It started with a text.
Éponine had been saving up all semester to treat Gavroche to a trip and looking in her bank account, she realized that she had finally saved up enough. Gavroche had been wanting to go to an amusement park for some time and when Combeferre heard about the plans, he offered his car and his company for the trip.
When she accepted his offer, she forgot that in the end, Combeferre inevitably came with Enjolras as a package deal, and with Enjolras came Grantaire. From there, it just spread like wildfire. Courfeyrac was offended for not being invited and rectified the issue by inviting himself. Jehan got excited at the prospect of riding the spinning teacup ride and no one had the heart to say no to him. Combeferre had tiredly reminded his friends he could not fit everyone into the same car with him so Feuilly had been recruited as a second driver. Joly and Bossuet also decided to come along and Bahorel refused to be left behind once this became a full group vacation.
When they realized that not everyone would fit, it was decided that someone would sit in the trunk of Feuilly's jeep. Drawing straws (those who had called seats in Combeferre's car were excused from this exercise), Bossuet ended up being folded into the back.
"Drive gently!" Joly called worriedly from the back seat, where he had insisted sitting behind the driver's seat because "statistically, it is the safest seat in the vehicle", looking back into the trunk where Bossuet sat occasionally.
"Sure thing, sweetheart," Feuilly replied, taking care to hit every pothole on the highway and go faster over speed bumps.
"I can drive, you know." Bahorel offered.
"No."
"I'm great at it."
"No."
Courfeyrac whined from the back.
"I can too!"
"No."
Jehan smiled contently. He never bothered with a car and was perfectly content with his moped or bicycle when he went around the city. Besides, now his legs looked pretty great.
"Please?"
"No."
In Combeferre's car, he had stopped at the side of the road and rearranged to the seating plan.
Enjolras scowled when Combeferre informed him to switch seats with Éponine.
"Why? I'm a perfectly good passenger. I'd even drive for you."
Combeferre resisted the urge to sigh.
"Enjolras, you possess the oddest combination of road rage and a bad case of back-seat driving. No."
Enjolras grumbled as he climbed into the back, squeezed between Grantaire and Gavroche, both who refused to give up their window seats.
Éponine, Combeferre thought with relief, was much easier of a driving companion.
When they arrived at the amusement park, Bossuet rolled out of the trunk when Feuilly opened up the back. Lying on the pavement, he stared up at his friends who gathered around.
Along with Prouvaire, Grantaire was fairly vibrating with excitement, the two of them enchanted by the bright colors of the entrance.
Enjolras couldn't quite keep a smile off his face either, despite his rant about commercialization and exploitation in the car.
Combeferre managed to herd everyone to the entrance without much issue and soon enough they were inside, despite the odd looks the ticket vendor gave Bahorel for his bright neon clothing and Bossuet's pronounced limp.
They almost did not allow Feuilly into the park because he refused to put out his cigarette. Only a very stern look from a security guard and threats from Enjolras parted him from his vice.
Within a half an hour Combeferre had given up trying to keep the group together. Grantaire, Courfeyrac and Bahorel kept slipping away to purchase odd souvenirs, like the giant jester hat that found its way onto Bahorel's head, the ridiculously shaped sunglasses on Grantaire's face or the obnoxious amount of glow-sticks Courfeyrac had gifted to Jehan.
Prouvaire had delightedly looped the sticks around his neck and arms, and even managed to braid a few thinner pieces through his hair.
Enjolras had refused to acknowledge any of their existences.
To make matters even more complicated, Joly needed to be coaxed into every ride, rambling about sneezing children, grimy hand bars and lead paint ("No one uses lead paint anymore Joly".
"That's what they want you to think.").
Finally, Combeferre just let everyone go, while he and Enjolras stayed with Éponine and
Gavroche.
They all ran as soon as Combeferre sighed and told them to do as they pleased. Feuilly was installed as the lookout at the entrance of that section of the park as the rest split up, running to the concession stands for the treats that were previously forbidden to him.
Courfeyrac almost cried with joy when the vendor handed him churros and raspberry flavored lemonade.
"Sweet sustenance!" he rejoiced, holding his items up into the sky in triumph. Jehan just smiled sweetly next to him and begun digging into to his bag of mini donuts, laughing as his hands swiftly became covered in powdered sugar. Across the food court from them, they could see Bossuet cradle his corn dog lovingly. Even Joly, who was highly suspicious of the health and safety standards of such places, had a stick of cotton candy in hand.
Bahorel and Grantaire both had inordinate amounts of food in their hands.
Courfeyrac raised his eyebrows.
"That doesn't look possible to consume," he gestured towards the giant turkey drumstick that Grantaire was currently tearing into with relish. Jehan laughed in response when the pair reached them.
"What are you two up to?"
"Eating contest, Jehan." Bahorel laughed, "R is never going to win."
Courfeyrac looked doubtfully at the half-finished drumstick.
"I'm not sure, he's got a start on you."
Bahorel looked down, swore and began shoving a burger down this throat.
At this point, all their phones buzzed. Courfeyrac, as the only one with his hands free looked down at the message and swore.
"Holy fuck, Enjolras is heading this way."
They all froze and looked at each other in panic. Jehan looked over at Joly and Bossuet who were also looking down at their phones. They had all thought that it would take longer for Enjolras to get off the ride with Combeferre.
They all skittered unsure before darting off in pairs in different directions.
"This is some Assassins Creed shit all up in here," Grantaire swore as he juggled his items, the two of them trying to walk inconspicuously away in the crowd, forgetting the giant hats perched on their heads.
Enjolras frowned as he and Combeferre reached the food court. Where on earth were the rest of the guys? The two of them had been looking for them and no one was answering their messages. Then, he spotted Feuilly trying to slip past him in the opposite direction.
