Enjolras's POV

A stony silence filled La Musain.

"Lamarque…. Is dead?" I managed to choke out.

Gavroche nodded. "I heard police talking about it on their rounds of the city,"

Feuilly bowed his head in respect. "May he rest in peace,"

Grantaire raised a glass. "To Lamarque." The other Amis echoed him. "To Lamarque!"

"Whoa, first of all, who is Lamarque? And why are you making such a big deal about his death?" my sister asked.

I sighed, wishing again that I hadn't brought her. "Lamarque was the only man in the city who spoke out for us students and our rights. His death means we're in trouble."

"Yeah….what are we going to do now?" Combeferre asked me.

"Well, his funeral procession is probably tomorrow; we'll storm it in his honor!" I replied.

Jennette started laughing. "So you're honoring a guy you loved by interrupting his funeral procession? Seems legit."

"You don't understand, sister," I answered, rolling my eyes at her. "After we 'interrupt', we'll build a barricade in the streets."

"Basically we're starting a revolution," explained Feuilly. "We're fighting for our rights!"

"That's nice dear," said Jennette. "Good luck; you'll definitely need it."

"Stop it!" I cried. "You're so annoying!"

"Thank you!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"For god's sake, would you two stop?" Marius yelled, leaping to his feet. It was the first time he'd said anything all evening. "I mean, I get that you're siblings and all, but we aren't going to get anything done if you two keep fighting."

"She started it!" I whined, losing my cool completely. Everyone cracked up.

"How old are you, Enjolras? Twenty-six going on five?" jeered Courfeyrac between howls of laughter.

"I'll babysit!" cried Grantaire.

"Very funny," I growled. "Put that bottle down!"

Even Eponine, who usually looked somber, was enjoying herself. "Does someone need a time out?" she taunted, shrieking with laughter.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed. "This is a meeting, my friends! Not a comedy show!" Turning to Jennette, I added, "And I am not going to be ridiculed by my BRAT of a sister!"

Jennette stopped smiling. Her upper lip began to quiver.

"Oh no…. Jennette, please don't cry-"

Too late.

My sister covered her eyes with her hands and began whimpering.

"Enjolras! You just made a kid cry!" scolded Eponine. She went over and put an arm around Jennette. "Poor thing! Was the leader in red being a jerk to you?"

My sister shot me a smirk as 'Ponine embraced her. I rolled my eyes.

"I think it's time we all went home," commented Combeferre. "We all need to be rested for tomorrow."

"Agreed," I replied. "Okay, everyone, see you all tomorrow morning, 7 am sharp!"

"R's still going to be drunk," muttered Joly. "He won't be of much use."

I ignored him. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed that Marius was following Eponine out the back door. This struck me as strange, but I faced the front again, only to find that everyone was gone. Jennette was waiting for me at the door.

"Nice friends," she told me as we exited La Musain together.

I groaned. "Look, I've really had it with the sarcasm,"

"No, really!" she replied, giving me the first real smile I'd seen from her. "I liked them."

I blinked. "Oh… Uh, thanks, I guess."

We walked on in awkward silence for a few minutes. Then, I turned to Jennette.

"Hey, sis… how come you walked here instead of being driven?"

She looked uneasy for a moment. Then she answered, "I don't know. They said it wasn't a far walk."

I snorted. "Yeah, thirty miles is just a walk in the park."

Jennette shrugged. "Well, it wasn't so bad. I started out at six in the morning."

"Jeez, you must be exhausted!"

"I'm okay, actually, Enjolras," she replied, giving me a little smile.

I raised my eyebrows. "You're tougher than I thought!"

Jennette muttered something under her breath.

"What?"

She flinched. "Oh, nothing."

"Okay," I said uncertainly. "Hey, did you bring any stuff? I didn't see any bags or anything when you were at the front door."

"I snuck around back before I went to the door," she replied. "Don't ask."

I played with a strand of my hair. "Um, alright,"

Neither of us said a word until we got to my back door. Sure enough, a black duffel bag sat on the back step. My sister picked it up.

"That's all?"

"I didn't bring much."

"Okay then… shall we go inside?"

Jennette nodded. I grabbed my key out of my jean pocket and unlocked the back door. "Home sweet home." I held the door open for my sister as she stepped inside my kitchen. "Not bad," she commented.

"Thanks," I said. "Here, let me take your bag. I've got a guest bedroom upstairs you can use."

Jennette handed her bag to me, and I lead the way through the kitchen and up a narrow staircase.

"Okay, so my room is on the right, yours is on the left, and the bathroom is in the middle," I told my sister, opening the door to her room and stepping inside.

