The Interview

Chapter Nine

It was not before Friday afternoon that Glinda actually forced herself to take out her phone and give Fiyero a ring. She was already on the tram to the city centre, and Elphaba's directive to set things straight with him was merely one of the reasons why she had to make this call. Of course, even she knew that it was the right thing to do. And then there were her overconcerned roommates - she still hadn't found an easy way to explain her sudden attachment and friendship to Elphaba, which meant that Fiyero, once again, had to serve as her stalking horse. Perhaps, that was the next issue she needed to fix, but for now, she'd have at least another week to figure out how. What was most important for the time being, was to ensure that Mr. Cover-up did not show up at her flat without warning in order to coax her out of hiding.

"Glin?"

"Yes. Hi, Fi."

"Huh. It actually is you. I almost thought you might have just butt dialled me."

"You know that I don't carry my phone in my jeans pocket," she replied quietly, adding, "I hardly even wear jeans."

Fiyero humphed. "I'm not sure if I still remember those minute details. After all, I haven't seen you or heard of you in a while."

Flinching at the severity of his tone, Glinda almost wanted to hang up. She deserved all of it, yet acknowledging her guilt only made it harder to listen to his cool reception. On the other hand, he'd answered her call within seconds. No matter how mad he seemed, he must also have been somewhat eager to hear her voice.

"Look, Fiyero, I'm terribly sorry I didn't call you."

Instead of a reply, he made a small noise, indicating that he was waiting for her to say more.

"And for not texting you."

"And..?"

"And for..." she paused, casting nervous glances at her fellow passengers. Next time she'd choose a less public place if she expected to discuss delicate private matters. "And for ignoring your calls."

"Right. Well, that's a start, I guess. How about we meet up and talk about it? Are you free tomorrow?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not," she sighed.

She could hear Fiyero scoff. "Work?" he asked, and she briefly considered to lie.

"No. Elphaba," she muttered instead, too embarrassed to speak more clearly.

At first, there was silence, then he just said, "Oh."

For such a short reply, it made her disproportionally anxious. Did he feel replaced, cast aside? Was he jealous? He'd been her most vital friend for many years now and he'd always be one of a kind, irreplaceable. But somehow he was not what she currently craved and needed. She couldn't think of any way to explain this to him in a logical, comprehensible way. Truth be told, it didn't make a lot of sense to her either. Considering her feelings in depth, they seemed cold and unfair, even to her. She'd always been open with Fiyero, though, and despite her inability to make the situation more palatable to him, she decided to be as honest as she could. He deserved that much at least, after she'd left him high and dry for the better part of two weeks.

"Stuff happened and made a mess of me," she finally confessed, surprised when, seemingly out of nowhere, tears began to brim in her eyes. Blinking them back, she collected herself, one deep breath at a time. She was past this stage now. No more crying. "Things are looking up now, thanks to Elphaba. Please don't be upset that I didn't confide in you from the start. I promise I'll explain it all when we meet."

"Okay," he answered in an unexpectedly calm tone of voice. "And when will that be?"

"Monday, if you want," she blurted immediately, glad that he appeared to be coming around. "I'll make sure to leave work early and stay till after dinner. I'll bring takeout."