I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.
Enjolras smiled to himself. He was about to walk Éponine to Valerie's shop, and that meant one thing.
Nicolette.
The pair had become very good friends in a very short space of time.
He knew so much about her. He knew that she was 20, just the same as him. He knew she was the second oldest of five children. He knew that she had four brothers, and longed for a sister. He knew she was just as passionate about freeing France as he was. He knew that she had tried to get involved in the revolution, but her father wouldn't hear of it.
"You ready, Éponine?" he wandered into the kitchen, where she was sitting at the table, reading one of Enjolras' books.
She looked up, smiling. "Ready when you are!"
"Let's go then," he buttoned his coat. She did the same and they walked out the front door.
Joly, Enjolras and Éponine had long learned that people either admired their bravery, or were too scared to confront them, and were now able to walk safely and care free through their beloved city.
"Where's Monsieur Joly?" she questioned, curious.
"Are you familiar with Phillie's friend Paulette?"
"Yes, I am, she often comes to see Phillie. What has this got to do with Monsieur Joly?"
"Are you familiar with her daughter, Lottie?"
"Oh yes! She's a lovely girl! She comes with her mother, I've met her a few times."
"So has Joly. Well, more than a few times..." he chuckled.
"Wait," Éponine began to piece two and two together. "Joly...and Lottie?"
He nodded. "What can I say, Joly's proving to be a free man," he grinned.
"I'm so happy for Joly! But she's so loud and energetic and talkative! The complete opposite of Joly!"
"Opposites attract, Éponine," he smiled.
"Oh, but you and Nicolette aren't opposites! You are pretty similar!" she teased.
He was gobsmacked. "Me and Nicolette? Wh- I'm- Huh?"
" I made the marble leader stutter!" she grinned, proudly.
"I'm just...surprised."
"Why? Don't play innocent, Enjolras!" she laughed. "I know you have a quite a liking for Nicolette."
"How did you find that out-"
"So you do!" she grinned!
He nodded, defeated.
"Well, you'll have to ask her to the opera then!" she laughed, pushing open the shop door.
Enjolras made a gesture to Éponine to keep her voice down, and Éponine understood. She wouldn't be happy if someone told Marius about her love for him before she could. Then again, she wasn't sure if Nicolette and Enjolras were quite at love yet. But it was the same sentiment.
"Bonjour, Madame!" greeted Éponine, making her way to the back of the shop and taking off her coat, hanging it on the assigned hook.
"Good morning, Éponine," Nicolette smiled back.
"Bonjour, Madame," Enjolras smiled, following Éponine through.
Nicolette turned and saw Enjolras, a wide grin spreading on her face. "Good morning, Enjy."
Éponine burst into shrieks of laughter at the nickname. Enjolras tried his best to ignore her, but failed.
"I thought I told you to call me Enjolras!"
"I thought I told you to call me Nicolette," she countered, raising her eyebrows teasingly.
"Okay, then, I'll cut out the 'Madame' as long as I never hear 'Enjy' ever again," he shook his head.
"Don't you worry, Enjy! You'll be hearing a lot more of it!" Éponine still hadn't recovered from her laughing fit.
Enjolras ignored her, but Nicolette started laughing with her.
"Women," he grumbled, shaking his head.
This had Éponine and Nicolette laughing ever more. Éponine went to the front of the shop, and started arranging dresses. Enjolras and Nicolette started a conversation about music, and Enjolras intended to swing the music topic to the opera, so he could ask her there.
The pair were only 30 seconds into their conversation when they heard Éponine's laughter aprubtly cut off, followed by, "What the hell are you doing here?!"
Enjolras ran out, worried it might be a government official or her father.
It turned out to be neither, but he wasn't any happier to see her.
Cosette.
"That's not a very polite way to greet your customers," Cosette smirked.
"But she has a point, Cosette," growled Enjolras.
"Do you know this woman," asked a confused Nicolette, who had just joined them.
"Yes, we do," snarled Éponine.
Cosette ignored Enjolras and Éponine, who stood before her in a united front, and turned to Nicolette, who was beside Enjolras.
"I'm here for my wedding dress," she beamed.
Enjolras just stared at her in disbelief, and Éponine escaped to the back room, mumbling something along the lines of 'As if I'm serving that whore'.
