The Interview

Chapter Ten

Glinda was mildly shocked when she left her guestroom the next morning and spotted Elphaba by the door, already fully dressed in black jeans and something akin to a biker jacket. Her hair was gathered in a messy bun, and she was busily fussing over a couple of large bags. Although she knew that they had some sort of plans for the day, Glinda hadn't paid much heed to the time so far. Had she overslept that badly?

"'Morning, Elphie," she called down from the gallery.

"Morning," the green woman more or less mumbled in reply before she looked up. When she did, she seemed surprised and perhaps even flustered for a moment. The odd expression on her face intrigued Glinda, but without asking directly, there was little she could find out. Elphaba smiled at her fleetingly, then directed her attention back to her bags, saying no more.

Unsure how much time she had left until their departure, and hoping that she wouldn't significantly delay Elphaba's intended schedule, she quickly disappeared into her room again to exchange her silk nightgown for something more practical. She brushed her teeth and styled her hair in haste and rushed down the stairs as fast as she could without taking a tumble. She found Elphaba in the kitchen.

"I didn't know we were supposed to leave so early," she apologised, grinning self-consciously.

"I promised Grokk that I'd collect the flyers from the print shop by nine thirty, is all," Elphaba explained. "It's alright, you don't even have to come. I can return home after that to fetch you."

But Glinda shook her head.

"No, I'd like to come if that's okay with you. I don't need breakfast."

Eyebrows raised high, Elphaba turned to the cabinet and produced a reusable takeaway cup.

"In that case, I'll just pour your coffee into this." She pointed at the drawers next to Glinda. "If you open the first one, you should be able to find some sandwich paper. I already made a bagel for you, so you can just wrap it up and take it along. We're leaving in five."

Beaming, Glinda did as she was told; however not before risking a sneaky peak between the bread: lettuce, cheese, fried egg and lots of beetroot. She loved beetroot, but Elphaba couldn't possibly have known. More likely, it was a shared passion.

"That's sweet of you, Elphie," she said, willing herself hard not to blush.

"Make sure not to lose crumbs all over your seat," Elphaba reminded her dourly as they got into the car.

Glinda brushed it off with a soft snort and appreciatively bit into her bagel. The bread tasted miles better than the cheap stuff she sometimes got from the fast food restaurant on her way to work.

She waited outside while Elphaba went into the shop to pick up the finished leaflets. She couldn't quite remember if Elphaba had told her what exactly they were advertising, but, naturally, it was something related to her activism. Her friend soon reappeared, along with the shop assistant – a young Ram – who helped her with the cart. The piles of paper were larger than she had anticipated. Unsure whether there was anything she could help with, she got out of the car. The assistant was busy keeping the cart in place while Elphaba was unloading stack after stack into the boot.

"They won't all fit in here," she said, her voice strained from the heavy lifting. "Would you mind lending us a hand and throwing a couple of them on the backseats?"

Of course, she didn't mind. Eagerly, she grabbed the first bundle. She allowed herself a moment to skim through the front page. There were several dates on it for various events. Some of them were theatre or musical performances, others were of more intellectual nature. As far as she could gather, there also was a rally planned.