Author's Note: Yes, you read the summary right - this is NOT a one-shot; in fact, it is my FIRST EVER completed Wicked multichap! YAY!

I first got the idea for this story a few days after Valentine's Day last year, but I couldn't get past the first paragraph of chapter two. So it became one of the many temporarily-abandoned stories I have floating around my laptop.

And then in October, I managed to write a sentence. One single sentence, and suddenly, BOOM! - I'd written an entire story! I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it! :)

And Happy Valentine's Day/Single's Awareness Day/whatever you do or don't celebrate! 3

Elizabeth. xx

It's Valentine's Day!

CHAPTER 1:

An ear-splitting shriek cut through the early morning tranquillity.

Elphaba Thropp bolted upright in bed and immediately glanced over at the other side of the room. "Galinda, are you alright?" she asked in concern, before her mind registered that her friend's bed was empty. "Galinda?" she questioned, looking around the room until her eyes fell on Galinda's slight figure standing by the window. The light streamed through the open curtains, giving Galinda an almost ethereal appearance.

Galinda turned around, a huge grin plastered across her face. "It's Valentine's Day!"

"Oh, is that all?" Elphaba muttered, lying back down and closing her eyes.

Galinda let out an audible gasp of horror and bounded over to Elphaba's bed. "What do you mean, 'is that all'? Valentine's Day is an important personal and social event! It is the one day of the year desiccated –"

"Designated," Elphaba corrected tiredly.

"– for everyone to show their love! It's HUGE! It's THE best day of the year! Well, aside from my Birthday, that is!" Galinda let out a shrill giggle, before her mouth turned down slightly at the sight of Elphaba feigning sleep. "Oh, honestly, Elphie, can't you at least look excited?"

Elphaba cracked an eye open to glare at her friend. "Why should I? Valentine's Day is nothing but one day of the year designated to…"

Galinda put her dainty hands on her hips challengingly. "To what? See, you can't even think up an argument!"

To make my life hell. "I was making sure I was about to use words you can understand. It's the one day of the year designated to over-excite already-over-excited couples and depress already-depressed single people. A day designated for everyone to decorate everything in sickening shades of pink and red; plaster loveheart shapes over every inch of available surface of everything; fill stores with teddy bears and with chocolates in ostentatious-looking loveheart-shaped boxes; and give the florists a roaring trade. A day designated for me to be sickened by listening to everyone being sappy and 'romantic'" – Elphaba put the latter word in air quotes with her fingers – "and to give everyone yet another excuse to organize dances and write pointless, sappy poetry."

Galinda crossed her arms and glared back at Elphaba. "Are you quite finished ruining my ideas about Valentine's Day?"

Elphaba shrugged. "It's just how I see it."

"Well, you're the only one," Galinda told her, turning up her little nose.

Elphaba shrugged and turned over. "Suits me fine," she muttered, closing her eyes once more.

Galinda sighed and walked over to her wardrobe. "Now, what to wear, what to wear…hmmm…" Galinda quietly selected her (pink) outfit for the day and went about her involved morning routine.

Just as Galinda clipped on her second earring, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" she called – quite unnecessarily, as she was right beside the door and Elphaba was still in bed.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Elphaba exclaimed, squinting at her clock. "It's seven o'clock! Who in the world would want to venture into the Lioness' den at seven o'clock in the bleeding morning?"

"No-one will come in; it will be a delivery, dear!" Galinda replied chirpily. With a dramatic sweep of her arm, Galinda flung open the door and beamed at the sight awaiting her. "Oh, how sweet! Thankyou!" Galinda took the extravagant bouquet of dark pink roses from the delivery man and bestowed upon him a brilliant smile. "Oh, and a gift box, too! And a teddy bear! My, Fiyero certainly went all-out this year!" Galinda giggled as she signed for the gifts and took them from the man, who then presented her with a single red rose, causing Galinda to gasp.

"I'm afraid you'll have to sign for this one separately for this one, ma'am," the delivery man said.

Galinda frowned, puzzled. "Why? It's from Fiyero, too, isn't it?"

"Is that who those ones are from?" the man queried, nodding at the gifts Galinda now held in her little arms.

