CHAPTER 11

I got back to the Populaire and entered my dressing room. The Phantom was gone, so I went to the mirror and pressed on it ever so gently, and it opened. I went down, calling to him on the way. "I'm down here!" he eventually called.

"Hey," I said when I got there.

"Hey," he said.

"I have news," I say.

"Ok, what is it?" he asks.

"It's about to start," I say.

"What's about to start?" he asks. I take a deep breath before telling him.

"The revolution," I say.

"What?!" he asks.

"The barricades go up tomorrow," I say. "And I'm supposed to be there." Faint, angry voices were in the background, and I could only begin to hear them.

"No! You can't go! What if you get hurt?! You might not ever be able to come back!" he says. I can tell he's nervous. He pulls me into a hug and holds me. "I can't lose you," he whispers. Then he heard the voices. "What's that?" he asks. He releases me, and we heard them getting very close. "Quickly, go hide. If they take me, I don't want anything to happen to you," he said.

"But what about you?" I asked.

"I'll be alright," he said. I ran to the bedroom, and jumped behind the bed.

"Where is she?!" I heard Enjolras' voice. What are they doing here? I asked myself.

"Where is who?" I heard the Phantom ask back.

"You know who!" I heard. That time it was Marius who spoke.

"No, I don't," the Phantom said.

Grantaire then said "Eponine! That's who!" I could tell he was irritated. Well, he's always irritated. I think.

"Hold him!" Enjolras said.

"Marius and I will go find her, if the monster won't help us," he said. Don't hurt him, please don't hurt him! I pleaded silently.

"I'll check the bedroom!" Enjolras said. No! Don't find me! I thought. "Éponine? Are you in here?" he asked. I stayed silent. I don't want to leave! Not yet! I think. "Éponine, what are you doing back there?!" he asked.

"Uh, just trying to, uh, nothing," I say.

"Get out from there," he says. He helps me out, taking my hand. We leave the dining room, and he yells "I found her!" I break free in the main room and run to the Phantom.

"Phantom, I don't want to leave!" I say to him. I whisper, so only he can hear me.

"I know. I want you to stay," he says. "You should know my name before you go," he says.

"No. I'm not leaving! You know that!" I say.

"My name is Erik," he says.

"No! Don't say goodbye! I'm going to see you again!" I promise him.

"Until then," he begins to say goodbye, but I grab him and embrace him. He holds me and says "It's going to be ok."

"I hope so," I say. I feel Enjolras pulling me away from him. "No! Erik!" I yell.

"Éponine!" he yells back. I can tell he said something else, but I can't tell what. It sounded like I love you, but that couldn't be right. He wouldn't say that. But, I think I love him, I think. We make our way out in silence. I just want to go back, why can't you see that? I ask them in my mind. But I know they can't hear me.

We arrive back at the café, and I sit there in silence. "Are you ok, 'Ponine? Did he hurt you?" Enjolras asks me.

"No, he didn't even try," I say. I want to make it clear I wanted to stay, but he would just think I've been traumatized and am under a lot of stress.

"Why did he take you?" he asks.

"He didn't," I answer. That's all I say. I get up and go home. It's been months, Papa's probably forgotten what is now the best night of my life.