Chapter 3:

Enjolras needed to clear his head. It had been three weeks since Eponine had joined their ranks and he was losing his grip. He had to refocus. It was just so unexpected. She had burst into his life bringing chaos where there had once been structure. And she'd barely done anything. Just her mere presence was driving him out of his mind. The sound of her laughter as she threw her head back, her hair spilling over her shoulders onto her back. The sight of her hand gripping Grantaire's arm as he made her laugh until her sides hurt. Her intense gaze as she listened to whatever was being said in the meetings and then the way she softened at a mere brush of Marius' arm. He thought that might be what was distracting him. The gooey eyes she had for Marius, it was removing her focus from the group and the other boys were starting to be distracted by it. Now instead of the sole focus being on the debate, the boys were counting how many times Eponine looked at Marius and how long he would remain oblivious.

Eponine was staring again. She knew it and she was also aware of the smirks from the other boys. She just couldn't help it. The way his eyes flittered from person to person had her entranced. Her fingers ached to trace the pattern of the freckles across his nose. It was stupid, she was aware. She had tried to resist the feeling that nestled in her stomach whenever he talked to her. And he did talk to her. It seemed he sauntered over to her whenever he could. Surely that meant something? Okay, perhaps he didn't feel the same way but he at least liked her, even as just a friend. That, she supposed, would be enough. She wasn't used to feeling anything in her stomach accept hunger and she preferred the butterflies that would tie her stomach in knots and push the corners of her mouth into a smile whenever she saw him. Grantaire would raise his eyebrows anytime he caught her looking and she frequently told him to piss off. But who cares if she had a small crush? It wouldn't go anywhere and it wouldn't effect anyone other than her maybe.

She snapped out of it once Enjolras cleared his throat. He began one of his tirades against the corrupt capitalist system and it was all she could do not to roll her eyes. If she wasn't going to be distracted by Marius' cologne then she would need something a little more stimulating than this. She caught eyes with Grantaire who was staring at Enjolras. When he noticed her she raised her eyebrows at him. Ha, she thought, see how he likes it. Grantaire sighed and took a large gulp of whatever alcohol lay at the bottom of his glass.

It was the hour of droning on that broke Eponine. Enjolras had just began a new tirade on the faults of the American banking system when the groan slipped from her lips. All eyes were suddenly upon her.

"I'm sorry," Enjolras said, clearly irked. "Is there something you wanted to add Eponine?"

Eponine sighed, she had clearly landed herself in it so she may as well keep going. "Well I mean," She wasn't sure of how she should turn her thoughts into words that wouldn't make her an enemy. "I just don't see why we're debating things that don't really affect us!" She shrugged and noticed that the boys surrounding her were avoiding her gaze. Dead Girl Walking it would seem.

"The American banking system does affect us," Enjolras began to correct her. "Need I remind you of the Great Depression and its effects on Europe? Or maybe something more recent like the 2006 crisis…"

"Yeah, okay I get that but," She had interrupted him. And rather brusquely at that. Judging by the red colour that was seeping into his neck Enjolras wasn't too used to this. "But, think about all the problems within this literal city! You can't tell me you haven't noticed the rising number of young people taking to the streets, living without a roof over their heads? You should be debating on ways to help that!" She continued, fired up by the look of disbelief on all of their faces. "And the drug problem that is so present in every council block possible. The amount of stabbings that have been drug or gang related is astonishing. Debate that!" Enjolras had sunk back in his chair, his hands had come to rest over his mouth. "I've seen mothers ripped from their children because the social services in this county think that living in care is better than living with a poor mother. I've seen black men taken from their families by a police officer who booked him just for the colour of his skin. I'm sorry if I'm tearing down the lovely white picket fence you've built around yourself but there are real problems affecting real people in your community every day. And I'm sick of being sat here for hours and hours debating the big problems that will never effect any of us!" She finished her rant. Overall she felt it had gone better than her first. For one, this was something she'd had hours to think about. The hours that should have been spent listening to the boys in this room had been used to stew over this idea. It really did anger her that none of them seemed to really care about issues. Oh sure, they loved debating the big things, but she had never once seen them down at the shelter. She was sure none of them had so much as lifted a finger to truly help someone.

