1. LES AMIS
"Shut up you stupid girl!" Thénardier yelled to Éponine.
She was scared, terrified of her father while he was beating her, and she was in fetal position, trying not to feel the punching that her father was giving to her. It didn't count at all. It really hurt her so much and more because her father was the one who was attacking her.
She sobbed and wept silently, because she knew that if she cried louder, her father would punch her hardly.
Azelma looked at that scene, pretty hurt, because, she thought that she was guilty of Éponine's pain. She didn't mean to lose that packet, but it escaped from her hands and fell into the water. She knew that Thénardier would punch her, and also does Éponine, so, in an attempt to protect his sister, Éponine blamed herself for Azelma's mistake, and Thénardier got furious. Azelma should step in on that tragic scene.
Madame Thénardier was also there, but she didn't say anything. She was in a corner, completely terrified and silent.
"No dad! Stop! Please!" Azelma screamed, interposing between the hand of her father and her sister skin "Éponine did not lost that packet. Actually I was the one who lost it. I'm sorry".
Thénardier got further infuriated, but now with Azelma, so he left Éponine alone. Now she was able to stand up, and protect her sister and before Thénardier could hit Azelma, Éponine took her by the hand and left the Gorbeau house, by running very fast.
They could not return to the Gorbeau house, at least not now. They had nowhere else to go, so they were decided to look for some who could help them. Gavroche wasn't at the Elephant, so Éponine and Azelma got their hopes down, they had nowhere else to go. They had one option left: another night sleeping on the streets.
They gasped and also started to walk. Azelma was the one who had more good expectations because she liked to see the good side of everything. She tried to make her sister got happier.
Soon, their hopes got high. They saw Gavroche at the Musain cafe.
They got into the Musain cafe and walked up stairs. Both girls smiled alleviated and Éponine was a little bit more calmed now that her little sister didn't have to sleep another night in the streets.
Azelma and Éponine went to the place where they saw Gavroche; it seems to be a private meeting of Les Amis of the ABC cafe, Éponine supposed, because she saw Marius sitting over there.
Marius she thought hopeless and she sighed, trying to catch a breath instead of falling on her knees. For just a second, she forgot of everything else, and she focused on Marius's decided expression, but something interrupted her, better said, someone.
"Who are you? And… what are you doing here?" said an authoritative and strict voice of a strong leader.
Éponine turned her head at the side where she listened to that voice, she saw a handsome man who was about 20 or 21 years old, but he seemed to be like 17 years old, blond and curly hair, blue eyes and angel face. He was Enjolras, the leader of the students. Her heart began to race faster and faster, as he approached. But that man, wasn't happy, he was in a serious attitude. Éponine started to feel something very special. A feeling she never felt before. Something that wasn't that unknown, but yes, it was unknown. It was something similar at the things she felt for Marius but this was bigger. Now, she began to feel strange.
Why is this happening to me? I am in love with Marius, why am I feeling this way? Éponine thought, as her legs were trembling with no conscience.
When he came to them, and found himself with Éponine's face, something on his expression changed. He seemed to pity her because he saw on that face shame, grief and an expression of a life flooded by misfortunes. And something that called his attention: a sharp hit in her face. But also, there was something else about that girl, something else, he couldn't understand in that moment, and that something made him tremble and made his heartbeats ran faster.
Les Amis, were paying attention to the newcomers, and they were also surprised by what they saw on Éponine's face, but Gavroche was still distracted by singing a happy song about ending the bad government, and seeing beyond the sky. Marius stood up, worried about his friend and he approached the two sisters.
"Éponine…what's wrong? What happened to your face?" Marius said, so worried, stealing Enjolras words.
Éponine turned to see Marius. Enjolras was also interested to know what happened to that unfortunate girl.
"What are you talking about, m'sier Marius?" she asked.
Marius pointed with his index finger to the place where Éponine had the blow that her father had given to her, she touch herself in that place and she felt a pain that bothered her. She barely had noticed of gasped and groaned because of the pain. And she remembered the reason why she was over there. And she got sad.
"Our… father" she saidwith an air of hopelessness and heartbroken. "That's why we are here"
And she hugged her sister with a protective gesture.
Immediately Marius supposed the right thing.
Enjolras thought wrong of the way that Marius spoke to Éponine, and as he did not want any distractions for the revolutionaries he bothered by the presence of the two young girls. But still, he was worried about what Éponine has just said about the way that her father treated her. What kind of father is capable to touch her daughters aggressively? Only a monster he thought. Anyway, that wasn't the important thing in that moment. Enjolras had better things to think instead of two girls battered by their father. He had a revolution to run. He had to inspire the people to join him into the impending revolution.
"What do you just said? Oh my God! Poor young girls! I knew Thénardier wasn't a good person" Marius exclaimed.
"And … what are you looking for in here?" Enjolras asked coldly; Éponine, Azelma, Marius and Les Amis looked at him, the two girls and even Marius were surprised about the way Enjolras talked, but les Amis knew that he was very cold hearted when all his friends were distracted about anything that weren't government, the revolution or general Lamarque health, "We are in the middle of an important meeting if you don't mind".
"Well… Emm…" Éponine babble, she was starting to feel nervous with Enjolras staring at her "I saw Gavroche, and I was wondering if I could talk to him, just for a second, please".
At the moment he listened his name and the voice that spoke, the little urchin Gavroche got up and turned toward the voice. The thing he saw surprised him and worried him. His two sisters brutally beaten, because Azelma was also beaten (even if we hadn't said that before), and Gavroche got furious because of that.
"Why? What do you want from Gavroche?"Enjolras asked abruptly.
"They are my sisters" Gavroche answered.
All Les Amis were surprised by the revelation of the little Gavroche.
"Your sisters?" Courfeyrac asked stunned.
"Yes" Gavroche affirmed and turned to see her sisters "What happened to you, girls? It was our father again?
Both of them were uncomfortable talking about that with many unknown people.
"Can we talk privately, little brother?" Éponine begged sweetly. Gavroche nodded and asked to Enjolras permission to go out just for a moment. Enjolras a little bit grumpy agreed, just for a few minutes.
The three brothers came out of the cafe, and Éponine started to tell Gavroche the whole story. Gavroche told them that they could stay with him the time they needed. They were very thankful with him.
After the talk Gavroche returned to the meeting and he asked permission to Enjolras so that his sisters could stay in the meeting. Enjolras was about to say "no" but something inside forbade him to reject those girls, specially the older one, so he ended by saying "yes".
"Thank you, you don't know what this means to me… emm… emm" Éponine said, trying to guess the leader's name.
"Enjolras" he answered. He suddenly thought that girl was enchanting.
"Thank you, m'sier Enjolras"
He nodded. It was the first time she said his name and he felt a glow of happiness inside him.
"And you are Éponine, right?"
"Yes and she is Azelma, my little sister".
He nodded again, and he noticed he was distracted so he came back to sitting on his place and opening his book of political.
A tiny smile of sympathy formed on face Éponine's face.
"Come here 'Ponine, for you to meet some people" Marius called her.
At the moment she listened to his voice she immediately turned to Marius's direction.