew that she was being stupidly sentimental, but couldn't get over the thought that the most beautiful creature in this world was lying right there beside her.

She reached out, her hand hovering a hair's breadth above Glinda's bare shoulder. How easy it would be for her to indulge this sudden urge to touch the pale, soft skin. She was perfectly positioned, and if she were careful enough, Glinda would never even need to know...

That was when she came to her senses and hastily retracted her arm, pinning it to her chest.

The notion that she might do something that she wouldn't dare trying if Glinda were awake alarmed her. She had no right. Moreover, it would be a terrible violation of trust. Yes, Glinda herself had come up to her last night, seeking contact. But Elphaba realised that it would be a mistake to read too much into it. After all, her friend was in an extremely vulnerable place. It was no wonder at all that she was searching for someone—anyone—to cling to. What she needed right now was reassurance and patience. Taking advantage of Glinda's momentary weakness to push her own agenda would be the most irresponsible thing Elphaba could possibly do.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Oz, how badly she wished that this was indeed a stepping stone to something more, that her restraint, her thoughtful and considerate countenance would ultimately be rewarded. The rational part of her conscience told her to stop dreaming, while the more passionate side of her complained that it was too hard not to, now that she'd enjoyed at least a teeny tiny taste of what it could be like. If their friendship were to go back to their current normal, it would be hard to bear indeed. But what choice did she have, other than to wait for Glinda to regain her footing and maybe reconsider their relationship in her own time? None.

Rubbing her forehead with one hand, she used the other to fumble for her phone under the pillow. Before she could find it, a melodic chime rang out, but it wasn't her ringtone. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked over to the other side of the bed, where Glinda's mobile was still sitting on the dock. It beeped again and again. Elphaba's eyes cut to Glinda, worried that the string of messages might disrupt her well-deserved sleep. She had no way of knowing for certain, but she suspected that it was her old beau, at the verge of discovering that she was gone. Or perhaps he already had.

Another text came in and Elphaba carefully inched away from Glinda to get out of bed. She circled around the sofa-sleeper and plucked the phone from its small throne. The moment she held it in her hands, it came to live once more, this time buzzing and playing the melody of some pop song. For a moment, Elphaba was tempted to swipe upwards and answer the call, but caught herself. It was probably—no, definitely—not the best of ideas. Instead, she turned it off altogether, then divested herself of the annoying device by dropping it in its owner's handbag. She exhaled, scarcely looking forward to the not all too distant future when Glinda would fish it back out and discover whatever unpleasant conversation she was currently missing out on.