What has happened to me? Why am I acting like this? Ever since that gypsy, how come?

That's the questions mother and father asked before, now I'm here, locked in my room. I couldn't even answer their questions, there is no answer I can think of. Atleast not anything good.

Ever since I met that gypsy, Clopin… no, I shouldn't speak his name. He has ruined me. Maybe it was what father calls 'gypsy magic'? But why would he do that? And when?

I am not allowed to leave the house alone in a long while, whenever I am out it will be with mother who will keep an eye on me, making sure that I don't speak to anyone. I don't blame them for doing this, it is my own fault. I 'lost my path to become perfect woman and became a useless and shamefull little girl' as mother said.

Heavy rain is falling from the black sky outside, fitting my mood perfectly. It rained yesterday when I got home too.

I wonder if the rain ruined the festival yesterday? Or maybe the whole king of fools thing ended it. I can't help but wonder what happened to him, Quasimodo. Will he be okay?

I asked father about it when he got home. His answer was that it was his own fault for going out, that it wasn't the guard's problem. At that moment I wasn't proud of him anymore. Not even a little.

Mother didn't care.

What is the duty of judge Frollo's guards? To protect the judge only, isn't it to keep the peace in Paris?

Right now I don't want to be in this house, I want to be outside. Just feeling the wind and rain.

Ermine… how come she didn't even care a little about the hunchback? It almost felt like she thought it was understandable that the crowd and the guards did what they did.

I don't know anything… am I really this ignorant?

Then I felt in a not very pleasant sleep, not even in my dreams could I be left alone and… free.

(- The next day… morning. -)

No one woke me up this morning, that is something new. Usually mother wakes me up to go to the market with her, but I guess that she's ashamed of me right now. I know that nobody is home since the house is so quiet.

How long will it be this way, I want to gain their love once again. Make them proud.

It's probably like Ermine said yesterday at the feast of fools, the guards must have had some kind of reason for not helping that boy and it's surely none of my business.

Downstairs I heard a door close, mother is home now, maybe I should talk to her.

I walked down the stairs to see her simply walking into the kitchen.

" Mother, I am really sorry for yesterday." She didn't answer, she just looked at me coldly.

" Désolé, mother… I don't know what was wrong with me yesterday. I will never disobey again, so please." I said looking down.

There was no sound for a few seconds until I heard her say, " Keep your head up, Noelle."

Yes, it was just a rule but I was really happy that she spoke to me.

" Désolé." I said and lifted my head with a small smile.

" I still hate what you did yesterday."

" I know…"

" But it was the first time you ever disobeyed me. So I will forgive you."

" Merci, mother." I answered sounding less happy than I was to not irritate mother.

" And since you were this mature and came down to apologise, I will talk with your father about letting you go out again."

" Oh, mother! Merci, merci!" I yelled, not trying to hide the happiness this time.

" Calm down, child." I only nodded and walked back to my room. Father usually listens to mother about me, normally it would be about me doing something mother did not approve. But this time she is gonna talk him into letting me go out and that's great.

*****Next Day*****

It is a really warm day, no clouds on the sky as far as I could see, and the best of all is that I'm at the market with my mother. She convinced father to forgive me aswell and now everything seems forgotten, even though I know that it isn't.

" Noelle, feel free to go and look at a new dress, I will go and talk to monsieur Chauvin."

"Yes, mother." I answered and began to walk.

" And I trust you to not speak to any of those gypsys today."

" Of course."

The dress store were right across from the bakery, it was a bit to walk since the square was big but still not very long.

" Salut, Noelle!" I saw Ermine come out of one of the stores with a bag in her hand.

" Bonjour, Ermine. What are you doing here?"

" Do you have to ask? I have just bought a really nice dress! But that doesn't matter right now, did your parents find out?"

" They did. But I got along with mother who convinced father to let me go without a punishment for this time."

" That's good!" she smiled. Her smile told me that she was both glad that I got away and that she wanted me to ask her about the new dress.

" So tell me about the dress."

" Oh, nothing special!" Definetly something special, " I think it makes me look much slimmer than I am actually!"

" Really? Even though that you already are very slim?"

" Oui! It's so elegant! You will probably see it soon enough!"

