Knocking Balls
Eponine got all dressed up and put her new red dress on.
It was Friday night and she needed to get out. She decided to head
down to the cafe' Musain and stir up some trouble.
Enjolras, Grantaire, Joly, Combeferre, and Feuilly were seated
around a table in the cafe', all doing various things. Grantaire was mainly
drinking. Since the recent popularity rise of the cafe', a pool table was
added in to one of the side rooms.
"I'm so bored." Uttered Enjolras. "You know we could start a revolution."
Stated Joly. "No, ... that's too much work." Sighed Enjy as he stared down blankly
at the table. Combeferre and Feuilly were playing cards and Grantaire was busy
tracing the floor to the point of the door. Joly left Enjolras' side and went to play a game of darts.
As Grantaire stared half-heartedly at the entrance the door suddenly swung open.
He first saw a shoe, then a leg, (a fine leg), and then traced up the rest of her body with his eyes. "Well, what have we got here?" said he, drawing the attention of the others.
Eponine walked in boldly, for she knew they were checking her out. She vaguely herd someone whistle, but ignored it. Enjolras looked up from the table and felt himself straighten. "Who is that girl?" He asked no one in particular. Combeferre and Fuielly dropped their cards and muttered at the sight, "Wow."
Eponine came to the bar and ordered a glass of brandy, but seeing as they only had bottles she accepted adequately and took her bottle to a table by the window. Grantaire, at this time had not taken his eyes off her. "Who is this stunning beauty, and why is she sitting all alone?" He pondered silently. Enjolras, somehow, was thinking the exact same thing.
Grantaire and Enjolras suddenly sat up at the same time. They looked at each other and stood up from the table. Joly, Combferre, and Fuielly sat in suspense. Grantaure and Enjolras finally broke off their contest and glanced over at the girl. Then they calmly un-armed themselves and approached the table at which she sat.
Eponine was looking out the window, out of the corner of her eye she saw them draw close to her table. She swiftly turned around to face them. "Hello" said Enjolras, echoed by Grantaire. "My name is Enjolras, I'm the leader of le' ABC" he said rather self-ignorantly. Grantaire suddenly shoved Enjy out of his way and proceeded in his place.
"They call me Grantaire, well they also call me many other un-dignified names, but they are not in the right, as you will see." He took her hand and kissed it as he held it.
Eponine, all the while, was laughing on the inside, although she found them both very attractive. Enjolras shoved his way back in. "Tell me, what is a beautiful girl such as yourself doing sitting here at a table all on her lonesome?" "On a Friday night even." Added Grantaire. Enjolras gave him a stern look. Eponine let go of Grantaire's hand and turned toward both of the gentlemen. "How could a girl be lonely when she has two fine gentlemen fighting over her ?" She smiled quite wickedly. Enjolras and Grantaire looked at each other and also smiled.
Eponine stood from the table and started walking away. As they turned she said, "boys, wont you join me for a rousing game of pool in the billiard room ?" They both got up and walked toward her. Joly, Combeferre, and Fuielly, who were watching the whole time, now turned away laughing. They would have to check on their friends later.
On his way to the pool table Grantaire stopped at the bar and got another bottle of brandy.
They entered the billiard room with Ponine leading. She grabbed three pool cues off a rack on the wall and gave one to them each. Sarcastically, Enjolras spoke up. "Pardon me, mamselle, but we do not even know your name." She looked at him and spoke up."My name is Eponine, and I believe it is your turn Monsiur Enjolras." She racked the balls up and gave him her chalk to use. He took it from her hand and powdered up his cue. He bent over the table and positioned himself to strike the balls. Eponine and Grantaire stood behind him against the wall. She watched intently while Grantaire chugged some of his bottle's contents. Just when Enjolras was ready, he looked back at Ponine. "It's not how you hold the stick; it's how you use it."
He swung at the balls and knocked them apart. Though he hadn't sunk any, he was very pleased with the display. He stepped away from the table and nodded to Ponine. Ponine turned to Grantaire and gave him a "your turn" look.
(They're playing pool you sick, sick, sick minded people!) (Very sick!) (I'm ashamed!)