The silence stewed for a few minutes. As she had finished Grantaire gave her some silent applause but other than that no one acknowledged her. They were all waiting for Enjolras' response. The man in question remained very still, as if he were carved in stone. She looked over at him expectantly but he did not meet her gaze. She sighed before standing up. "I'm not going to apologise for saying what I think is true." She picked up her coat and shuffled around to the door. "But if you no longer want me to attend these meetings then, I guess that's what you have to do. Tell Patterson and he'll get the message to me."

With that she left the room. Enjolras didn't move until the door had fully closed. The boys in the room continued to look at him but he wasn't sure he had anything to say. Instead he caught eyes with Grantaire and sighed.

"Somebody mark down the date and time!" Grantaire said urgently. "Someone's finally left Enjolras speechless!"

She was stupid, a huge idiot. She'd run her mouth off as always and ruined everything. They now hated her; how couldn't they? She'd insulted their whole operation. True, she still stood by everything she had said but she maybe should have bitten her tongue. Her stupid tongue. Why couldn't she control it? These thoughts carried her all the way home. She was so distracted that she barely noticed the change in atmosphere in her home.

She had lived in this small flat since she was eleven and reunited with her parents. It consisted of a small kitchen which lead onto an equally small sitting room with a box TV and lumpy sofa. It had three bedrooms although the third was barely big enough for a washing machine. It lay empty now anyways. Her sister was long gone and though it pained Eponine to not know where she was, she allowed herself to imagine that she was in a better place. Usually she came home to find her mother sat in front of the TV, back from work and vegging out. They never spoke, barely looked at each other and that was exactly how Eponine liked it.

But tonight another figure sat in the living room. Eponine halted when she noticed him. "You're back?" She asked.

"You know me," Her father replied. "Don't like to stay in one place too long."

"But this place was a prison Dad, how'd you managed to weezle your way out of that place?" She knew that talking with her Dad was like walking on a tight rope. One wrong move and it was game over. But she needed to know why and how he was back.

"I made bail alright?" He said, raising his voice just enough that Eponine knew not to ask any more questions. "That's enough chat, your mother tells me you've got a couple more jobs?" Eponine nodded. "Well I'd like to see some of that well-earned money if that's alright with you?"

"But I earned this," She tried to argue. "You played no part in this at all! I was fine to give you my earnings when you got me that job in the pub but this…"

"Are you arguing with me young lady?" Thenardier shouted, standing up out of his chair. Eponine instinctively began to back away. "Because I can't recall a time when that worked out too well for you!"

"I'm just saying I should be allowed to…" she was cut off by the first blow. A palm landed on her left cheek, narrowly missing her ear. Eponine tried to keep standing but had to lean against the counter behind her. Her dad flexed his hand as her mother continued to watch the television screen.

"Now," Thenardier began again, his face close to hers. "I'd like to see some of that money please." His breath was foul and she flinched away from him. She reached into her bag and handed him the money that had taken hours of work to earn. As his hand snatched the paper from her hands she felt the familiar numbness take over her body. She was about to walk to her room when there was a knock at the door.

"Get the door 'Ponine." Her dad barked as he walked into his bedroom.

Eponine sighed and dragged her feet to the door. Her cheek thumped and she had no idea of the damage that had been done. All she could hope was that it wouldn't bruise. She opened the door. Standing there was Enjolras. He stared blankly at her, almost as if he wasn't expecting to see her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quickly pushing him from the doorframe and closing the front door behind her. "You need to leave now."

"Eponine, I just wanted to speak to you." He began but she just continued to push on his chest, forcing him to walk backwards.

"I am really not in the mood for light debate Enj." She stated.

