Full of Starlight
(In this modern-day parable of the Eponine-Marius relationship in Les Misérables, 16-year-old EPPIE has fallen for MARIO, her best friend. Everything has been building up- MARIO has a new girlfriend, CASS, and everything has been telling EPPIE to abandon her feelings. Now, in the school hallway, EPPIE breaks down when MARIO asks why she hasn't had a boyfriend since they met.)
EPPIE
You honestly don't get it? Are you really here, standing in front of me, that clueless? I can't believe you. I stood right next to you and described falling in love. I said that when I met him, I just "melted to the floor". I was staring at the back of your head. And you didn't get it? You thought I was talking about some random dunce? You're my best friend, and you couldn't read me. And all those times I talked about metaphorically blind people and how silly they are for never seeing that someone loved them, did you really think I was talking about anyone else? You're so stupid! I hate you! For two years now, you're all I've thought about before I go to sleep. I've never prayed for anything in my life except for you to love me back. I wanted it more than anything in the world. Why didn't it work that way? Why can't you just see what's in front of you? And when you caught me staring at you all those times- what, did you think you had something on your face? Look, what I said about falling in love- it's true. It is. When I first saw you, that day you came to eat lunch with us, and I really did melt to the floor. My heart started pounding. I couldn't talk to you for about three days without stumbling over my words. Look. I don't know if you remember, but you… you asked me once. If I liked you. And I, once again, couldn't even talk to you about it. My face was the color of a cherry tomato. And I stammered, "We could never be together." You didn't know it was me, trying to convince myself. Why am I like this? Why? You're the most important thing in my whole life. You're all I ever think about. If you couldn't see, looks wouldn't matter. If you couldn't hear, I would abandon singing. And when you met Cass, the only reason I didn't thrust myself at her with a knife is because... because I love you so much, I just want you to be happy. But inside, it hurts. It hurts a lot. But I can deal with it, you know? As long as you're happy, I can be, too. It's like I drop my own life to improve yours. You always ask why I don't just find someone. But you know why I haven't? Why I haven't wanted to date anyone since the seventh grade? Because that's when I met you. After you, no one else compared. It's pathetic, and it's desperate, and it doesn't make any sense, but it's the story of my life! I wish nothing more in this world than to run away with you and take you into a world of daydreams… and twilight. To die with you. I love you! Okay? I love you, I love you, I love you. And at the same time, I hate you. Because I'll never have you.
