Eponine woke up to a boot in her side. She jumped and immediately opened her eyes. She looked around to see it was just a person walking by who happened to trip on her. She rested her head on her arms for ten minutes more, and got up. She was wearing a brown dress with a tight belt around the waste, she had brown straggly hair, no shoes, beautiful brown eyes, which were all qualities of a street girl. But over all, she was beautiful. She slowly got up and walked along the streets, when she caught sight of her friend Marius, and her face light up with joy. See, her and Marius knew each other as friends, but inside Eponine's mind she had a desperate love for Marius. Marius Pontmercy, had a wealthy family, but refused to take any money. Marius was good looking, but never focused on women too much. He had many great qualities, a revolutionary student, smart, handsome, but really, he was blind as a bat. He never saw Eponine's obvious love for him like everyone else did. Eponine was one of his best friends, but nothing more, nothing less. Marius was walking on the bustling street, on his way to meet his grandfather for lunch, which he had always dread. He never enjoyed acting rich or showing off the finest materials to everyone. His grandfather didn't enjoy having him so stubborn, and didn't understand why he didn't live with him in his very own mansion.
Eponine quickly walked up to him with a smile on her face, hands held in front of her. "Hey monsieur" Eponine said walking by his side. "Hello there Eponine" Marius said in the same tone. "Where are you off to today?" "Oh just another stupid visit to my grandfather" Marius groaned. "Don't like playing the rich and fancy life?" Eponine teased. "Eponine, you know I don't. I would rather get wealthy by earning it than taking it, like everyone else in this country. Besides being rich and fancy isn't so fun." He said in defence. "Sure it isn't, living on the streets is just the best!" Eponine laughed. Marius shook his head at the ground and said "you know what I mean." There was a pause."So plans for the revolution lately?" Eponine asked changing the subject. "Ah yes, just came back from another uprising. Looks like we can actually do this, the people agree, the people want, the people need, what can stop us?" Eponine nodded. "Great, but have you kept in mind getting hurt?" she asked worried. One thing she was afraid of was Marius falling. She wouldn't have anything to live for if he did. Marius was who she loved, her desire. Without a desire to live, well she wouldn't want to live at all. Unless something happened, another reason to live, but everything she had was going out into the barricades. Which made her think. Marius stopped for a second. Looking at something hopelessly, completely in a trance. Eponine followed his eyes. She saw a beautiful girl, close to their age, with blonde curls and dressed in the finest clothes, with a protective arm at her side. That must be her father. Eponine thought. The beautiful girl had the same look on her face that Marius had. Wait a second, is that? No it can't be… Can it? "Cossette!" her father yelled, and grabbed her turning away from an officer who had seemed to be yelling at Eponine's parents. Cossette? How can this be? Last time we were together she was a maid for us… How could she have ended up like that? Cossette and her father ran away and Marius came up to Eponine. "Eponine who was that girl" he said with a smile on his face. "Who her? The rich fancy one?" Eponine responded obviously showing her distaste for the girl. "Yes, who was she?" Marius said not caring for her opinion. "What will you give me if I tell you?" she teased. "Anything" Marius was excited now that he might meet her. "Fine I'll find your precious mystery girl" She said rolling her eyes, hiding the sadness building up inside her. "Be careful!" He yelled at her while she was running away. He still couldn't see that she was running away with a few tears in her eyes.
Eponine found the girl at Rue Plamet, so she went to go see Marius. She ran up to ABC café where the boys were obviously cheering for yet another revolution. Marius spotted her, as did she, but then Eponine's eyes made their way to something else, a man wearing a vest, with blonde curls and beautiful brown eyes. He was truly handsome. She recognized him. Enjolras… She thought. She's seen him up on stage he's seen her in the crowd. But now, it was different. Something about the way they looked at each other. There was a spark, a flutter in her stomach, for once, it felt right. She didn't even know what she meant by right. She was woken from the trance when Marius tapped her on the shoulder. "Did you find her?" he asked eager to meet the girl. Eponine looked up one more time at Enjolras who was now busy planning. She had a lump in her throat from the moment of pure love, so instead she ran down the stairs with Marius right at her side. What she didn't know, was that Enjolras stared at her as she walked away.
Marius picked Eponine up and twirled her in the air as they walked into the backside of Cossette's house. "You're the friend who has brought me here! Thanks to you I can finally meet her!" Eponine giggled with happiness. When Marius touched her it felt like she was in a dream, but not exactly right.
