It was that particular time of year again. Ruru exasperatedly sighed. The annual costume party in the kids's school.

A few years back, when the children were younger, it was much easier to get them to decide their costumes. Some sort of princess or anything sparkly and royalty for Noelle, an empowering hero for Amir, and Silas would tag along as a chubby little vegetable. Now, however, is different. The Madrid children have different preferences than those of other children their age.

Do their parents mind? Not a fuss! So, why is it so frustrating to get them into costumes without whining? Mama and Baba can't find the costumes of the characters of musicals in any department store.

"Honey, it's no big deal. Belle is really pretty and literate and empowering and very-" Ruru was cut off by his daughter's sassy voice.

"Basic. Belle is great, Baba! I know, but I wanna be some other French girl," she smiled like a dog. Ruru grunted knowing exactly who she was talking about.

"First, where did you learn that word?" Kylie chimed in.

"Ide-a," she coyly replied, shrugging her shoulders.

She was only eight years old but her vocabulary exceeds that of a teenager twice her age. Oh the joys of having smart children!

"Kikay, what is it with you and wanting to dress up like a street urchin?" the father huffed.

"Don't say that about her! Éponine Thénardier is much more than that!" she protested, her eyes burning and ready to debate.

"Noelle, Kikay," Ruru placed her upon his lap, "Why do you want to be that gamine so much?"

"Because Éponine is smart and clever and beautiful and brave and headstrong and take note, Baba, she didn't even get a proper education!"

"Nor did she have regular meals on a daily basis because like you said, Baba, she is a street urchin," Amir joined in, playing with the waist coat he got from Lolo Robin for his birthday.

"Ganging up on me, eh?" he laughed.

"Why Éponine?" Kylie asked.

"Because why not?" Noelle crossed her arms.

"Anak," Kylie chortled, "Your interest in musical theatre is amusing."

"Merci," she nodded, her close to perfect French accent earning another chortle from her mother.

"I don't care how good you sound speaking French, you are not dressing as a street rat," Ruru stood firm.

"Baba, she's basically a French Mulan!" she argued, possessing the same stubbornness of her mother.

"Then, why not be Mulan instead?" he put her down, facing her to himself.

"Because I like Éponine!"

"No."

"That's unfair! Kuya gets to be Enjolras with his best friend as Marius and I don't get to be Éponine?!" she was fuming with anger. Her eyes shone with glossy tears that refused to fall.

"Lovie, Enjolras actually looks decent," Kylie sighed.

"That's because pretty boy was educated and he was a bourgeois!"

"Hey! You say that like he was a bad guy, 'Kay. That's not right," Amir joined in.

"Who cares about your lonely soul?" she bit back, using one of Enjolras's lines from the musical.

"We strive towards a larger goal. Our little lives don't count at all!" Amir finished the song and grinned cheekily.

"Baba, please. It's no big deal. I can borrow one of Kuya's brown trousers and-and, uhm, I can wear a white blouse and a dirty brown coat. All we have to buy is the cap," she convinced him even more, shaking his hand in hers.

Ruru looked at her skeptically, "Why not Cosette? She looks cleaner and that way you'll look clean."

"I don't like, Baba," she stomped.

"Why? She's pretty!"

"Because there's no depth to her character and she's so...arte," she rolled her eyes.

"And you're not?" Ruru raised his eyebrow.

"Nope," she replied, ironically flipping her hair in the process.

"FINE! Éponine it is!" Ruru laughed.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Merci beaucoup, Baba! Je t'aime!" Noelle squealed and jumped at her father.

"Je t'aime aussie," Ruru replied.

"Nice try, Baba, but your accent is horrible," Silas chuckled as he entered the living room with a snack at hand.

"Don't be too hard on Baba, guys. You're just lucky we send you to language classes," Kylie smirked and scooped her youngest into her arms.

"Mama, I'm gonna be Gavroche!" Silas exclaimed excitedly.

"Is there some sort of theme that you guys agreed on?"

"Well, yeah! Every year, Raffy and Kuya and I have a theme. The only difference is that we call dibs this year," Noelle laughed.

"Yeah, also, Matteo's joining us this year. He'll be Marius," Amir responded, taking a small bite out of his brother's snack.

Their parents could only nod.
-
"One more day before the storm, at the barricades of freedom, when our ranks begin to form, will you take your place with me?" Amir's developing voice rang out the next morning as he poured himself some milk.

"Bonjour, Kuya. Can you also get me lait please?" Noelle tiredly boosted herself up the seat of the island counter.

