St Michele High Presents: The Battle of the Bands Chapter 1: Beautiful With You, a les misérables fanfic

A/N: Hey everyone! So I know I shouldn't be writing this story right now, but I just had to. When I was listening to my iPod at work, I heard some songs that made me think of Eponine and how it could have been her writing them. So I just began to wonder what would have happened if Eponine and Enjolras had a band that was entered in the battle of the bands? Well we are about to find out together. There will also be another story that ties into this one later. Where it mostly focuses on Eponine and Enjolras in a Musical.

Info you need to know before reading: The schools name is Saint Michele High School, Eponine and her siblings live with the Enjolras family, There won't be any Cosette in this story until I post the other story that focuses on the Musical (Which you can vote for on my profile), and Marius fans please don't hate me for my occ take on his character.

Who I picture when typing this story: Eponine (Samantha Barks), Enjolras (Aaron Tviet), and Marius (Eddie Redmayne). The other characters I mention have just not revealed to me who they resemble yet. Okay so I hope you enjoy this story!

Joining the Rebels

Eponine walked into the garage where her best friend, Aiden Enjolras, was with his band "The Rebels" were practicing for The Battle of the Bands. Aiden had started this band two years ago, a compromise that he made with his father to get rid of the awful T-shirt and ripped jeans look that he had sported throughout middle school. Aside from the band, Aiden was a straight A, honor student. Captain of the soccer, basketball, and baseball team, as well as the president of eight clubs: The Human Rights Club, The Young Republicans, The Debate Team, The History Club, Student Council, National Honors Society, S.A.D.D., and The Floor Hockey Team. He also was in the Drama Club, which Eponine was the President of.

Eponine was also an Honor student, second in her class right below Aiden, President of the Photography Club, The Editor of the School Newspaper, Yearbook, and weekly Poetry website. She was lead soloist in Choir, first chair clarinetist in the high school band, as well as a champion dancer and ice skater. Though she also was apart of all the activities that Aiden was apart of. As per the basis of their friendship.

The funny thing was that many people who knew them, that Aiden and Ponine had once been bitter rivals when they first met each other. That was until Aiden found out about Eponine's home life. He had known about how bad her father abused her and her siblings for over a year, then it happened. One night a year ago, Aiden was sleeping in his bed. Only to be woken up by his cell phone going off at 2 in the morning. It was Eponine calling. He never even got a word out before he heard Eponine sobbing into the phone in pain, "Aiden... Help me..." The line had then died. Within seconds, he had woken his mother and she drove him to Eponine's house. There, he saw Ponine's younger brother, Gavroche coming out of his hiding place in the bushes outside. He took Aiden and Mrs. Enjolras to where Azelma and Eponine were.

Azelma was slung over the back of the couch. Her pink shirt torn and bloody from the multiple times she was hit as well as many slashes to her arms and legs. She was barely conscious she pointed to where Ponine was laying. At the bottom of the wooden staircase, Eponine was in her sweatpants and tank top left in a pool of blood. Her head was cracked open, her face was swelling and bruised, and she had too many cuts and a stab wound at her left side. Mrs. Enjolras called an ambulance for Eponine, but had Aiden take Azelma to the E.R. with Gavroche.

Azelma ended up needing a few stitches and a cast for her broken left leg, plus she had a concussion. Though she got off easy compared to Eponine. When the ambulance finally arrived with Eponine and Mrs. Enjolras, the doctors immediately escorted Ponine into the operating room where they stitched up her head, side, and arms. Then set the bones in her right knee and right shoulder, then finally had to wire her jaw after discovering it to be broken. It had taken eight months for Eponine to finally heal after that, but by then her father and his gang had been arrested. Ponine, Gavroche, and Azelma had started living with the Enjolras's, which helped the overprotective Aiden sleep better at night. Though Ponine had been insistent that she be well enough for the Spring Musical their sophomore year, which Eponine had held a smaller role due to her injuries still made her head spin on occasion.

Now in their Junior year, Eponine sat with Ethan Grantaire, J.C. Feuilly, Jean Prouvaire, and some other boys from the Young Republicans and Soccer team as they were on the couch that Aiden had brought out for when the Rebels practiced. Eponine always felt that whenever she had a chance to watch Aiden get lost in playing the music on his guitar. As lead guitar, he tried to find songs that brought the most emotion out. He was surrounded by his best friend and neighbors, Dean Combeferre who played electric guitar with him. Marius Pontmercy, who had just recently moved in with his grandfather down the road, picked up the bass part with such ease. Vincent Joly, the hypochondriac of the group aka the future doctor, played keys which was said to have been the only time he wasn't worried about contracting some new illness. The finally the group had been finished with Justin Courfeyrac on drums, the boy that Gavroche began to want to be just like. They had just finished the new song by Hinder, just about to stop for the day when Eponine got a text message.

"Hey guys! Listen up!" Eponine yelled to the noisy boys, she read the text, "'Contestants of the 14th annual Battle of the Bands. We regret to inform you that there has been a slight change to the rules of this years competition. In the case of last year, when three bands had the same set list. The judges have now decided to make the contest content only able to use music that have been written originally. Though we will reveal a grand prize at a later date for the inconvenience.' So what are you guys going to do?" She asked.

