Eponine stares down at her fingers when Cosette begins her daily drabble about how attractive Marius Pontmercy is. Cosette was smitten from the day they met, and from then on he has been her sole topic of conversation, despite the fact that she doesn't know his name. Eponine doesn't have the heart to tell her how she herself feels about the boy.
Marius. Marius Pontmercy. He is truly beautiful, and in Eponine's eyes the only man she can ever see herself with. She has not broached the topic of Cosette with Marius yet, because he's only met her once and Eponine intends to keep that way. Although she loves Cosette, she can't cope with the idea of her and Marius together.
She curls her hand around her warm latte, trying to drain out Cosette's high voice and the way she flicks her hair over her shoulder. That's another thing about Cosette; she's so effortlessly perfect that Eponine is brimming with jealously. Her hair trails along her back in a waterfall of silvery blonde curls, and although Eponine has never seen her wearing them, she's sure that Cosette can pull off sweatpants and a hoodie whilst still looking gorgeous.
"Eponine, are you even listening?" Cosette is looking at her with a mixture of annoyance and humour as she takes a sip from her hot chocolate. Eponine nods, her hand firmly pressed into the papery material of the latte cup. Cosette simply shrugs and launches back into her speech, but she's interrupted two minutes later by her phone.
"It's papa," she says, "I have to go and pick up some groceries on the way back." She rolls her eyes as she slips the phone back into her purse. "You can come with me if you like."
"It's alright," Eponine tries to keep her voice light. She hasn't told Marius who she's meeting. In fact, he has no idea that Eponine knows Cosette, "I promised Gavroche I'd watch a movie with him."
Cosette waves away her excuses with a slender hand, grabbing her purse and calling a hurried goodbye to Eponine as she dashes through the door of the small café they'd found tucked in the corner of a Parisian street.
Eponine breathes a sigh of relief. She reaches for her phone and sends a quick text.
Eponine: Be there in 5.
Marius: I'll be waiting.
Marius opens the door after one knock, and Eponine doesn't have to force the smile that erupts on her face when she sees him. He invites her in to his new apartment, and she starts when she sees the other boy slouching on the couch.
"Eponine, this is my new roommate," Marius addresses the boy with a wave of a hand, "Courfeyrac."
Courfeyrac grins widely at her, gesturing for her to join him on the couch, and Eponine plants herself beside him. He has a mop of dark fluffy curls and friendly brown eyes.
"Courf was just saying that there's a group of people going for drinks at the Musain café tonight," Marius remarks as he sits himself by Eponine. "What do you think?" he says with eager eyes.
"One of my friends is going," Courfeyrac says, "should be good."
"And Enjolras," Marius practically squeals, throwing an arm around her shoulder.
"Enjolras?" Eponine asks, nervously studying the long fingers that rest against her collar bone.
"He's only just the most passionate man on campus," Courfeyrac says, keeping eyes on the TV, "Even Combeferre is excited, and nothing get's him riled up."
"Is he a senior?"
"No, he's a freshman," Marius says in awe.
"And who's Combeferre?" Eponine continues, already confused.
"The friend I mentioned earlier," Courfeyrac explains, "I met him in the library last week."
"So, are you up for it?" Marius directs her.
"Sure." Eponine will be glad to meet people who aren't obsessed with each other.
Eponine, Marius and Courfeyrac head out and make their way from the campus.
"Where're we heading?" Eponine asks curiously. "What's wrong with the Starbucks on campus?"
"Enjolras has already been kicked out of that one for starting a mini revolution," Marius states casually.
"Why?"
"The coffee beans weren't fair trade," Courfeyrac shrugs as if this was perfectly normal.
It only takes five minutes of a pleasant stroll to arrive at their destination. The café lies at the end of a cobbled side-street, the exterior of the old building decorated with strings of small, bright lights and window boxes filled with fragrant flowers. Warm lights stream from the windows onto the ground and Eponine is eager to get inside and grab a coffee and a comfortable seat but the peaceful atmosphere is interrupted by powerful and passionate shouts coming from the doorway.
