Honestly, it wasn't at all like how it goes in stories. There was no overwhelming sense of attraction in the moment our eyes met and he swept me into his arms and kissed me. No, I can honestly say the first time I ever saw him was when we passed each other in the street one afternoon. The only thought I had at that time was, My, that's a flashy red coat. Not exactly romantic. I suppose that when you've lived in a mansion all your life, are all set to marry a young baron from a wealthy family, and have everything you've ever wanted, a passing man on the street hardly draws your attention. Yes, that's my life. I am Lauralette Alexandria Babineaux, youngest daughter of a wealthy noble family in Paris, France.
But let us not dwell on my boring life of polite talks with barons and baronesses over tea. Our real story begins one cool morning over breakfast.
"Lauralette my dear, come look at this!" my father said, his commanding voice not pausing or breaking. I got up from my chair and walked down the length of our banquet table to where he sat.
"What is it, father?" I asked, standing beside him submissively.
"It seems that students from a nearby academy are stirring up quite the commotion in Saint Michelle." he said, looking over this morning's telegraph. "Nothing to be worried about, of course."
"Of course not, father." I replied, smiling. As far as I knew, the king was a kind man that made it possible for my family to live such beautiful lives. He was wealthy, powerful, and just, exactly the way my parents had raised me to believe. The thought of anyone starting any sort of revolution was ridiculous to me. And in Saint Michelle, of all places. That area was nothing but stinking slums riddled with beggars and thieves. I had never actually been there, of course, but my mother had told me that it was an absolutely dreadful place. I finished my breakfast and politely excused myself, telling the maids that I was leaving on my morning stroll. For some reason, I found my steps leading me towards Saint Michelle, but I did not turn around. Even as I began to hear the shouts of angry civilians, I simply merged with the crowd, my mind elsewhere. The first thing that startled me out of my daze was the huge elephant statue that stood proudly near the dirt road. The next was the fact that I was surrounded by people dressed in filthy rags who had their hands outstretched. I gasped, horrified that there was a possibility that I could be seen in such a place. I pushed through the crowd, looking for a way out but only managing to get myself hopelessly lost. Ahead I saw a gathering of people that looked at least halfway decent, and decided to go towards them.
"Excuse me." I repeated quietly as I pushed through the mob of stinking bodies. When finally I emerged on the other side, I saw two men standing above the rest, one wearing a familiar red coat. I asked a girl near me, "What is this all about?"
Her brown eyes didn't leave the two men as she answered, "Those two, up there, they're part of the academy in the rich part of town. They're starting a revolution."
I gasped. A revolution! These must be the students that my father was telling me about!
"You don't actually believe that they could succeed, do you?" I asked her incredulously.
"And why can't they? My friend Marius, the brunette up there, told me that they have a very determined leader! And if they do succeed, it will mean equal rights for all of France!" she said excitedly, her eyes finally flickering to me. "Oh," she said, taking in the way I was dressed. "you're a wealthy type. You support the king, don't you?"
"And why shouldn't I support the king? The king makes it possible for my family to live comfortably." I replied defensively.
"Look around you, mademoiselle. There are children and elders who are starving here. Many of these people you see around you will die soon. Yes, I said people. People with families, people with hopes and dreams. Just because you have more money than we does not mean you're anymore a human."the girl accused, taking a step towards me.
"I'm sorry I...I've just been raised to think differently, I suppose." I stammered, backing up.
"Yes well, best not to voice such things here, miss." the girl said, turning back to the stage. I did the same, my gaze focusing on the blonde man that spoke with such passion.
"Where are the leaders of the land? Where is the king who runs this show?" he shouted to the listening crowd. His friend took up the call, shouting, "Only one man, General Lamarque, speaks for the people here below." I had heard of Lamarque, but I had never seen his face. Now I wondered why my father thought highly of him.
