Categories > Theatre > Wicked
The Bracelet
3 reviewsFiyero comes to Galinda and Elphaba's room while Galinda is out, but who is it that he really wants to see? This takes place at some point after "I'm Not That Girl" but before the scene at the tra...
5Moving
"Come in."
Fiyero opened the door at the sound of Elphaba's voice. He had never actually set foot inside the dorm room before - when he came to pick Galinda up for a date, she'd usually hurry to the door to meet him. He couldn't help smiling to himself. What secrets would he learn about her? Was she messy? Did she have embarrassing pictures on her walls?
There was nothing messy at all about the room, however. Galinda's side was neat, her extensive wardrobe lined up neatly in her closet, her shoes perfectly straight, and her pink, frilly bed made. Elphaba's side appeared even neater, but that was only because there wasn't much there - besides the book-lined shelves, she only had a few simple dresses.
Elphaba was sitting on her bed, absorbed in a book. She looked especially green in the lamp from her bedside table, and she didn't even honor him with a look to see who he was. "Galinda's not here," she told him automatically, turning the page.
"How are you so sure that I'm here to see Galinda?" Fiyero strode into the room, stopping at the foot of Elphaba's bed. "I could be here for you."
Elphaba peered over the top of her book. Fiyero. She was surprised to see him there when Galinda wasn't around, when he surely must know that she had classes for another hour. Or maybe he didn't really care enough to know... she always got the feeling that, despite what he and Galinda might say, they weren't as perfect for each other as they pretended to be. But none of that mattered now. Here she was, with the handsome Winkie prince standing so near to her bed, giving her that cocky, joking look that was so often on his face. Challenging her. She blushed, realizing that she had stayed silent too long. "No one ever comes to see me. The only student at Shiz who might possibly want to talk to me is my sister, and that would only be if she needed something." Elphaba looked back down at her book, trying to absorb herself in the words. "Besides, she can't very well make it up three flights of stairs."
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"
Elphaba wished that he would stop smiling at her and making her heart race as if she had just run up all three flights of stairs. "You're here to see Galinda," she replied as matter-of-factly as she could.
"Maybe I came to see both of you." Fiyero sat on the edge of Elphaba's bed, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was reading or to help her realize that he was happy to see her. She closed her book, however, pulling her legs up to her chest. No, he was doing everything all wrong... He frowned, hoping to fix his actions with words. "How are you today, Elphie?"
She wished that he'd just call her Elphaba. Her name sounded so beautiful when it rolled off of his lips... Elphie was Galinda's name for her, and it made her presence seem to linger in the room. What would she think if she came in right now to see her beloved Fiyero sitting on her roommate's bed, looking at her so intensely with those beautiful eyes of his? "I'm all right," she murmured absentmindedly, her eyes wandering to Galinda's side of the room. "Why are you really here?"
Fiyero sighed. Why did she always have to be so difficult? Not that he would change it for the world... it was one of his favorite parts about her. She was a challenge, but a challenge that was worth it. "I was coming to give Galinda a present," he told her, "but, since she's not here, I figured I'd stay and talk to you until she comes back. If I'm not pulling you from something too important," he added, glancing at the heavy leather-bound book that she was setting on the bed beside her.
"No, it's just a little light reading. But Galinda won't be back for another hour. You could leave and come back."
Fiyero shook his head. "I don't get to spend enough time with you, Elphaba. We haven't had a moment alone together since the day when Dr. Dillamond was fired."
He had said it. He said her name. Elphaba tried to hide the fact that he was sending chills up her spine. That day had been incredible... a day when he showed that he cared about something besides himself... and that, maybe, he cared about her, at least a little bit.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Elphaba wanted to tell him that he could ask her anything at all, but she didn't trust herself to speak. She nodded, and a strand of black hair that had been slowly working its way out of her braid fell into her face.
Fiyero pulled the jewelry box out of his back pocket and opened it up on Elphaba's bed. A simple bracelet, a thin band of shimmering silver, was nested in the soft green velvet of the box. "This is for Galinda. What do you think?"
It was too plain, and Elphaba knew it. Yes, it was beautiful, but Galinda couldn't appreciate subtle beauty. For her, it would have to be covered in gemstones, dazzling and bright. It would have to be like Galinda herself - obviously gorgeous. This bracelet was more discreet. More like Elphaba. "I don't know much about fancy things like this," she told him, hoping to avoid the question.
"You and Galinda are friends," Fiyero probed. "Honestly, will she like it?"
Elphaba stared at the box and then glanced down at her own hand. The shades of green were remarkably similar, and she couldn't help imagining the silver band around her own wrist. "No. It's not quite... Galinda enough."
Fiyero nodded, staring at the bracelet. "That's what I was afraid of."
"You can return it for something fancier."
