Chapter 11. The next day.
Marius and Coufeyrac stood outside of Marius's new apartment staring up at the building.
"Still not regretting this?" Coufeyrac asked turning to his friend. Marius looked back at his friend.
"No." he said not really sure. The place was a complete dump and not in the best part of DC.
"You my friend are a martyr for willingly living in a place like this." Marius sighed and picked up a box and started to carry it into the building, he turned to Coufeyrac who was still just standing there.
"Are you going to help me or not?" He asked. Coufeyrac rolled his eyes and picked up another box.
Eponine Thenardier walked out of the corner store her arms full of shopping bags. She was in a fowl mood, she had gone to a job interview and was turned away before she had even talked to anyone.
"Sorry but this job requires a high school diploma." They had said. Her parent's would be pissed that she didn't get the job. Soon she arrived back at her apartment building and paused before going in. To Eponine her home was the very definition of Hell on Earth. When she reached the third floor she saw several boxes in the hall and the door of the apartment next to her family's open. That is a good way to get your stuff stolen, she thought. If her parents saw that stuff they would most defiantly take it. Eponine opened her apartment door and entered closing the door with her foot behind her. Pointedly ignoring her parents who had stopped talking as soon as she had entered, which meant they had been talking about her.
"Well?" her father asked. Eponine just ignored him and went to the kitchen and started taking stuff out of the shopping bags.
"Did you get the job or not?" he asked, his voice slowly getting tenser. Eponine still didn't answer, but pulled out a cheap bottle of booze and placed it in front of her father.
"Dammit! Did you get the job or not?!" Alan Thenardier cried bringing his fist down on the counter. Eponine didn't even flinch.
"No I didn't get the FUCKING job!" Eponine said looking up at her father anger blazing in her dark eyes.
"And why not?" her mother said tersely.
"Why do you think." Eponine replied bitterly. "I'm not collage educated and I didn't even graduate from high school."
"Why did we have to have such a useless daughter?" Selene Thenardier asked turning to her husband.
"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not an art genius like Azelma." Eponine said turning to her parents. "Or smart enough to run away like Gavroche." Eponine said her voice rising. She was quickly silenced by her mother slapping her hard across the face.
"Never mention that little Basterd's name." Gavroche was Eponine's little brother, he had ran away from home at the age of ten, that was a year ago. It wasn't like her parents even cared that he was gone.
" Well since you can't find a job maybe I should talk to Montparnasse. He would be glad to have you working for him. That would make you useful." Eponine took a slight step back. Her father had crossed an unspeakable line. Montparnasse was one of her parent's associates in their business, if you could even call it that. He had done something unspeakable to Eponine her senior year in high school.
"You wouldn't." she whispered, "After what he DID to me."
"Watch me." Her father said menacingly. "Now get out of my sight."
Eponine practically ran to her room slamming the door behind her. She pressed her forehead against the door frame trying very hard not to start crying. Eponine never let herself cry. She turned the lock on the door and fastened the security chain, Eponine and her sister decided that with their parents many "friends" coming at all hours they needed just a little extra security. Eponine turned and looked at her sister, Azelma was sitting on her bed with her headphones on and her sketch pad in her lap. She had heard everything.
"I can't believe them." Eponine said striding across their small room over to the dresser and pulling one of the drawers open and digging aside clothing.
"If I get a job, then they take my money. I can't leave because I barley have any money."
"You can try." Azelma said not even looking up from what ever she was drawing. Azelma was an amazing artist, you could give her anything and she could make it a beautiful piece art. She had gotten a full scholarship to the university's art school and would be starting there in July. Azelma would get to leave this terrible life. Eponine was glad about that.
"What are you working on?" Eponine asked momentarily abandoning her search, and walking over to her sister's bed taking the sketch pad and looking at it. All that was on it were random lines.
"Nothing yet. But it will become something." Azelma smiled up at her sister. Eponine got off the bed and went back over to the dresser.
"You are lucky that you are leaving. I'm gonna be stuck here until I die." Eponine said bitterly.
"Seriously you can leave any time." Azelma said. She always had that glass half full, the sun will come out tomorrow kinda girl. Eponine was the exact opposite.
"You know mom and dad would not let me leave willingly. They want me to work for Montparnasse." Azelma looked up a shocked expression on her face.
"You can't be serious." Eponine nodded finally finding what she was looking for. She pulled a box of cigarettes out of the bottom of the drawer. She was a stress smoker. Eponine pulled out a cigarette and grabbed her lighter.