"Lamarque is ill and is fading fast, won't last the week out so they say. With all the anger in the land, how long until the judgment day? Before we cut the fat one's down to size?" the blonde yelled, staring out into the crowd with a look of hard determination on his face. In that moment, the strange revolutionary in the red coat looked like a god.
"Apollo..." I whispered under my breath, gazing into his bright blue eyes. I shook my head to wake myself from my sudden trance. Had I really just been staring at someone in public? How unsightly. I turned away from the crowd with every intention of going home, but then everything turned into chaos.
The sound of hooves on cobblestone startled me back into the crowd, which was now shouting obscenities at the National Guardsmen. I was pushed backwards, herded towards an alleyway where the rest of the crowd was gathering. In the chaos, all I could see clearly was the blonde "Apollo" in the red coat. He was yelling "Viva la Patria!" with the rest of the crowd, the godly look back on his face. Suddenly, I was shoved to the ground. The world was a blur as I made my way to the edge of the crowd on all fours. I nestled against a building until the crowd cleared and safety was possible.
"You alright, miss?" I heard a voice and looked up. Standing above me was a blonde boy that appeared about 12 years old. A mischievous smile played on his lips.
"Y-yes, thank you. That got a bit rough." Standing up, I brushed off my skirt.
"It gets like that sometimes. My friends were up there, Marius and Enjolras are their names." the boy told me.
"And what is your name?" I asked him.
"Gavroche."
"Why are you telling me all of this, Gavroche? I thought that the people of the slums were all...very well guarded." I asked hesitantly.
"You look like someone that could help us." the boy said simply, beaming at me. I couldn't help but smile back. "What's your name, miss?"
"Lauralette." I answered, thinking it best to stick to a first name basis.
"Come with me, Lauralette!" Gavroche said with sudden excitement, taking my hand. Together we rushed through the slums and into the streets of a cozier part of the city. Gavroche wouldn't tell me where we were going, only that he had friends there. For some reason unknown to me, I trusted the little gamin. So, I let the boy lead me through streets and alleyways until we emerged on a long street inhabited by shops. At the end of the road sat a little two-story cafe with a sign that said, "Musain." Gavroche led me there, but instead of stopping at the door, he escorted my upstairs.
I gasped. The room was full of men that I had seen at the rally earlier that day. More particularly, the blonde in the red coat was seated just feet away from me. I could see the fire in his eyes even from here.
"Gavroche, what...?" I whispered to the guttersnipe that stood next to me. He simply smiled his mischievous smile. No-one in the room seemed to have noticed us yet, which relieved me greatly. "Gavroche, why have you lead me here?" I asked with all the patience I could muster.
"I told you, you look like someone who can help us." he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We aren't here to talk to the 'em today, though. I just wanted you to see where we 'eld our meetin's."
"Yes it's a lovely place, now may I go please?" I asked. The boy nodded and lead me back down the stairs.
"Um, Gavroche? I don't know how to get home from here." I pointed out.
"Oh right, your one of those fancy types." he said, smirking. "Come on then Lauralette, I'll take you 'ome!"
So I was lead back through the streets of Paris, making idle talk with my guide. In what seemed like no time at all, I was back on my street.
"Meet me at the elephant statue in St. Michelle tomorrow morning, I'll show you some neat things!" Gavroche exclaimed, and then he was gone.
All through the night I wondered what kind of "things" Gavroche wanted to show me. I was not even sure if I wanted to go meet him. I had not had a particularly pleasant time in St. Michelle today, and was-at the very least-reluctant about returning. None the less, I would keep her promise to the gamin, as I was not the kind of girl to be dishonest. As I lay in bed, I found my thoughts drifting to the man in the red coat. What had Gavroche called him? Ah, Enjolras! Yes, that was it. Enjolras, who spoke with such passion and determination. Enjolras, who wore such a coat as to rival his own fire. If I could not believe in his cause, I would put my faith in him, at least. With that final thought, I slipped into a light sleep.