As soon as the boy left the yard, Isabelle rushed back inside and called up Elvina.
"He...what?" Elvina was quite excited about the news. "Gee! Brilliant! Bloody brilliant! That theif got a taste of his own medicine!" Elvina said proudly. Isabelle gulped. "But..."
Elvina grew silent: "But?"
"But...he told me he wasn't going to leave without is notebook so..."
"So?" Elvina pressed on. Isabelle gulped once more. "I promised him I'd help him get it back."
She could hear Elvina groan on the other end of the line: "Isabelle! Why? After all he did, too..."
Isabelle let out a sigh. "I know! And I'm sorry, but...I couldn't help it." There was a sigh heard of Elvina's other side. "Ok. Do whatever you want, I suppose..."
"You aren't mad, are you?"
"No, no...just don't try getting me to help him get it back, is all." Elvina said. Isabelle smiled softly. "I won't, I promise."
Elvina get out a small laugh. "Better not, but hey, I have to help mama out at the shop tomorrow night, so...I'd better head to bed. See you around ok?"
Isabelle nodded, even though she knew Elvina couldn't see her. "Yeah! Have a good night, ok?"
"Ok, sweet dreams!" and they hung up.
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The next day was much busier at the Boulanger than the day before. So busy, in fact, that both Elvina and her mother had to run the counter, while the rest ran the kitchens.
"Madame Boulanger?" Tiffany, one of the workers, came out of the kitchen and went up to Elvina's mother. "We've set out a fresh batch of bread outside about 5 minutes ago to cool off...but...it's not there, now."
Madam Boulanger looked at her, confused. Elvina quickly stepped in: "I'll go check on it, mother, you run the counter." she threw off her apron and hurried outside.
She looked around, the tray was there, but only with a few bread peices left. Elvina thought about it. There's no animals around here...
Elvina started looking around, for clues, when suddenly, there was a crash from around the corner of the building. Startled, Elvina quickly looked, and discovered a boy with messy brown hair, bright blue eyes and dirty clothes, he was holding a handful of bread peices and a now broken bottle of milk. Elvina quickly recognized that it was the bread from the tray. As she looked at him better, she also realized it was the theif Isabelle had described to her.
"Theif!" She exclaimed. This only made him jump more, dropping all of the bread. She took a nearby brrom and threatened him with it, by waving it in the air towards him. "GO! GET OUT!"
His blue eyes grew wide and without a word, he was off.
Elvina let out a curse when she looked at all the dirty bread peices on the ground. "Perfectly good bread wasted...all because of a nasty theif." She spat, and taking the broom back out, she started sweeping up the mess.
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With fear, Hugo ran away, down the street and stopped for a rest in a back alley. The girl at the bakery had frightened him pretty badly, though he doubted she'd actually hit him with the broom. But, you never know...
He sat down and managed to catch his breath. It was odd, he'd taken stuff from there before, and he never seen her around. His stomach growled and he pressed his hands against his belly. Then again, it's not like he ever stole much, anyways. Even though he didn't have money, Hugo had decided that he'd only steal at his greatest needs, which was hardly ever...but today, was one of those days.
But now I can't get any food tonight because of her. He thought to himself bitterly.
He let out a groan. Hunger was taking over him. Now what am I going to do for food? He looked around at his surroundings. There was no sign of food, so he got up and wandered off down the alley. He shoved his hands in his pocket, to feel for his notebook, it was something he usually did when he got scared, nervous, or bored. But, alas, as he remembered, the notebook was not there.
Hatred grew inside of him. Hatred for the girl at the bakery for ruining his chances of getting food, and hatred for that old man at the toy booth, for taking away his father's notebook.
The wind picked up, causing snow flakes to fly into his face. He let out a shudder and had no other choice, but to turn back for the evening.
Once reaching the clock tower, he headed to his room, and sat down at a chair. Ahead of him, was a figure, covered by a huge white cloth. Hugo stepped forward and ripped it off, revealing the automaton. Moonlight streamed through a nearby window, reflecting light off of it's metal face. Hugo lightly touched it, feeling it's cool texture on his finger tips.
He needed his notebook back. He needed to fix the automaton. For his father...for him. Hugo felt a lump in his throat, and tried swallowing it down. Hugo missed his father dearly, and the automaton was the only thing left of him.
He began thinking about the girl he met yesterday. How her godfather stole his notebook, and how she promised him she'd get it back for him. A little bit of hope has risen into Hugo, but he also knew he shouldn't get his hopes up too high. Most of him believed that she only said that to get rid of him, but there was a little part inside of him that believed that maybe...just maybe...she would keep her promise.
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Isabelle watched as her papa Georges got ready for work that morning. He was fixing his collar and gently stroking his beard. Isabelle had over-heard him and mama Jeanne talking about the theif, and how he had managed to take his notebook. But she was very confused at the reaction they both got from it, while looking through the notebook, but when Isabelle came by to see what was so interesting, papa Georges had snapped it shut and stowed it away.
The theif had told her that papa Georges had threatened to burn his notebook. But papa Georges would never do that...would he?
