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The thing about Galinda Upland is that she is perfect. She is loved by everybody and she knows how to be loved. To look pretty, to act elegant, to react in the exact ways people expect her to, to say the exact things people want to hear, to bat her eyelashes and smile brightly. Everybody loves her. And the thing is, she wants to be loved. Everything is fine, good even, as long as she is perfect, because then she is loved. And being loved is everything.
The thing about Galinda Upland is that she is scared. All the time. She's scared of being imperfect, of being different in any way. To be different is to not be loved, for people always hate what is different. She molds herself into people’s expectations, and never leaves. What is she if not loved? Who is she if not perfect?
Nobody knows this about her. No one, except for her granny, that is. Granny is her best friend, or was, before she passed away a few years ago. It was nighttime, and it was storming outside, and little Galinda was scared. Granny came to tuck her in, and she wanted so badly for someone to understand her fears, that it spilled out of her, like the torrential rain outside.
Granny held her hand in hers, and told Galinda:
“Little one, bravery is not about being fearless, it's about taking action despite the fear. You will overcome. I know it.”
Galinda thinks about it sometimes, when it's late at night and she's all alone. She doesn't know if she believes it, for the fear is paralyzing.
She doesn't know, doesn't understand, doesn't believe, until she meets Elphaba Thropp.
If there is a picture of the definition of different in the dictionary, it will be a picture of Elphaba Thropp.
Even without the green skin, she is snarky and sarcastic and unfriendly. She only cares about her studies and her one friend is the Goat professor. Not even her sister likes her.
But another part of Galinda, the one deep inside her mind, admits that Elphaba is, well, simply brilliant . She has powerful magic, a mind like no other, and she doesn't seem to care what others think of her. She lives true to herself. Unlike Galinda, who can't do magic, who struggles with school, who puts on a performance every day. Unlike her, Elphaba is brave.
She loathes the girl, just so she doesn't loath herself.
Galinda has the popularity, a wealthy and loving family, the adoration of every Shiz student. She is beautiful and elegant and funny. And yet, yet she is losing.
To Elphaba Thropp!
She doesn't win any pranks, can't best her in any classes, and the one thing she wants the most - the magic, her dream of being a sorceress, to be in Madame Morrible’s class, she cannot have.
She is losing, badly.
For a second, Galinda forgets everything else, and vows to take that mean green thing down!
In a moment of weakness, when the inner monster of envy takes over, Galinda gives away her hat.
The hat Granny made for her. Don't get her wrong, the hat is just truly hideoteous, but it was made for her, by her favorite person. It was gifted to her one birthday, when she declared that she would become the best sorceress there was in Oz. So great she would stand next to the Wizard himself.
It was a symbol of Granny’s faith in her, even when it was also proof of her terrible sewing skills.
Galinda loves that hat.
But she knows that if - when Elphaba shows up to the Ozdust with that hat on, she will be the butt of every joke, and maybe, maybe that’s worth it.
She knows it’s not. She’s a coward, and she loathes herself more than ever.
Elphaba shows up, wearing the ugly hat Galinda gives her, just the way she wants her to. But is this really what she wants? To Elphaba, who gives Galinda the one thing she wants?
She stands there, holding the training wand, and looks on as the crowd laughs and makes fun of Elphaba. She sees the moment Elphaba realizes. She’s going to be sick.
This is her worst fear coming true, and it’s happening to Elphaba. There’s nothing she can do now, nothing anybody can do. She stands there, paralyzed in fear and drowning in guilt.
But Elphaba starts to move. She puts the hat down on the ground, the evidence of Galinda’s crime.
She dances.
It’s…weird. Jerky. Strange. But it is entirely Elphaba, and Galinda is transfixed.
Next to her, Fiyero says, “I’ll say this much, she doesn’t give a twig what anybody thinks about her.”
And almost immediately, Galinda knows he’s wrong. She has seen it in Elphaba’s eyes, when she realizes what is happening. She cares, she does, she’s…
“Of course she does, she just pretends not to,” she hears herself say.
And oh, maybe she is not so different from Galinda as she thought. She cares about people’s opinions, and she is scared, and yet she is dancing. Isn’t that what bravery is? To take action despite the fear?
I understand now .
Elphaba puts all of herself on the table, and she is the most beautiful creature Galinda has ever seen.
She gives Fiyro the wand and steps into the circle. Immediately, she can feel their eyes on her, waiting to cast judgment, waiting to see what else she has in store for the strange green girl. Elphaba steps back, her eyes wary, and somehow that hurts more.
Let me borrow some of your bravery .
She doesn’t remember all the moves, but she remembers enough. Pfannee and ShenShen stop her. She looks at their faces, the fear in their eyes, and uses all her newly acquired bravery to say one simple word: no.