"No." Fiyero reached up to brush the strand of hair out of Elphaba's eyes. "It's a family heirloom. Since I don't have any sisters, my mother gave it to me, hoping that I could find some special girl to wear it."
Special. The word stung as it echoed in Elphaba's mind, nearly erasing all thoughts of the way his hand had felt as it brushed against her face. Galinda was his special girl, the one who was going to get the heirloom of the royal family of the Vinkus.
Fiyero picked up the jewelry box, studying his mother's bracelet. How could he tell Elphaba that he didn't really want to give it to Galinda, that he didn't want to finalize their relationship like that? Galinda was beautiful, but not like Elphaba... Could someone as shallow as Galinda ever really love someone? Elphaba, pretty but green Elphaba, cared about everything with a burning passion. He couldn't help thinking that when she loved a man, she would love him forever, love him intensely... He shivered at the thought, wondering if anyone would ever feel that way about him.
His fingers shaking, Fiyero removed the bracelet from the box. "Elphaba?"
"Yes?" She was staring at him, puzzled as he held up the jewelry.
"I want you to have this."
Elphaba shook her head, her eyes wide. "No, Fiyero, I could never -"
"You must," he told her, taking her hand in his and draping the silver over her green skin. "Galinda will never wear it. Someone has to... and I'd rather have that person be you than anyone else."
Elphaba didn't fight him. She couldn't. She let him gently turn her hand over in his, clasping the bracelet on the underside of her wrist. She had never worn jewelry before... and she had never felt Fiyero's fingers caressing her skin quite like this before. He smiled as he saw her shiver quite obviously, her fingers pressing lightly against his. "Thank you," she murmured. The bracelet was on, but neither seemed to be able to let go.
"Enjoy it." Without thinking, he leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. By the time Elphaba had finished reveling in this surprise, he was gone, closing the door softly behind him.
"New bracelet!" It had taken Galinda approximately two minutes to notice her roommate's new jewelry, and the girl had spent half of that time looking in the mirror, making sure that her hair wasn't messy from her walk across campus. "Where'd you get it?"
Elphaba blushed. She had been hoping to get away with keeping it a secret, but Galinda never failed to notice anything having to do with fashion. "My father sent it," she said uneasily. Her father hated her. What chance was there that Galinda would buy that excuse?
"Well, it's only fair after he gave Nessa those shoes," Galinda replied, her focus having moved on to a slight flaw in her eyeliner. "Oh, no... Fiyero's going to be here any minute."
Elphaba smiled, gently turning the bracelet around on her wrist. While she couldn't speak it out loud, she said her name over and over in her head. Fiyero.
Fiyero opened the door at the sound of Elphaba's voice. He had never actually set foot inside the dorm room before - when he came to pick Galinda up for a date, she'd usually hurry to the door to meet him. He couldn't help smiling to himself. What secrets would he learn about her? Was she messy? Did she have embarrassing pictures on her walls?
There was nothing messy at all about the room, however. Galinda's side was neat, her extensive wardrobe lined up neatly in her closet, her shoes perfectly straight, and her pink, frilly bed made. Elphaba's side appeared even neater, but that was only because there wasn't much there - besides the book-lined shelves, she only had a few simple dresses.
Elphaba was sitting on her bed, absorbed in a book. She looked especially green in the lamp from her bedside table, and she didn't even honor him with a look to see who he was. "Galinda's not here," she told him automatically, turning the page.
"How are you so sure that I'm here to see Galinda?" Fiyero strode into the room, stopping at the foot of Elphaba's bed. "I could be here for you."
Elphaba peered over the top of her book. Fiyero. She was surprised to see him there when Galinda wasn't around, when he surely must know that she had classes for another hour. Or maybe he didn't really care enough to know... she always got the feeling that, despite what he and Galinda might say, they weren't as perfect for each other as they pretended to be. But none of that mattered now. Here she was, with the handsome Winkie prince standing so near to her bed, giving her that cocky, joking look that was so often on his face. Challenging her. She blushed, realizing that she had stayed silent too long. "No one ever comes to see me. The only student at Shiz who might possibly want to talk to me is my sister, and that would only be if she needed something." Elphaba looked back down at her book, trying to absorb herself in the words. "Besides, she can't very well make it up three flights of stairs."
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"
Elphaba wished that he would stop smiling at her and making her heart race as if she had just run up all three flights of stairs. "You're here to see Galinda," she replied as matter-of-factly as she could.
"Maybe I came to see both of you." Fiyero sat on the edge of Elphaba's bed, hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was reading or to help her realize that he was happy to see her. She closed her book, however, pulling her legs up to her chest. No, he was doing everything all wrong... He frowned, hoping to fix his actions with words. "How are you today, Elphie?"
