A/N; Another update today :D Please dont hate me for the last chapter...I know I know lots of drama (plus this chapter isnt much happier but please dont hate me)
*hides behind a barricade from m/e shippers
After the game Cosette's father drove her and Gavroche home, only to have her father waiting up, drunk as usual.
"'Bout time you two got home!" he hollered.
Eponine stood tall and looked him square in the eye, not wanting to show any fear, "We were at the game dad." She stated plainly. Gavroche was behind her and she sneakily gestured for him to go to his room with her hand. He obeyed and dashed for his room.
"It's practically midnight! I doubt the game lasted this long."
"There was a lot of traffic getting out of the school." Her eyes turned into slits, "I'm sorry for not controlling the pace people leave the school." She added sarcastically.
He slapped her, "Don't you back sass me Eponine!" he sneered, "I know why you are so late, you were talking with those friends of yours weren't you?"
"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. What difference does it make?" she stated, walking past him.
He stepped closer to her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hi so close his hot breath pounding on her face and the smell of beer filling her nose, "You really are an idiot Eponine, hanging out with all those boys. They come from a different world than you, they don't like you, not matter what you believe."
She fought back against his hold, "You're wrong." She sneered "They care about me!"
"They pity you Eponine, that's all it is. You are a charity case that makes them feel better about themselves."
Eponine did her best to hold in her emotions but she just couldn't do it, out of anger she looked at her father and spat at him right in the nose.
"You are going to regret that for a year young miss!" he hissed and then proceeded to beat her.
At first he slapped her then he pushed her against the wall and kicked her until she fell to the floor, only to continue kicking her. She yelped in pain and covered her head with her hands trying her hardest to protect herself. After a few more minutes of agony Mrs. Thenardier bursted into the room, awaken by all the noise.
"Get away from her!" she screamed at her husband as she pulled him off.
Thenardier stopped kicking her and looked down at his pathetic looking daughter curled up in the fetal position. "One more slip up and the gang will have to help me teach you to behave." He scorned before turning away and stumbling at to his room.
Mrs. Thenardier glared at him as he wobbled to his room and one he was out of sight she looked down to face Eponine and shook her head in disappointment. Eponine was curled up in pain, her lip was split open and she knew that her body would be covered in bruises. She crouched down and handed Eponine a handkerchief from her pocket. She wasn't the best mother, or a good one at that, but nonetheless she did care for her children.
"It would do you better to hold your tongue than to speak out against him. I thought you learned that by now."
"I did, but there are times when I just can't hold it in any longer. I can't understand how you deal with him, after all these years."
Her face harden a bit but she sighed, "You know I used to dream I would meet a prince, but hell have you seen what's happened since? I've learned to just put up with it; we all must stay alive somehow."
"I know that…"
"Good, now pick yourself up and get to bed, won't do any good to get blood on the floor and make him any angrier."
Eponine nodded glumly and stood up, wincing at the pain it was causing her. She slowly walked past her mother and stumbled into her room. Without thinking she grabbed a change of clothes and a small red towel from her bedside table and went to the bathroom. Under the lights of the bathroom she inspected herself very carefully, her entire torso an upper arms were covered in bruised- some even having blood coming out-, her face was red where her father slapped her and her lip was split open with a steady flow of blood coming out. Taking a deep breath she ran the towel under the sink and cleaned herself off, she learned that using a red towel was better because then she didn't really notice how much blood was coming out of her. Once she was done she placed the towel and her clothes in the giant cardboard box they used as a laundry hamper and step by step went back to her room. She lied down in her bed and looked out the small window, gazing at the stars as they shone brightly on her face. While the sight was pretty she couldn't help but feel sad.
What if my dad is right? What if they only pity me….She looked back at the stars as one tear escaped her eye, the whole world is sleeping while I'm there in pain, I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to….And I'm all alone again…
Eponine trudged through school, a glum expression on her face. Her Friday was utterly crappy and her weekend only made things worse. She feared that Montparnasse would make an appearance at her house over the weekend and talk to her father about the game but luckily he never showed. As she walked down the hall pain still echoed through her body. She had made it through most of the day without anyone bothering her, except English, which she had with none other than Cosette.
"Wasn't the game really cool Eppy?!" she asked with cheer in her eyes
"Yea it was a blast." She mumbled, still ticked off at Cosette but trying not to let it show.
"And I saw this one guy! Ah, Eponine he was so dreamy!"
"Oh I bet." Eponine said with slight bitterness in her voice, though Cosette didn't notice.
"I only saw him once but he was just so….AH! I have this strange feeling that my life's begun at last!"
Eponine rolled her eyes, "Glad to see I was such a big help in it."
Cosette didn't notice her comment or her bitterness, "Do you think that people can really fall in love so fast?!"
"Love? Cosette you barley know him? In fact, do you even know his name?"
Cosette's cheeks darkened in embarrassment but she still smiled, "Well no, but does it matter 'Ponine! I just can't explain this feeling! I don't feel alone anymore, now he is so near!" She paused for a moment, "Though I wonder if he saw what I saw or if he feels what I feel."
"I guess you are just going to have to find out." Eponine grumbled before turning around and focusing her full attention on the teacher. She didn't want to have sit through Cosette's speech if every word hurt her and she couldn't even let it show.