"No, I wanted to tell you that I think you were right." That caught her attention. She paused. He stood upright again. They were now a few doors down from her flat. Each flat was connected by a balcony-type corridor and the wind whipped through the air between them.

"What?" She said.

"You're right. We should be using our time to actually help people. I just hadn't thought about it like that before, that's why I was so…" He trailed off.

"Silent?" She suggested and he nodded. "Right, well… couldn't it have waited until Monday?"

"I know, I just couldn't stop thinking about it." he paused looking at her in the harsh lighting of the flats. "What happened to your cheek?" Eponine gasped and quickly covered her cheek with her hand. Shit, she hadn't realised it was showing. That meant it was going to bruise.

"I just bumped into something." She tried to explain. "But you really shouldn't be here, you're not safe."

"You're not safe by the looks of it." He argued and she rolled her eyes and pushed him again.

"Leave." She said hoping harsh words would convince him. "I'll see you Monday."

The next morning she woke to find a large purple bruise covering most of her left cheekbone. Covering it up took an extra half an hour and so she was a little late to work. No one noticed. With her father back in the house she knew she had to spend as little time as possible in it. She therefore offered to close up the pub where she worked. Muschietta, the owner, was grateful and didn't ask questions. She had a new baby and wanted to get back to it as soon as possible. As Eponine gave the tables an extra once over she thought about the differences between her life and her friends.

Right now they could be out, driving around maybe eating a meal at a restaurant. If they weren't out they were in their warm, spacious homes. Maybe their father wasn't there, perhaps he was on a business trip. But she was sure they didn't dread his return as she did with her father. The stark contrast between them had never been more apparent to Eponine and she wondered how different her life might have been if she had been born into one of their families.

She hated this feeling. Pity given was bad but self-pity made her sick to her stomach. She still had it so much better than so many. She had a roof over her head for one. As she walked through the streets and said her hello's to the familiar faces of those she had once travelled with she decided that she could live with this. Although she had been free from her parents when she lived on the streets she also knew she had nothing but that small scrap of satisfaction. Being fed felt better than being free.

She made sure to drop by the homeless shelter the next day in a way of reminding herself that she had it better than some. She dished out some food but mainly she just caught up with people. Sadly she saw a lot of familiar faces. Greg regaled her with tales of life on the doorsteps, he'd recently had a spell in prison. It was almost funny how policemen would book you for sleeping on doorsteps but then would throw you straight back once you'd done your time. She asked after Gavroche hoping that she would hear something and nothing at once. If she heard nothing, it could mean he was no longer living rough, if she heard something, she'd know he was still alive.

After social services had come in and split them all up the three siblings remained in contact. For a short while they all travelled together. But then Azelma got a boyfriend who she lived with and Gavroche had to disappear to avoid a tempting offer by a local gang. Eventually Eponine's school realised her situation and put her back into the social system. It had been through this that she had been reunited with her parents. What a brilliant ending that had turned out to be.

The main benefit of spending time at the shelter was that no one gawped at her bruise which was now a definite feature of her face, at least for the next week or so. The people around her all had their own bruises and oddities and so there was no judgement. She fit in here. While some may view that as a sign she had hit bottom, Eponine just revelled in the unfamiliar feeling. She knew that no matter how friendly she got with the Musian boys she would never completely fit in with them. They were all just too different from her.

She had been there for an hour and was just putting her hair back into the netted hat when suddenly Enjolras walked in followed by Grantaire, Marius and a few other Musain boys. She quickly ducked behind the counter, unsure of what her next move should be. If they saw her there, saw how she knew everyone so well, would they put two and two together? If they figured it out, what would their reactions be? She was stumped. With no clue what to do and fully aware that her hiding place was completely ineffectual she stood up slowly.

The boys had been greeted by Fay, the kindest woman in the world who ran the place. She was short and plump and had a brilliantly red face which almost always showcased a kindly grin. Everyone she met instantly fell in love with her and Eponine was no exception. Enjolras was listening intently to what she had to say while Grantaire looked around. It wasn't long before he spotted her.

