Éponine crossed in and out of alleys, weaving over and under scaffolding of buildings. These renovations were an attempt to improve the artistic district and encourage wealthy students to drive out the so called "undesirables" like Éponine and her family. Instead this only provided more opportunities for hiding from and escaping police. Not only that but Éponine no longer had to travel far from her home to actually make a day's living stealing from unsuspecting wealthy folks.
It was a good thing too. In her scheme to rob the prancing handsome man she had badly hurt her ankle. It was beginning to swell and she had to limp along the alleys using railings for support.
The smell of death became slightly masked by the smell of salt and fish, Éponine knew she was likely close to her brother Gavroche. She ducked under a low archway that led to courtyard where the residents kept their laundry lines and livestock. Éponine approached a small disheveled pen found him asleep in a large pile of hay next to a cow and her baby.
"Gavroche!" She called softly. He stirred awake quickly. Years of sleeping on the streets had forced him to sleep lightly.
"You spooked me," He cried extremely annoyed.
"Yes, but I have gifts," she exclaimed and held up the stolen coin purse. It was regal and too extravagant for the average man. It was made of dark purple velvet and had cold trim and purse strings that held it together. "It feels heavy," she said tossing the bag up, making a large clanging sound as it landed back in her hand.
"That's reasonable enough, I s'pose," Gavroche grumbled as he climbed from the hay bale he had slept in. "Give it err."
Éponine tossed to him though he could hardly count any higher than she could. Éponine and Gavroche never had any formal education. In fact, Gavroche living on the streets away from their parents had gained more skills in reading and math than Éponine had staying with their parents. Of course, Gavroche struggled, he was often sleeping in a cow pen, but he had managed to make a better life for himself on the street than he could ever have with the Thénardier's. Gavorche hated their parents and preferred living as the leader to a gang of street urchins to being under the control of Thénardier. Éponine managed to always help him out when she could, but she knew if she ever came home with too little her father would beat her senseless. However judging by the weight of the stolen purse today this wouldn't be a problem, in fact she may be done for the day already and she wasn't even trying.
Gavroche spilled the contents on the bag unto the cobblestone ground. His face quickly changed from excitement to shock and then fear. Gavroche scooped each coin up as fast as he could then glance around paranoid. "A'igher than I count. But its a lot" He said with a large toothy smile.
"I know! I lucked out," Éponine chuckled.
"Where did you find an idiot who carries this much on him at once?" Gavroche asked weighing the purse in his hand and playing with the ornate gold pursestrings.
"He literally ran into me, though I did spot him coming from a mile away. I saw the opportunity and took it. I didn't think it would be this good though." Éponine laughed remembering how idiotic the man looked as he pranced through the streets.
"Are your hands okay?" Gavroche grabbed her hands, examining her palms. They were still filthy, dark blood had begun to dry.
"I'll be fine, I just to wash them." Éponine walked to the water pump in the courtyard and began washing herself best she could. She winced in pain but the dirt and blood was finally wiped away. She scrubbed her face and attempted to clean off her clothes without soaking herself. Maybe today she could finally get her clothes laundered. "All right, let's divide it up now."
"I don't want much, okay! I don't need the pity, just enough to get by," Gavroche protested. Éponine laughed. Gavroche was fiercely independent, as he needed to be. Éponine roughly measured out a third of the coins in the purse and handed them to Gavroche. She knew he wouldn't dare ask for that much even though it would allow him relative safety for nearly a year. His eye widened. "That's too much"He cried though he was ecstatic.
"It's not you will need it, I want you to be safe though. Do not lose it to someone like me" She assured him. She still didn't know how to balance her loyalty to her family and her brother. She resented their parent's abandonment of their only son after they had lost all their money an the Inn. However Éponine still couldn't shake the loyalties she built to her father and mother when they were better off. She had changed so much since then and yet was still the same girl in so many ways. She still held on to her old beliefs of hard work, materialism, and vanity. But this once spoiled child had grown up to become a poor and bitter envious woman. She often watched the rich ladies riding in their carriages dressed in lace and fancy ribbons. She remembered how as child she wore those pretty dresses and yearned to one day to return to her higher class status.