Aiden looked at the boys and said, "Well I guess we are going to have to either have someone write music or forfeit the battle." He looked at his band and said, "Okay guys, I want each of you to go home and try and write songs. We will go over what you guys have tomorrow at lunch. We need at least one song ready to go before our next practice. See you guys later." With that the boys all went home to try and not fail the band.

*The Next Day*

In the band room during lunch, the Rebels sat around in a circle trying to share their ideas of songs. The only problem was that they either were to vulgar or too much about political reasons. "Come on guys, there are so many great ideas out there for brilliant songs. Don't tell me that this is all you guys have." Aiden said so frustrated with this process.

Eponine stepped forward and said, "Well... I have a few ideas for some songs. I just have to run off some copies of the parts, but I can get them to you by practice tonight." She looked down at her feet after saying that. Then she said, "The only problem is that I have the songs written for girl vocals. So you might have to add a girl in the group to sing lead. Which I know you guys were debating about."

Combeferre asked, "Can we see the lyrics first? Just to get an idea?" Eponine pulled out the sheet of lyrics and handed it to Combeferre. He read the lyrics out loud, "I am beautiful with you, Even in the darkest part of me. I am beautiful with you, make it feel the way it's suppose to be. Your here with me. You show me this and I believe. I am beautiful with you.' God 'Ponine! These are amazing! I mean I knew you were good at poetry, but this is taking it to a whole new level! Can't wait to actually hear the music to it!"

Aiden smiled at Ponine and asked, "For the sake of just trying it out, Ponine, would you mind being the one to sing it today after school?"

She looked at him and smiled, saying, "I thought you would never ask." Then the bell rang to signal the end of lunch.

The boys waited for Eponine to hand out the sheets of music, then ran through the notes, chords, and beats. After about an hour and a half Aiden asked, "You ready Eponine?"

She nodded and took her place at the microphone, the guitar started with a steady beat from the drums and a subtle piano part. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she came in. They had never expected her voice to be that strong for the rock ballad that they were playing.

"I stare …
at the girl in the mirror
t-shirt …
torn up jeans, no beauty queen.
But the way that you see me
You get underneath me
and all my defenses just fall away … fall away …

I am beautiful with you
even in the darkest part of me
I am beautiful with you
Make it feel the way its supposed to be
You're here with me
You show me this and I'll believe
I am beautiful with you ….
I stand …
naked before you now
no walls …
to hide behind, so here am I.
See all of my scars
Still here you are
I bare my soul and I am not afraid … not afraid.

I've been the strong one
for so long but
I was wrong…
Doesn't make me weak if you're needing someone
I'm not holding back, yeah, I know what I want
I am beautiful with you …. I am beautiful with you ….
You want me for myself
You get me like no one else!
I am beautiful with you … (with you)

After the last note had been played, the Rebels stood there in shock. The boys that usually attended the band practices had their mouths hanging open. It wasn't until Grantaire, the energy drink addict, stood up and gave Eponine a huge hug asking, "Ponine, where the hell did that voice come from? I mean I knew you had an amazing singing voice from all the times you made us attend the musicals and competitions, but this is a totally different side of your vocals that none of us ever heard before."

The others all tried to get to her to compliment her, then suddenly Aiden let out a whistle. The boys suddenly made a path and he looked at Ponine, asked her, "Eponine, where did you come up with this song? I mean, it's incredible! What was your inspiration?"

Eponine didn't know what to say, she didn't want everyone to know that the song was about Aiden. Though she knew that they wouldn't drop the subject until she told them something. So she said, "It's about a guy that I really liked. Though when I was just about to tell him, he got a girlfriend and I didn't want to lose his friendship after they broke up. So I wrote this and some other songs to try and get over these feelings that I have for him."

It seemed to satisfied the boys, then he asked if the band would mind if Ponine became their new lead singer. All Courfeyrac said was, "If any of us says no, then they are idiots. Plus sorry, 'Jolras, but you just don't have the pipes for these new songs. Though I do think you and Eponine should get a duet for the contest."

"Then it's decided, Eponine will be our new lead vocalist. I'll send the change to the Battle comity tonight after dinner. Well see you all tomorrow." Aiden said, clearing up the mess in the garage while everyone else left for their homes. He saw Marius take Eponine outside and heard him say, "Look Ponine, I'm really flattered that you wrote that song about me, but I really only like you as a friend... Wait... Why are you laughing? This is serious!" Eponine continued laughing.

She finally could breathe enough to gasp out, "Marius... Oh, Marius... I wrote this song a year before you even moved here. Though even if it was about you, I got over my feelings for the guy because I realized that he would never see me as more than a friend. So don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a hug and headed into the front door of the house still chuckling.

Aiden thought, "I guess whoever she had feelings for is definitely out of the picture. Unless... She was just saying that to cover up her true feelings? Naw, she is definitely over him. Now all was in the clear for me to make my move." With a smile on his face he went inside to eat with his family.

So what do you guys think? Any good? Let me know and go to my profile and vote for the Musical for the entrance of Cosette and don't worry I'll try and update Wednesday afternoon for my story "What If?" I just have to finish a few more thoughts on the new chapter and edit. I do not own the song Beautiful with You, that belong solely to the Amazing band known as Halestorm. So you all know what to do! So PLEASE do it! Thank you all!