In My Life

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

I live in a world where happiness doesn't exist. All I hear is people screaming, crying or fighting. There are no smiles, no laughter and no joy of living whatsoever. Help doesn't exist; it's a world where it's every man for himself.

Life is hell.

Hope is gone.

Welcome to the world of the poor.

But one person is helping me pull through. He's the one person that's keeping me here, on Earth, living this hell everyday. And that person, well, doesn't even know I exist.

"What are you looking at, 'Ponine?" a voice asks.

I jump in surprise and spin around. And that's when I spot Montparnasse smiling in a weird sort of twisted way.

"Gosh, stop scaring me like that." And then I add with a smile. "Jerk."

He comes to crouch down next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders, the way he's been doing since we were ten.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asks.

"Oh, just... Nothing..."

"From behind pillar? Convenient..."

He starts to laugh as I shove his arm off my shoulders.

"Why are you here anyway?" I ask.

"Looking for you, actually..."

"Oh really? What does Papa want now?"

He smiles.

"Actually, I'm here on my own terms. I have a surprise for you."

"Yeah, right."

I get up and wipe some dust off of my ripped dress. But then I notice that he has been keeping his left hand behind his back. In an overly theatrical gesture, he whips it out and flings it in front of me.

"From me to you," he says, tipping his hat with his right hand.

I smile.

"You didn't have to," I reply. "I didn't ask for anything."

"As if Eponine Thénardier would ask someone for something... Oh, come on, don't give me that look. It's your birthday! It's the only time in the year I can give you something without you slapping me back."

"What makes you think I won't?"

"Because," he starts. "You'll love your present so much, you'll feel bad for slapping me."

"I can't accept this," I say, shaking my head.

He grabs my hand and slams the small box in it.

"Here. Now you have. You're welcome. Now, open it."

"But..."

He grabs me by the shoulders and looks at me in the eyes.

"Open it, 'Ponine."

I reluctantly remove the top. In it lies a silver chain, all scrambled up at the bottom. I raise my head in a flash.

"Where's this from?" I ask harshly, more harshly than I'd planned to.

"I had it in-"

"Bullshit," I cut him off.

"Fine. I stole it at the market today."

I shove the box back to him, clearly startling him.

"Bring it back," I tell him.

"What?"

"You heard me."

He opens his mouth to answer something, but the way I'm looking at him makes him swallow back his words.

"Since when do you care?" he lets out instead.

"I... I don't."

"You know what?" he replies, grabbing the cover from my hand and shutting the box. "I don't recognize you anymore."

"I'm the same-"

"No. No, you aren't. Since that rich guy moved here, anyways. Look, I see the way you look at him."

I look to the ground. Was it true? Had I been acting differently? No, I couldn't be.

"Montparnasse," I start.

"Stop it, 'Ponine. You know damn right that it's true. Look, whatever, I'll return the chain. I don't care. It was just to make you happy, but apparently it didn't."

"I just don't think stealing it was the best-"

"There you go again! You're going soft, 'Ponine. And I bet Monsieur Thénardier won't be happy to find out."

My eyes grow alarmed as I frantically grab Montparnasse's arm.

"You won't say a word, right?" I ask, more on an order than a questioning tone. "You won't tell him?"

He looks in my eyes and suddenly all of his built up anger seems to fade away.

"Alright," he says. "I won't tell him."

"Thank you."

"But it's written all over your face," he adds. "He'll find out sooner or later."

He goes to leave, shaking out of my grasp. I watch him walk away as he turns one last time to look at me.

"Oh, and 'Ponine?" he says.

"Yeah?"

He tries to smile but I can see that there's no happiness whatsoever behind it. He looks... disappointed.

"Happy birthday," he lets out before turning around again.

I watch him turn the corner with the small box in his hands and suddenly I feel all alone again.