Little Phantom on Adventure

Red and Black part one

Gavroche and I walked into the ABC Café. I looked around, only to spot an empty chair beside Eponine. 

When I was young and dad was out 'haunting' in the opera house, I would often dream of having a friend... Sure, dad was great an' all.. But I would've liked if I had someone to play with... Swim in the water with,  just be with, I sometimes had been so lonely that I felt like crying. Sometimes I did cry, when I was younger. Times like that, all I wished for was a friend like Eponine, who, even when a girl she always irritated, won the boy she loved... She still remained friendly, and always warned Cosette. Yes, when I was little I even had my own imaginary friend whom I named Eponine Thénardier, I would pretend that (Even though Eponine was rough to Cosette in the book) I was Cosette, being beaten by Madame Thénardier, only to afterwards be comforted by an smiling Eponine. Sadly everything had ended when dad came home. Eponine would go away until we were alone again, the swimming in the 'pond' was over.. So was my poor life as Cosette, dreaming to be saved by some Jean ValJean who never came, because my dad murdered everyone who came to near..

Thanks to the punjab-Lassoo!

I shook my head, ridding it of my memories of me as a kid.

I sat down beside Eponine. "Hi." I said. Eponine studied me carefully, then smiling. "Hi. I am Eponine." She answered extending her hand. 

"Emma. Nice to meet you." Finally- I said under my breath.

"You're thinking of Marius... Aren't you?" I asked, tilting my head to the other side.

"Yeah...." Eponine said, I could feel we would be pretty close... And boy I was right!

*** A week after***

"Wanna be my roommate?!" Eponine asked after some time, we had been talking for the last few hours, and she was just as sweet as I always had imagined.

I nodded and thanked her, gratefully, I hadn't really giving sleeping much thought, but now I thought of it, where would I have been sleeping if it wasn't for Eponine? beneath the opera house? Dad would never let me out of eyesight after my little trick.

We walked towards her apartment, which lied across from her parents, Eponine told me that she had moved out from her parents house at the age of 14, not wanting to be involved (not that she wasn't) in her parents thieving.

We entered the tiny house, which was a bit shaggy, but I didn't mind... It was better than an dungeon,

***Flashback***

"I can't believe that we still live in a dungeon!" I yelled at my father as a ten year old.

"Dungeon? Is that what you see your own home as? A dungeon?!" Dad said threateningly, I wasn't scared.... Maybe only a little

"Yes! Why do I have to be kept prisoner, here dad?! ain't I human too?!" I said angrily, my fear fading as my anger flourished.

"You are NOT kept prisoner here, Emma. You live here. There's a big difference." Dad said firmly, trying to get trough to my ten year old mind.

"Fine! Have it your way!" I snapped, turning my back on him, slamming the door behind me.

"Emma! Do not turn your back on me! Show some respect!" He roared at me, or rather, at the bedroom door that I had slammed in his face.

***Flashback finished***

Yes... Much better than a dungeon.

I could hear that Eponine was trying to get trough to me, so I looked at her and politely asked her if she could repeat.

"I said, do you want a cookie? You look pale..." She trailed off. I smiled and accepted her offer, the rest of the evening we were chatting over some cookies, only to go to bed when we became to tired to stand on our legs.

***A few months after***

"Em! Come on, we don't wanna be late for the meeting!" Eponine, my newly found Roommate screeched into my ear as I was still in bed.

"Comin'...." I stuttered, pulling myself together.

As Eponine and I approached the ABC Café we heard loud voices.

"There's a river on the run..." We were late!

Eponine and I came in just as Enjolras headed towards Marius. "I've never seen him uhh and ahh.... We talk of battles to be won! and here he comes like..... Don Juan! It's better than the opera!" Grantaire said, most definitely drunk again... Nothing new about that. The name Don Juan and Opera made something stir inside of me, sure I missed dad, but I was very happy here...

If I was to die at the barricade I wouldn't stop it!

Even though everything was okay... I was nervous.. Marius hadn't met Cosette yet... And everyone was starring at me when I entered. Not Eponine, me.... In the original version he sang -a ghost you say a ghost might be... She was just like a ghost to me... One minute there... Then she was gone.- 

But it couldn't be.. Enjolras sat down. "It is time for us all to decide who we are..... Do we fight for the right... To a night at the opera- again the word caused me a small amount of pain, guilt and a third feeling I couldn't place- now have you asked of yourselves what's the price, you might pay.... Is this simply a game, for rich young boys..." I interrupted him.. "Enjolras.. You say boys.." Enjolras rolled his eyes and answered. "Yes. I do." he sighed as he knew where I was going with this.

"Me and Eponine have been to almost all these meetings and you still do not want us with on the barricade?!"  I said, bringing the conversation up again, like the stubborn child I once was I had done this quite a lot..

*****Flashback***** 

"Dad... I don't need it!" I said, throwing the white porcelain mask on the floor, shattering it.

"You do need it Emma." Dad said fiercely, I was terrified, but my irritation was way bigger than my fear.

"No! Am I really that ugly dad?! That you don't wanna face me?! It's not like anyone ever comes down here!!!?" I screamed at him, obviously. 

"No darling, but..." I interrupted him.

"But what? You always have excuses dad! Always! I'm goddam tired of it! And do you know why that no one comes down here?! Huh! 'cause you murder them all!!!! It's not fair! I should be aloud to live a normal life without  you murdering every person who maybe could be a friend!" I continued my rant until I exhausted myself into sleep. 

Dad caught me and laid me down in my bed, pulling the covers over me. 

"You are not ugly. Sleep well mon Ange." He whispered.

*****End of Flashback*****

Dad and I had taken the mask conversation a million times before, and I almost always ended up exhausting myself.

"Emma. You are a girl, I know it's not a reason, but we can't risk two pretty girls lives for the sake of something bigger than us." Enjolras reasoned with me once again, his ice cold logic always making sense. Damn I hated it.

Sooo what do you think!!! What will happen with the Marius problem... Will Cosette be mentioned... I actually don't know! Stay tuned for next time and good night to all of you!

-H.G