"'Ponine's here!" He exclaimed before running up to her. "Well how is our little bull?"

"Bull?" She asked.

"Yeah, you completely ruined the whole china shop!" He explained as if it were obvious. His eyes flicked over her cheek but if he was concerned his face didn't portray it. "We now have to be active members of our local community."

"Well… great?" She said and he laughed. "Shall I show these guys around Fay?" She asked as the woman walked over to her followed by the rest of the boys.

"Thanks pet that would be a great help." Fay said smiling as she walked to the kitchens. She paused however, by Eponine for just long enough to whisper. "What the fuck are these posh boys doing here?"

Eponine laughed and motioned for the boys to follow her. She led them into the store room and got them all the correct uniform. It wasn't much, just an apron and hair hat but it was as if she were dressing the army. The boys were so intent on getting everything right that she continually had to suppress the overwhelming urge to laugh at their every move.

"So how long have you worked here Ep?" Joly asked after he had been given his gloves.

"Oh, a couple of years." She said very aware of how far she was stretching the truth.

"That's very commendable." Enjolras said and she frowned before laughing. She led them into the kitchen and sorted them into positions along the food line. She had sneakily placed Marius next to her and she smiled as he asked her for the hundredth time how to properly dish out the food.

"It doesn't really matter if each portion is not exactly the same." She explained again revelling in the way his arm brush against hers every time he dipped the spoon into the mince.

The boys helped dish out food for a few hours. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, talking with the people and laughing at their stories and giving some of their own. At one point Eponine was sat with Bev, Clarey and Dave as the boys began to pack away. "So who are these guys?" Clarey asked.

"Yeah, they seem to be way too posh to be hanging around here." Dave agreed. "Is it some kind of community service thing?"

"No," Eponine laughed. "They just wanted to help out." Her friends shrugged. She looked over at them and smiled. They seemed to fit in here. Maybe she wouldn't fit in with their lives but it was possible they could join hers.

"How comes she's so friendly with them all?" Bahorel asked as the boys stood in the kitchen cleaning the assortment of pots and pans.

"She's worked here for years, you heard her." Joly said. "I'm sure she's friends with them now."

Enjolras looked over at her. Sure enough she looked very comfortable surrounded by these people. He had never seen her so relaxed, had never seen her smile so much. She turned to face him and he was still left a little breathless by the mark on her cheek. He didn't buy her lame excuse, there was no way she could get that from falling. No, she had been hit, and badly, in the time it took him to get to her house. She would never tell him who did it. And if he was honest with himself he didn't think he would ever ask. It didn't feel like it was his business. But he still felt a pang of anger when that red spot made its way into his line of vision.

Just as the boys were leaving Eponine made her way over to him. She had been chatting with Marius and was still smiling giddily when she reached him. "It was a good thing," She began. "You coming here… helping." Her feet shuffled under her and a few hairs had fallen out of the hat. The tendrils framed her face and Enjolras had to force his eyes to meet hers. "I think I underestimated you a little." She admitted and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Thanks, I just took your words to heart." He coughed to clear his throat which had suddenly become dry. "It was your inspiration that led to this so… I should be thanking you really." She smiled and he returned it. They stood like that for a bit. It was strange. Enjolras had never felt so… balanced by someone before. Standing here, eyes locked and in complete silence he realised that he had finally met his match. Fear suddenly burst over him. He quickly said goodbye before practically dashing out the door.

He sat in his car not oblivious to the complete juxtaposition his life had to the people he was just trying to help. They had left the hall to sleep on the streets and he had jumped into his convertible. In that moment he truly detested himself. Eponine had been right. He'd felt that he was so wise to the world. Completely aware of all injustices and ready to fight against them with big words and long speeches. But he hadn't bothered to look for injustices that he could actually help. Words were fine, very powerful when they wanted to be, but actions made the real change.