Chapter 2
Eponine walked down the street heading for the Cafe Musain. Since she had been released from jail, she had learned to stay as far away as possible from her father and Patron Minette. She hadn't forgotten them, especially Montparnasse, but she continued to remind herself that everyone she cared about had used her.
She was about a block away when someone reached for her elbow and spun her around.
"Where have you been?"
"What do you care?" She tried to pull away from his grasp, but he was strong. Stronger than he looked.
"I care a lot, 'Ponine."
"For all the wrong reasons. Let go of me."
"You haven't answered my question."
"You don't need to know because you won't care once I walk away, will you?"
"How was jail?" As if he cared. She felt like kicking and screaming, but she knew no one would help her. She was alone in the world.
"You bastard. How dare you ..." She slapped him, and he dropped her elbow. She took off down the street and ran into the cafe. She looked around and saw the young students walking about and talking to one another. Another day, another meeting.
She walked between the groups of men, saying 'Hello', and smiling at others. She made her way to a group of three men. Enjolras, Grantaire, and Marius.
"Morning, Eponine," said Enjolras.
"Good morning."
"Just who I wanted to see," smiled Marius. He turned to Enjolras and Grantaire. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Marius didn't wait to see Enjolras roll his eyes or Grantaire shrug and take a sip of his drink. Eponine followed him to a nearby table and sat across from him.
"You wanted to see me?" she teased.
"You know I did."
"What can I do for you?"
Her smile faded as he reached for his pocket.
'No, don't let it be what I'm thinking. Not this girl he's infatuated with.'
He took a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"You followed her?"
"...Yes."
"So you know exactly where she is?"
She felt as if her heart would burst in two.
"...Yes."
"You'll bring it to her?"
She held Marius' gaze for a moment, then grabbed the letter and ran from the cafe. She knew everyone was watching her and then looking back at Marius, but she didn't care.
It had happened. Again. It always happened to Eponine. She was being used.
'Why?' she continued to ask herself. 'Why was I so willing to open my heart again to Marius? So he could break it?'
After she had given herself to Montparnasse and she had spent her time in jail, she thought that she would just become detached and unable to trust or love a single person again. Marius had changed all that. He cared. No one out of her "station" had ever cared before. That's why Eponine had started to love him. Not because he seemed to return her affections or because he was smart, and it wasn't because he had money. She could live without money, love without money. But live without a man who cared?
She heard someone call out her name as she rounded a street. She turned to see who it was, and she scarcely believed it. Montparnasse.
He approached her as she stood with her hands folded across her chest, waiting for him to say something. He didn't.
"Well?" she said impatiently.
"Is that all you can say?"
"It's more than you can."
"'Ponine, there's nothing I can say ... except that maybe ... I'm sorry."
"For what exactly?"
"For everything! For taking you that night, for not going back with you, for you getting arrested."
"I guess you heard about that."
"'Ponine, I went and stood in front of that jail every day because I knew you were there."
"I don't believe you."
He stood dumfounded. "You don't believe me?"
"That's what I said. And I don't think you're being sincere right now."
"Fine, don't believe me. I'm not asking you to. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry." He turned to go and suddenly, Eponine called after him.
"Was it a mistake?"
He turned and he looked at her. "Do you think I did it out of lust, or do you not think that at all? Just know that I did what my heart told me to do."
"Goodbye, Montparnasse."
She turned and ran down the street. She didn't want to hear another thing he had to say. She wanted her life to end. Her horrible, loveless life. No one would miss her when she was gone.
Eponine walked down the street heading for the Cafe Musain. Since she had been released from jail, she had learned to stay as far away as possible from her father and Patron Minette. She hadn't forgotten them, especially Montparnasse, but she continued to remind herself that everyone she cared about had used her.
She was about a block away when someone reached for her elbow and spun her around.
"Where have you been?"
"What do you care?" She tried to pull away from his grasp, but he was strong. Stronger than he looked.
"I care a lot, 'Ponine."
"For all the wrong reasons. Let go of me."
"You haven't answered my question."
"You don't need to know because you won't care once I walk away, will you?"
"How was jail?" As if he cared. She felt like kicking and screaming, but she knew no one would help her. She was alone in the world.
"You bastard. How dare you ..." She slapped him, and he dropped her elbow. She took off down the street and ran into the cafe. She looked around and saw the young students walking about and talking to one another. Another day, another meeting.
She walked between the groups of men, saying 'Hello', and smiling at others. She made her way to a group of three men. Enjolras, Grantaire, and Marius.
"Morning, Eponine," said Enjolras.
"Good morning."
"Just who I wanted to see," smiled Marius. He turned to Enjolras and Grantaire. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Marius didn't wait to see Enjolras roll his eyes or Grantaire shrug and take a sip of his drink. Eponine followed him to a nearby table and sat across from him.
"You wanted to see me?" she teased.
"You know I did."
"What can I do for you?"
Her smile faded as he reached for his pocket.
'No, don't let it be what I'm thinking. Not this girl he's infatuated with.'
He took a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"You followed her?"
"...Yes."
"So you know exactly where she is?"
She felt as if her heart would burst in two.
"...Yes."
"You'll bring it to her?"
She held Marius' gaze for a moment, then grabbed the letter and ran from the cafe. She knew everyone was watching her and then looking back at Marius, but she didn't care.
It had happened. Again. It always happened to Eponine. She was being used.
'Why?' she continued to ask herself. 'Why was I so willing to open my heart again to Marius? So he could break it?'
After she had given herself to Montparnasse and she had spent her time in jail, she thought that she would just become detached and unable to trust or love a single person again. Marius had changed all that. He cared. No one out of her "station" had ever cared before. That's why Eponine had started to love him. Not because he seemed to return her affections or because he was smart, and it wasn't because he had money. She could live without money, love without money. But live without a man who cared?
She heard someone call out her name as she rounded a street. She turned to see who it was, and she scarcely believed it. Montparnasse.
He approached her as she stood with her hands folded across her chest, waiting for him to say something. He didn't.
"Well?" she said impatiently.
"Is that all you can say?"
"It's more than you can."
"'Ponine, there's nothing I can say ... except that maybe ... I'm sorry."
"For what exactly?"
"For everything! For taking you that night, for not going back with you, for you getting arrested."
"I guess you heard about that."
"'Ponine, I went and stood in front of that jail every day because I knew you were there."
"I don't believe you."
He stood dumfounded. "You don't believe me?"
"That's what I said. And I don't think you're being sincere right now."
"Fine, don't believe me. I'm not asking you to. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry." He turned to go and suddenly, Eponine called after him.
"Was it a mistake?"
He turned and he looked at her. "Do you think I did it out of lust, or do you not think that at all? Just know that I did what my heart told me to do."
"Goodbye, Montparnasse."
She turned and ran down the street. She didn't want to hear another thing he had to say. She wanted her life to end. Her horrible, loveless life. No one would miss her when she was gone.