Becoming Eponine *A Les Misérables Story*

Chapter Sixteen

Silence greeted my awakening. A silence that swirled over my figure and devoured me in misery and sadness. I swallowed hard, bunching up the sheets and tossing them aside, stumbling towards the bathroom and then gazing in the mirror, examining my reflection. Tears spilt from the edges of my eyes as soon as I reached the room. I let out a heaving sob and grasped the marble of the counter, staring at the floor, watching my teardrops splatter against it. I'll miss Gavroche, Eponine, Enjolras and all my friends, I'll never know what happened to them either. My head spun and I wanted to collapse and lie upon the ground, do nothing, but I didn't, I had a show, and a sister, and caring friends. I looked up and back into my reflection, my eyes stared back coldly and my curly brunette hair was a mess. Did Enjolras write my letter? Did Gavroche live? Did the people help? The questions I will never have an answer to swirled through my head as I swallowed hard. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't have the answers to the questions. I can pretend they lived.

"Athena?" I whipped around to face Vi staring at me in confusion. Her eyes were wide as she stared into my tear streaked ones.

"I'm fine." I let out a sob, "fine." I said again wrapping my arms around myself, "Completely fine." I want to burrow my head in my arms and stay there forever, lying upon the cool marble of the counter but Vi reached out and places a hand on my back. She doesn't ask me anything, thankfully.

"Thena come on. We have a show in four hours. Also you did great yesterday, and I saw the auditioner had many notes." I looked to her, trying to regain myself, trying to forget my dreams, knowing that there will be nothing to return to the following night. I had to leave the experiences behind me, my own secret I wouldn't share with anyone.

"That's good to hear." I spun on my heel and moved towards the door, staring at Pearl's sleeping figure, her brown hair spread out. Vi stepped out from behind me, her mouth in a thin hard line as she gazed to me, concern evident in her expression. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes for a moment, shutting out all around me, but then I opened them, knowing I would have to face whatever happened to me today, tomorrow, then the next.

***

My hands were sweaty and my heartbeat rushed as I wrenched open the cold metal door. The wood shivered with the pounding of Bella's fist and as I threw it open she stumbled out, her face red and her eyes wide.

"Come on!" We darted away from the janitor's closet and up the stairs to the backstage area, we tore through groups of people and reached the sides of the stage, Bella's dress billowed out behind her as we pushed past everything. We made it just in time for the blackout, in which Orion, Derrick and the students rushed on stage. I spun around to see Romilda, staring at us gaping, her eyes flashing in shock. Rage swarmed through me, I knew Romilda would try to do something in an act to try and get on stage. I just thought that maybe she had matured just a little bit more since middle school. My eyes flashed in anger.

"How dare you try to lock Bella in a closet to go on stage!" I tried to keep my voice down so that the audience couldn't hear us. Romilda's icy blue eyes flashed as she gazed at me.

"How dare you even try to speak to me... you wretch. No one really likes you. Not Orion, not Sierra." I stare at her blankly, rage courses through me even as I put on a fake amused glare. Maybe before this production her calling me a wretch would sadden me, but right now I scoffed at the weak insult.

"No one really likes me? Why don't you get away from here and go back to gossiping with your friends." I knew my insult was weak but I had to keep my eyes focused on the stage, so that I didn't miss my entrance, she flashed me a smug grin and placed her hands on her hips, her icy blue eyes cold and unfeeling,

"Honey it's not that hard to see. I mean even your parents don't-" My eyes widened and a wash of anger went through me. I had been shot, I had died, I had sacrificed myself and I had done so much for her to drive me to this position, but something inside my clicked at the mention of my parents. I lost control and a white cold anger flashed through me. I had to restrain myself from grabbing her or doing anything of the sort. I could see Bella's eyes focused on me, her expression full of amazement and confusion,