She turns around and they lock eyes. Just as Galinda can read her, Elphaba can read her too. She puts her hands together in front of her, and Galinda takes it for what it is - a chance.
They dance together - a duet. She can’t help but smile. She feels exhilarated and free, like the weight of judgment and perfection has fallen off her entire being. She doesn’t feel like Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. She just feels like Galinda .
It’s all right , she whispers and means, you’re not alone. I’m here with you. Thank you for lending me some of your bravery.
They hug and it feels like forgiveness.
They run out of there, hand in hand, and it feels like freedom.
They become best friends. Well, it’s more like Galinda insists they’re best friends and Elphie acquiesces.
She might be wrong, but Galinda is nothing if she is not good at reading people, and Elphie is no exception. She suspects Elphie has never had a best friend, or maybe even a friend (do little sisters count as friends?).
Elphaba always blushes at the smallest of touches, and it’s delightful. It turns her cheeks a darker shade of green, making her cheekbones even more prominent, and it’s the cutest thing Galinda’s ever seen. It’s the same with nicknames too. The first time Galinda called her “darling,” Elphaba blushed all the way down to her chest. The first time Galinda kissed her on the cheek, she swears, to this day, that Elphaba stopped breathing for a full five minutes.
It’s lovely, but also sad. Elphie deserves all the love in the world, and she can’t believe Elphie has never experienced any of that until now. As her best friend, is it not Galinda’s duty to make sure Elphie feels the most loved? Galinda is a very touchy person, and so it’s no effort at all. Plus, Elphie gives the best hugs, so if anything, Galinda is the one to benefit. She also gets forehead kisses for goodnight, and “my sweet” is truly the sweetest nickname ever.
Her chest warms. She wonders how a person who rarely experiences love can love so well.
One night, Elphie told her about Dulcibear.
Dulcibear cared for Elphie since she was a baby, until she passed away when Elphie was in high school. Dulcibear taught her how to read, taught her to see the beauty in everything, taught her love. Dulcibear was like a mother to her. She understands now, why Elphaba is so protective of the Animals.
Galinda thinks about her granny, and the biggest lesson she taught her. She thinks about how this girl teaches her, shows her, guides her.
Under the moonlight, Galinda silently thanks Dulcibear, for loving this girl, who deserves the world and more.
Pfannee and ShenShen question their friendship. Galinda tries not to be offended. Of course they would question it! Elphie has taken their place as her best friend, after all. Still, to say that Elphie is not her friend? How could they!
“Elphie, you won’t believe this-,” Galinda storms into their shared room.
But something is different about her Elphie today. She seems more…subdued. Quiet. Her head is down and it’s almost like she is avoiding Galinda’s eyes. Her hands are trembling. She has known Elphie enough to know it means she is nervous. Anxious. Worries flutter in her chest, and somewhere in her stomach. Elphaba is the bravest person she knows. What can rattle her so?
“Elphie, what’s wrong?”
With shaky voice, Elphie starts.
“Our relationship, friendship, has progressed so far from what it was when we first met. I never expect to get a best friend at Shiz, and I certainly never thought I would become friends with you. You’re beautiful, and popular, and nice, and friendly, and I’m…me. And maybe because I’ve never really had a friend before that I don’t realize until now but I. I don’t. I’m not sure I think of you as just a friend. I might have treated you as more like a…girlfriend?”
Galinda’s heart flutters at the word. Girlfriend . She’s pretty sure Elphaba doesn’t mean a friend who is a girl.
“...and I think it’s because I love you.”
Elphaba stops. Galinda is not sure Elphaba is even breathing, but she’s pretty sure she is not.
Elphaba loves her.
Not just as a friend (in whatever way Galinda will remain her bestest friend), but also more. Different. The same kind of love Galinda has read so many times in romance novels. She takes in a deep breath, and fills her lungs with courage.
She tilts Elphaba’s head up with two fingers, and smiles a reassuring smile.
“I love you, too.”
Galinda can only look at this girl with love and fondness, because here she is, the bravest person Galinda has ever met, the one who shows her what it means to be brave, scared of being rejected by Galinda. How can she ever think Galinda will say no? Ever leave her side?
Their lips touch in a soft kiss and this is what the stories talk about - this is the butterflies, the fireworks, the tenderness of a warm fire on a cold day. Galinda savors every bit of it.
She suddenly thinks about the reason she was seeking Elphaba earlier, and can’t help but laugh. Ah, this is what Pfannee and ShenShen meant. She supposes she should apologize to them.
She kisses Elphaba again. They were always going to get to this, as this is destiny, this is fate, and their story will be the best story ever told, known throughout Oz. The Wizard’s protégé and her.
But right now, the girl in her arms is all that matters.