A Short Story: Eponine, By Madame Fanine
“It’s a monster,” Eponine whispered, staring at the doll that the Child Care teacher, Madame Fantine, had placed on the table in front of her and Enjolras. Indeed, the… thing was unsettlingly lifelike, with smooth flesh stretched over its bulging skull and creasing around its serenely closed eyes. It looked like it was asleep.
Or waiting.
Enjolras tentatively pressed a button on the wireless remote he was holding, and the doll’s eyes flew open. Blank green-rimmed pupils stared at Eponine as robotic limbs began to writhe, tiny fingers grasping at the air.
“No,” she said as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wanting nothing more than to make it stop.
“Eponine!” Mrs. Durand chastised sharply, giving her desk a warning tap with her pen. …show more content…
“Fuck, I want to punt this creature out the window.”
“Join the club.” Eponine collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, only to open them again when Enjolras joined her there, gingerly placing Scooby between their bodies. “What are you doing?”
“Human warmth?” he ventured. “Babies respond to skin contact.”
“How do you know that?” she challenged. “You never come to class.” He was a terrible student, actually, now that she thought about it. He was too involved in his clubs and protests to direct more than the minimum required attention to schoolwork.
“I googled it that time you passed out on my couch during the first week of the project,” he explained shyly, and she laughed softly at the memory. “The rocking wasn’t working, so I took some initiative.”
She grinned. “Mrs. Durand would be impressed. You think she’d give us extra credit if we put that in the care report?”
He shot her a tentative smile over the top of Scooby’s bald head. “In any case, my plan has worked. It’s stopped crying.”
“You’re right.” She glanced down in surprise at the doll that had now closed its eyes in an imitation of sleep. “Fancy …show more content…
She gave Enjolras a light slap on the shoulder. “Enjolras, I actually miss that thing!” she accused. “We should never have given it a name! You and your stupid ideas.”
Musichetta laughed as she walked away. Serving the next table their drinks, she kept her ears open to listen in on Enjolras and Eponine’s conversation.
“What are we going to do now?” she heard Eponine groan.
“Well, summer vacation’s coming up…” Enjolras’ voice dropped too low for Musichetta to register the succeeding words, but something about the tone made her look back at the two students, ignoring the customer who was placing an order with her.
She paused at the sight of a boy and a girl sitting in a booth, bathed in the soft sunlight coming in through the window, the boy’s slim arm draped over the girl’s thin shoulders as he murmured something in her ear, his lips curved in a crooked, mischievous grin.
“Excuse me, waitress?” Musichetta’s customer prompted impatiently, but she shot him a quelling glare.
Eponine threw back her head and laughed. The sound was raspy, joyous, and it made Musichetta smile. “Okay,” she heard Eponine tell Enjolras. “Let’s go to
Or waiting.
Enjolras tentatively pressed a button on the wireless remote he was holding, and the doll’s eyes flew open. Blank green-rimmed pupils stared at Eponine as robotic limbs began to writhe, tiny fingers grasping at the air.
“No,” she said as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wanting nothing more than to make it stop.
“Eponine!” Mrs. Durand chastised sharply, giving her desk a warning tap with her pen. …show more content…
“Fuck, I want to punt this creature out the window.”
“Join the club.” Eponine collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, only to open them again when Enjolras joined her there, gingerly placing Scooby between their bodies. “What are you doing?”
“Human warmth?” he ventured. “Babies respond to skin contact.”
“How do you know that?” she challenged. “You never come to class.” He was a terrible student, actually, now that she thought about it. He was too involved in his clubs and protests to direct more than the minimum required attention to schoolwork.
“I googled it that time you passed out on my couch during the first week of the project,” he explained shyly, and she laughed softly at the memory. “The rocking wasn’t working, so I took some initiative.”
She grinned. “Mrs. Durand would be impressed. You think she’d give us extra credit if we put that in the care report?”
He shot her a tentative smile over the top of Scooby’s bald head. “In any case, my plan has worked. It’s stopped crying.”
“You’re right.” She glanced down in surprise at the doll that had now closed its eyes in an imitation of sleep. “Fancy …show more content…
She gave Enjolras a light slap on the shoulder. “Enjolras, I actually miss that thing!” she accused. “We should never have given it a name! You and your stupid ideas.”
Musichetta laughed as she walked away. Serving the next table their drinks, she kept her ears open to listen in on Enjolras and Eponine’s conversation.
“What are we going to do now?” she heard Eponine groan.
“Well, summer vacation’s coming up…” Enjolras’ voice dropped too low for Musichetta to register the succeeding words, but something about the tone made her look back at the two students, ignoring the customer who was placing an order with her.
She paused at the sight of a boy and a girl sitting in a booth, bathed in the soft sunlight coming in through the window, the boy’s slim arm draped over the girl’s thin shoulders as he murmured something in her ear, his lips curved in a crooked, mischievous grin.
“Excuse me, waitress?” Musichetta’s customer prompted impatiently, but she shot him a quelling glare.
Eponine threw back her head and laughed. The sound was raspy, joyous, and it made Musichetta smile. “Okay,” she heard Eponine tell Enjolras. “Let’s go to