When Tomorrow Comes

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

"'Parnasse, let go," Eponine ordered. "I know my way home without you."

"I have a deal with Monsieur. I'm bringing you in."

"You always only think of yourself, don't you?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and spun her around.

"No, I think about us too," Montparnasse told her.

Eponine was starting to feel queasy.

"There is no 'us', okay? I thought I made that clear last time."

Montparnasse was furious. Eponine was always looking at those rich students with her stupid girly smile. Why couldn't she look at him that way?

"Stop imagining some fantasy where you could be with one of them!" he bursted out. "They're not from our world. They're not one of us. They don't even pay attention to girls like you."

"Girls like me?"

"Girls who scam and rob. Girls who are always covered in dirt, who live in the streets."

"They're not like that..." Eponine said.

"There you go again! Eponine, snap out of it! They don't like you! You're just a worthless girl who gets beat up by her papa, that's it."

Eponine's eyes started to fill with tears. No. She had to be strong in front of Montparnasse. She swallowed them back and looked him straight in the eyes.

"My papa may beat me up," she replied. "He may blame me for everything. But..."

"But what?" he said with a grin.

"But at least he didn't bail when I was young and abandoned me in the streets!"

"You take that back, Eponine!"

"Make me, 'Parnasse."

He went to slap her when Marius turned the corner in a flash.

"'Ponine!" he shouted. "You stay away from her."

"Oh great, another rich boy," Montparnasse sighed. "Wait, you must be Marius, right?"

"How'd you know?"

"Eponine talks about you all the time..." He turned towards her. "All the time..."

"Marius, go," Eponine told him.

"But..."

"I can take care of myself."

Montparnasse stared at her from head to toe.

"Yeah, sure, I can see that."

"Shut up, 'Parnasse," she let out.

"Eponine!" Enjolras shouted, arriving next to Marius.

But then Montparnasse, seeing the two guys, decided to grab her by the arm and started to pull her away. And that's when Marius came running from behind and tackled him.

"Marius?" Eponine asked in disbelief.

But he was too busy wrestling with Montparnasse to answer. She looked at the two in a complete state of confusion.

"I'm, umm, going home," she announced.

She turned around and started to run.

"Eponine, wait!" Enjolras shouted.

He ran after her, leaving Marius fighting with Montparnasse. A couple minutes later, he saw her arrive in front of a shabby inn. She knocked twice and, when the door opened, instantly looked to the floor.

"Eponine?" the man asked.

"I'm sorry, papa."

"Come in, now."

Monsieur Thénardier grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside as he closed the door behind them.

"Are you spying on my sister?" a voice asked from behind Enjolras, startling him.

"Umm... No, I... And who might you be?"

"Azelma," the girl answered. "Eponine's my older sister."

"Oh, umm, nice to meet you."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Enjolras, Eponine's friend."

"Never heard of you..."

Enjolras rolled his eyes.

"Look, I just came to see if she was okay."

"No, she's not," Azelma answered. "She's with papa and papa's mad at her."

Enjolras swallowed crooked.

"I should get her out of there."

"That won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Just wait..."

As Azelma predicted, Eponine came running out of the inn a few minutes later.

"And don't you dare come back here!" Monsieur Thénardier yelled, slamming the door behind her.

She was crying. Enjolras could've sworn she had even more bruises over her arms. Azelma ran to her and hugged her, making Eponine bite her lip in pain.

"Go in, it's cold outside," Eponine told her.

"But Ep-"

"Not a word, Azelma. I'm fine. Go in and sleep."

The little girl reluctantly obeyed and left her sister outside. Once Eponine saw her little sister was safely inside, she let herself fall to the ground and weep. And at that moment, Enjolras knew he'd do anything in his power to make sure that girl would never suffer as much again.

"I promise, 'Ponine," he whispered.