The Apotheosis

Just a Typical Day

Elphaba ran her hands through her hair. Sometimes she wished she could just get rid of all the files and paperwork and digitize everything. But for some reason, Oscar- the Wizard, to most people- distrusted modern technology. At most, he would let everyone in the office have a phone. She sighed as she closed the files she had been compiling and put them in a neat pile that she gathered into her hands. She left her office door open as she headed to Archives.

Milla's phone rang just as Elphaba entered the room. Milla nervously picked up the call. But her nervousness changed to joy as she squeaked, "This is Milla from the Palace Archives-Oh, hi, Boq! How are things at work?"

Elphaba smiled as she left the files on the desk. But, as Milla's voice dwindled to a whisper and when her hand shook as she kept the phone down, Elphaba realized that something was wrong. Milla was sniffling as she (possibly unknowingly) took out a Pertha Filter and a lighter from her purse. Elphaba cleared her throat and said, gently, "Milla, sweetie, you're not supposed to smoke in here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I...I didn't realize," Milla said with an obviously fake grin as she put the things back into her bag.

"Something's really wrong, isn't it?" Elphaba asked.

To her great surprise, Milla hugged her and broke down. Elphaba stroked Milla's fluffy hair as the redhead whimpered, "I'm worried...about Boq...he's been working late all the time...he's hardly ever home, and we're not even close anymore...what am I g-gonna d-do?"

"Hey, it's alright," Elphaba reassured her. "He loves you, okay? I've known Boq for ages. I know he would never cheat on you."

"Really?" Milla said, convinced. But Elphaba noticed that she was still whimpering and whispered, "Hey, it's almost lunch hour. I'll get you some soothing stuff from the café downtown. You need it. Don't worry about paying me, it's my treat, hmm?"

"Thanks, Elphaba," Milla said. "Are you going down to The Emerald Rose again?"

"You know that's where I always go, don't you?" Elphaba said, winking.

Avaric showed up just then. He smirked and asked, "So, Miss Elphaba, headed to The Emerald Rose again, I suppose?"

"Where I buy my coffee from should be none of your concern, Avaric. So you'd better piss off," Elphaba deadpanned.

"Come on, greenie, I know why you walk that extra block instead of using the OzBucks in our food court," Avaric said, with the same cocky smirk. "It's that hot barista, isn't it? The Latte Hotte, as people call her? Though you should have invited me along."

"Yeah, so that you can let us all down by being a jerk in public," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes as she left the room.

When Elphaba walked into The Emerald Rose, she noticed a petite blonde at the counter. She was dressed in a ruffled cream coloured skirt and blouse under her apron, and had possibly hung her coat over the back of the chair. She also noticed a sign over the tip jar that said, "Tip for a Song!"

Elphaba still went ahead and tapped the counter. The girl looked up and flashed her a dazzling smile before asking, "Hi, how may I help you?"

"Just get me a simple black coffee. No sugar. Oh, and what's the most calming drink you have?"

"Um...we do have an iced chamomile tea. It works wonders on frayed nerves."

"Yeah, so get me one of that too."

The barista smiled. As she turned around, Elphaba shoved a note into the tip jar. As the blonde was about to start singing, Elphaba stopped her and said, "It's okay, you don't have to do that. I was just being nice."

"Oh. It's not like people give more than a buck anyway. So after splitting at the end of the day, I get hardly a quarter or so," the barista said as she busied herself in preparing Elphaba's order. "Here's your order. That would be five-fifty. Wait let's see how much you put in here."

As she took out the note from the jar and squealed, Elphaba flushed and said, "Yeah, I know it's almost as much as the price of my order. But it's okay, it's just for you anyway."

"Ooh, thanks!" the blonde said, grinning.

"What's up with the song thing anyway?" Elphaba asked.

"Oh, it's kinda new. You see, the owner went to Ozma's Beans and Cakes over the weekend and brought back the whole song thing. It's irritating really. It's okay for people like Pfannee and Shenshen, I mean, they're ten years younger than me and are theatre majors, but I'd sooner quit and do a better job if I could get one."

"Oh, really, blondie," said an obnoxious Munchkin girl who came out from the kitchen. "Well, if you hate the idea so much, you don't need to report for your next shift."

"I think it's a great idea," a taller girl said from the other side of the doorway, almost in a whisper.

The blonde barista turned around and asked, "Wait, Shenshen, why aren't you working today?"

"I'm on vocal rest, Glinda," Shenshen answered, still whispering.

"What?" Glinda asked.

"IM ON VOCAL- ugh, Ozma be damned, now I have to go make tea with ginger and honey in it," Shenshen whined as she went back into the kitchen. Pfannee glared at Glinda and said, "Now move your ass, girl. You've got a line."

"Okay, Pfannee," Glinda sighed. She turned to Elphaba and asked, "By the way, thanks for being nice. I've seen you around before, haven't I?"

"Well, you'd know me anywhere. The name's Elphaba Thropp," Elphaba said, smiling.

""Wait...as in the Elphaba Thropp? The Wizard's right-hand woman?"

"Yes. The same," Elphaba said, flushing deeply.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Glinda. Glinda Arduenna-Upland," the blonde said, shaking her hand.

Back in the office, Elphaba gave Milla's drink to her and was just about to settle down with her own when Fiyero stomped into her office. He said, "So, Fae, I'm taking Nor and her girlfriend out to the Oz festival of Song and Sentiment tomorrow. You can tag along if you want, seeing as you practically raised Nor..."

"I'll come along, if only to keep an eye on her," Elphaba winked. "Fiyero, you know I'm not exactly into musical performances, right?"

"I do, Fae."

"I'm still coming though. What harm can it do, anyway?"

And really, Elphaba mused as Fiyero left her office,  I'll never be into that sort of thing anyway. I'm just going for Nor. Not for myself. What harm can one performance do, anyway?