A/N: This is my first fanfic. I really hope it's okay and please review and tell me what you think! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables or any characters.


"Wake up, 'Ponine," Cosette called as she dumped a bucket of ice cold water on Eponine, trying to wake her up. "You don't want to be late on the first day of school, do you," continued Cosette as she shook Eponine awake. Eponine sat up to see her best friend already dressed up in a pair of white capris and a pink laced top with her chestnut hair slightly curled. "Geez Cosette! It's only 7:00 and you're already ready. You know school doesn't start until 8:30," exclaimed Eponine before she stumbled into her bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Today was Eponine and Cosette's first day as juniors and Azelma's first day as a sophomore at their new school, Lamarque High School, while Gavroche would be attending the middle school as an eighth grader. The children attended a Catholic school before having to move because of Cosette's father's job. Cosette's father thought it would be a good idea to let the kids attend a public school so they could open their eyes to the world around them instead of spending their whole childhood being cooped up in a strict boarding school.


Eponine and Cosette had been best friends ever since preschool. When they were five, Cosette's single mother, Fantine, asked Eponine's parents to watch Cosette for her because she had to move to another city for her new job and couldn't afford to take Cosette with her. Fantine promised the Thenardier's a monthly allowance and upon Eponine's father request, she paid for the first few months ahead of time. For a month, the Thenardier's treated Cosette like one of their own but after the first month, Cosette became a slave. While Eponine and her younger sister, Azelma, were spoiled, Cosette was forced to do chores and wore second hand clothes from Eponine and Azelma. The Thenardier's had sold Cosette's clothes for more money and started charging Fantine by constantly telling her that Cosette was sick and she needed to pay for her healthcare when in reality, they just wanted more money. Whenever Cosette made the slightest mistake, Mr. Thenardier would beat her with a leather belt. Eponine could not bear to see her best friend being tortured like that and because Cosette never had a proper meal, Eponine and Azelma would sneak her some food from dinner each day and secretly shared some of her breakfast with Cosette.

One day, Mr. Thenardier caught Eponine and Azelma sneaking bread to Cosette after dinner and started yelling at Cosette for stealing food and was about to whip her but Eponine jumped in between her father and Cosette, pleading to him that she and Azelma had given the bread to Cosette. Upon hearing this, Mr. Thenardier gave his two daughters a lecture about how Cosette was lower than the rest of them and deserved to be treated that way. Eponine and Azelma argued against him and before she knew it, her father had pulled out his belt and started whipping his two daughters and said, "If you help the brat, you might as well be treated like the brat." From that day on, Eponine and Azelma joined Cosette with the chores and not long after, Mrs. Thenardier made her youngest child, Gavroche, join the girls.

When Eponine and Cosette were eight, a mysterious man who claimed to know Fantine came to the children's rescue on Christmas Eve. He originally only intended to rescue Cosette but after seeing how the other children were being treated, he decided to take all four of the children and adopt them. After contacting Child Protective Services, he managed to get custody of not only Cosette, but also Eponine and her siblings. Mr. and Mrs. Thenardier and the rest of the secret gang they were a part of were later arrested for several cases of robbery and murder they had committed so they could get more money.


Dressed in a simple pair of denim shorts and a maroon Harvard hoodie, Eponine Thenardier dragged her brush through her long dark hair and walked out of her bathroom to join the rest of the family downstairs. Cosette, Azelma, and Gavroche were already downstairs eating breakfast when she arrived. "Hey 'Ponine," greeted Cosette and her siblings. "So what kept you this morning," inquired Azelma, "The rest of us were already down here 15 minutes ago and Toussaint wouldn't serve breakfast until all of us were ready." "Sorry. I didn't realize all of you were that excited for the first day of school," replied Eponine, "Am I the only one who's even nervous?" "Yes Eppie. You're the only one who's all stressed out," said Gavroche with a smirk. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me Eppie?!" screeched Eponine as Azelma and Cosette failed to stifle their giggles.

Finally, an old lady named Toussaint who was their housekeeper, served the starving kids breakfast. She watched happily as they devoured their food within ten minutes. When they finished their breakfast, each of the kids gave Toussaint a hug and said goodbye before heading out to their bus stops.


"Are you guys excited for our first day at a public school?" exclaimed Cosette. "I mean, there's going to be more activities and stuff and we don't have to wear uniforms every day," she continued. "I don't really know…." stuttered Eponine, "Like it just seems so different and we don't know anybody here and I'm not the most social person out there… I just hope Gavroche doesn't get into too much trouble. You know how much trouble he got into back at our old school…." "Well I'm sure he'll be fine," bumped in Azelma. The bus had finally arrived and the three girls boarded the bus cautiously and sat close to each other. Before long, they had arrived at their new school and the three girls found themselves looking at it in wonder. "I swear I'm going to get lost," mumbled Eponine as she stared at the huge building towering in front of her. "Oh don't worry 'Ponine, I'll stick around with you since we have the same schedule and if we get lost, we'll both find a way out!" replied a cheerful Cosette. Without another word, the three girls walked in the building and started finding their way to their lockers, hoping they wouldn't get trampled.


A/N: So that's the first chapter. I hope you liked it and feel free to leave me a review. Also it'll be a while before I can update this because I have piano camp next week. Thanks for reading! :)