I told her that mother let me buy a new dress too, so she followed me into the store where I bought a beautiful dress. It was white with a small blue ribbon at the waist.

I love the color blue, it's so soothing.

When we got out of the store, I couldn't see mother anywhere. She was probably still talking to monsieur Chavin, this could take over 10 minutes. Well atleast Ermine was here to keep me company.

" Look, isn't that you gypsy friend?" she said in a teasing voice.

I looked at the same way she did and saw Clopin in his wagon that was surrounded by children as always.

" He is, as you said, a gypsy. Not a friend." She looked at me like she didn't understand but then looked back at him.

" Are you sure? He looked at you alot at the festival…"

" I do not even know him."

I looked his way until he noticed me and gave a smile. I simply looked away.

" Let us go to the bakery and wait instead…"

" I am fine with it, but you will still be able to see him."

" I really do not care."

" You seem a little stressed… has something happened?"

" Nothing. I just got a little smarter." I said still not facing the way of the wagon.

Ermine didn't say anything more. She looked back at the wagon and then back at me.

" Is he a puppeteer?"

" Oui?"

" I want to see, come on." she said and pulled me along.

" Ermine, no! If mother sees this…"

" I will take the blame! Now stop stuggle!"

I didn't say anything, either way she would win. We stopped in front of the wagon and the puppets made Ermine laugh a few times, like with me.

The show ended five minutes later and the same thing happened as the last time. The children had a good time but the parents still weren't that grateful so they just left the money on the ground.

Well now that I was here, I couldn't help myself.

I picked op the money as I did the last time and put them on the stage while the gypsy was fixing with something behind the stage. I was sure that he didn't notice until he talked to me.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle." he smiled.

Of course he noticed. I didn't know if I should answer or not, I could see Ermine who wasn't even looking our way, her eyes were keeping lookout after mother.

When I looked back at Clopin he weren't behind his stage, but right infront of me which caused me to jump back.

" You seem a bit uneasy." he said looking a little confused, but I'm sure he wasn't.

" I am not supposed to talk to you."

" And yet you do. You can see it as a sign." he's mocking me! I know it.

" Well, you started it. And as a lady, I have to answer. No sign, just you teasing me because you know that I can't be seen talking to you."

For some reason he started to laugh. I don't find any of this funny.

" You are such a simple lady, madmoiselle. Acting a little old for you age too, no?"

" Well you are acting completely out of your age, monsieur gypsy." I answered sound very coldly.

" You have already forgotten my name?"

" Your name is of no importance." harsh… I really didn't want to say that but I felt the need to to make sure that he would stop talking to me. But to my suprise, he just gave a small laugh again. Is he making fun or me or does he simply find something funny?

" What is so funny?"

" I think it is amusing how you change your personality! "

" I do not-"

" Noelle, I think madame Jennine is finished talking."

I turned around and saw that she definatly were saying goodbye to the baker. We began to walk towards the bakery and I heard Clopin say after us, " Au revoir, mademoiselle Noelle. We will meet again."

But to make sure that mother didn't notice, I didn't answer.

Mother walked out from the bakery and seemed a little suprised to see both me and Ermine outside, " Oh, bonjour Ermine. Did you find anything, Noelle."

" Oui, a very beautiful dress."

" That's nice. You can show me when we get home. Are you joining us, Ermine?"

" Non, I think I better get going. Au revoir madame Jennine, au revoir Noelle." then she left.

" Au revoir."

Me and mother began to walk the opposite way to get home, I couldn't help but to glance back to see if Clopin were still there. I could see his wagon but not him.

A part of me liked that he told me that we will meet again, but another part tells me to stay away. The one saying that I should stay away is probably the good Noelle, who is a great daughter and is beginning to become a great lady… but what is the other part?

I don't really wanna know right now.. but it just feels so weird.

*_* Night time… *_*

The house was quiet, both father and mother were sleeping while I was downstairs, looking at the front door.

Should I go out? Should I stay here in case the wake up? I don't want to stay inside, this will be the first time for me to be out when it's this dark out. I will do it… a fast and short walk then it will be like it never happened.

Quietly I opened the door and walked as quietly out.