"Please don't do that in here." Azelma said looking at Eponine crossly. "The smoke gives me a head ache."
"Fine." Eponine said sourly walking over to the window and sliding it open. She slid out onto the ledge that went around the entire outside of the building, Eponine liked to come out here and think. She lit her cigarette and looked down at the street below, this was the perfect spot to watch the world, at least her world go by. She could see the pimps and their girls, the drug dealers, the cars of the fortunate who had to drive through this terrible place. Her home, but it wasn't her home. Her real home was in Monfermeil, were she was born. Her parents had run a motel there, but about eight years ago the economy had gotten even worse. The motel was foreclosed and the Thenardiers moved to DC. When they got to DC her parents made friends with the wrong people. Ever since then Eponine and her siblings lives have gone downhill. Things hit rock bottom when Eponine was 18 in her senior year of high school when Montparnasse, an associate of her parents grabbed her when she was walking home from school and he did something terrible to her. Then a year ago after her little brother Gavroche left a note saying not to go look for him. And he left. Eponine and Azelma tried to find him, they gave up after six months. Azelma getting into art school was the best thing to happen in years. It was time for Eponine to have some good luck for a change.
Eponine sighed and put out her cigarette and tossing the but over the ledge. Just by chance she looked over her shoulder and noticed someone moving past the window of the apartment next door to hers. Eponine remembered seeing the boxes outside. Must be the new neighbor. She thought inching closer to get a better look. He was tall, and had reddish brown hair. That was all she could see. Now would be a good time to introduce her self, she tentavily knocked against the glass. He didn't seem to hear her, she knocked knocked louder. Marius turned suddenly when he heard someone knocking at his window and saw a lanky girl sitting outside his window. She looked to be about twenty or twenty one, had dark brown hair that was pulled into messy braid, she also had dark brown eyes to match her hair. When he turned she gave him a small wave. He walked over and opened the window.
"Hi." She said with a smile.
"Hi." Marius replied.
"You must be our new neighbor. I'm Eponine." Eponine said holding out her hand.
"Marius Pontmercy." Marius replied shaking her hand. " Umm what are you doing out there?"
"Oh, you know, contemplating life." Marius nodded, there was something about this girl that he liked.
"Would you like to come in?" He asked.
"Sure." Eponine replied hiking up her skirt and sliding off the window sill. Once she was inside Eponine looked around. The apartment was small, smaller than her family's there was a couch that looked like it had been bought for five bucks at a consignment store. Which was true, Marius and Coufeyrac had found it earlier that morning. There were also boxes every were. Eponine picked up a text book from a box labeled books.
"The History of Common Law." She turned to Marius. "You a law student?"
"Ya, I'm in my final year of it."
"Nice," Eponine said putting the book back. "It must be fun to go to collage." Marius frowned.
"I flunked out of high school. Besides I couldn't afford it. My little sister though got a full scholarship to the art school at the university, she starts there next month."
"Your parents must be proud." Marius said. Eponine laughed.
"They don't even care." She said bitterly. "Enough about me. Why would a law student move to this neighborhood." Eponine asked.
"I am a poor student who had a falling out with his very rich grandfather." Marius said.
"I'm sorry." Eponine said.
"It was a long time coming." Eponine nodded. Marius looked at his watch.
"Shit, I have a lecture in half an hour."
"Ya, I should probably get back." Eponine said walking towards the window. Marius grabbed her arm.
"You can take the door." Eponine smiled and walked towards the door. Eponine opened it and inspected it. She turned to Marius, your gonna want to get a couple more locks for this door. Not everyone in this building is as honest as me."
"Thanks for the tip." Marius said locking the door behind him. "It was nice to meet you Eponine." Marius said smiling before walking away. Eponine watched him leave and smiled leaning against the wall. No one was ever that nice to her. Even though she had just met him, she felt something towards him, that feeling you get when your crush says they like you. Eponine entered her apartment and leaned against the door, smiling. Her parents looked at her noticing her happiness.
"What's with you?" her father asked sourly. Eponine turned glaring at them.
"Why don't you go fuck off." She said.
"Excuse Me!" Her father said angrily standing. Realizing her what she had done, Eponine bolted to her room, before her parents could do anything to her. She locked the door of her room and flung herself on the bed. Still in an amazing mood.
Finally we get Eponine!. And yes I am instituting that Eponine was raped by Montparnasse. I know, dark. Will try to have next chapter up as soon as I can. Luv you all!
By the way Azelma is Nina Dobrev from the Vampire Diaries, and extra points if anyone can find the Annie reference.