"Feuilly!" he shouted.
Feuilly looked like a deer in headlights.
"Oh hey, Enj. What are you doing here?" he stammered.
Enjolras' frown deepened.
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' I've been looking for you lot. Where are the rest?"
"I don't keep track of them!"
Enjolras fixed him with a deadpan stare.
"I don't!"
"I wanted to give everyone their lunches." Enjolras sighed.
Feuilly looked positively green now.
"Lunches?"
"Yes," Combeferre sighed. "This morning, our endeavoring leader woke me at half past six and made me help him make sandwiches for everyone for the trip. We even packed in juice boxes."
"Anything to make sure no one gives money to these people." Enjolras spat, looking around as if he could see child labour and sweatshop workers lurking around each corner.
Combeferre ended up saving Feuilly from his guilt-induced attack unwittingly.
"Is that …. Marius?" he squinted across a crowd.
Enjolras and Feuilly looked over. Before they could say anything, someone else recognized him.
"Marius!" Courfeyrac waved enthusiastically at his unwitting friend, hand in hand with Jehan, with only some powdered sugar on Jean's fingertips to give them away.
Marius jumped like a startled rabbit from his position next to Cosette as he twisted.
Seeing Courfeyrac and Jehan, his eyes widened. Then, upon spotting Enjolras and Combeferre, he turned bright red.
"No. No, no, no." he sputtered.
Courfeyrac reached them first.
"No?" he asked concernedly.
"No!"
"What's wrong?" Enjolras asked, grumpily.
"What are you all doing here?" Marius shouted.
"Have you run into the others then?" Combeferre replied, leaning against the railing.
"Others?" Marius began gesturing wildly like a puppet. "Why? I just wanted-"
He stopped, shyly looking at Cosette sideways.
Cosette smiled, unfazed.
"It's wonderful to see you!" she chirped. "Marius and I are just on a date."
Courfeyrac got elbowed by Jehan before he could say anything.
"Oh, that's lovely. We'll leave you alone then." Prouvaire smiled sweetly, dragging Courfeyrac away.
For the rest of the day, Marius kept seeing his friends occasionally making truly horrendous faces at him, causing him to drag Cosette in another direction.
Grantaire looked down at his phone where he and Bahorel had hidden themselves away in a secluded bench.
"Fuck." He sighed, ignoring the scandalized look a mother gave him before ushering her child away.
"Wha ishit?" Bahorel asked, mouth full of corn.
"Feuilly says Enjolras actually packed us lunches. Now I feel like shit."
Bahorel stopped chewing.
"What do we do then?"
"I don't know."
Grantaire looked up, suddenly seeing a familiar head of curly gold locks rapidly approaching.
"Shit! He's coming!"
Sweeping all his spoils into his arms, he hastily threw them into a nearby waste bin, barely managing to wipe ketchup off his cheek before Enjolras emerged from the crowd.
"Why are you two here? Why weren't you answering my messages?" Enjolras actually looked rather hurt.
"We were just uh… resting." Bahorel still had a glint of grease at the corner of his mouth,
Enjolras looked at him suspiciously. Finally, he shrugged; he ran his hand through his hair.
"Come, Combeferre is with Éponine and Gav. We should go find Joly and Bossuet, Gav wants to get good seats for the fireworks show."
They ended up finding Joly through his shrieks.
Courfeyrac was the first to hear them and they all ran towards to the high-swings. Reaching the ride, they found Joly in hysterics.
"What's wrong?" Bahorel demanded, holding Joly's shoulders.
"The bar broke somehow!" Joly wailed, "Oh, I knew these were all dangerous. It broke and Bossuet got flung into the harbor!"
Looking in the direction he was pointing, they noticed a figure swimming towards the shore as security waded towards him.
"He's fine!" Jean said comfortingly. "Look, he's totally fine!"
"Who knows what's in that water! He could be poisoned!" Joly groaned.
By the time Bossuet was returned to them safely, the group had reunited, with even Marius and Cosette hovering nervously around. Enjolras had taken to railing at the park management for neglect and threatening them with terrible lawsuits.
"Guys, I'm fine!" Bossuet smiled calmly, wrapped in a towel by the paramedics.
Joly burst into tears and ran to him with a hug.
Combeferre went to extract Enjolras from increasingly terrified managers and came back with a smile.
"Éponine," he called. She turned with a smile. Despite all the setbacks, she and Gavroche were having a wonderful time. Gav was almost even more thrilled by Bossuet's adventure than the giant rollercoaster ride he insisted on going on several times in a row.
"Guess what Enjolras has managed to do?"
"Gotten us kicked out?"
"Surprisingly no. He got us rights to the best seats in the house for the fireworks for no charge."
Éponine's eyes widened and Gav, who was holding her hand, whooped in delight.
The ride back to the city was remarkably quiet.
They had all ended up going to watch the fireworks together, making a scene by shouting and dramatic gestures of happiness on Jehan's part whom glowed like a multi-colored lightning bug thanks to his glow sticks. Grantaire had pulled out a sketchbook and was furiously working, looking at the scene of his friends, free from cares for a day. Cosette and Marius still had more eyes for each other than for the show but with Gavroche sitting on her one side and Combeferre on the other, Éponine did not even notice.
By the end of it, Gavroche had exhausted himself, delighted by the fireworks show and had to be carried back to the car by Grantaire. Enjolras and Grantaire were talking quietly in the back.
Combeferre looked over at Éponine, who was smiling as she watched miles of field flash by them in the dark.
"Was it a good day?" he inquired quietly.
"It was." She agreed with a smile.