A heart full of love

Chapter 1

*Eponine*

Marius, my best friend, the one that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, came rushing towards me. Wearing his French Revolution uniform, I saw that he was prepared to fight for what he believed in. He came over and started to speak about how he'd just caught the glimpse of 'the most beautiful girl'.

I'd known Marius most of my life; since I was a pre-teen. And we were so close. But never close enough for me to tell him how much I admired him and how everything he did inspired me to become a better person.

"Eponine? Are you even listening?" He smiled and his eyes were glinting. Then the rain started to pour over the lands of Paris where we stood.

"What? Yes if course I am." I laughed, smiling up at my best friend. "You were on about a girl. I think I know her. I'm unsure of who she is, however." I recognised those innocent big green eyes and that blonde hair, even though now it was glistening and perfect, contrasting to how it had been before, matted and dirty. I didn't mention who she was to Marius. He was smitten and I didn't want him to love that Cosette. My heart started to silently break.

"Eponine, you know I love you, right?" My heart skipped although I already knew he meant it in a brotherly way.

"Of course, I love you too." I hugged him and pulled away.

"Well, if you love me...kiss me." Erm...what? Kiss him here? Now? This must be against the law or something.

I remained, stood closely to him, looking into his eyes, his green ones looking into my brown, dull eyes.

"I mean it. Kiss me." I walked away. Did he really mean this? He was gawking at this beautiful madam across the cobbled paths and he was asking this of me. I couldn't. I sped up and as I walked to where I now lived, a carriage splashed me with the puddles of rain water gathered in the holes. My best skirts were now ruined. Oh, dear. My mother would hit the roof. Only that could happen to me.

"Hello Eponine my darling. What have you done to your best skirts? You were supposed to be out looking for a man. No man will ever want you now that your best dress is ruined. You stupid girl. Can't you do anything right?" My mother burst out from the little house. We no longer lived in the pub. Since the revolution started, we'd lost nearly everything, apart from each other.

"Mother! I was, but I bumped into Marius. And I think I love him, as more than a friend." I couldn't take my words back. And I regretted it immediately. This was my mother and Marcus was deemed as unsuitable for the likes of crooks like us. My parents scammed people out of jewellery and belongings, and they still do. I love them but I don't want to be like that. I want a decent life.

"You can't love him. He's nothing like us. He is stuck up, just like that grandfather of his. Stay away from him and find someone like us. He is not like us." Mother carried on walking down the street, as far away from me as possible.

*Marius*

Seeing the blonde haired girl today had confused and muddled up my feelings. And when I saw the pining look in Eponine, I asked myself 'how had I not noticed the way she looked at me? How could I be so blind?'

As Eponine had run away from me, I wandered back to the flat. I saw my grandfather in the carriage that had just splashed Eponine and I tried to avoid him, hoping he wouldn't see me. Thankfully, he didn't.

I walked up to my flat and saw that Gavroche was there. His matted hair was dirty and he was sat crossed legged on the mattress. This is what it was like for him and his brother. For me. For his friends. For Eponine.

"Hallo Gavroche. Is everything okay?" I sat down next to him. He beamed up at me and nodded.

"I want to join the revolution."

"N-n-n-no. I'm afraid that isn't possible. You need to stay alive. For us all. Your brother especially." I was now pacing up and down, frowning at the nine-year-old child that was before me. "I refuse to let you. And everyone else will disapprove. General la Marc may not be here, off duty, just now, but what would he say at this proposition? Think before you speak." I wandered to the small window. It was still raining and both girls had disappeared. How did I feel? The honest answer? I didn't know. The fair face of the blonde girl was fascinating, but I didn't know her, not like I knew Eponine. But how could I ever love Eponine after we'd been friends for so long? I don't know anything anymore.

*Cosette*

When I was in town with my father today, there was a boy around my age. He had dark blonde hair green, piercing eyes, I noticed them when they stared straight into mine. Then I noticed that he wandered over to a different girl. She had brown hair and mud brown eyes. I recognised those eyes. It was Eponine. What had become of the landlord and his wife? Poor Eponine looked no less, or no more, worse for wear. My heart went out to her but I was more jealous of her than anything. She had him.

Her hair was a lot messier than I ever remembered it being and her clothes weren't as proper. I noticed that as she ran away from the boy, she had a rip up the back of her dress. How the times had changed and the roles reversed.