December 31, 1996
"New Years Rockin' Eve the breaking back into the building party!" Marius narrated. When they had come back to the loft on Christmas they had found a padlock on the door complete with eviction notice.
Needless to say Enjolras never got his Christmas breakfast and after bunking down with their friends for the past couple of days they decided why not celebrate the new year by breaking in?
"How long till next year?" Éponine called from where she sat on the stoop.
"About ten minutes," Marius replied, "got any New Years resolutions?"
"Giving up my vices," Éponine smiled, "maybe I'll go back to school."
"Nice, very nice, and what about you Courfeyrac?" Marius panned to the guitarist.
"Finish a song," Courfeyrac replied with a smile.
"Yeah, maybe this year?" Enjolras replied laughed.
"Screw you," Courfeyrac flipped his friend off.
Éponine was drinking a red solo cup full of champagne when Marius grabbed the cup from her.
"You're supposed to be working that's for midnight, where are they? There isn't much time!" Marius grumbled.
"Maybe their dressing?" Éponine grabbed at the end of his scarf and twiddled the fringe in his face, "I mean what does one wear that's apropos for a party, that's also a crime?"
"I brought chips!" Cosette ran toward them, she was in one of her "off again" phases with Musichetta and so she was alone.
"Please tell me you aren't trying to be funny with that cat suit," Marius sighed.
"Cat burgler," Cosette smiled, "unless you think I could pull off Cat Woman?"
"Oh god, you can take the girl out of Hicksville but you can't take the Hicksville out of the girl," Marius chuckled.
"Hey, my riot got you on TV I deserve a royalty," Cosette replied glaring at her ex-boyfriend.
Éponine cut in between them holding the bottle of champagne, "come on you two, it's New Years, be nice."
"Alright," Cosette sighed and turned to where Enjolras stood by Éponine clutching a pry bar, "any luck with the door?"
"Bolted plywood, padlocked with a chain," Enjolras replied as he swept his hair from his face, "total dead end."
"Just like my ex-girlfriend," Cosette grumbled, "give me a sec, I'm gonna call her."
"Do you need change for the phone?" Marius asked, "I mean I don't have much but-"
"Nope don't need that," Cosette replied as she withdrew a ridiculously large looking phone from her purse and started dialing.
"What the fuck is that?" Marius asked incredulously.
"Cell phone, now hush up..." Cosette hushed him, "Honey? Come on I know you're there, please just answer your phone... Baby I miss you, are you okay? This isn't funny... I know I screwed up okay? How can I atone? I know I lose control but I can behave, let me kiss your Doc Martens, I swear to god I will obey your every wish!"
Cosette had noticed Musichetta coming up from behind her, "You know that might be okay."
"Pookie!" Cosette exclaimed as the embraced Musichetta.
"Down girl," Musichetta spoke firmly, "I've been spending time down at legal aid seeing what I can do for you... Technically you're squatters, there is hope," a smile played at the blonde's lips, "but just in case I did bring some rope." She then tossed the rope over to Marius, the wheels started to turn in his head.
"If we hoist a line to the fire escape-" Marius voiced out the beginning of his plan.
"Then tie it off to that bench," Musichetta added.
"Oh my god," Cosette facepalmed, "this is too awkward, why are the friends?"
"Hey! Start hoisting wench!" Musichetta hollered.
"Fuck," Cosette swore under her breath as she joined Marius and Musichetta.
Enjolras wrapped his arms around Éponine and let out a laugh, "I don't think I've felt this good in a long time."
"Even if we are doing something highly illegal?" Éponine asked.
"We are getting back at Montparnasse," Enjolras replied, "this isn't illegal in my books, this is rebellion against a tyrannical king."
"How poetic," Éponine smiled as she kissed him on the cheek, "and here I was thinking only Jeanne and Courfeyrac had a way with words."
"You like Courfeyrac's usage of the English language?" Enjolras asked, "he butchers it every time he opens his mouth."
"I meant in his songs," Éponine giggled.
"Which all remain incomplete because he suffers from a severe case of procrastination," Enjolras replied.
"He said he would finish one," Éponine folded her arms across her chest, "unlike you who proclaim to be his good friends I actually have faith in him!"
"Well at least some one does" Enjolras chuckled.
"Bond, James Bond," Combeferre called in a British accent and walked over casually as he shifted his glasses lower on the bridge of his nose. "Couldn't expect to do this without one of Britain's best spies."
"Who are you supposed to be?" Courfeyrac asked Jeanne. She had traded her usual auburn wig for a long blonde one, and had donned a dress that appeared to be made out of a shower curtain.
"Pussy Galore," Jeanne flipped her hair over her shoulder, "in person." She then pulled out what appeared to be a flame thrower.
"Well look who came prepared!" Éponine grinned.
"Well I was a Boy Scout once," Jeanne raised three fingers to represent scouts honor.
"Moneypenny my martini!" Combeferre practically waltzed over to Éponine.
"All I've got is bad Chamapgne," Éponine smiled, "will that do?"
"That's shaken, not stirred," Combeferre winked.
Éponine poured him a cup of his own, "five minutes left to execute our plan.
"Where's everyone else?" Combeferre asked.
"Look up there," Eponine pointed to the fire escape, "playing Spider-Man."
Marius, Musichetta and Cosette had managed to get into the loft just as the lights went on. The phone beeped with voice mail messages, "What the hell?" Marius walked over to the phone and let the messages play.
"Marius, it's your aunt Alice, I know you don't care to hear from us but I wanted to wish you a happy new year," There was a pause. "We saw your footage on the news and while your grandfather won't admit it he is impressed, please call."
Marius rolled his eyes as he deleted the message and went to the second one.