"Looks like they've already started," says Marius, speeding up and dragging Eponine with him.
Courfeyrac is first to enter, bouncing in happily to a chorus of cheers. Eponine can't help but grin as she sees him bowing to his loving audience. Her and Marius head in after him.
A distinct crowd of people are gathered around a circular wooden table, on which a mismatch of coffee cups and a few bottles lie. In the midst of which, standing on a bar stool, is a young man who must be Enjolras. He pauses in his speech when he notices the three of them enter.
Enjolras nods to Marius and Courfeyrac, his unruly golden curls bouncing into his eyes.
"You're late," Enjolras says, not stepping off his stool.
"And you're always early," Courfeyrac jests back. A hint of a smile creeps into Enjolras' expression, but slips away as Marius interjects himself with an introduction for Eponine.
"Welcome to the Musain," Enjolras replies flippantly before clasping his hands together and turning back to the crowd.
The initial crowd that Eponine saw turns out to be much smaller than she thought; barely a handful of people are sat around the table. The rest seem to be people drawn by Enjolras' speech, which appears to have ended. He motions for them to take seats, which they do so without hesitation.
Enjolras is nothing short of beautiful. Everyone seems to stare at him with a polite awe, as though he were an angel or a sculpture. His face is carved in that way, and his eyes are full of a fervent fire. He pushes a stray curl from his face as he swaps his stool for a chair, and the crowd turn away, the air full of their mumbling discussions.
Next to Enjolras lies another young man, sprawled across the table, his paint-splattered fingers curled around an almost empty bottle. He has a mass of dark, wild and scruffy curls under a red beanie. His clothes are a dishevelled mix of slacks and a brown jacket, also covered in paint.
"This is Eponine," Enjolras announces to everyone, "she's a friend of Marius." Eponine smiles politely as Enjolras begins introductions. Even in this situation, his face is alive with a vehement energy. Eponine notices with a start that she's the only girl present. It doesn't bother her, since the only other girl she knows is Cosette, and she welcomes the warmth of Marius' shoulder pressed against hers in the tight circle.
Combeferre gives her a small, shy smile, whereas Jean Prouvaire practically leaps up to kiss her hand. She notices Courfeyrac stiffen beside her when Jean Prouvaire comes closer, and both men make flitting eye contact. A slight colour rises on Jean Prouvaire's pale cheeks as he goes to sit back down.
"…and this is Grantaire," Enjolras says finally, an almost impatient tone in his voice. The man with the beanie looks up at his name, and Jean Prouvaire carefully prises the bottle from his hands. Grantaire gives Eponine a haphazard wave of his colourful hand before his head sinks to the table again.
"Are you Les Amis d'ABC?" a musical voice floats from behind Eponine. It's her time to stiffen as everyone turns to stare at Cosette, who's holding a leaflet in her hand.
Marius stands up suddenly, knocking a chair to the floor with a loud crash. He blushes as he goes to pick it up, his face turning redder when he lifts his head and notices Cosette watching him.
"I thought this was just a friendly get-together?" Eponine hisses, trying without success to hide her jealously.
"With Enjolras it's never a friendly get-together," Courfeyrac laughs.
"Hi, Eponine!" Cosette drags a chair from a nearby table, and throws herself down next to Marius, much to his delight. Eponine cringes, wondering whether or not Marius will detest her for keeping Cosette from him. But he doesn't seem to notice, he's so transfixed that Eponine feels the pressure of his shoulder lift from hers as he leans slightly towards Cosette. Cosette doesn't blush, but her eyes are wide as they turn to Marius', and a small smile lifts the corners of her perfect lips.
"My name is Marius Pontmercy," he manages to stutter.
"And mine's Cosette," she replies before Eponine strikes up a conversation with Courfeyrac to keep herself busy.