Now it was lunch and while she wanted to go to the auditorium like usual, today she was in too much pain to bare the long walk there. She spotted the guys automatically and limped toward them.
Grantaire was the first one up to greet her, "Hey Eppy!" he said patting her on the back.
The force of the pat was enough to make her wince and yelp, "Ah-I…I'm just so happy to see you all." She said, trying to hide her pain and plastering a fake smile on her face.
"Good to see you too." Stated Enjolras who raised an eyebrow at her
"How was your weekend?" asked Courfeyrac as she sat down next to him.
"Normal" She stated, not really wanting to go any further, "Where's Marius?"
Enjolras rolled his eyes, "Off getting his lunch with Joly; it's nice to get a moment of peace."
"What do you mean?" she asked, the knot in her stomach growing
"Ever since that blasted football game all he had been talking about is this girl he met there."
Her heart dropped, "What-"
"If you can even consider that he met her." Added Grantaire, "He doesn't even know her name and already he is singing about her and blah, blah, blah"
"He can't be that bad." she stated, trying to reassure herself rather than everyone else.
"Oh it is." Enjolras stated as he shook his head, "I don't know how much more I can take of it."
Eponine's heart beat raced with every word they said, though she kept her head down and gritted her teeth together to hide her discomfort.
"Eponine are you alright?" asked Courfeyrac, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She winced but nodded, "Yea I'm just peachy."
Enjolras looked at her with concern in his eyes, "Are you positive?"
"Yes!" She snapped
At that moment Marius came in with Joly in tow, blabbing about this mystery girl again.
"Her hair is like the sun, and her eyes are blue like a clear sky!" He said pulling a hand over his heart. "Just one look and I feel like I am soaring though a world, one that is new and free!"
Eponine played around with the wristband on her wrist and tried her best no to look at anyone.
"Marius do you even know anything about this girl?" she whispered hoping no one would hear.
But he did hear, "I know that is sweet and pretty and…and…"
"You only saw her once!" Enjolras barked, mostly due to his annoyance at Marius but partly due to the discomfort he could sense it was causing Eponine.
"Not true, I saw her today." He stated proudly.
"You did?" asked Eponine
"Yes as a matter a fact I did!" he bragged, sending a proud glare to Enjolras, "She was walking down the hall today, she is so put together. Her hair was perfect and there wasn't a stain or wrinkle anywhere on her. She was walking so gracefully, I swear she was perfect."
"Did you talk to her?" asked Enjolras
"Well no but…"
"Wow Marius…" responded Grantaire, "I'm am agahed I am agasted. Are you really in love at last? You know I never think I've ever heard you 'ooh' and 'aah'."
All the others laughed but Eponine drowned them out as she looked down at herself in shame, her father's words sinking in. They pity you, she could hear her father say, they don't actually care about you. She strummed her fingers through her hair realizing how messy it was and could see all the shadows of the loose strands that escaped her ponytail holder on the table, she looked down at her shirt which had various wrinkles on it and a small red stain on the bottom; it was a blood stain, though she had told everyone it was just ketchup. She remembered that when she walked she was anything but graceful, she was quick and nimble. If her father's words and beating, along with Cosette's loud daydreaming wasn't enough to crack her, then Marius words did. They reinforced everything she had sat through and every word hurt her immensely.
Every word that he says is a dagger in me. She thought as she looked down at her hands, trying her hardest not to crack.
"Wait did you say she was all in spirit wear on Friday?"
"Yea, why?"
"And she is blonde right?"
"Yes!"
"Eponine weren't you with…" he began only to be cut off by her icy glare.
It was enough for Marius to understand and his eyes widened with interest, "Eponine do you know her?"
She shrugged and looked away trying not to make contact, his puppy eyes were a weakness of hers, "Eponine who was that girl?"
"I-I don't…" Her eyes were nervous and wandering but Marius didn't seem to notice, "I have to go, I um…have to meet up with a teacher." She said coming up with a lie before snatching up her bag and scurried out of the room. Once she was out she ran for a small corner nearby and kicked the wall front of her only to grunt in pain. She yelped but kept her composure, strength was now the only thing she had left.
Enjolras watched Eponine run out of the room after the awkward conversation with Marius.
I'm such an idiot! He thought as Marius kept speaking about the girl in glee. When he heard say she was dressed from head to toe in spirit wear when he first saw her his mind automatically went to the girl Eponine was with at the game, before he realized it he was about to tell Marius that his mystery girl may not be a mystery after all, only to be cut off by Eponine's piercing glare realizing all too late the hurt in Eponine eyes.
As Eponine ran off Marius took no note in her pain while guilt filled Enjolras.
What have I done?
A/N; As a side note my dad took me to see Les Miz last night...he didnt even make it through Suddenly before falling asleep, shame on him, i had to hit him with my hat to wake him up. And when it wasnt that he was asking me question about the plot line and characters...oh well least i got to see it again right? I still cried during I Dreamed A Dream, On My Own and Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. And my dad prefered Sam Barks to Anne Hathaway (In his words "she actually had a role in the movie") so score one for Eponine
Please review (I will make you all wait 32 chapters for a kiss if i dont get at least a review or two per chapter..)