The furniture in my spare room was pretty simple- a bed, bureau, side table, and closet. The walls were light blue, which didn't match the mahogany wood floors. "It'll do," Jennette murmured. I tossed her bag on the bed. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" I asked.

Jennette shook her head. "Nah, I'm good,"

"But you haven't eaten anything all day!"

"Really, Enj, I'm fine…."

I shrugged. "If you insist."

"I think I'll just unpack up here, if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs in the living room if you need me."

About an hour later, as I was watching TV on the couch, Jennette appeared.

"What time is it?" she asked me.

I glanced at my watch. "Half past nine,"

"I think I'm going to go for a walk or something."

"Oh, okay, be back by eleven at the latest," I answered, keeping my eyes on the TV. "And don't make me come looking for you."

She nodded, and I heard the back door open and close as my sister went outside.

Eponine's POV

I knew Marius would never be mine from the moment we got to Cosette's house.

And maybe I'd known before then.

Why had I prevented my father and his gang from robbing the place, I don't know.

Loyalty?

Love?

But why should I give Marius what he never gave back?

I felt rain trickle down my face, mingling with my tears. "If only… there were some way to show him how I feel," I murmured to myself, finding a fairly dry part of the alley where I could cry to myself. All I could think of was Marius… my Marius.

Not mine anymore.

I crouched down and proceeded to cry my eyes out.

"Are you okay?" a gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up. Standing over me was Enjolras's sister, Jennette.

I blinked in surprise. "How… how did you know I was here?"

"I heard someone crying, and I came to investigate."

I looked down so that Jennette couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

She sat down next to me. "Sorry, but what's your name?"

"Eponine,"

"Well, Eponine, what's wrong?"

I sniffed. "I don't know if you'd understand,"

"Well, why are you crying?"

"The man I love -Marius- has found another girl,"

"Whoa, he was cheating on you? That's low."

I smiled sadly. "No, we were never together. I've always loved him, always been loyal…. But he's never repaid me!"

I proceeded to tell her how I'd promised to find Cosette's house and take him there.

"No offense or anything but this guy sounds like a total idiot. You deserve better than him!" exclaimed Jennette when I'd finished.

"You think?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, what do YOU see in him?"

I sighed happily. "Well, he's handsome and friendly…"

"That's it?!" Jennette cried. "Honestly dear, you can do better than him, if those are the only good qualities he has."

I thought for a while, and realized she was right. "You know, I kind of agree with that. He isn't such a great guy after all." I stifled a giggle. "What did I ever see in him?"

Jennette chuckled. "Exactly," she told me. "I don't know about you, but I think one of the guys at the Musain was eying you. Actually, a couple were."

I raised my eyebrows. "Who?"

"I don't know their names, but the guy with glasses and the guy who was drinking."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Combeferre and Grantaire? No way!"

Jennette grinned. "Really! I say you make a move on one of them."

I blushed. "Well, I've never flirted with anyone before,"

"You could help with their little revolution tomorrow-that's what I'm doing."

My brow furrowed as I thought about it. "Well, my little brother Gavroche is going with them….why shouldn't I?" I smiled, thinking of the attention I'd get. "Even if we are girls, it wouldn't hurt to give the men a hand."

I turned to Jennette. "You're only a kid, but you've helped me more than I could ever imagine. "Thank you so much!" She blushed, then allowed me to give her another hug.

We stood up together. "I think we should tell each other more about ourselves," I told her, smiling. Then I noticed her hoodie was thoroughly soaked from the rain. "My god, don't you want to take that off? You look really uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," she snapped. Then noticing how startled I looked, she added in a more gentle tone, "Sorry, I'm just tired, that's all."

"Um, okay," I said a little uneasily. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded.

"Alright," I awkwardly cleared my throat. "So, you're thirteen, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, I'm eighteen. I want to be in college, but my family can't afford it," I smiled, hoping to lighten up the mood a little more. "My parents are no-good, so I just live in an apartment with my brother."

"Kind of like me, until my parents find… I mean until my parents get back," said Jennette, smiling a little.

The two of us wandered the streets talking, until I glanced at my watch. "Oh my god, it's almost eleven already! I should probably go check on Gavroche or something. Want to come?"

"Sorry, Enjolras wants me home by eleven. But I'll see you tomorrow!" said Jennette, giving me a hug. "It was really nice talking with you."

"You too!" I said. "Like the sister I never had."

I walked Jennette back to her brother's house, feeling happier than I had since being at La Musain.

But something didn't feel right about our conversation, and there was one thing I knew.

Jennette was hiding something.