"Hello Marius Pontmercy, this Alexis Dubois with Buzzline!" Came a happy and bubbly voice, "your footage of the riots are A-1! We're sending you a contract, call us at 970-4301, my home phone number is 863-6754-"
Marius stopped the message before it could continue any farther and started walk out the door down the stairs to the front door of the building.
"We're gonna need an agent!" Cosette chased after him.
"We?" Marius stopped to look back at her, "If I go to Buzzline that's selling out!"
"It's nice to dream," Cosette sighed, "you know we could plan another protest and you could shoot the full thing for the TV show!"
"How about no?" Marius replied "I'm not doing it!" He replied as they used the rest of the rope to ready the door to be opened. "Alright, here we go... 5, 4, 3 open sesame" he shouted as the door came apart in several different pieces, they certainly wouldn't be needing a key any time soon.
Montparnasse walked in behind all of them and looked around at the now broken door and the group of bohemians. "I see that you've beaten me to the punch," Montparnasse gave a nod.
Enjolras took a step towards him in front of Eponine, "How'd you know we be here?" he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Call it intuition," Montparnasse stared him down.
"You're not mad?" Courfeyrac cut in.
"I would like to end this war, or revolution... Whatever you call it," Montparnasse continued calmly, "shame you went and destroyed the door."
Éponine took a step forward, "Why all the sudden the big about face?"
"The credit is yours," Montparnasse smiled as he noticed a look on confusion on Enjolras' face, "You made quite a good case for the matter-"
"What case?" Enjolras interrupted angrily.
"'Ponine came to see me and she had quite a lot to say," Montparnasse smirked.
"That's not how you put it yesterday!" Éponine growled, she then turned to Enjolras. "Alex please don't listen to him he's lying!"
Enjolras stepped away from Éponine, the happy glow that had been on his face had been dimmed significantly.
"I couldn't stop thinking about the whole mess," Montparnasse nodded towards Marius, "you might want to get this on film.
"I guess," Marius rolled his eyes and pretended to set up his camera, gave a nod to show he was "ready".
"I regret the unlucky circumstances of the past seven days," Montparnasse began formally.
"Circumstance?" Enjolras scoffed, "is that what you call putting a pad lock on the door?"
"And it gives me great pleasure on behalf of Cyberarts that I present you this key," Montparnasse gave the key to Enjolras.
"Golf claps!" Jeanne called out sarcastically.
"I had no juice in my battery..." Marius lowered his camera.
"Reshoot!" Monparnasse directed.
"Oh I see this a photo opportunity," Marius glowered.
"The benevolent god ushers the poor artists back to their flat on New Year's Eve," Cosette spoke up in a mocking tone, "were you planning to take down the barbed wire from the lot as well?"
"Clearing the lot was a safety concern," Montparnasse adopted his formal tone again. "We break ground this month but you can return, alright!"
"And that is why you are here with people you hate instead of with your beloved Muffy," Cosette scoffed.
"Cosette what happened?" Montparnasse pouted, "you used to be such nice girl, pleated skirts, blouses, nice manners, the whole nine yards-"
"Fuck off," Cosette growled, "it's real life that changed me."
"Any way I would rather be with you guys instead of in Westport," Montparnasse was slowly losing composure again.
"Spare us the sound byte," Enjolras narrowed his eyes.
Having now realized that Éponine seemed to be a weakness of Enjolras he decided to use her. "'Ponine sense your ways are so seductive, why don't you convince your man not to be so counterproductive!"
"Liar!" Eponine shouted, she looked to Enjolras who had a look of betrayal on his face.
"Why don't you tell him what you wore to my place?" Montparnasse continued.
Éponine turned to Enjolras, "I was on my way to work, please understand-"
"Black leather and lace," Montparnasse added, "My desk was a mess and I think I'm still sore."
"Because I kicked him and told him I wasn't his whore!" Éponine snapped, tears were beginning to well in her eyes as Enjolras continued to ignored her.
"Does your boyfriend know who your last boyfriend was?" Montparnasse threw out one last barb.
"I'm not her boyfriend I don't care what she does!" Enjolras shouted out at last.
Jeanne approached Éponine and put her arms around her, "People is this anyway to start a new year? Have compassion, Montparnasse just lost his cat-"
"My dog but I appreciate that," Montparnasse gave a nod.
"Honey, my cat had a fall and I went threw hell," Jeanne gave sympathetic look.
"It's like losing a- how did you know she fell?" Montparnasse knit his brows together.
"Champagne?" Combeferre cut in holding the bottle.
"Don't mind if I do," Montparnasse nodded, "to dogs!"
"No this one is on you!" Cosette smiled sweetly.
"I propose we make a resolution!" Jeanne decided, "let's always stay friends!"
Musichetta took Éponine's hand, "Though we have disputes our family here has deep roots."
Courfeyrac turned to Enjolras, "Friendship is thicker than blood."
"That depends-" Enjolras scoffed.
"Depends on trust," Éponine replied in a hurt voice.
"Depends on true devotion," Enjolras was exceeding angry, perhaps he should have never trusted the junkie in the first place.
"Stop denying your emotions!" Marius hissed, "don't let what 'Parnasse says change the way you feel about Éponine!"
Enjolras rolled his eyes as he walked away from the group of friends.
"So why don't we go and get some drinks?" Courfeyrac suggested as an attempt to clear the discomfort.
"I'm going home," Montparnasse decided as he walked back to his car.
Everyone had walked away except for Eponine who sat on the porch alone.
"You coming?" Marius turned to ask.
"In a minute, I'll be right there," Éponine smiled, "don't worry about little old me."
A/N: I think you all know where this story is headed... It only gets more emotional from here... Don't say I didn't warn you, you know how RENT works.