Chapter Text
Elphaba adjusted her glasses on her nose as she read. Beside her, Nessa hummed softly, tapping her fingers on the window.
“Nessa,” she said, “you’re distracting me.”
“I’m bored,” Nessa replied, her little voice pitching into a whine.
“Well, can you do literally anything else? You’re driving me up the walls.”
“Elphaba,” her father said from the front seat, his voice cold. “Maybe you could show a little grace. She’s six years old. It’s your fault we’re in this car at all.”
Elphaba’s stomach churned and she felt her face flush. She whispered an apology to Nessa, and returned to her book.
She hadn’t meant to hit those kids. They had started it anyway, taunting her and calling her horrible names. Before she knew what was happening, rocks and gravel had bombarded them, leaving them with scrapes. A few unlucky kids had broken bones and chipped teeth. Elphaba had walked away unscathed.
It hadn’t been the first incident like that, but it was the final straw for Frexspar. He said she had embarrassed him one too many times in front of their neighbors. Within a week they were packed. And now, they were on their way to a new home.
Nessa started humming again and Elphaba tried to stifle a sigh. She was only a few years older than her sister, but she sometimes felt like they couldn’t be more different. Nessa never seemed to think much about anyone else. It helped that Frex thought Nessa hung the moon and the stars. Elphaba was the cloud blocking his view.
Finally, the car stopped. “We’re here,” Frex said, shaking Shell awake beside him and hopping out to help Nessa.
Elphaba slid out of the car, grabbing her bag. It was full of necessities: a sweatshirt, several books, and a small green vial that had belonged to her mother. She walked around to the trailer that was full of their belongings, Nessa rolling along behind her. Frex surveyed the street, nodding appreciatively.
“This is nice,” he said, looking at them. “A fresh start. I think we’ll do just fine here. As long as we mind ourselves.” He looked pointedly at Elphaba.
“I think it’s great,” Shell said brightly. “I bet there are a bunch of kids in the other houses.”
Elphaba tried not to worry about that, but her stomach still clenched. She opened the door of the trailer, keeping her eyes down.
For the next few hours, they unpacked. The house was alive with the sound of dragging furniture and ripping boxes. When there were only a few boxes of knickknacks left, Frex told them to take a break.
Elphaba wandered outside to check the trailer, making sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. When she turned, a small group of kids watched her.
“What?” she said, her voice sharp.
A little girl in front of the crowd took a hesitant step forward. She cocked her head, surveying Elphaba. The evening sun glinted off her golden curls and pink overalls.
“You’re green,” she said. There was no bite to her words, just confusion. It was like Elphaba was a problem she just hadn’t solved yet.
“I am,” Elphaba replied, then turned away. She didn’t want to be the neighborhood oddity. She wasn’t an experiment to be studied.
A few of the kids snickered. She felt her eyes start to water. She just got here; she didn’t want to start this again so soon. She needed time to prepare.
Her hands started to shake, small green sparks running up and down her forearms. The trailer in front of her shook and started to lift. The kids behind her gasped and started to run, returning to the safety of their homes. Good, Elphaba thought, leave me alone.
Suddenly, a small hand intertwined with hers. She looked down, jolted by the sudden contact. But even more surprising than someone choosing to touch her was the pink mist intertwining with green sparks. It looked like a fire being put out.
She looked up, her eyes meeting bright blue. The little girl in the pink overalls looked back at her, squeezing her hand. The green sparks disappeared, fading into the air. The trailer settled on the ground. The pink mist bubbled, popping around them. Elphaba couldn’t help it; she smiled. The girl smiled back, a small dimple appearing on her cheek.
Maybe this would be a fresh start after all.