Becoming Eponine *A Les Misérables Story*

Chapter One

One:

"Athena, no freaking way." I gape wide-mouthed at the single casting announcement as my four best friends envelope me in a hug. A crowd had gathered around the board bearing the piece of paper and I hardly noticed. I simply stared at the dark letters: Eponine Thenardier: Athena Aponte.

"I did it!" Victory rushed through me like a flood and finally consciousness returned. "I got my dream role!" I had desired the role of Eponine since I was nine, and had seen a production of Les Misérables. She had reminded me of myself, the street urchin who held on to any bit of hope she could get, whether or not it was from a man who didn't love her. I knew that the song "On My Own" wasn't truly about friendzone, it was about a girl holding onto the tiniest, yet improbably, ribbon of happiness. "Oh my god!" I cupped my mouth in my fingers, still staring at the piece of paper. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. The probability of getting this role was so low, I was overtaken by giddiness, something that very rarely happened to me.

I went to a theater oriented high school, we did four productions a year and this was the first production. It is mandatory for everyone in the school to at least try out for one. It was also a difficult school to get into, thankfully my four best friends had come from the same middle school and we all made it so I didn't have to transition too much. Even though it is only mandatory to try out for one production, almost everyone tries out for all four productions. So there were tons of girls trying out for Les Misérables, and half of the girls all tried out for the role of Eponine, my role, my top dream role that is now a reality.

"What?" I heard a girl's angst filled cry, "The wretch beat me?" I closed my mouth and my smile disappeared immediately, my eyes went wide, it was true that I was a wretch, but I was not used to hearing that. It was a fact that I lived in a small beaten down house at the edges of town. We scrape by barely and my clothes are all thin and frayed. These people act like they understand me. But no one but my sister Pearl knows that my parent's beat me, I haven't even told that to my closest friends. I turned to face the girl who had spoken, Romilda Oak, if we were placing stereotypes, she was the popular, and regrettably talented theater goer. Locks of golden hair framed her porcelain face and her icy blue eyes shone with anger. "I'm not even the freaking understudy!" She stormed away, the name of the understudy upon the page was not one I recognized.

I turned to face my friends, they were waiting eagerly for the next cast list, I don't think they heard Romilda. I stare back up at the paper, blank except for the role of Eponine, my role. I turned to face my friends, there are only so many looks of jealous hate I could take.

"Ignore them, they are obviously jealous." Bella spoke softly, looking over the crowd, waiting for the next cast list. Bella, one of my best friends, had auditioned for the role of Cosette, I really hoped she received the role too. Bella had the sweetest and most pure soprano voice imaginable, she also matched the role perfectly. She had a petite frame, bright blue eyes, and long blond hair that went down to her waist. But there was so much competition for the role of Cosette and we were only Freshman in this school.

"I want to be the first female Jean Valjean here." My other friend Violetta stepped forward. Her dream role was Jean Valjean after we watched a recording of the musical together years ago, she had spent hours preparing her audition, the director was shocked to see a girl audition for Jean Valjean and Violetta had told me the audition went perfectly, I had my fingers crossed for her. Violetta turned to me, her dark eyes were full of light and her long dark curls were braided down the side.

"Oh my god!" My other best friend Derrick raced to the other side of the hallway. His icy blue eyes were bright with excitement as he brushed blond curls away from his forehead. I turned to Lucas, my fourth best friend who was watching him in amusement. Lucas had joined stage crew for this production, even though we had urged him to audition. He had dark almond eyes and short brown hair, he laughed at Lucas's expression as we darted across the hall to join him at the other cast list.