What really suprised me right now is that it wasn't as cold as father always told me, it was actually pretty perfect out here.

While walking, the air really felt nice in my face, it is too hard to express how calm it made me feel.

I stopped at a small bridge that lead over a river, the sound if was even more calming than the wind. I was also able to see Notre Dame from here, truly magnificent.

The market place were completely empty, not very suprising but it was so unusual for me to see it. I couldn't help but wonder what time it was, I didn't even bother to check before going out.

My short walk lasted for about one hour, that I'm sure of. When I started to walk home I was impressed by the stars in the sky. For 20 years I could only watch them from my window, but now I see them right above me.

I stopped walking and just looked at them.

" First time looking at the stars, mademoiselle Noelle?"

I quickly turned around to see the gypsy standing a few feet behind me. But now he hadn't his usual colorful clothes. His mask were off and so was all the bells. He was now dressed all in purple.

" What lead you to belive that?"

" Your face while looking at them. Like a child getting a new toy." he smiled.

Interesting metaphor indeed. But what is he even doing here?

" What about you? "

" Just out for a walk."

" And why did you feel the need to talk with me instead of keep walking?"

" Because I wanted to see if you had changed your personality again, and you have!"

" Stop saying that! I am me all the time."

" Then you are two persons, does that sound better?"

" Not really."

" I could guess that."

No one said anything for a few seconds, I felt pretty amazed that he could keep his mouth shut for that long.

" Out for a walk huh?" I asked since it became a little uncomfortable with the silence. And since he was here and all I might aswell talk to him… geez I really do have a split personality at times.

" Oui. Do you want to join?" he asked and moved closer to me which caused me to take a step back.

" W- why would you…"

" I was joking, mademoiselle. Your answer would be no, right?"

" Oh…" that actually disappointed me alittle, god knows why. " Oui… it would."

" And why is that?"

" Because… I don't know you." I don't know why, but I really couldn't say that it was because he is a gypsy.

He raised one eyebrow, " If that's the reason, then how do you want to get to know me?"

" Who said I wanted to?"

" Do you?"

I became quiet, couldn't answer. To be honest, I wanted to get to know him a little. He is the only one besides mother, father and Ermine that hasn't made me too uneasy.

As I woke up from my thought a face were only a few inches from mine, but it wasn't Clopin's… well not that Clopin's atleast. " You should answer him!" the miniversion of him said.

" Do you carry that around everywhere..?"

Clopin gasped and took his small puppet back. " Puppet isn't an it!"

" Um.. sorry?"

" I forgive you!" the puppet said… I guess he sounded pretty happy, or Clopin sounded happy… someone were a happy puppet or man.

I couldn't help but smile at the puppet.

" Now that is a cute smile!" the gypsy said smiling both sweet and proud of himself.

The compliment made me giggle a little which made him smile a little bigger.

" I should be getting home." I said nervously.

" Then let me walk you to your house, mademoiselle."

" What a gentleman!" I smiled, then we both began to walk.

I know that I shouldn't make contact with him, or any gypsy, but what could this one time hurt?

It was mostly him who talked on the way home and what he said was mostly jokes. Sometimes he even picked a fight with his puppet! I couldn't stop smiling until we reached the house, but even then I had a tiny smile.

" Merci for the escort, monsieur Clopin."

" Ah, so you haven't forgotten my name!" My smile got bigger at his suprised face, though I knew that he wasn't really suprised.

" Au revoir." I said and began to open my door.

" Bonne nuit, mon ami." I heard him say as I walked inside. 'Mon ami'? No one has ever said that to me before… not even Ermine.

Right now, I wish I could say the same thing to him. But that will probably never happen! Since this meeting won't ever be spoken of. That actually a pretty sad thing.

As I lay down in my bed and slowly fell asleep I noticed something strange…

I didn't feel that empty anymore.

I'm finished! And once again, I hope that Clopin weren't ooc xD

Since I have only watched the disney movie I haven't seen that much of him so I'm just doing my best. The chapter wasn't that long but the next one will be... I hope.

And did anyone notice me trying to put in more french words? Well I did ^^

Also, I will not update until I have atleast 4 reviews since I really want to know what people think about the story so far! :) See you in the next chapter! BYE!