"Éponine! Well come on now, we're going to play hide and seek!" A young boy with dark hair and sparkling blue eyes called. He was peeking in through a window, standing on his tip toes. A girl looked at him through the window and back inside the house, hoping her mother wouldn't see.

"But Marius, mama will be very upset if I leave the house," She replied, pulling her dark curls in between her tiny fingers. Both of her parents doted on her constantly, but they didn't like letting her out of the house. Even if it was only to play.

"I'll bring Cosette and it'll be fun! Please, for me?" He gave her his puppy dog eyes, knowing that Éponine couldn't say no to those.

Éponine bit her lip, and as she glanced one last time, she darted over to the door and out, shutting it quietly behind her.

"Hooray! I'll go get Cosette and we can get started, okay?" Éponine nodded and Marius ran off through the streets, looking for the girl with golden hair.

Éponine of course knew Cosette; the girl lived with them for a few years now. Éponine's mother would always put her to chores that would make a grown man cry, and after all of the child labor she had out her through, the cheery disposition of Cosette had turned into a nasty, brooding one. Cosette would always bad mouth her whenever her mother was out of sight, knowing that Éponine wouldn't say a word. Cosette was just incredibly bitter; it wasn't her fault that she couldn't change it.

Eventually Marius had come back, tugging the little girl with the dirty golden hair in tow. Marius kept on glancing back at Cosette, giving her an encouraging smile, or giving her a playful poke. For some reason, Cosette would revert back to her old happy self whenever Marius was around. Cosette didn't ever seem to pay mind that she had a raggedy dress and dirty face.

The trio had begun to play an extensive game of hide and seek, their faces never once losing any amount of joy. In the dirty streets of Paris, that's all that a child had; the company of friends and the fun of playing games.

As Éponine searched for Marius, she never once thought that anything could break up the rocky friendship that they all had together.

As they grew up, Éponine began to like Marius more than a friend, even after he moved out of his grandfather's house into an apartment close by.

Éponine never once thought about losing Marius to anyone; they were as close as birds of feather.

Éponine never thought that Cosette would snatch Marius away from her in one swipe.

It never occurred to her that any of those things could happen.

But it did.


"Éponine! Take the list and go get the things to the grocer; don't buy the lot like you did last time. We're too run-down for that." Madame Thénardier shoved the tattered piece of paper into Éponine's outstretched hand, turning around and attempting to steal another knick-knack from a customer.

"Yes, mother," Éponine replied, taking to the doors as fast as she could. A light rain had already begun to fall on the streets of Paris, people still passing by without a care in the world. The brunette sighed, heading towards the market in a beeline. Some people that passed her said their hellos and she would reply back; it was a simply courtesy that Éponine was grateful for. Even some interaction could help her get through her endless days.

Éponine glanced down at her list and up again at the stands where people would sell dirty fruits and vegetables, like carrots or pears. Éponine remembered when Cosette used to do the grocery shopping, and she would always be back in a hurry. But that was before a man came and took her away, never to see her again until just the year before.

Seven years later (not counting the time she came back), Cosette had turned into a beautiful young lady; her airs and graced that of a noble. Éponine was once trying to beg on the streets and conning young men out of their belongings when Éponine found that head of golden hair; she couldn't forget it.

Cosette had turned in the direction of Éponine, looking straight through her and giving her a malicious glare. Even after all those years of pampering and a father—from the looks of the older man beside her—she was still bitter and full of hatred.

Éponine knew how much Cosette had hated and resented her for being the little girl that the Thénardiers adored. It wasn't the fact that she was jealous—the words 'jealousy' and 'Cosette' just didn't go hand-in-hand—Cosette felt a sort of injustice between her treatment and Éponine's; it didn't matter if she was the daughter of the master of the house.

Yet it didn't matter now; their roles had been utterly reversed. Éponine was now the one dressed in rags, never to have a single day of quiet and peace and Cosette was now the girl others envied. Well, it wasn't a total waste since the brunette was able to see and talk to Marius; him being one of the few people she liked and could talk to without being lashed at. She absolutely adored the blue-eyed man. So much, that she had begun to fall in love with him when they were young. Her love for him was still as strong as ever.

Éponine was able to get the food that she needed without causing any trouble. A few feet away, she had spotted Marius walking in the opposite direction. She sped towards him, hoping not lose sight of him.

"Marius!" Éponine called out. Her fingers were able to wrap around his arm, her body heaving heavily from the exertion. She looked up at him unable to smile. He was just the sort of person you couldn't not smile at!

"Ah, good afternoon Éponine. I haven't seen you in a while haven't I?" Marius ruffled Éponine's hair and beamed at her in return. Marius was always kind and jolly to everyone, and his expression was one of joy. Except when it came to the revolution; he could be an extremely serious man.

"You saw me yesterday, Marius." Éponine laughed and tugged at his sleeve. Always the charmer that Marius.

"That's right! And your mother yelled at me for distracting the female customers." He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting in the direction of Éponine's 'house'. He sighed, turning and looking Éponine straight in the eye.

"You know, my offer about you moving into my apartment is still open you know . . ." His voice trailed off.

Éponine scoffed. "I don't need your pity, sir," She replied, brushing off her skirts in defiance. She may have had to beg for money, but there was still some dignity in the seventeen-year-old.

Marius held up his hands in reluctance. "I'm just saying, no need to throw a fit, 'Ponine."

Éponine simply huffed.

Marius was about to say something else, but his eyes darted to Cosette's figure. His eyes widened as he saw the blonde walking. They both locked eyes and Cosette, saying something to her father, parted from him to go with Marius. Marius was blushing, obviously love-struck with the girl they had played with when they were younger. His hands took hers and he glanced into her eyes, their adoration tangible in the air.

Éponine deplored every minute of it.