When the bell rang to signify lunch the hallway turned into a frenzy, students all dashing to the cafeteria and courtyard all the while making last minute greetings to those they hadn't seen all summer. Éponine calmly walked with Marius and Cosette and was keeping an eye out for the rest of her friends she had yet to see.
"Hey!" Jehan came running over to them, "it's great to see you three!" he smiled.
"You too Jehan," Cosette greeted him, "did you get a hair cut?" Éponine had noticed it too, his usually somewhat shaggy and close to shoulder length hair was gone.
"My mom made me do it, told me I couldn't come to school looking like I was homeless," he sighed, "I tried to explain I was trying to look Romantic like Lord Byron but she wouldn't hear it."
"Oh well I suppose you could try growing it out again?" she suggested.
Éponine nodded her agreement except in her mind she liked his new haircut and could not help but think that his mom was right, but even with his hair gone he still kept his style... If you could even call it that.
"So how is Azelma taking to high school?" he asked as they continued their walk to the cafeteria.
"I think she'll be fine, I'm not too concerned," Éponine replied, "I haven't seen her since this morning but I'm going to take it as a good sign."
"Are any of her friends from middle school here?" Jehan asked.
"I think so... That kid Owen Thompson is here... They used to be friendly towards each other," Éponine shrugged, "even if they aren't here I'm sure she'll have no trouble making new friends."
They entered the cafeteria to get their lunches and quickly aimed for a semi-occupied table outside, sitting at the table was Courfeyrac, his friend Alexandre Enjolras, and a senior by the name of Lucien Combeferre. "Would you like to sit down?" Courfeyrac asked them, "we have plenty of space."
Éponine noticed that Alexandre had looked up at her, she hated to admit it but he always seemed to make her feel nervous. There was no solid reason behind this feeling it just was so, she couldn't help but think it was his ice blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through her soul.
"Sure," Marius replied taking a seat next to Courfeyrac and he motioned for his friends to join him, Éponine quietly sat between Cosette and Jehan.
"Your name is Éponine Thenardier... Right?" Alex asked her.
She nodded her head, "yes..."
Courfeyrac started to laugh loudly, "Oh come on 'Ponine, he's not going to bite you! Are you Alex?"
Alexandre sighed and shook his head, "Courfeyrac, can you go five minutes without making some kind of joke or idiotic remark?"
Éponine heard Lucien snort attempting to hold in his laughter without bothering to look up from a copy of Plato's "The Republic."
"If you are willing to make it, I'll turn it into a bet," Courfeyrac challenged his friend.
Alex narrowed his eyes, "no... There is no need for that."
Courfeyrac sighed dramatically, "very well... If you must be that way."
Alex did not even bother to reply to him at this point he simply ignored him, so Courfeyrac turned his attention back to the small group of sophomores.
"So how is class going?" he asked them.
"It's been good so far," Marius replied for them, "so far all my classes have been with Éponine and Cosette but I think I have Biology with Jehan."
"Do you have it with Dr. Pasture during sixth period?" Jehan asked as he scanned his schedule.
"I believe so," replied Marius pulling out his own and examining it, "yes I do."
"I would ask you but you seem to have basically the same classes ..." Courfeyrac threw a look at Éponine.
She wanted to think of a smart reply to snap back at him with but she was struggling to come up with something good so she decided to leave it.
"Lucien," Courfeyrac tried to get his friend's attention, "Luc... Care to put the book down and be social?"
Lucien sighed and slipped a book mark into his book, "I'm sorry," he apologized to them, "I had just started the allegory of the cave and it was very interesting."
"Haven't you read that book ten times at least?" Courfeyrac looked at him exasperated.
"Perhaps, but with each reading I discover I learn something new," Lucien answered, "I feel the same about Candide and Common Sense."
"Have you ever considered reading something written in this century?" Courfeyrac asked.
"If someone writes as good as Hugo, Voltaire, Plato or any of the other great writers of the past... Maybe. Although I am a fan Wodehouse when it comes to reading simply for pleasure," he replied calmly.
"You set your expectations too high," Courfeyrac shook his head.
"Antoine please desist," Alex asked.
"First her, now you?" He pointed from Éponine back to Alex, "how many times have we discussed that I would much rather not be called Antoine? I hate that name," He wrinkled his nose.
"Well unless I feel the need to I'm not going to simply call you Courfeyrac," Alex replied, "it didn't work last year because your brother was a senior and it became confusing, and it won't work this year because too many people will have issues switching to just your surname." he explained.
Courfeyrac rolled his eyes, "besides the two of you-"
"And Bella..." Éponine added.
"And Bella," he continued.
"And Charlotte and Damien..." she added his siblings, "and your parents..."
"Oh stop it," Courfeyrac interrupted her, "I get your point but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying..."
"But we all know it's not going to work!" Éponine replied in a sing-song voice.
Marius laughed, "sometimes I wonder... Since the day you met have you ever had one day when you don't fight or make fun of each other?"
"No," She and Courfeyrac replied simultaneously, they quickly looked at each other and started laughing.
The bell rang at the end of the day and Éponine quickly went to fetch her backpack from her locker, "so see you tomorrow?" she asked her friends.
"Of course," Marius replied, "oh I need to go my bus is going to leave soon..."
"Alright, bye Marius," Éponine smiled, "good to see you, we need to hang out more, the three of us."
"You're right," Marius nodded, "we should."
"We'll I'm always right," Éponine replied.
"Oh I know, I know, always right... But, I really must go..." He shut his locker, "see the two of you tomorrow," he then quickly kissed Cosette on the cheek.
Cosette and Éponine walked the other direction down the hall, "'Ponine..." Cosette started to speak.
"Yes?"
"Did something happen this summer? Something bad?" Cosette asked.
Éponine didn't know how to reply, she didn't want to lie but she also didn't want to speak about the abuse that had been dealt her direction by both her parents and Alain.
"There you are," Azelma walked towards them, "don't we need to catch the bus?" she asked.
"Right... We better get going... We'll talk tomorrow," replied Éponine happy her sister gave her an excuse to avoid any further questioning.
"Alright, see you tomorrow," Cosette nodded, "bye 'Ponine, bye 'Zelma."
"By Cosette," Éponine replied, the only thing she could offer her friend was a weak smile as she walked away from her.
"Do you think our parents will be home tonight?" Azelma asked as they walked home from the bus.
Éponine shrugged, "I don't know... Why?"
"Just wondering," her sister sighed, " I hate it when they're there..." she then muttered.
Éponine put her arm around her sister, "I don't like it either but there really isn't anything we can do," she took a breath, "I mean it's not like we could take up permanent residence with Cosette."
"What, like adoption?" Azelma asked.
"I really don't know 'Zelma... I don't understand legal stuff," she replied, "come on lets go get Gavroche before he wreaks havoc on the neighborhood."