"Is everyone here?" asks Jean Prouvaire. Eponine notices that he keeps glancing towards Courfeyrac, who fiddles with the drawstring of his grey hoodie.
"Bahorel and Feuilly are still moving in," Combeferre says in a quiet voice.
"Joly and Bossuet couldn't make it either," Enjolras states, "I wasn't expecting this much seeing as classes start in two days. We can have another meeting next week." He gets out a pristine notebook from his coat, which he begins to scrawl on in neat handwriting. "How's Wednesday?"
Everyone nods in agreement as Enjolras tucks the notebook away and rests an elbow on the table. He decides that everyone needs more drinks, so Courfeyrac and Eponine offer to order. The menu is stringed with the same twinkling lights outside, and the glass counter is laden with cakes.
Eponine asks for another latte, and Courfeyrac orders two milkshakes, one each for Cosette and Marius (who insisted on getting the same beverage), tea for Combeferre ("He seems like an Earl Grey kind of guy."), iced tea for Jean Prouvaire ("With extra lemon!"), still water for Grantaire (at both Jean and Enjolras' request, who orders an espresso) and a hot chocolate for himself.
"Heavy on the marshmallows, if you please," Courfeyrac tells the Latina waitress.
"Sure thing, sweetheart," she replies with a wink, sneaking a chocolate chip cookie onto his saucer.
Courfeyrac smiles and returns with Eponine and Jean Prouvaire, who had eagerly offered to assist with the carrying of the drinks, to the table.
Cosette is attempting a heated discussion with Marius, who laughs in all the wrong places and agreeing when there's no need. The colour still hasn't left his cheeks, and he almost spills the milkshake on Cosette as he offers it to her. Jean Prouvaire places himself delicately on the arm of Grantaire's chair, tucking his legs underneath himself in a way that should be impossible, and begins playing with a few strands of Grantaire's hair which have escaped his beanie. Eponine notices Courfeyrac fail to find himself a comfortable position on his own chair, his eyes directed anywhere except at Jean. Eponine decides to sit herself down on Jean Prouvaire's vacant seat, well aware of her hot cheeks.
Enjolras pauses in his own discussion with Combeferre only long enough to down his espresso whilst the other sips idly at his own cup. Grantaire has yet to touch his water and has not so much as lifted his head whilst Jean Prouvaire has acquired a colourful straw from somewhere and plays with it between his teeth. Courfeyrac leans toward Jean Prouvaire, about to offer his cookie as a gift, but stuffs it into Eponine's hands instead, blushing furiously.
Once they've finished their drinks, they head out into the warm Parisian air. As the rest of the group filter out into the street, Jean Prouvaire swings himself around a tree trunk, humming lightly. Enjolras is the last to leave, Grantaire's water bottle in his hand. Grantaire himself is ambling along, his blue eyes unfocused and flickering lazily. Courfeyrac hangs behind as he watches Jean Prouvaire dance forward spryly and takes Grantaire's hand, tugging at it lightly. The drunkard doesn't respond. Enjolras sighs in annoyance and in one swift movement, unscrews the bottle cap and douses Grantaire in cold water. He gasps and Jean Prouvaire takes advantage of Grantaire's bemusement and links his arm through his, giggling merrily and raising his other arm in farewell.
Enjolras pinches the bridge of his nose, watching Grantaire's retreating back as he and Jean Prouvaire make their way down the cobbled alleyway. Eponine's unsure who to join, not wanting to seem like she's pushing in. A moment later, Combeferre joins Enjolras and they both walk in the same direction as Grantaire and Jean Prouvaire.
Cosette bids farewell to Marius, who instantly starts talking animatedly to Courfeyrac as they too make for their apartment. It's a while before Cosette turns around to face Eponine. For a change, she doesn't mention Marius, or in fact anyone. Eponine falls into step with her, but she feels as though she's walking home alone.