Nicolette tried to put Enjolras' and Éponine's hostile reactions behind her, and got on with business. She moved to the rail, and started looking through for something that would suit Cosette.
"Any ideas on what you want?"
"Nothing off the rack. As if," Cosette scoffed.
"Oh," already this woman was annoying Nicolette. "So you're designing your own dress, then?"
"Obviously."
Nicolette led her to a table where there were pencils and paper.
"I didn't quite catch your name, Madame," smiled Nicolette.
"Well, it's Madame to you anyway," Cosette snapped, patronizingly.
Nicolette nodded, trying to keep a straight face. In the background she could hear an angry Enjolras and an emotional Éponine.
"So, any ideas?"
"Of course."
"Then, what are they?" Nicolette asked, trying to be patient.
"Extravagance. A big skirt, and a long train. Long lacy sleeves, and lots of diamonds."
"You are aware how much this dress will cost, Madame?" Nicolette asked dubiously.
"Look at me, girl. Look at the clothes I'm wearing. Do you not think I can afford it?"
"Of course you can, Madame," Nicolette nodded.
After Nicolette's patience had been greatly tested, she sat with a finished design.
"Is this your final design, Madame?"
Cosette stared at it for a while. "Yes, I think so."
"Could I have your name and address, please, Madame?"
Cosette wrote them down on the side of her page in her elegant, fancy hand, and got up to leave.
"Madame, you need to leave a deposit first!"
"I will pay for my dress, when I see it."
"I'm afraid it's compulsory, Madame. We can't start your dress without it."
Cosette shook her head and left a small deposit, grudgingly.
"Come back on Tuesday, we'll try to have it done by then."
"It had better be done by then, girl," she warned. "Or I'll make sure you're out on the streets for the rest of your god-forsaken life."
Enjolras and Éponine then emerged from the back room, hearing the last part.
"Don't you dare talk to Nicolette like that." Enjolras growled.
"I can do as I like. After all, I'm of higher class."
"Just because you wear fancy clothes does not mean you can disrespect a human being like that. You wouldn't like it if it was you," he growled.
"Well, there's no chance of it ever being me," she scoffed.
"I wouldn't count on that, you petty, lazy bitch," Éponine snarled.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that!"
"Well that's what you are," retorted Éponine.
"You have no right to call me that!"
"I can do as I like," she mimicked.
"Don't mock me!"
"Is poor old Cosette going to run back to Papa? Is poor old Cosette going to go complain to anyone who will listen?" Éponine teased.
"Of course she is," chimed in Enjolras.
"Leave me alone. Marius will hear of this. He won't think much of you then, will he? Maybe he'll finally realise what a whore you are," Cosette played the biggest card she could.
"Let him. Let him hear. Let him think what he likes of me. After all, I have a few strong opinions about him at the moment too," Éponine shrugged, not without emotion.
Cosette shook her head and turned to leave.
"Oh, and Cosette?" snarled Enjolras.
Cosette turned to see Enjolras' face of stone.
"Give this to Marius from us, will you?" Enjolras shoved a crumpled letter at her.
"I might," she smirked evilly, taking it, and making a dramatic exit.
Nicolette exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding in.
"She's such a...I don't know if there's a word! She's so disrespectful, and spoilt, and patronizing-" Nicolette ranted.
"We know," Éponine nodded. "Believe me, we know."
"How do you two know such a woman like that?"
"She's the love of a former friend," Enjolras answered, emotionless.
"One of the men from the barricade?" Nicolette asked.
Éponine nodded.
"Well, maybe that's why she's so bitter! If he died at the barricade, and you two are alive, she might just be jealous-"
"Oh, he's alive. And kicking," snarled Éponine.
"I thought you said former friend?" Nicolette was deeply confused.
"Well, the type of friend that abandons the cause, and his dearest friends, when one is on her deathbed, is no friend of mine," Enjolras growled.
Nicolette knew not to prove further. It seemed to be a touchy subject for the both of them, especially Éponine.
...
And she's back!
Sorry for the slow updates!
Thanks for the reviews, greatly appreciated! Thank you to MissFiyeraba, Christine Eponine, Eponine Jondrette, LesMisFanGleek13 and my two guest reviewers! This is a total cliché, but reviews are what inspire me to write!
Lé gra,
Ó
Niamh Ní Luachra.
Lottie means 'Free Man.' Paulette means 'Small and Humble."