One hot June day, Eponine finally got up the courage to speak to Cosette. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she raced through the alleyways, the most prominent being, "What if she doesn't remember me?"
No, it couldn't happen, She assured herself. Cosette… couldn't forget me, could she?
That question would be answered soon enough. Eponine caught up to her childhood friend, who had sat down on a corner bench to rest.
"C-Cosette?" She uttered warily. "Do you remember an… Eponine Thenardier?"
The girl's head spun around swiftly, she recognized that voice, that smell…
"Eponine, you silly girl. How could I forget you?" She laughed, a carefree, joyous laugh that Eponine did not remember from the past. Cosette took Eponine's hand and pulled her down to the bench, holding her in a warm embrace. "So, you ended up in Paris too. It's really quite a wonderful city," She trailed off. "If I was allowed to see any of it! My Papa, he won't let me go anywhere alone! He- I'm sorry, 'Ponine. I'm sure you have a lot to say."
"Hm, I'd much rather hear about you," Eponine grinned. "And where your papa is at the moment."
"I convinced him that I was just going for a walk in the park, but truthfully, I'm not. I'm meeting someone here," Cosette sighed dreamily. "Marius. Marius Pontmercy. I love him, but Papa doesn't know- if he knew, he'd have it in for me! He's confident that everybody is up to no good. I just don't understand it! Marius is so wonderful, though. He's handsome, and intelligent- he's helping to plan a revolution against the French government!"
Marius, Eponine contemplated. She had thought there had still been a chance- No, that's foolish! Cosette has grown up. I've grown up. We're far from the children we used to be.
"Oh! There he is!" Cosette pointed excitedly to a man walking towards them. She ran up and hugged him. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. "Marius, there's somebody I'd like you to meet." She grabbed his hand and led him over to where Eponine was sitting. "Dear, this is my old- my, uh,"
"I'm an old childhood friend," The words almost hurt to say. She knew there had been a closer bond between them, but she didn't dare speak about it. "Eponine Thenardier."
"Pleased to meet you, Mademoiselle Thenardier," Marius grinned. Eponine cocked her head. This man looked so familiar… yet she couldn't quite put a meeting place with his face or name.
"We'd better be going, dear."
And with that, Cosette and Marius turning and, holding hands, walked off into the crowd of people, that crowd of people who never gave Eponine a second glance.
"Goodbye, Cosette," She whispered under her breath. "I'm only sorry that I couldn't tell you how I really feel." She saw Cosette stop and turned her head around to glance at Eponine once more, and she could have sworn that she saw the words, "I'll miss you," mouthed.
"No, it was only my imagination."
