March 11, 1998
"Speak..."
"Hey guys, stop screening every goddamn call," Cosette's voice came through the voice mail.
Marius immediately went to pick up the phone, "Hey Cosette what do you want?"
"Éponine, need to talk to her," Cosette replied, "now."
"Give me a second," Marius then went and knocked on the bathroom of which Éponine was currently occupying.
"Yes?" Came Éponine's voice from inside.
"Phone call," Marius replied.
"Have them call back later I just got out if the shower," Éponine replied.
"Can you call later?" Marius asked.
"Nope," Cosette replied, "it's a matter of the utmost importance!"
"She says's it's important," Marius informed Éponine.
"Don't care, gotta get dressed first," Éponine replied.
"Can you just let her get dressed? I'm sure she'll call you in ten minutes," Marius spoke into the phone.
"Marius, baby, this reeeeaaaaallly important," Cosette pleaded, "I really, really, need to talk to her."
"Eponine?" Marius knocked on the door.
"What?!" The twenty something year old replied in an annoyed fashion.
"Cosette says it's really important," Marius sighed, "she's being very persistent."
"Fine, fine, fine!" Éponine exclaimed, she opened the door her hair was sopping wet as she finished tying her robe shut, "the world better be ending or a hurricane, or some other horrible disaster!" She muttered to herself as she took the phone from Marius who appeared to be gawking.
"What are you looking at?" Éponine glared, "it's not like you've never seen a woman in a state undress before."
Marius hastily looked away his face flushed bright red.
Éponine rolled her eyes, "Gotta get that boy a girlfriend," she murmured before picking up the phone, "Hi Cosette!"
"Hey girl!" Cosette exclaimed, "I really need to talk to you!"
"Yeah, I heard," Éponine sighed, "what's up?"
"I want to talk to you about your wedding!" Cosette replied excitedly.
"My wedding?" Éponine frowned, "what wedding?"
"You are getting married to Alex," Cosette laughed, "aren't you?"
"Yeah," Éponine responded, "but it's nothing big, were just gonna go down to city hall and-"
"'Ponine are you serious?" Cosette huffed, "you think getting married isn't a big deal? That you aren't going to change your life forever?"
"Listen, can we please talk about this some other time? I'm kinda standing here in just my robe and your ex-boyfriend is staring at me," Éponine replied.
"Am not!" Marius called out to her.
"But this is really important, life or death!" Cosette pleaded.
"Cosette, I'm in my robe, I'm freezing..." Éponine reiterated.
"But your wedding..." Cosette whined.
"You know what," Éponine sighed, "you come here, we'll get coffee and talk it over then, how does that sound?"
"Great! Be there in twenty!" Cosette replied happily as she hung up the phone.
Éponine placed the phone back on the cradle, "Great, this is just great," she grumbled as she walked back to her room, she gave a glance back to Marius. "What the hell are you looking at?" she snapped before closing the door.
Éponine quickly got dressed and applied her make up just in time for Cosette to call to have her throw down the keys. Within no time Cosette had dashed up the stairs and was happily greeting Éponine.
"You ready to go?" Cosette asked.
"What's with your hair?" Éponine asked as she took in the new style. The cut was the same but the blonde and pink that had been her standard had now been changed to purple.
"Do you like it?" Cosette smiled.
"Sure," Éponine gave a slight shrug, "it's different."
"Never mind about that we have wedding details to discuss," Cosette grabbed at Éponine's hand and led her out the door.
Éponine gave one last pleading look to Marius who just smiled and laughed.
"So when are we going to have the wedding?" Cosette asked as they walked down the stairs.
"Cosette," Éponine sighed, "how many times do I have to tell you there is not really going to be a wedding?"
"You know what I mean," Cosette grinned, "you've got to choose a day when you are going to tie the knot."
"I know that," Éponine flushed.
"Do when is it going to be?" Cosette persisted.
Éponine shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know... May seems nice."
"May it is!" Cosette declared, "and a dress?"
"Haven't thought about that," Éponine replied, "I don't own anything that's white."
"Honey," Cosette smiled as they continued down the street, "you are crazy if you think that I'm going to let you get married in a dress that you've already worn before! I guess that means we add shopping to the list of things that we are doing today!"
"Cosette," Éponine groaned, "you are making this so much bigger than what it needs to be."
"It's a wedding! Of course it's big!" Cosette smiled, "so what about a bouquet?"
"Roses are nice," Éponine replied offhandedly.
"Roses are nice," Cosette mimicked, "Christ 'Ponine didn't you want a fairy tale wedding as a child?"
"Of course," Eoonine replied.
"So why not live it out?" Cosette was getting exasperated.
"Need I remind you that Alex and I are broke?" Éponine turned to Cosette.
"We'll make it work," Cosette smiled, "it's a non-issue."
Éponine exhaled loudly, "A non-issue, right, so are we still getting coffee?"
"Nope, change of plans," Cosette shook her head, "dress shopping first."
"Really?" Éponine sighed.
"Yep," Cosette winked, "It's on me and 'Chetta."
"You really don't have to do that," Éponine shook her head.
"I know," Cosette smiled, "but I want to so let's go."
"Only because you insist," Éponine replied.
xxxxxx
"'Ponine you look darling!" Cosette gushed.
"Really?" Éponine looked in the mirror, "I don't think this suits me," she wrinkled her nose. It was a very simple white dress, had a slightly boxy silhouette with an open back and was belted around the middle with a floral print scarf.
"Well if you don't like it then it's not the one," Cosette decided, "try this one."
Cosette handed Éponine another dress and she dragged herself back to the fitting room. They had been there for half an hour already trying dresses on after Cosette had pulled every single white, ivory, and cream dress in sight.
The next dress Éponine tried was a knitted one of an ivory color with a woven built that she immediately disliked because it made her itch. That was followed by a simple shift styled dress with buttons down the front that made Éponine feel like she was five. Cosette then handed her a slinky floor length number with a single shoulder and a slit up the side that she refused to even try on.
"This one is nice," Cosette shrugged as she held up another dress.
This dress was mid thigh in lenght, it had a scooped neckline and a low back. The dress had a sheer overlay that was dotted with pale red and purple sequins. When she tried it on and zipped up the back she smiled at herself. She kept twirling around to see herself at different angles, "this one just might work," Éponine called out to Cosette.
"We'll let me see it!" Cosette replied.
Éponine stepped out from behind the curtain to let Cosette see her.
"Why 'Ponine you look beautiful!" Cosette exclaimed, "so pretty!"
Éponine blushed, "Thanks, I guess."
"Why you look like a fairy!" Cosette gushed, "spin, I want to see how it looks!"
"What?" Éponine raised an eyebrow.
"Spin!" Cosette demanded.
With a sigh Éponine twirled around a couple if times, the material was so light it floated up and around her, the sequins catching the light. She stopped as soon as she began to feel light headed, "Woah..." she placed her hand in her temple.
"So is this the one?" Cosette asked.
Éponine looked down at the dress, she did love it but she also didn't like that Cosette and Musichetta were paying for it. Then again Cosette said she wouldn't leave the store until Éponine made a choice. Apparently the situation would end with Éponine getting the dress, the only question was factoring in just how much more time it would be until she got her hands on a bagel and cream cheese with a cup of coffee. She did really like the dress... "Yes," Éponine nodded her head, "this is the one!"
"Great, now accessories! Shoes, maybe a veil, or gloves?" Cosette the had gone off on another tangent.
Then again maybe Éponine wouldn't be getting coffee and a bagel after all...