Amir handed her the glass of milk, "Here."

"Merci."

"De rien," he nodded. "Do you have your costume ready? Raffy called in yesterday and told me hers is all done."

"Mama's dirtying 'em up."

"Mmkay."

"So, tell me again, who is who this year?" Kylie butt in as she made her way to the sink to wash her hands. "I'll be needing it for instagram captions."

"Okay, so Kuya is Enjolras," Noelle started.

"Brave, revolutionary leader," Amir smiled.

"I'm gonna be Éponine and just in case you didn't know, Mama, there's a ship name for the both of them."

"But they have little to no interaction in the play or the movie," Kylie said as a matter of fact.

"Well, yeah, but fans find their way. You're an actress, Ma, you would know," said the eldest. "Anyways, their ship name is Enjonine. Super duper helpful for your instagram posts."

"Okay, moving on, Matteo's gonna be Marius," Noelle gagged at the name.

"Posh loverboy who is completely oblivious to Éponine's love for him," the boy described as he, too, sat down on the chairs of the island counter.

"Yuck! He's my least favorite character!" Noelle rolled her eyes. "It's so unfair kaya! Why does he think it's okay for 'Ponine to do his errands for him. 'Éponine, find her for me' che! Do it yourself, Pontmercy!"

Kylie laughed openly. Pride filled her heart as she saw a mirror in her daughter. Just like Mama!

"Raffy is Cosette," Amir stated meanwhile Noelle huffed.

"Blondie soprano girl who got lucky. Enslaved as a child because her mummy left her with Thénardier so she could work," Noelle says.

"Wh-who's Thénardier again?" Kylie asked, losing her somewhere.

"'Ponine's dad," Amir answered shortly.

"And nobody else is joining your theme?"

"Well, Kuting is gonna be Gavroche," Noelle nonchalantly replied.

"Who?"

"Gavroche. That patriotic kid who is also 'Ponine's brother, it just isn't stated in the movie, I think. He's basically a little Enjolras," Amir replied.

"Have we enlightened you enough, Mama?"

Kylie laughed, "Yes, thank you, children."

"Mama!" a little voice called from the living room. "I wanna watch Les Miserables but the T.V. won't budge!"

"Babe, we can watch later. You need to eat first."

"It's nearly time for le petit déjeuner, Silas. We can cry over Les Amis de l'ABC dying later," Amir joked.

"Too soon, Kuya, too soon!" Noelle exclaimed.

"Too soon to say goodbye. Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die. I'll obey. I will try," Silas sang, referring to a scene in the movie and play.

"These references are funny but I hope you know literally nobody will get it," Ruru grumbled walking in the kitchen with Silas dangling on his back.

A few weeks before, the kids came to a sudden halt when they saw a Les Miserables clip in the suggestions of the Miss Saigon video they were watching online. In a snap of a finger, it got their attention and being the smart kids that they were, they got a grasp of the plot very quickly. Leading them to beg their parents to let then learn the French language.

Their obsession with musical theatre was growing each day, especially after Rocco let them listen to the soundtrack of Wicked.

"Well, who cares about their lonely souls?" Kylie blurted out.

"I am agog! I am aghast! Does Mama actually get it at last?" Silas laughed.

"Reference number 1500," Ruru chortled.
-
Kylie and Ruru watched as their children's eyes were glued to the TV. They were mesmerized by the voices of these wonderful actors and actresses.

"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver," Noelle sang along.

"Ssshhhh! Let Samantha Barks sing in peace!" Amir shushed.

Noelle hit his shoulder and went back to watching.

For the rest of the movie, the line they could hear from the three were, "Sshhh!! This is my favorite part!" It made the couple laugh. Seems like the whole thing is their favorite part.

"No! No! The people have not stirred!!" Amir cried out dramatically.

"Did you expect it to change this time around, Kulit?" Ruru laughed.

"Not funny, Baba. Les Amis deserve better," Noelle mumbled.

"OKAY! Sshh!! Enjolras is about to get shot! Sh!" Kylie exclaimed, prepared to get hurt once again.

It was like this everytime they watched it. Sometimes, it's annoying. Most of the time, it's precious and to be kept in their hearts for safekeeping.
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I know, I know I deserve to be thrown into the River Seinne with Javert because I haven't updated for so long but hey! Here it is!

Alsooo, to the people who don't get anything, please feel free to search it up. Les Miserables :)

And to the people who do get it, here's to you and here's to me. Wink, wink.

Shout out to all the musical fans out there!

Vote and comment. Love lots!