She wished that he'd just call her Elphaba. Her name sounded so beautiful when it rolled off of his lips... Elphie was Galinda's name for her, and it made her presence seem to linger in the room. What would she think if she came in right now to see her beloved Fiyero sitting on her roommate's bed, looking at her so intensely with those beautiful eyes of his? "I'm all right," she murmured absentmindedly, her eyes wandering to Galinda's side of the room. "Why are you really here?"
Fiyero sighed. Why did she always have to be so difficult? Not that he would change it for the world... it was one of his favorite parts about her. She was a challenge, but a challenge that was worth it. "I was coming to give Galinda a present," he told her, "but, since she's not here, I figured I'd stay and talk to you until she comes back. If I'm not pulling you from something too important," he added, glancing at the heavy leather-bound book that she was setting on the bed beside her.
"No, it's just a little light reading. But Galinda won't be back for another hour. You could leave and come back."
Fiyero shook his head. "I don't get to spend enough time with you, Elphaba. We haven't had a moment alone together since the day when Dr. Dillamond was fired."
He had said it. He said her name. Elphaba tried to hide the fact that he was sending chills up her spine. That day had been incredible... a day when he showed that he cared about something besides himself... and that, maybe, he cared about her, at least a little bit.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Elphaba wanted to tell him that he could ask her anything at all, but she didn't trust herself to speak. She nodded, and a strand of black hair that had been slowly working its way out of her braid fell into her face.
Fiyero pulled the jewelry box out of his back pocket and opened it up on Elphaba's bed. A simple bracelet, a thin band of shimmering silver, was nested in the soft green velvet of the box. "This is for Galinda. What do you think?"
It was too plain, and Elphaba knew it. Yes, it was beautiful, but Galinda couldn't appreciate subtle beauty. For her, it would have to be covered in gemstones, dazzling and bright. It would have to be like Galinda herself - obviously gorgeous. This bracelet was more discreet. More like Elphaba. "I don't know much about fancy things like this," she told him, hoping to avoid the question.
"You and Galinda are friends," Fiyero probed. "Honestly, will she like it?"
Elphaba stared at the box and then glanced down at her own hand. The shades of green were remarkably similar, and she couldn't help imagining the silver band around her own wrist. "No. It's not quite... Galinda enough."
Fiyero nodded, staring at the bracelet. "That's what I was afraid of."
"You can return it for something fancier."
"No." Fiyero reached up to brush the strand of hair out of Elphaba's eyes. "It's a family heirloom. Since I don't have any sisters, my mother gave it to me, hoping that I could find some special girl to wear it."
Special. The word stung as it echoed in Elphaba's mind, nearly erasing all thoughts of the way his hand had felt as it brushed against her face. Galinda was his special girl, the one who was going to get the heirloom of the royal family of the Vinkus.
Fiyero picked up the jewelry box, studying his mother's bracelet. How could he tell Elphaba that he didn't really want to give it to Galinda, that he didn't want to finalize their relationship like that? Galinda was beautiful, but not like Elphaba... Could someone as shallow as Galinda ever really love someone? Elphaba, pretty but green Elphaba, cared about everything with a burning passion. He couldn't help thinking that when she loved a man, she would love him forever, love him intensely... He shivered at the thought, wondering if anyone would ever feel that way about him.
His fingers shaking, Fiyero removed the bracelet from the box. "Elphaba?"
"Yes?" She was staring at him, puzzled as he held up the jewelry.
"I want you to have this."
Elphaba shook her head, her eyes wide. "No, Fiyero, I could never -"
"You must," he told her, taking her hand in his and draping the silver over her green skin. "Galinda will never wear it. Someone has to... and I'd rather have that person be you than anyone else."
Elphaba didn't fight him. She couldn't. She let him gently turn her hand over in his, clasping the bracelet on the underside of her wrist. She had never worn jewelry before... and she had never felt Fiyero's fingers caressing her skin quite like this before. He smiled as he saw her shiver quite obviously, her fingers pressing lightly against his. "Thank you," she murmured. The bracelet was on, but neither seemed to be able to let go.
"Enjoy it." Without thinking, he leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. By the time Elphaba had finished reveling in this surprise, he was gone, closing the door softly behind him.
"New bracelet!" It had taken Galinda approximately two minutes to notice her roommate's new jewelry, and the girl had spent half of that time looking in the mirror, making sure that her hair wasn't messy from her walk across campus. "Where'd you get it?"
Elphaba blushed. She had been hoping to get away with keeping it a secret, but Galinda never failed to notice anything having to do with fashion. "My father sent it," she said uneasily. Her father hated her. What chance was there that Galinda would buy that excuse?
"Well, it's only fair after he gave Nessa those shoes," Galinda replied, her focus having moved on to a slight flaw in her eyeliner. "Oh, no... Fiyero's going to be here any minute."
Elphaba smiled, gently turning the bracelet around on her wrist. While she couldn't speak it out loud, she said her name over and over in her head. Fiyero.
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