Grantaire put his bottle down (for once) and recaptured his cue stick, which had been dormant lying on the floor. He had never played a game of pool in his life, but he really needed to impress Ponine right now. Vaguely remembering the stance at which Enjolras had stood positioned, he tried to look proper. He aimed his cue at the nine ball, which Enjy had knocked to the side. All the while Grantaire was setting himself up, Enjy was busy distracting Ponine with his great looks and sweet tongue. He had managed to get her to sit in a chair in the corner. He held her hand and looked in to her beautiful stone blue eyes. "You have absolutely stunning eyes." He said gazing sweetly upon her.
Ponine was enjoying this thoroughly.
Grantaire was poised to impress her when he realized that no one was paying attention to what he was doing. By now Enjy had gained Ponine's full attention and was beginning to have his way with her, he thought. Ponine knew what he was trying to do, she was having fun. Grantaire was getting jealous, he needed to do something to stop Enjy. Only one thought popped in his mind, the balls. (On the table! Geeeez People!!)
All at once he struck them with his mighty cue. The force was so hard that one of the balls went flying behind him, hitting Enjy in the head. Enjolras fell to the floor and Ponine started laughing. Grantaire turned around and looked at her why is she laughing? he thought maliciously. Ponine stood from her chair and moved very close to Grantaire, who was still standing next to the pool table. She turned and looked at Enjy completely passed out on the floor and turned once more to face Grantaire. She looked up in to his big blue eyes. "That was very impressive." She said, poised to attack.
"Um...thanks." Grantaire somehow managed to squeeze out.
Like an owl to a field mouse, Ponine pushed Grantaire up on to the pool table and jumped on top of him. Grantaire was very shocked, and excited. "You win" she said almost effortlessly. She leaned down and kissed him hard. Her long brown hair falling to her side. Grantaire took his opportunity and pulled her nearer, putting his hands on her back, holding her. Soon they were all over each other, while poor Enjolras lay unconscious on the floor. Ponine had momentarily forgotten she had a dress on, it was working its way up her legs.
Suddenly from the doorway of the billiard room there came a loud roar of laughs, cheers, and whistling. The others had come to check on their friends, hearing the loud noise of the ball hitting Enjolras, and the floor. Ponine pulled away from Grantaire embarrassed. Reaching to move her dress back down. Grantaire just laid there and smiled. Ponine had somehow forgotten that they were on the table and tried to stand up, almost falling off the edge if not for Grantaire, she sat back down on her side. Finally, as if reading Ponine's thoughts, Grantaire hopped off the table and gracefully to the ground. He then walked to the door where he asked the others to leave.
Ponine decided that everything was ok and watched Grantaire from her position on the pool table. The others left smiling, as they had come, without conflict. Grantaire stood in the doorway as they had gone. Ponine really needed to regain herself so she sent Grantaire to fetch another bottle of brandy. When she was sure that he had gone she jumped off the table and rushed to close the door. She walked slowly to her chair behind the table and proceeded to raise her right leg atop the seat, pull her dress up and
carefully reposition her mocha colored stockings. As she worked steadily, a voice sprang up from behind her, "I don't know what's going on, but I like what I see." Ponine turned around startled, to see Enjolras sitting on the floor in the corner rubbing his head with one hand and giving her a "look".
She still had her leg upon the chair and was transfixed by his haughty glare. She shook out of it and said, "Good you're awake, I've missed you." He took this in predominantly. "What the hell hit me anyway? Grantaire and those flying balls of his? I warned him that someday he'd put somebody's eye out, but he just didn't listen." Ponine, sensing the sarcasm in his voice started to giggle a bit. "And you're balls are much better?" She questioned. He took his hand from his head. "Always." "So, do I get to see you're other leg?" Ponine smiled and switched legs to fix her other stocking. Enjy was, how do I put it nicely, pleased. She was once again tentative toward her foot and didn't notice Enjy wiggle off the floor and move up close behind her, till it was too late.
