Green with envy | Wicked | Book 1/3

Elphie

I've had to wake up early today, Madame Morrible has called to to have a private chat with her in her office.
I was hoping that I'd be staring spell class today, but I've been informed that is in two days.
Glinda is very angry, she wanted to learn spells too but Madame Morrible is only tutoring me.
Glinda told me yet again how lovely Nessa is and how she helped her post a letter for our father.
That's supposed to be my job, I'm supposed to look after Nessa.
It doesn't help that now Nessa is older she looks like mother more than ever.
I can't lose them both.

I'm making my way to Madame Morribles office, I'm kind of scared about what she's going to say, I've tried my best to stay out of trouble, every time I start to shout at someone I hear nessas voice in the back of my head and I'm riddled with guilt.
I knock on the door, I hear a voice tell me to come in.
I open the door slowly and close it behind me, trying not to let it slam.
"Madame Morrible" I begin wildly "if I've done anything wrong I can assure that that it wasn't intentional"
Madame Morrible chuckles.
"My dear you haven't done anything wrong yet," she smiles, "I just wanted to tell you something that you might be able to help me with"
I nod at Madame Morrible, I anticipate her response, she leans back in her chair and looks concerned.
"I don't think your sister has gotten an awful lot of sleep recently, I wouldn't know when she gets into bed since I'm not the one doing it" Madame Morrible says,
I narrow my eyes.
"Then who is putting Nessa to bed?" I ask, Nessa hates it when we say that people 'put her to bed' she thinks it sounds awfully childish.
"One of my assistants" Madame Morrible says vaguely, "Margaret"
I step forward and take a seat.
"I hear a lot of odd noise coming from your sisters room at the late hours of the night" Madame Morrible says, looking concerned again.
"Like creaking sounds?" I ask,
Madame Morrible flaps her hands about in front of her face.
"No no, not like that" she ponders for a moment "almost like she's talking to someone but isn't quite saying words"
I know what she's doing.
Nessas crying.
"Madame Morrible" I say suddenly, my protective side taking over "would you let me put Nessa to bed tonight?"
Madame Morrible scratches her chin in thought.
"If it's only for tonight then I don't see an issue," she says calmly.
I nod at her and leave.

It's been a few hours since my meeting with Madame Morrible, I've been reading alone in my dorm for the whole time, Glinda is probably out with her friends.
I'm walking towards nessas dorm now.
It will be like old times.
I step inside and Madame Morrible points me towards nessas room.
I go inside,
Nessa jumps and turns her head to the door suddenly.
I've startled her.
"Elphie what are your doing here it's six o'clock, you shouldn't be out of your dorm" Nessa says, still breathing frantically from my entrance.
Nessa turns her head back to the mirror, she brings her hands I've to her hips and holds them out towards the mirror, mother used to do the same thing when she was pregnant with nessa, checking how much weight she had gained.
"Ness, what's wrong?" I ask patiently, you have to be patient with Nessa or else she will get frustrated and get annoyed at you.
"I don't know what your talking about," Nessa says angrily.
I walk over to her and pull her away from the mirror, that's all I every seem to do when she's around them.
"Madame Morrible says your not sleeping" l say gently,
Nessas expression changes from anger to sadness.
"Elphie can you hold me, like when we were kids" she splutters,
I lean forward and hold Nessa tightly, I don't have to worry about father bursting in anymore.
"Ness if your not happy, you should tell someone" I say solemnly,
Nessa pushes me off of her and wipes her eyes.
"I'm not unhappy, It's just, I sent a letter to father yesterday and he hasn't responded" Nessa says hurriedly,
I smile at her dumbly,
"Ness the post man hasn't even came yet, the letter is still in the box"
"Oh, I'm such an idiot" she says sighing, "I'm getting so worked up about it"
I hold nessas hand gently,
"Want to go to sleep?" I ask carefully,
Nessa turns her head and looks at her bed.
"Can you put me in bed, but don't go yet" she says sadly.
I pick up Nessa gently and place her in her bed, tucking her covers around her, it feels like we are kids again.
"Isn't that prince supposed to be arriving tomorrow?" I ask, her.
"Oh yes!" Nessa gushes "but I thought you weren't interested in love"
I am very much so interested in love, it's just love isn't very interested in me, the way I look, so I just put it to the end of my list.
"Glinda won't stop going on about him" I say dryly,
"Oh Elphie, you barley know her and you already hate her" Nessa says laughing.

It's getting later and the conversation slowly dissolves.
I can tell that Nessa is going to go to sleep soon.
"Ness" I say solemnly,
I see her eyes flicker towards me,
"As much as I want to, I can't always be here with you"
I know it must be horrible for her to hear this but I have to or she will expect me to do things that I can't.
"I know Elphie" Nessa says to my surprise, "goodnight"
I bend down and stroke her hair, then I get up and leave the room.
Madame Morrible come over and approaches me,
"Thank you dear," she says kindly,
I nod at her and make my way back to my dorm.

I hate the fact that I can't always be there, father expects me too but I'm enjoying my freedom.
I don't have to worry about getting Nessa up in the morning, I only have to worry about myself.
Too bad that no one else here can just worry about themselves.