Chapter One

I remember the first time I saw evil. It was there one minute and gone the next. It came not in the form of ugliness but in the form of beauty. I was stunned. You know when you see something cool and you can't look away even though you really want to? Same thing.

"Hello my dear." he said coyly, circling me. I couldn't breath, nor could I speak. "You don't speak much, do you?" he asked. I shook my head frantically. He chuckled. For some reason, I liked having him smile. I didn't even know who he was, and yet I felt that I should. He stopped circling me and but his arms behinde his back. "Your name is?" he asked. I said my name cautiously. "Elphaba." as soon as the word flew out my lips I regretted not saying more. He nodded. "Well Elphaba, it's a pleasure to meet you. Such a beautiful name." his words slapped me in the face, yet leaving me wanting more. My friend Kim stepped infront of me proctectivly. "What do you want, Chase?" she hissed, angrilly. His gaze moved to her annoyed. His eybrows raised in mock surprise. "Why Kimiko, how rude of you." he mused. She ground her teeth together. "I mean, interrupting my conversation with Elphaba" he sighed. "I just came to see what all the fuss is about. And I must say," he disappeared from his spot ten feet away, and was behinde me unhumanly instantly. "I am intrigued." he whispered. And then, as quick as he came... he was gone...

"The nerve of that man!" Kimiko fumed as she watched the distance. I was still silent, staring at the very spot he once stood. Beside me, the young boy with the abnormally sized head looked up at me for a very long time. "I believe you are in great danger." he whispered in disbelief. I felt a large warm hand on my shoulder, and a soft southern voice. I couldn't comprehend exactly what he was saying, but I shook my head slowly, still in shock and awe. No man had ever looked so beautiful to me. "Elphaba! Hello? Earth to Elphie!" screamed my latino friend. "Raymundo, that's really annoying!" I yelled, shaking of the hand that belonged to my dear friend Clayton. I preferred to call him Clay like the rest of my group. I stormed back to my room, unaware and confused as to why I had snapped. Maybe it's my character.

If you haven't figured it out already, my name is Elphaba. Figure out why yet? Well, lets just say that my mother really liked 'Wicked' the musical. And I mean REALLY liked it. Of course I don't look a thing like the beautiful Miss. Elphaba, with her green skin and beautiful black hair. I'm sorry to say that I'm just a plain girl. Pale skin, occasional zit, chubby and blonde hair. I was always told that my best qualities were my eyes and my boobs. My eyes are a weird hazel mixed with a deep green and a yellow ring around the pupil. And my boobs... G34 baby. No lie. I wish they were smaller with all my heart, but a breast reduction is more than what I could even imagine to afford one day.

I retreated to my room... if you could call it that. It was basically a section of a larger room, cut off by paper walls. Very... Chinese. I guess it should be though... considering I'm in China. I'm currently staying at the Xiaolin Temple for the summer because apparently the Grand Master Fung is my uncle. I'm not Asian. I think it's just by marriage, though, but nobody can remember. Anyways, back to the room; Its about big enough the lay down in... length wise. Width isn't very big. I'm clausterphobic, which means I get a window. Whoop Dee Doo...

I fell onto the flimsy little cot I was given. I was surprised that it supported my fat ass. What ever, the limit was 250lbs. I AM NOT THERE........yet... I glanced out the window and sighed. Only two months of this before I go back for college. I'm supposed to be a journalist, but I just want to be an actress. I sighed and threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "I give up! Take me now!" I sighed, falling onto my back roughly. I closed my eyes and thought abour the man from before. According to Kimiko earlier, his name was Chase; I knew a Chase once. He was fat and disturbing. He would ask me out every day in art class, and every day I would say no... I wonder what happened to him...; I mumbled the name numerous times, and close my eyes.

I woke up to blackness. It was dark with the exception of the moonlight and the stars shining in through the window. I sat up and scratched my head. I looked at my clock in the corner. 12:43am. Splendid. I shighed and got up. I took my clothes off, putting on a blue short sleeved shirt and just a pair of black underwear. Not even a thong, just my usual panties... my usual summer wear. I was about to crawl back into bed when it occured to me that I had to pee. Of course there was no plumbing, so I had to use an outhouse. I don't do outhouses.

I cautiously stepped down the staires, holding the wall for guidance. I was still in what I was wearing befoire, but I figured, 'Nobody will be up'. And I was 100%....................... right. I opened the sliding paper door and shut it carefully. I truned and ran to the little shed over on the side of the house. I opened the door and gasped. I stepped back and tripped on only God knows what, and fell on my butt. There in the doorway was a spider. Not a big one, or a small one, but I really am terrified of these things. I took a huge gulp, and debated on wheather or not to go back and try to hold it, or to ignor it. Of course I can't ignor it! I stood up slowly and stared ahead right at the arachnid. I held the front of my shirt, pulling it down a bit, and staring straight ahead with all my concentration. I began to get frustrated, leading tears to whell up in my eyes. 'I have to pee!!!!!!!!!" i shrieked in my head, yet slightly calm on the outside. I took a deep breath and turned to see the forest. I decided to take a branch from a tree and get rid of it. I ran over to an old birch and pulled a decent branch off. I ran back and targeted the spider and with all my steadiness and concentration, lured it onto the stick. I walked carefully away, and threw the stick down. The spider crawled in the opposite direction from the outhouse and I booked it inside.

I sat on the toilet, and went. I sat there hoping that no one woke up, because I am very pee shy. I glanced up casually... I wish I didn't. I counted at least 6 more spiders, all bigger than the previous. Screaming as loud as I could, I jumped up and bent to pull up my underwear, feeling them fall on my back and in my hair. I got them up in less than a second and raced out of the shed, screaming like I was being raped. I ran over to the river where we usually washed the clothes and did miscilaneous things, and jumped in, forgetting that I couldn't touch the bottom. Under the water I shook violently, hoping the drown the little fuckers. I think I did. I resurfaced, and was being taken with the current. I groaned and tried to swim against it. I gave up and let the current take me for a moment, knowing the there was a small bridge up ahead, and prepared myself for what was yet to come.