What did she mean by right? When she saw Enjolras she felt it was right. But how? They've known each other for years, but never looked each other in the eye. Not like that at least, but something clicked. Never mind him, he probably has girls begging for him, why would he want a street rat like you?" But she also thought about how she was Marius's friend even though she was a street rat, but could it happen with Marius. Surley not. And she knew that for sure when she saw Marius had already made his way to Cossette, hand in hand, at her gate. She wanted to cry as she watched them look at each other in pure love and amazement for ten minutes, until Cossette's father came. The girl ran off back inside while Marius hid behind a wall. He picked up the girl's handkerchief she had dropped and ran off, not even acknowledging Eponine. He was truly blinded by the mask of love. Eponine was about to sit down and cry when she heard her father. "Who is this little girl here?" "Its your little brat! Don't you know your own kid?" "What's she doing hanging about here?" was all she heard. She stood up to speak to her father. "Leave, we have some business to take care of." She shook her head. If she couldn't have Marius, she would at least want him happy.
"I know this house! There's nothing here! Just an old man and a girl! Please don't hurt them!" She exclaimed. He covered her mouth with his dirty hand. "You know nothing of our business and don't need to, now go home you brat" he said threating her. "I'll scream if I have to!" She said. "You will do nothing of!" Her father yelled. Just when he turned back to the fence she let out a loud scream. People started moving in the house. Her father turned back to her and yelled "You rue this night you brat!" and slapped her across the face bringing her to the ground. "Finish her off!" he said to his gang of men. And next thing she knew there were punches and kicks all over her. She couldn't scream. So she probably would sleep here in this alley for the night.
Suddenly she heard a strong, masculan voice come booming from the side. "Leave her alone." He simply said, but within that content there seemed to be a great threat. "What you going to do about it?" asked one of the men. Eponine quickly scrambled to the wall once their hands were of there. She then looked to see who it was. "Well, this" and with that he punched to man square across the face. Enjolras. How? What?! But Eponine watched in amazement how Enjolras was able to take down a whole gang of men with just himself. Once he was done he looked at her. "Why?" she asked. "You don't deserve this Eponine, any of it." He said. Now she felt that spark again, the same feeling as before, and now Marius was clearing out of her head for once. "Can you walk?" he asked helping her up. She took a step but fell, not only did her feet hurt from walking but her legs were beat up pretty well. She was also extremely tired. "I'll take that as a no" he said, and without question he scooped her up into his strong arms. "Is it ok if I carry you?" he asked. "Yes" she quivered as the rain started to fall on them. He carried her out into the street and stopped asking "Where shall I take you?" "Just on that corner should be fine." She pointed to a secluded corner in front of the alley she always slept in. "Where will you sleep?" he asked worringly. "The street" she said. He shook his head. I will not let you sleep in those filthy dangerous alleys. You deserve an actual bed Eponine. Would you mind coming to my flat?" He asked. "I can really sleep on the street like always." "Eponine, I refuse to take you there. You're not going anywhere near there while I'm here." She suddenly smiled, a smile she hadn't felt in a long time. "Ok." Was all she said and she nestled herself into his arms, still smiling. And she too could tell he was smiling at her giddily. When she opened her eyes she was in the café walking up the stairs, still in Enjolras's arms. Once in side he layed here on a bed with a towel. She was soaking wet from the rain. "Thank you" she said, as he pulled up the covers to her chest. After a minute she felt his lips touch her head softly, and he said "I love you Eponine." Now, there was something there, something completely unbreakable. She felt stars hit her in her sleep. And she had sweet dreams, until a nightmare came. Her father had a belt and his gang behind him. She was tied to a chair. "I'll make you scream." And after that, she woke up screaming and Enjolras running in. "Eponine are you ok?" he said rushing to the side of the bed. Eponine found herself sitting up, her hands clenching the blanket, and breathing rapidly. Enjolras took her hand in his and looked her in the eye, which made an immediate calming effect on her. She smiled and asked him a risky question, but she knew she wouldn't get to sleep without him. "Can you stay with me tonight?" she asked nervously. "I-" "I know it was a stupid question." Eponine cut him off. "I was going to say if it's ok with you." He said lowering his face to her. She smiled and patted the spot for him to lay in. At first he lie in the bed with his back flat, but then Eponine nudged her way into his side and moved her head to the crook of his neck. With that sign he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Little did she know that he was leaving in the morning for the barricades.