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Chapter 3
Eponine gazed in amazement at the sights she was seeing. She was now eleven and a half. It had been a year since the night her mother had first brought up Paris. And now they were there. They were in Paris.
"I don't see the point of us coming here, with so little money," her father complained. "All we have is the measly 50 francs we got for selling the inn and all our furniture. Where are we supposed to go?"
"Stop your whining, we might not have the best start here but it's bound to be better than the inn, which has long since failed!" her mother snapped.
"Good heavens," Eponine muttered. "'Roche, 'Zelma, keep hold of my hands," she said to her siblings. If her parents weren't going to keep an eye out for the two younger Thenardiers, Eponine would. She wouldn't let any harm come to her brother and sister while she was around. She noticed a young boy about her age looking at her. He had thick dark hair and curious green eyes.
She bit her lip and looked back at her parents, who were still quarreling. No, there was no way the boy had been looking at her. Why would some boy who obviously was better off than her take interest in some mess of a little girl like her?
Gavroche pressed closer to her. "Ponine, I'm cold," he whimpered before coughing. Eponine nervously pressed a hand to his forehead. Fever.
"Mama, Papa!" Eponine said quickly, "Gavroche is ill, we have to find somewhere to stay!"
"Not now, 'Ponine, shut up," her father snapped.
"But Papa-"
"Shut up, I said!"
"No!"
That earned her a sharp blow to the face, making Azelma jump, and Gavroche whimper before coughing again.
Eponine didn't react. She was used to it. She voluntarily took all the blows for Azelma and Gavroche, as well as the ones she earned herself. She refused to let her parents hurt Azelma and Gavroche.
As her head swung to the side from the force of the blow, her eyes met the eyes of the young boy she'd seen shortly before. He was definitely looking at her. He jumped up then, and ran over to them.
"Excuse me, sir," he said quickly. "But I think I know a place where you can stay."
"Do you now?" Thenardier asked dryly, looking at the dark haired boy.
"Yes, there's an inn not far from here. It's very cheap, only 5 sous a night," he said quickly in only a single breath.
"Where is it?" Thenardier asked gruffly.
"Just there," the boy replied, pointing at a building just 50 metres away.
"Eponine, you stay here and watch your siblings. We'll be back in a bit," Thenardier growled, leading his wife away. "And mind you stay put and don't go wandering off, or else!"
"Hmph!" was Eponine's only response as she tossed her head. "Maybe I should run off and never return," she muttered. "But that would do you two no good," she added, glancing at Azelma and Gavroche.
"Are you all right?" the boy asked her.
"Oh, you're still here," Eponine replied, noticing him. "And yes, I'm fine. I'm used to that by now," she told him grimly.
"He hits you often?"
"On a daily basis. Some father he is," she snarled.
"He's your father?"
"Yes, couldn't you tell by the excess of fatherly love he shows us?" Eponine replied sarcastically. "I wish he weren't!" She quickly glanced to Azelma and Gavroche, who were sitting against a wall staring off into space. "I honestly think I'm putting more effort into raising Azelma and Gavroche than they are."
"They're your siblings then, I take it?"
"Yes. Azelma is a year younger than me, she's ten. Gavroche is only six." She sighed. "I don't know why I'm telling you all of this; you probably don't even want to hear it."
"No, it's fine. You're clearly new to Paris, and are therefore in need of a friend." Eponine looked back up at the boy, who was, she realized, slightly taller than her. Definitely about her age. And he was smiling.
"A friend?" she echoed.
"Yes, haven't you ever had one before?"
"Just Azelma and Gavroche," she replied.
"Well, I'll be your friend. It's nice to meet you…" he trailed off, not knowing her name.
"Eponine," she said quickly. "My name is Eponine. Eponine Thenardier." She smiled. "And it's nice to meet you too…"
"Marius. My name is Marius Pontmercy," he replied happily.
"'Ponine! Get over here!" her mother shrieked down the street. "And bring those two other brats of mine with you!"
Eponine sighed. "My mother is calling. I'll see you again, I hope, Marius," she told him before grabbing her siblings and racing down the street with them, glancing back quickly to see the boy waving after her, still smiling.
