Sometimes I walk alone at night when everybody else is sleeping...

"Eponine, I was looking for you!"

"You were, Monsieur?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask you to do me a favor."

"Anything you want, Marius."

"Well, the other day I was by your house and I saw a beautiful young woman come out. Do you know who she is?"

"Well... not really."

"You told me once that you knew your way around and could find just about anyone. Could you find her for me?"

"I could. Why do you want to find her?"

"The day I saw her leave your house our eyes met and I fell in love. I had never seen anyone so beautiful as her, and even though I don't even know her name, I feel like I can't live without her."

"Oh, well I suppose I could find her for you."

"Oh thank you, Eponine, your the best friend a man could have."

"Oh, yes. You're welcome Monsieur Marius."

That was last week. Last week when the man I've always secretly loved sent me out to find the girl I grew up with. Cosette. I could recognize her eyes anywhere. Her and her father came to our house last week. My father was trying to trick her father into giving him money. When she came in she was holding on to her father's arm. She had on the finest clothes and looked perfect. I had on my ratty old brown dress that I've had since I was twelve. I was dirty and bruised. Our eyes met for a split second and I knew who she was. "Wow things have changed," I whispered to myself.

Now I walk alone at night trying to find her adress. It's cold and windy. I wrap myself tighter in my thin cloak that I stole from a merchant. Tears stream steadily in my eyes. I think back to one of my earliest memories. It was the first time I ever saw Cosette. I was two or three. I have a blurry memory of me holding my infant sister on our swing when a crying woman stumbled into our old inn. She carried a little girl in her arms. I remember looking into the little girl's big blue eyes. My next memory comes from later that day. After I tried to talk to the little girl my mother scolded me. "Do not play with her. She is trash. You are too good for her."

"Oui Madame," I said. When you are small you believe everything your parents tell you. They are righter than God in your eyes and no matter how many people you see them rob and rip off, they could do no wrong.

I stop and rest from walking. I'm tired. I push my hair out of my face and behind my ears. I was so ignorant then, I think to myself. It starts to rain. I keep walking.