Isabelle cleared her throat: "So, papa Georges, I was wondering...when do you plan on giving the boy his notebook back?"
Georges turned to her. "Give it back? And why should I give it back?"
Isabelle wasn't expecting this answer. "Well - I - I just assumed that you were going to...you are, aren't you, papa Georges?" She asked him. He shook his head. "If that little theif wants his notebook back, then he'll have to earn it back! I'm not going that easy on him." He said gruffly. Isabelle blinked. "But - ?"
"No, buts, Isabelle," he said putting on his hat. "I'm going to be late for work." And before she could get another word from him, he was out the door.
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Elvina walked into the library. "Bonjour, miss Boulanger." Monsieur Labisse greeted her. She smiled shyly at him. "Is Isabelle here?"
He nodded. "I believe she is in the back, in the Fantasy ilse." He explained. "Thanks, I'll go find her." She said. "Yes, and she is also with her friend, Hugo, too." He added. Elvina stopped in her tracks in confusion. Her friend Hugo? Who the heck is Hugo?
She shuffled her feet and hurried over to the fantasy ilse, and sure enough, there was Isabelle, on a tall ladder trying to reach a book on a high book shelf. Facing her was a kid, a boy, about their age. Elvina rushed over. "Bonjour, Isabelle!" Isabelle took notice of her, and Elvina nodded towards the boy. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh, this is Hugo." she said grabbing a book and jumping down from the ladder. Elvina was about to reach her arm out to him, when he turned around to her, but getting a better look at him, she dropped her hand. "You." She said in a dark whisper.
Hugo, apperantly recognized her aswell, for he backed away a bit, followed by a mutter of "hi."
"Isabelle!" Elvina hissed tugging on her sleeve. "What arew you doing? He's a theif!"
Isabelle let out a sigh and pulled away from her grasp. "Elvina, I already told you! I am going to help Hugo get his notebook back from Papa Georges." She explained.
"Yeah, only now he's burned it." Hugo said rather darkly. Isabelle shook her head. "Hugo, I already told you, it was all a trick. Those ashes weren't from your notebook, ok?"
"Wait, how long is this going to go on, Isabelle? He was stealing from the Boulanger bakery yesterday!" Elvina said motioning her hands towards him. Isabelle let out a small gasp and turned to him. "Hugo?"
Hugo let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'm hungry, and I need food."
Isabelle shook her head. "Alright, well, nevermind that. Look, i think I know how you could get your notebook - " Elvina cut Isabelle off. "What do you mean, 'nevermind that'? Isabelle! He can't just go around taking whatever he likes!" She snapped.
"I never said that, El." Isabelle turned back to Hugo. "As I was saying...I know how you can get your notebook back. Just keep asking him about it, and I'm sure eventually, he will give in. Trust me, Hugo." Isabelle patted his shoulder.
Elvina made a look. Why is she acting so freakishly friendly towards him?
Isabelle's additude towards Hugo was making Elvina feel very irritated. "Look, Isabelle, I'd better get home and make sure my mother takes her medicine for the evening. I'll see you later." And before any of them could say 'goodbye' she was out the door.
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Elvina made sure she arrived at home on time. "Mama?" She called, entering the house foyer. "In the kitchen!" She called. Elvina hung up her jacket and headed into the kitchen. Reaching into the cupbards, Elvina took out a little bottle with pills in it and placed it infront of her mother. Her mother let out a sigh. "Elvina...not tonight, sweety."
Elvina slammed a glass of water infront of her onto the table. "Yes tonight! Mother, you haven't taken your medicine in a week! I'm getting worried, and just this morning you were complaining about your leg again! Take it." She said pushing the bottle and water towards her. Her mother pushed it back. "Elvina, no...I'll be fine! I promise you that I'll be fine!"
Anger boiled up inside of her. "You can't promise me that!" She yelled. "What's going to happen if you end up in the hospital again, mother? What's going to happen when things get too serious? Who will run the shop? What will happen to me?" Tears whelmed in her eyes. Her mother sighed. "Elvina, listen to me, please! It won't be like that, you'll have - "
Elvina interupted her. "Who? Who will I have, mother? Certainly not dad, considering he left us years ago! And you don't have any siblings that would care for me! I have Isabelle, she's the only one I have, but even right now I'm not so sure!" tears were now streaming down her face.
Her mother closed her eyes, and kept them closed while yelling: "Get to your room, Elvina!"
In anger, Elvina kicked the kitchen table, knocking over the bottle of pills and water falling everywhere, and ran upstairs into her room, shutting the door with a loud slam!
I think this chapter is a BIT longer this time, guys :) I have so many ideas for this and I'm so excited, and I'm hoping I can fit everything in to go along with the plot! By the way, I'm basing this off both the book and the movie Hugo. But as you may have noticed, I'm not going to copy it from Hugo in specific details. The plot and settings are still going to be the same, of course! But I don't want it to be so boring and make you read every little detail that comes from the book/movie, so I'm adding in some of my own things and telling the story in different point of views :)
Please Review! Means SO much! xoxo