AN: Here's chapter 3. So yeah. It's still a slow progress but we're getting there. Thanks for all those who reviewed. And for those who haven't then please do review. I need to know what you think about this story and if ever I got something wrong. Reviews would really encourage me to write more often. So please review.

Disclaimer: Ha ha ha, no.


"No."

"Why not?"

"Why must I? Surely, you know that I have much more important things to occupy my time with."

"Come now, Enjolras. It's just a simple get-together."

"Exactly. Marius, I see you and the others quite frequently, maybe even on a daily basis at times. There is no need to attend your little gathering for that purpose alone."

"Then don't attend for that very reason. It's a Friday night for goodness sake. It is a time for young men like us to enjoy ourselves. What else would you be doing on a Friday night?"

"Studying." He says quite simply. The two men have been arguing over the same matter for quite some time now. There was to be a simple celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of their little group of friends which they lovingly called Les Amis. To put it quite honestly, Enjolras, the sporting young monsieur, did not wish to entertain these kinds of events. He did not feel it to be important to celebrate such a thing. Oh, do not be mistaken, though. Enjolras valued his friends and the brotherhood they shared but it was simply not of his interest that they should celebrate the forming of their bond. I mean, they would commemorate the ties of their friendship every day through simply talking to one another and being there if the need arises. Their brotherhood would still live on with or without hosting a celebration. He would think that their usual routines would suffice.

But he had Courfeyrac to blame this on. He was the one who decided to have this tradition every year on the exact same date. He and his sentimentality were the start of it all. Enjolras had managed to escape last year's anniversary by saying that he needed to study for an exam to be held the next day but that excuse would not do him any good this time. It just so happened that the anniversary of their brotherhood fell on a Friday thus making his studies an invalid reason.

"Enjolras, it's a Friday. We don't have any classes tomorrow."

"Well, it's never too bad to be prepared. I might wish to study in advance."

"But you need a break. We all do."

"Well, if I wish to have a break then I would merely read one of my books."

"That's not much of a break."

"It is if you enjoy literature."

"Do not act as if I don't enjoy a good book myself. Really now, we have had a few good conversation regarding the books we read."

"All the more that you should understand my want to read."

"I do. I do understand but maybe it's time that you take a break from your usual break. Look, last year's celebration wasn't as nice as we had wanted it to be. I mean, how can we just celebrate the founding of our group without the presence of our leader who brought as all together in the first place? It's not as fun without you, Enjolras." At that point Marius had stopped Enjolras in his walking and they simply stood in the middle of the hallway. He looked at their leader expectantly, waiting for his answer. He had hoped his little speech was enough to convince him. Enjolras sighed and began to speak.

"I'm not quite sure about it, Marius. It just seems like a waste of time."

"It's not a waste of time if you spend it with the men whom you call your brothers. I know you don't usual take part in trivial matters such as anniversaries but look at it this way. We are merely sentimental men who would wish to toast the lasting of our friendship, our brotherhood. It is a moment wherein we reminisce the times that we have shared and it is a time wherein we would wish to thank God for the blessing of friendship He has bestowed upon us. It is a time wherein we would ask Him to bless us with yet another year of friendship. And it would be meaningless if we do not spend it with the man who has started it all. We are sheep who need their shepherd."

"I might consider it, but…" he said but Marius cut him off before he could continue.

"But nothing. Please, do this for you brothers. It is just one night. It'll just be a simple dinner. We will have it at a good restaurant where the food will be great. I even have a friend who works there and she would be serenading us for the night. It'll be perfect." He pleaded. Enjolras heaved another sigh ad continued to walk.

"Very well but only because I would want to make sure that you and the others do not go overboard with your drinking. Honestly, we do not want a repeat of that incident with Grantaire last year." At this, Marius beamed and started to jog off.

"Thank you, Enjolras. I shall go and tell the others. See you later. Courfeyrac will text you the details."

Enjolras just sighed and started to walk toward the coffee shop. His friends really were persistent but it brought a small sense of joy to him that they would really go through much efforts to convince him to join them. Marius was not the first one to talk to him about that matter. Courfeyrac kept on reminding him about it for the past week. Joly spoke to him about it for a couple of times before he got the message. Combeferre practically chased after him just to convince him before he slammed the door in his face. Grantaire even bribed him with a book that he somehow had in his possession which was his in the first place. His friends truly were the persistent types.


"Marius is finally introducing me to his friends tonight. Isn't that great 'Ponine?"

"Well, yes. But I don't quite understand why you must do it at my workplace." Eponine said. Cosette was just telling her about the little get-together Marius and his friends would be having later that night. Marius was Eponine's dear friend and Cosette's current boyfriend. It was true that she had once harbored feelings toward the young lad but that slowly disappeared as his relationship with her best friend grew stronger. It was tough at first and very painful to watch but she soon came to the realization that she wasn't really in love with Marius but at the idea of him. She wasn't completely over it but it was getting better for her to bear.

"Why not? Patria's serves the best food and what better way to spend the evening than to have one of France's best singers serenading us?"

"One of? If you're going to flatter me then you better do it all out."

"Don't push your luck. Those come rare."

"No they don't. You always compliment people. I mean, seriously? How can you find something good to say to every single person you meet? I mean, half of them don't really deserve it, 'Sette."

"It's called giving people the benefit of the doubt. Something you should try to practice more often."

"No. It's called being a naïve goody-two-shoes." She said, "Well, if you're going to be there then you better not embarrass me in front of the crowd." At this Cosette nudged Eponine and gave her a pout.

"I would do no such thing. What would give you such an impression?"

"With you? I doubt it. Don't you remember the first time you 'supported' my performance at Patria's? You kept on waving at me frantically like some deranged lunatic. And that wasn't all. You kept on giving me standing ovations after each song and you even climbed on stage proclaiming how proud you were of your best friend and how everyone else should stand up and applaud. And nobody did until you gave them this look. Seriously? What was up with that?"

"I only did those out of friendship."

"Really? Well, I actually hoped that you did that out of drunkenness. That would have been understandable. But that was clearly not the case."

"Well, I'm sorry for being a supportive friend." she huffed.

"Too supportive. You tend to be overenthusiastic at times."

"Well, I have reason to be. There's nothing bad about that."

"All right, if it makes you feel any better. Look, I'll see you later. I still need to finish my essay."

"I thought that was due on Monday."

"It is but seeing as I don't have anything better to do, I might as well work on it."

"You never take a break, do you? Well, I have to go anyway. I still need to meet up with Marius."

With that, the friends split paths. Eponine went inside the coffee shop and ordered her usual: An iced hazelnut cappuccino and a chocolate muffin. When she turned to take her usual seat she saw him sitting at his usual table. He was reading a newspaper. Of course he was. She turned away and started to get her unfinished essay from her bag. It was just another ordinary day. Well, at least so far.


AN: Hey, it's me again. Yeah, I know it's kind of weird for a group of guys to hold a friend-a-versary but that was the only thing I could think of while I wrote this. So yeah. Please, review! See ya next chapter.