Chapter 8: Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton
"Sometimes I fell like I'm the only one who doesn't know the truth."
- - - - -
After talking with her friends, Eponine got home quickly. She picked up her favorite book and read it in a bench. Gavroche was sitting in the other bench, staring in space. Soon, Marius came home with a newspaper in his hand.
'Gavroche? Home? Something's up.' Marius thought.
He approached Gavroche. "What are doing here? Aren't you going to play outside?" He asked. Gavroche didn't answer. Marius nudged him. "What's the matter with you?"
Marius showed him two francs. "Aren't you going to ask for money today?"
Gavroche looked at him and snapped. "No!"
Marius moved away slightly. "Alright. Don't shout at me. I'll be going." He noticed Eponine and sat down beside her.
She read the book; Marius read the newspaper.
Out of the blue, "What's wrong with Gavroche?" Marius asked.
Eponine looked up from the book and glanced at Gavroche. "I don't know. He has been sitting there all day, without saying a word to anyone..."
"Is he sick?"
"No..." She answered and continued reading. In an attempt to change the subject, she asked, "So, did you make much today?"
Marius frowned. "Not much, but I can spare you this." He looked at Eponine and flashed her a brotherly smile as he gave her 5 francs.
Eponine was beaming from ear to ear as she took the money from Marius. "5 francs? You're giving all of this to me? Oh Marius, I don't think I can accept this..."
Marius rubbed her hair. "It's alright Eponine. Take it."
Eponine stood up. "Oh, thank you, Marius. At last, I can buy a book. I've read this one so many times." She threw the book to the ground and walked quickly over to Gavroche. She grabbed his arm. "Come on Gavroche, let's buy a new book."
Gavroche hit her hand. "Leave me alone!"
Eponine abruptly let him go. "Ouch. Alright, I'll go alone. I'll read it somewhere else and I won't let you have even a peek on it." And with that, she walked away.
Marius continued reading the paper. Thenardier woke up.
"Hot today, wasn't it?" said Marius.
"Was it? I didn't notice." Thenardier asked.
"You didn't notice? Oh, of course you wouldn't. You were under the shade the whole day." Marius said and went back to the paper.
"How much money can you spare for a poor family?" Thenardier said hopefully.
"I'm giving it all to your wife," Marius said quickly.
"All of it?" He asked.
"Yes, as I promised. She said she had to clear off some of YOUR debts." Marius explained.
"Debts? There's no end to her debts. Tell her you made no money. Then it can go to the master of the house for clearing off all the debts," Thenardier insisted. "You used to give me some of you takins'. I even send Eponine to your room, in case you forgot."
"That was a few months ago. I don't want to give you a centime." Marius clarified.
"My family's sick, and I can't find work." Thenardier explained and turned his back against Marius.
Marius looks up from the newspaper. "You mean you never wanted to work again. You had so many chances."
Thenardier looked at him. "All right. If another chance comes, I'll see if my back is strong enough. In the mean time, I'll be glad if you gave me the money we were talking about."
Marius obeyed reluctantly. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Pontmercy," He smiled.
"Don't use it all at the tavern."
"I won't. Oh, here she comes." Thenardier hides the money in his pocket. Thenardiess walks into the front yard, carrying three baskets full of old food.
- - - - -
A/N: Please! React
"Sometimes I fell like I'm the only one who doesn't know the truth."
- - - - -
After talking with her friends, Eponine got home quickly. She picked up her favorite book and read it in a bench. Gavroche was sitting in the other bench, staring in space. Soon, Marius came home with a newspaper in his hand.
'Gavroche? Home? Something's up.' Marius thought.
He approached Gavroche. "What are doing here? Aren't you going to play outside?" He asked. Gavroche didn't answer. Marius nudged him. "What's the matter with you?"
Marius showed him two francs. "Aren't you going to ask for money today?"
Gavroche looked at him and snapped. "No!"
Marius moved away slightly. "Alright. Don't shout at me. I'll be going." He noticed Eponine and sat down beside her.
She read the book; Marius read the newspaper.
Out of the blue, "What's wrong with Gavroche?" Marius asked.
Eponine looked up from the book and glanced at Gavroche. "I don't know. He has been sitting there all day, without saying a word to anyone..."
"Is he sick?"
"No..." She answered and continued reading. In an attempt to change the subject, she asked, "So, did you make much today?"
Marius frowned. "Not much, but I can spare you this." He looked at Eponine and flashed her a brotherly smile as he gave her 5 francs.
Eponine was beaming from ear to ear as she took the money from Marius. "5 francs? You're giving all of this to me? Oh Marius, I don't think I can accept this..."
Marius rubbed her hair. "It's alright Eponine. Take it."
Eponine stood up. "Oh, thank you, Marius. At last, I can buy a book. I've read this one so many times." She threw the book to the ground and walked quickly over to Gavroche. She grabbed his arm. "Come on Gavroche, let's buy a new book."
Gavroche hit her hand. "Leave me alone!"
Eponine abruptly let him go. "Ouch. Alright, I'll go alone. I'll read it somewhere else and I won't let you have even a peek on it." And with that, she walked away.
Marius continued reading the paper. Thenardier woke up.
"Hot today, wasn't it?" said Marius.
"Was it? I didn't notice." Thenardier asked.
"You didn't notice? Oh, of course you wouldn't. You were under the shade the whole day." Marius said and went back to the paper.
"How much money can you spare for a poor family?" Thenardier said hopefully.
"I'm giving it all to your wife," Marius said quickly.
"All of it?" He asked.
"Yes, as I promised. She said she had to clear off some of YOUR debts." Marius explained.
"Debts? There's no end to her debts. Tell her you made no money. Then it can go to the master of the house for clearing off all the debts," Thenardier insisted. "You used to give me some of you takins'. I even send Eponine to your room, in case you forgot."
"That was a few months ago. I don't want to give you a centime." Marius clarified.
"My family's sick, and I can't find work." Thenardier explained and turned his back against Marius.
Marius looks up from the newspaper. "You mean you never wanted to work again. You had so many chances."
Thenardier looked at him. "All right. If another chance comes, I'll see if my back is strong enough. In the mean time, I'll be glad if you gave me the money we were talking about."
Marius obeyed reluctantly. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Pontmercy," He smiled.
"Don't use it all at the tavern."
"I won't. Oh, here she comes." Thenardier hides the money in his pocket. Thenardiess walks into the front yard, carrying three baskets full of old food.
- - - - -
A/N: Please! React
