It had been...what? six weeks? Yes, I think, six weeks after the incident. Eponine had been growing more and more odd by the seconds. She's always stares off into spaces and the headaches seems to come more frequently, and judging from the bags under her eyes, she was lacking sleep, too.
Whenever we talk, Eponine would often lingered her eyes on my face in some sort of confusion. Then as if remembering something, she would tore her eyes away and give me the cold shoulder treatment. Madame had been growing worried about her, and her parents already told her to go home to Saint-Guilhem and rest.
But she didn't. For some odd reason, it appease me. That she's here, I mean, that she didn't went home to Saint Guilhem. It sounds terrible, I know. That she's currently in a world of massive discomfort and she refuses any help and I'm happy about it. She should've went home. Her father is a physician, after all. He could help her.
Later that day, Madame Beauchamp had told them to retired for the day. I was just finishing with the stacks of book. The little chores I do here gives me a sense of boyhood, even though only for awhile, like during my short lunchbreak, or after work, or simply when I need to clear my head from the stress of my office.
Eponine is already upstairs in her small apartment. She'd been there quite awhile and Madame Bauchamp is growing worried.
"Eponine?" I called as I trudged upstairs to her apartment.
No response could be heard. I reached her shabby green door, at last. A small beam of light is leaking from the tiny gap between the doorframe and the door.
"Is everything alright?" She turns around abruptly. Her hair had been freed from her ribbon and is tumbling down her back.
"I...uh...everything's alright, Monsieur" She answered, stumbling upon her own words. Old newspapers littered the place and I wondered what in the world she uses it for.
"Are you sure?" People often said that stumbling upon words is a sign when someone is lying. And she's not exactly in a state to be called fine for a few days now.
"Yes, I just needed a few moments to myself, tell Madame and Monsieur I will join in a few moments"
I nodded slightly. It's the best I'm going to get for the time being.
I closed the door silently, leaving Eponine to herself once more. Immediately as soon as I stepped down, Madame Beauchamp already waiting for me.
"She says she's going to be down in a few, she needs time to think"
Madame Beauchamp frowned worriedly, making thin creases along her forehead.
"The poor dear! She's too stubborn to let people help her!"
Monsieur Beauchamp sighed wearily, "Everyone has their own problem to deal with, Mariette, and perhaps Eponine doesn't think hers could be fixed with a doctor's care"
"So you are saying she's contemplating to go to an asylum? Georges, what were you thinking?"
Everyone is definitely upset at the moment, "Alright, settle down, okay? I'll try to talk to her"
I marched upstairs. I knocked on the door, silently cursing myself for blurting out words without giving it a thought first.
Eponine opened the door, "Monsieur Pontmercy? May I help you with something?"
I shifted on the balls of my feet, things are escalating into an all new level of uncomfortableness.
"May I come in?" I asked timidly, Eponine nodded and opened the door wider and I entered.
I sat opposite of her on the small dining area. She brings back two cup of teas and a few shortbreads. We sat in uncomfortable silence.
"So what brings you here?" Eponine starts, her voice weak and restless.
"I...it's just..." I sighed, contemplating my words so I won't offend her.
"Had I done something to upset you, 'Ponine? Because if I did, then I'm sorry" She flinched at the nickname.
Eponine looks aways, and sighed wearily. "I'm fine, Marius, really, I am"
The first time she actually calls me Marius. It makes my stomach flutters, I would've been jumping with joy had this is not a tense situation.
"No, you're not 'fine', Eponine! If you are then you wouldn't be having those headaches, or losing sleep, or staring off into spaces, you're not fine!" I said frustatedly.
"Marius, please, I don't want to talk about it..." She said, her face growing more and more sadder. She is on the verge of tears.
"Can you at least try to explain? I'm worried about you" I sat back down.
We sat in silence. Me, holding Eponine's hand comfortingly and assuringly, and Eponine, who is sniffling.
"You reminded me of him," Eponine starts quietly.
"Who?" I am thoroughly confused.
She chuckles a little, "It is nothing but a foolish dream, really..." She wipes a strayed tear away.
"I doubt it, if it is troubling you for these past few months, then it is anything but foolish"
She took a shaky breath, "I dreamt that I am a gamine, living on the streets of Paris"
Just that simple sentence managed to drained all oxygens I had in me. Could this be really happening? She really remembers?
"And I...my parents (in that dream, of course) owned an inn. But they were cunning people and robbed all the guests blind. And that leads our business to bankruptcy. And everthing fell apart, I used to be my parents' jewel, and then they beats me and all. We moved out to Paris, where we live in a crappy tenement (which is surprisingly shabbier than mine).
He beats me everynight. And that boy...what is his name..." Eponine said confusedly. It took me everything not to blurt out 'Gavroche' right then and there. 'When the time comes, Pontmercy, when the time comes'
"...Ah, anyways, he was kicked out of home (surprisingly he is my brother, a brother!) he was involved in a student revolt. Planning to overthrow the government and such. There is this one boy, who resembled you so much, and I think...it's you, your features, your attitude...he's so much like you, and my dream-self is in love with him"
I know, of course. Eponine had told me herself beforse she (supposedly) dies. Had it not for her confession, then I would've never realized my affections for her, and if I had not realized then I would've never fell into a grievance, and if I didn't, then I would've never moved back to Montpellier, which means I would've never met Eponine again.
Fate sure is a trickster.
"But...he loves another girl, you see, but in the end, he went into the battle, he was going to be shot by some guard but my dream-self took his place instead and...died"
It's amazing how detailed her dream is (more like a memory). Maybe, just maybe...if I can convince Eponine that it is real, then she would come back to her senses.
First step, "Do you remember this student's name, that your dream-self is in love with?"
It feels rather awkward to say, and it makes my throat tightens just to say it, but this is it.
I wait. She looks at me blankly, "I don't remember"
A/N: okey-dokey, that's chapter 5 for you! Took me awfully long to complete, but I'm happy with how this turns out. This happens six weeks after The Incident (a.k.a Eponine-remembering-her-past-and-all-Marius'-faults-and-her-past-life) but she is in denial right now. And Madame Beauchamp's remark about her contemplating going into the asylum? Yeah, she did consider it. And I'm planning on introducing her parents in the next chapter, and a major SHOCKER for the next few, maybe the next, I don't know. When do you want the shocker to be dropped? Tell me!