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Then no, this is not from Fiyero."

"Oh. Well, okay, then." Galinda put down the gift box she held and reached for the pen once more to sign her name, before taking the rose from him and thanking him with her signature giggle.

The man began to move away, before he turned back, pulling an envelope out of his bag. "Oh, I almost forgot about this."

"Will I have to sign for that one, too?" Galinda asked.

"No, this one isn't for you."

"Then who…?" Galinda trailed off, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh, my Oz! Elphieeee!" she squealed.

"What?" came the reply, though it was more of a groan than an actual word.

"Elphie, it's for you!"

Elphaba raised her head and looked at Galinda in confusion. "What is?"

"This envelope."

"Wow, I got a whole envelope," Elphaba said sarcastically. "Empty, I presume?"

Galinda frowned as she examined the envelope. "I don't think so…" she said seriously, causing Elphaba to roll her eyes. "Anyway, you have to come over here to sign for it."

The delivery man cleared his throat. "Actually, envelopes don't have to be signed for at all."

"Oh. So, I could just…take it and give it to her?" Galinda asked.

The delivery man nodded. "It would be best if one of you takes it…because I have other deliveries to make."

"Great!" Galinda whisked the envelope from his hand and shut the door, barely pausing to call, "Oh, bye! Thankyou very much!" Galinda skipped over to her roommate's bed and dropped the envelope lightly onto Elphaba's side.

"Hey!" Elphaba protested, flinging her arm out to stop the envelope from slipping onto the floor. "You could have put it on my nightstand!"

"But then you wouldn't read it," Galinda argued, "and you must read it now."

"Why?" Elphaba asked. "It's still going to be there later, whether I choose it open it now or tonight. Or tomorrow, for that matter."

Galinda gaped at her friend. "But Elphie! You can't open it tomorrow! It must be opened now!"

"Why?" Elphaba repeated.

"Well, because…it's Valentine's Day! So that has to be a Valentine! And you can't not open a Valentine on Valentine's Day! Especially because then when you see whoever it was who sent it to you, you can't tell them that you didn't know they'd sent you anything because you were too lazy to open it because that would be rude!"

Elphaba regarded her friend doubtfully. "Galinda, there is no way this is going to be a Valentine. No-one even likes me, so why should anyone send me a Valentine? Unless it's a joke. Besides," she continued, waving the envelope around, "the envelope is white."

"So?"

"Well, aren't the envelopes usually red or pink for Valentine's Day?"

"Well…they probably know you don't like pink," Galinda concluded logically.

"And red?"

Exasperated, Galinda held out her hands. "Oh, just open it already!"

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, Elphaba complied. "I'm only doing this to satisfy your curiosity," she told Galinda as she opened the envelope. "I don't know why anyone would be sending me anything, but it's probably quite trivial." Elphaba extracted a small piece of plain notepaper and read the words with a raised eyebrow. Finally, she set the note aside.

"Well?" Galinda demanded impatiently.

"Well what?"

Galinda groaned. "Elphaba, you know what! What does it say?"

"Nothing important," Elphaba said, brushing it off.

"It must be important!" Galinda pressed. "Tell me!"

Elphaba shrugged. "If you're so interested, read it yourself."

Galinda snatched up the note and read it through, a grin lighting up her face. "I told you it would be a Valentine!"

"It's not a Valentine, Galinda," Elphaba retorted. "It's just a note."

"A very romantic note," Galinda corrected pointedly, "written in calligraphy. That is romantic."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You would think it romantic if a boy punched me in the face."

"I would not!" protested Galinda.

"My point is, the note is not romantic. There is nothing romantic about this note. Creepy, yes. Romantic, no."

Nevertheless, Elphaba couldn't help but read over the note one more time after Galinda had huffed and flounced out of the room, announcing her intention to personally thank Fiyero for the gifts.

On a day you don't celebrate,
This someone you hate,
But who doesn't hate you,
Needs to tell the truth.
To find out whom I be,
At noon stand under the acacia tree.

She shook her head, dismissing the note. It was either the work of someone playing a cruel joke or that of a crackpot. Mostly likely, it was someone playing a joke. It would be better left ignored.