"I have something I need you to do for me" She said.
"What's that" Gavorche popped his head up from counting his coins into his humble burlap coin sack.
She grabbed the the pocket watch and parchment bundle from her ratted brown wool jacket pocket a tossed them towards Gavroche. Gavorche caught the pocket watch and let the parchement fall to the cobblestone in front of where he was kneeling. "I need you to find out how much this is worth. But don't sell it, not yet."
"This looks real" Gavroche said. He examined the engraved gold of the pocket watch. Patterns swirled around the sides and on the cover in the center an extremely detailed engraved rose. With a snap he opened the watch. Inside the cover was a name. Gavorche couldn't read too well but he recognized a name engrave on the inside, Victor Enjolras Something the Great. Gavroche let out a bellowing laugh. "The great" he chuckled to himself. He knew an Enjolras but he wouldn't refer to that man as 'the great'. "Where on earth did you find this?"
"I told you, some idiot on the street. Extremely full of himself," said Éponine. Gavroche shrugged sounded like Enjolras. He picked up the pamphlets and examined them. He recognized a few words such as, "Cafe Musain" and "France". Again sounded even more like Enjolras.
"Interesting..." Gavroche trailed off. He'd see how to would proceed as the day went on. He'd likely see Enjolras today at the cafe anyways.
"Just figure out much it's worth okay?" Éponine fumbled shoving the purple purse back in her shabby jacket. "I'll see you later, but promise me you'll eat well today."
"I promise, thank you for the help sister! I'll be sleeping in the old blind women's pantry tonight. I think she figured out I'm there but doesn't mind. That or she think I'm a cat keeping out the mice. Come by and whistle twice!"
Éponine kissed Gavroche's dirty forehead and hobbled down the street. Her ankle burned and she could barely walk any longer. She gripped a scaffolding railing and cried out in pain. She rubbed her ankle attempting to see what was ailing it. It did not seem broken, but she definitely couldn't walk on it much longer. Luckily the one room apartment she shared with her family wasn't much further. After another block of limping Éponine collapsed at her door unable to open it. She sat on the front stoop rubbing her ankle some more. Reaching above her she knocked on the door hoping someone would answer.
Of course no one was home. Éponine sat defeated and in extreme pain. She couldn't go anywhere and would likely have to wait until someone had returned to help. Either that or gather the strength to climb up again and turn the key. She didn't know if she could do it at least not after the last few block she had hobbled.
As Éponine weighed her options before her, her thoughts were stopped in their tracks. A beautiful man had exited the apartment next door. Those apartments were far more luxurious than the near slum her family inhabited. The newly renovated apartment building's white marble contrasted laughably against the decaying wood of the apartment that Éponine and her family had been slumming in.
His dark brown hair curled down to shag around his ears. He handsome eyes shined so that even from a distance Éponine could see they were green darkened only by thick black eyelashes. His pale skin was speckled in light orange freckles. Éponine waved and smilled at him as walked past. He stopped gave her a confused look as if to make sure he didn't know her. And returned an awkward smile back. His teeth were excellent. Éponine swooned with envy and lust all at once. But before she could get another look at him he was gone.
It wasn't much longer before Éponine realized no one would come for her anytime soon. It was only nine, judging by the sun in the sky, and her parents would be gone all day scrounging for coins, not knowing that Éponine had found enough for everyone to eat like kings for a month.
But would telling them that be the best choice? Éponine thought to herself. She could simply give them he expected share for the day, they would be impressed with that alone. Then she could save the rest for herself, either for an escape one day or something special just for her. Éponine didn't ever seriously consider running away, but she had day dreamed of getting her own apartment and providing for herself. To do that she'd have to get job in a factory which would be very hard but not impossible.
Gathering her strength Éponine hoisted herself up and fumbled for the keys to her house. Turning the door she managed to pry it open and hobbled through landing on a straw mattress she shared with her younger sister.
Finally she could safely nap the day away. Free from the responsibilities of her abusive parents. Free to dream of the handsome boy she had seen today.
