Hey all, I wrote this back in February when I was planning to teach my first French class. I finally decided to post it. This story follows Claude through some of his firsts.
Chapter 1: Trials/tribulations at school…mostly involving his thoughts on peers.
Chapter 2: Claude finding his brother.
Chapter 3: What would a good Claude fic be without Esmeralda? You guessed it, the first time Claude sees Esme.
Although I have it complete, I will be re-reading it and posting each chapter one at a time.
This is rated "t" for teen. Nothing too violent or sexual.
I don't own any of the characters, Victor Hugo does. The title isn't mine either…it's the title of a Garou song.
Reviews/constructive criticism are appreciated, flames not so much.
Chapter 1: Claude is walking from Notre-Dame to La Sorbonne. On his way he encounters children playing in the melting snow, a band of young annoying boys playing keep a way with a little girl and her doll and another band of slightly older boys trying to catch the attention of a group of young women. And of course a young woman who tries to get his attention. And all he wants is to study.
It was the beginning of spring, the snow and ice had slowly turned to a cold and wet slush. Small children would build the slush into piles and stomp on them, watching the disgusting mire fly. Often times the slush would land on some unsuspecting passerby's hose or pants. The children would laugh as the disgruntled party kept walking.
A young man no more than fourteen years of age had just exited the cathedral. The young man was dressed in black, his eyes lowered and his arms full of books. He could hear the laughter of young children, the gossip of young girls and the chatter of young men who had interest in the crowd of young girls. He paid no attention to any of this worthless noise, until one particular scamp had smashed a pile of slush, sending the slop in Claude's direction. For a brief moment Claude looked down at the wet spots on his doublet and scowled, releasing a low growl from his lips. Confronting the imp who had sullied his best doublet would take too long and do no good. He had somewhere to be and he was already running late, besides the child like all others would stand, cower and nod…then go right back to smashing piles of slush. Instead Claude shook his head, brushed off the hem of his doublet and continued on. Claude could not think of a time when he played in the snow. And what a disrespectful game to be playing! Was it so funny to soil another person's garments? This was how the days went by, except on Sundays. Sundays were different! Sunday was the only day of the week Claude would not study; Sundays were for prayer and not science. Sundays were quiet, with well behaved children who didn't play ridiculous games…He sighed, knowing that his mind was at the losing end of a neverending tangent.
"Give it back!"
He had made it across the bridge to the left bank of the Seine without being stopped by another child with a slush pile. He was almost ready to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard a girl whining to her older brother and one of his friends. The small girl ran back forth between the boys, while they tossed a doll back and forth to one another in an attempt to keep it away from her.
"You're going to have to jump higher than that!"
One boy laughed and taunted as he threw it back to his companion.
Claude rolled his eyes and scowled. Why couldn't children be peaceful? Why couldn't they sit quietly and read?
"Stop, or I'm telling mother!"
Claude gritted his teeth. Against better judgment he marched over to one boy and caught the doll. The two boys and the girl stood, mouth agape and stunned. Claude tossed the doll to the little girl, who instead of thanking him, was more interested in sticking her tongue out at the two boys and laughing.
This was his favorite time of day; the part of the day which came before classes and when the steps to this grand building were empty. He chose a spot close to the door to being studying. He was the first to arrive today, which meant he'd be the first to enter and the first to class! He smiled smugly at the realization, but his moment of triumph was short lived.
"Isn't that Emilee?"
A voice nearby shouted and Claude looked in the direction of whence it came. A young blonde boy no older than he was pointing out a girl to one of his friends.
"No, Emilee has blue eyes and that wench has brown eyes."
"And that makes a difference? They are both girls aren't they?"
"It does if Emilee is your sister!"
The second boy shot back and gave his companion a light shove. Of course the shove soon became a mess of fists and loud curses.
"Excuse me."
Claude rolled his eyes as he watched a young woman walk over to the boys. The girl only had to flash a bright smile and flutter her lashes for the boys to stop.
"Honestly…is that all women are?"
Claude mumbled and went back to reading his book.
"Would either of you be willing to settle something between my cousin and I?"
The two boys brushed themselves off and politely nodded.
"Wonderful! My cousin has told me that some man has been sentenced to the pillory this afternoon and I have told her she is wrong and that the man was sentenced to hang at the Place De greve. Perhaps you could settle this argument between us by telling us who is correct?"
The girl's voice was annoyingly high and sweet.
"The man is sentenced to hang."
The blonde boy spoke up, certain in his answer.
"No. The man she is speaking of has not yet been sentenced at all."
The second young man would not be outdone in front of a young and pretty girl and with that the two imbeciles began to shove each other again, while the girl wandered off.
Claude looked up briefly to see how the display had played out, but had lost sight of the girl.
"How ridiculous, fighting over some silly girl! That is all women are, one useless distraction after another. They think they can have anything with only a flash of skin and a smile."
As he was mumbling to himself he noticed a shadow blocking the light.
"Excuse me."
He recognized the voice, but refused to acknowledge it.
The owner of the voice cleared her throat.
"Excuse me."
"Can't you see that I am busy. Go bother someone else with your insipid flirtation!"
The girl was taken aback to Claude's icy reception.
"Excuse me!"
"If you and your cousin must know, the man you are inquiring about is to be hanged."
Claude peered up to see the two boys still arguing. In his mind, their time would be better spent in a classroom. Didn't these young men have anything better to do with their time? If they weren't making a mess or playing thoughtless games they were gawking at some girl! Some girl who would surely damn their souls. And for a moment he looked down at the two boys and then to the girl who was haughtily walking away. And then he looked back down at his books and his quill snapped and broke. He gave an odd smile and chuckled. With all the day's distractions and now this! He sighed and began walking to his dorm for another quill and knew that somewhere between here and there, there would be a child who would stomp in the slush, a boy teasing his sister and some illiterate young female who would shamelessly flirt with him. That was how it always was.