Chapter 1 – The shadow

Marius was entering the cafe. Enjolras looked up from his book just to check if she was still following him. Yes she was, of course. She had been following him for quite a long time now. They all called her 'Marius shadow' and even though they were quite interested in whom she was, they never asked. Enjolras just thought she was pathetic, and he couldn't understand why Marius didn't just tell her to leave him alone and mind her own business.

They all knew she was in love with Marius, how could she not be, the way she followed him.

Enjolras got back to his book as the shadow sat down three tables away from the Les Amis, and Marius joined his friends and sat down at the chair next to Enjolras.

The meeting would soon begin but not everybody was here yet.

Prouvaire, Joly, Bossuet, himself and now Marius was here, but still they were missing Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Grantaire and Feuilly and they just couldn't start without them.

Enjolras could feel the revolution near. He just knew that soon it would be the right time to go from talking to action and he also knew that they couldn't wait much longer. If they did, then he was afraid that some of his friends would get tired of waiting and maybe they would leave the group. That could not happen.

Enjolras had thought about letting 'the shadow' be a part of their plans, but then he thought that a girl couldn't do much with a gun or anything at all when it comes to this kind of things.

And even if they could, this one didn't seem very interested in revolution and freedom. No, the only thing this girl was interested in seemed to be Marius and for a moment he thought Poor girl because he knew Marius didn't care about her that way. But then he thought: Isn't it just her own fold that she just chooses to fall in love with a guy who can't feel the same way? Stupid girl, she should go follow someone else.

Then, finally, the café-bell ringed. Enjolras looked at the door and there the last members of the group came inside. Grantaire went directly to the counter to order something to drink. Courfeyrac, Combeferre and Feuilly took some chairs and then sat down at the table.

Enjolras shut his book and was just about to speak up, when Joly spoke up instead.

"Couldn't we ask if 'the shadow' would like to join us tonight?" He asked. "I just think that she looks so lonely over there."

"What? Which shadow?" Marius asked and looked around. He hadn't heard them speaking of the girl as the shadow before. When he realised who Joly was referring to he said "You mean Eponine? I'm sure we could, couldn't we, Enjolras?"

Enjolras was the leader and they all listened to him when it comes to the revolution-stuff. "Why?" He asked. "She will do no good, when it comes to battles."

"But she knows the streets, and she knows the people, Enjolras" Marius argued. "She knows it better than any of us, 'cause she practically live there."

"Yeah", said Grantaire who had just joined them. "And that could be useful"

"We already have Gavroche" Enjolras said. "He knows everything there is to know, about the poor people."

No one had noticed, but at the same time Enjolras said "Gavroche" the shadow, called Eponine, winced and then she left her chair and started walking towards them. When she was close behind them she cleared her throat. The boys looked up at her, quite surprised, because she had never spoken to any of them before and now she just stood here.

"Yes?" Enjolras said with cold voice. He was always so cold, that his friends used to call him the marble stone.

"Ehm… I just thought I heard you talk about Gavroche" she said and blushed a little. Enjolras could tell she was nervous, and he couldn't blame her for that. She didn't know any of them accept Marius and who wouldn't be shy then.

"Yeah, we did! He is always with us, just not here" Grantaire said. He was neither rude, nor polite but Eponine didn't seem to care.

"How strange, he hasn't told me anything." Eponine said, more to herself now.

"What? Do you know him?" Enjolras asked. Now he was quite curious.

"Yes I do. He's my little brother."

"Really, you do Eponine?" Marius said shocked. "I didn't know"

"I've never told you" Eponine said. "I don't see him much though"

"Why?" Courfeyrac asked. He was the one closest to Gavroche, they were like two brothers.

"Our parents don't want him in the house." She said "And I'm happy he isn't." She added quietly to herself.

"Well, we can't just let Gavroche's older sister sit over there. You should join us" Joly said and Prouvaire got another chair for Eponine to sit on.

Eponine, who - while listening to the guys at many meetings before – knew that Enjolras was kind of the leader, looked at him for permission.

He nodded quietly; still his face was hard as stone, not showing any emotions.

Eponine sat down.

"Well, we should have a little presentation, shouldn't we?" Combeferre said before anyone could say anything else.

"Okay" Eponine said quietly. She wasn't used to talk to anyone accept Marius.

"Alright! Marius you already know, but there we have Bossuet, and next to him is Joly, then we have Courfeyrac, Grantaire, Prouvaire, Feuilly, me, you and then we have Enjolras. Oh! And my name is Combeferre."

"I'm Eponine" said Eponine, just a little confused by all the names that she would have to take in.

"We should start the meeting." Enjolras said, kind of angry because they had been interrupted and spoilt a lot of time.

"Yeah, sure! Just go ahead." Combeferre said.

"Well, I feel the time is near. *We need a sign to rally the people, to call them to us, to bring them in line.*"

"What kind of sign, Enjolras" Bossuet asked.

"We'll know when it comes. It has to be when the people are most angry at the monocracy."

Eponine could see that Enjolras had thought of that for a long time, but she couldn't help to

think that he was slightly wrong.

"I think that it's better to act when the people believe that a revolution is possible. Just because they're angry doesn't mean they will join you."

She could see Enjolras face darkens even more, she knew she shouldn't be a person to question him, but she just thought it was for the best.

The others around the table looked shocked at Eponine and terrified on Enjolras. What would he do? Hi wasn't used to people question his opinions and certainly when it came to the revolution. No one had ever questioned him in that.