He put his hands on her waist; she jumped and looked back at him. His eyes were a glowing ocean of blue, almost magical, like nothing she'd ever seen before. "I want you." He said, surprisingly clear for a guy that just got hit in the head with a billiard ball. Silence fell between them, but was overtaken by Enjy grabbing Ponine and lifting her once again to the pool table. He then climbed passionately on top of her and plunged his sweet sober kiss on her lips. She was immobilized, he had claimed her. Grantaire was nothing compared to him. They romped and fondled like young schoolboys.
(Don't even ask!)
Grantaire, on his way back from the bar, had gotten distracted by Joly's 'twenty questions' . "Go find out for yourself" he said laughing out loud. Joly then got up and jokingly started for the door to the billiard room, Grantaire stopped and hit him. "I meant some other lonely unsuspecting girl, not mine." He smiled gallantly and turned the knob on the door. Pushing his way past the cold doorframe, he couldn't believe his eyes. Enjolras was no longer out on the floor, but rather wide-awake on top of Eponine. Before he could control himself Grantaire yelled out, "what the hell is going on here?" Enjy pulled away from Ponine and looked back at Grantaire startled.
Suddenly Ponine pushed him off completely. Grantaire watched as Enjy landed on the floor with a thud and then turned his attention toward Ponine. She looked reluctantly at his eyes. "He forced himself on me, it was awful. I was just standing there minding my own business, when all of a sudden he picked me up and pinned me on the pool table." She gave him a pathetic look of pity.
Grantaire, even though he knew she was lying, made believe she was telling the truth.
He thought of what he wanted to hear and through her sweet, not so innocent, voice, he heard it. "It wasn't your fault " he stated. "Enjolras is a control freak sometimes; you should see him on the barricade." Ponine moved toward Grantaire and leaned in to kiss him. Interrupting them, Enjy managed to climb off the floor to move in between them.
"What are you doing?" He questioned at Ponine. "You leave her alone" Grantaire warned. They both moved toward each other in an animal instinct battle. Ponine moved nonchalantly out of the way. "I saw her first" Grantaire announced. "No you didn't" shot back Enjy. They stood at stance ready to pounce one another when the time was right. To Ponine this was nothing new, she came here with the sole purpose of making trouble, and she was doing a good job.
Their positions hadn't changed in a long while, Ponine was getting bored.
Finally she decided to break in, "boys, boys now there's no need to be fighting over me. Ponine is enough to go around." They both stopped and looked puzzled at each other. Was this her plan all along? Had she been using them for cheap thrills? As they were about to question her as to her motive, the door once again swung open. Revealing an all too familiar face. Ponine looked up at him and gasped, "Marius!" She then left her spot between Enjy and Grantaire and rushed him, jumping in to his arms. "Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. "You can buy me anything" She replied. And they walked off in to the cafe'.
Grantaire and Enjy just looked at each other. They had been part of her little "play time routine" all along. They were still embraced in a battle stance when they finally realized that they weren't really fighting for anything, or anyone. Enjolras turned away from Grantaire and sat in the chair, leaving him where he still stood. "That girl!" He said with bitter hesitation, "She had the both of us convinced." Grantire turned and said, "I knew she was trouble all along, but what do we do now?" Enjy looked up from his reverie, "We get revenge." Grantire smiled evilly at Enjy, "This will be fun, and I still say I saw her first." Enjy gave him a familiar gesture.
Ponine was sitting on Marius' lap and watching people walk by the large windows outside. Joly was trying to ask her some questions but she was paying no more attention to him then to Marius. Finally for the first time in her life she was actually getting something that she 'deserved'. Marius was happy with her in his lap, he had suddenly forgotten about, what's her name? Enjolras and Grantaire were still working out their plan in the billiard room, but from their laughter and the fact that everyone knew them a little too well, you could tell that Ponine was getting herself in deep. Marius had absolutely no idea what had occurred prior to his entrance in to the billiard room, so he didn't know exactly what he was in for, except that a beautiful women was sitting in his lap, his lap! Wow! But things with Marius got real dull real fast.
After an eternity of at least ten minutes, Enjy and Grantaire came strolling out of the billiard room. Like Ponine earlier in the evening, they were now looking for trouble.
Suavely they approached Ponine and Marius, standing at the edge of their table.
