6th Grade

They weren't the most popular group of people, but they weren't wallflowers. It was a group consisting of eight people, seven boys and one girl. They all came from different backgrounds, but they considered each other family.

This was where Eponine thought all the trouble in her life started. 6th grade was the year where everything became the roller coaster of life that parents would always talk about. You would gain independence and make your own choices. She didn't struggle with this though because it was the way she had been living since she was nine. Her life was a struggle that was only soothed when she hung around her closest friends, Les Amis.

Les Amis was a group of boys who, at first, was quite annoyed with her. She was sassy, bossy, and a kiss-up to the teachers. Then, one day, they took notice of her at recess and saw how lonely and sad she actually was. Gabriel Enjolras, the leader of the so-called Amis, walked over and invited her to hang out with them. And who wouldn't accept? Especially at the age of eleven, when a group of particularly cute boys invites you, you don't reject them. And Eponine was damn proud she didn't say no. That group made more than just her day, but her whole year. They even liked her back as the closest friend. From that day, their friendship blossomed.

The group consisted of seven boys: Gabriel Enjolras, Alex Combeferre, James Courfeyrac, Michael Grantaire, Damon Joly, Jean (Jehan) Prouvaire, and Daniel Bahorel. They all preferred to go by their last names though. Each had a special talent that benefitted the earth. She was sure they were going to be saving the world one day. They had already started. Halfway into the year, the group started boycotting the lunch. They used their charms to persuade the girls, and their strength to persuade the other boys.

It was the second-to-last school day. The summer weather was hotter than usual. The sun's heat radiated to their backs, making their shirt stick to their skin. The little group was shooting hoops despite the weather. Combeferre had was guiding Eponine's arms, teaching her how to shoot properly. Enjolras stood at the side of the basket, slightly glaring. He wasn't denying the fact that he liked Eponine. It was too obvious at this time. She was everything a guy liked a girl for at this age, but the problem was, other boys liked her too. Like Combeferre, his best friend, and Combeferre was going the farther than he was. Especially like right now, but Enjolras decided to go with the second best option: shoot like he is the best.

He did manage to impress Eponine, but he had always impressed her. He was, after all, her crush. And in sixth grade, this is very serious. So later on that day, when he held her hand, she didn't mind at all, and was quite pleased that finally, her love life had started to crank up.

Later on in the day, they stood together at carpool. Eponine usually walked home with her younger siblings since her parents didn't give a fuck about them. Enjolras smiled at her, trying to imprint her image into his head before summer began. Her tear-drop face, large dark brown eyes, long lashes, plump lips, and her brown hair that fell in light curls, framing her face perfectly. A couple of seconds later, a black Lamborghini pulled up in front of Enjolras.

"I'll see you soon, right? You'll remember me?" he asked as half of his body was in the car.

"'Course I will! How could I ever forget?" Eponine said, giving him her signature dimpled smile.

He smiled back, the skin around his eyes wrinkling just a bit. His hair was a in the typical boy style of this age, that weird shaved-in-the-back-and-bang-in-the-front-thingy. She took one last good look at him since he wasn't coming to school tomorrow. Then she smiled.

"Goodbye and have a great summer," she said.

"You too," he replied with his ever so perfect manners. He closed the door, buckling the gray seatbelt. Enjolras faced the driver, "And you saw…?"

"I saw nothing," the driver replied monotonously.

Eponine watched the black car drive away. Soon enough, all of her friends had left, and then the doors burst with the next wave of screaming children, this time the elementary school. Azelma's strawberry hair bobbed toward her, and then eventually her full face and body. Azelma smiled at Eponine and came up next to her. They exchanged greetings, and then jumped when a little boy behind them screamed "snake!" then laughed. They turned to see their little kindergarten brother grinning. Eponine rolled her eyes, picked him up, then they headed south to their neighborhood. Honestly, they didn't want to, but they knew the consequences of not helping their parents "borrow from wealthy friends".

"Ya know 'Ponine, Henri told me 'dat there's a new frozen yogurt place jus' a block from 'da school! Could we go?" Gavroche asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry Gav, but not today. I'm broke. But, tomorrow we can to celebrate the end of the school year," Eponine suggested.

"So is every other kid, Ep. They'll have no more by the time we get there," Azelma explained. Gavroche pouted, and they all shared the same thought. Why couldn't they just have a normal life?

Before they knew it, and faster than they wanted, they reached their house. But it wasn't dirty, boring, and crappy. This time, the place was buzzing with activity. Police men ran in and out the house with little riches that the three children's parents stole. Then, the cops came out with the Patron Minette, all except one, who technically wasn't really part of the group yet. Montparnasse was running, and he got away fast. Eponine pulled her siblings behind a bush and waited until the cars that were full of the gang left. Then, Eponine called it safe to enter the crime scene again. Without the other police noticing, she slipped in with her siblings.

Their house was torn, furniture was upturned, doors were broken, and there was some blood stains. Two cops approached the children, and they were about to run, if it weren't for the police standing behind them too.

"Are the Ms. Eponine Thenardier?" asked the first cop. He was wearing shades and had ruffled black hair. Eponine stood in front of her siblings protectively.

"That's me, sir. What happened?" she asked, delaying him to try and find an escape route.

"That story can be saved for another time, but now, you're all going to be sent away from here and meet your new guardians," he informed her as gently as he could.

"Please! Don't take them away from me! We've been through too much together. I'm lost without them!" Eponine pleaded. She could hear Gavroche sniffle behind her.

"Ma'am, please calm down. You won't be separated from your siblings," he told her. He felt pity for the girl who seemed to be the only one who cared about her family.

Eponine relaxed, "We won't?"

"Not at all my dear. In fact, I hope you will all stay together. And maybe I can prove that not all your family is a terror," a woman to the left of the children. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a confident air.

"Who are you?" Azelma asked.

"'Cuz you sure as heck am not my mother," Eponine stated. The lady smiled and reached out to touch Gavroche.

"That is true. But on your legal forms, I'm now your legal guardian. Let me introduce myself, I'm Leanne. I'm your mother's sister, and most likely your new mother," the lady explained. She smiled even wider, and in her eyes, Eponine saw all the qualities of a perfect mother. Her life would change, and she hoped in a good way.

A/N: Hi! This is my first story. Just the first chapter though. Do you guys like it? Please leave me a comment, review, or advice. I would really appreciate it. Do you think I should continue it? I was planning to make it focus on Eponine through her school life, but mostly high school. Please, tell me all you think! And I don't own anything, except maybe the idea, not the characters!-Franky