Ponine, sensing the distraction finally turned around from her daze to face them.
Joly and the others sat in anticipation, hanging on every word. "I see you've come for me at last" Ponine said sweetly. Grantaire looked at Enjy and speaking for both of them, challenged Ponine and Marius to a game of pool. "If you win, you get Marius"
Grantaire slurred. Enjy stepped forward and said "If we win, we get you". They both gave off an evil grin.
Ponine looked excited, this was going to be fun. Marius, still absent-minded looking, agreed, with what he still wasn't yet sure. But seeing as he heard the word "Game" he was totally up for it. Ponine leisurely stepped from Marius' lap and led the way to the billiard room while the boys followed behind in close profile.
They reached the room, the room that would decide their fate. Ponine and Enjy decided that they would play. Marius of course, was disappointed. Enjy handed Ponine a cue stick and then took one for himself. Marius and Grantaire sat down in the corner
He brought out the triangle thingy and racked up the balls. Chalking his cue and then handing it to Ponine, who graciously took it from him. Enjy positioned the white ball and took aim. Glancing once more at Ponine, he struck knocking the three ball into the corner pocket. He then took up another stance and began again, knocking the one, five, ten and twelve balls within seconds of each other.
Ponine was very impressed; the boy could play pool. And by the looks of how the game was going right now she might not even have to play. She knew she was loosing, but she was enjoying it.
Meanwhile...Grantaire and Marius sat together in the corner. R was pretty sure that they were going to get the girl, Marius just looked pained, which was usual for him.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him..."Her name is Cosette!" Now he remembered.
Shame Ponine for making him forget that lovely face. He got up from his seat, pulled on his coat and exited the billiard room, catching Ponine off guard.
She turned around and watched him stagger out of the room. "Oh well" she thought,
"He was actually kinda boring." She turned back to Enjy, who only had two balls left of his own, and said, "Games still on, only now the stakes are higher."
Enjy looked up "Higher?" He had that 'I know what you're getting at' look in his eyes again. "You win you get me tonight" Ponine said sweetly, "I win...I get Grantaire."
Grantaire, at the sound of his name, got up from his chair and approached the table to question her. "What if it's a tie game?" Ponine thought to herself for a minute. "Then you both get me." "What the hell" she thought again, "It's Friday night."
Enjy knew she didn't have a very good chance at winning, after all he was the best pool player in the cafe`, but he decided to give her a chance so on his next swing he purposely missed. Ponine saw her opportunity and jumped next to Enjy, looking for one good shot. All of her balls were still on the table so she still had a decent chance.
One after one she sunk all her balls until only one remained. Enjy was surprised, only he was that good. He watched her cautiously, clinging to her every movement. Eponine saw the glint in his eye. She positioned her cue stick and pulled her leg up to rest on the side of the table so she would have a better aim, and Enjy would have a better view. Grantaire stared off in space, waiting for the game to be over, waiting to be her prize for the evening. Noting Enjy's smile, Ponine took her swing and knocked her ball nonchalantly into the corner pocket. With her newly acquired esteem, she climbed off the table and stood in front of Enjy.
During the last few minutes of the game, Grantaire had somehow fallen into one of his usual drunken stupors and was passed out in his chair in the corner. Ponine gave him a disapproving glance and was a little disappointed. Enjy glanced at his friend at the same time, then turned to smile evilly at Ponine. She looked in his eyes and said, "Well, now I don't have a prize to claim." She looked around the room. "No one has ever beaten me at pool before." Said the Enjy. Ponine smiled, blushing lightly, "I won, so what do I get now?" She raised an eyebrow waiting for his response. Enjy moved his hands to cup her soft cheeks, "Me?" He smiled cheeseily, then kissed her. Ponine broke away from him, "Is that in the rules somewhere?" "There's rules?" Enjy replied joking. Ponine gave him one of her looks, "Alright; at least I'll be gettin some tonight, my flat or yours?" Enjy smiled and responded by picking her up in his arms and carrying her out of the cafe. His friends were cheering him on while Grantaire suddenly woke up to ask what the hell was happening, after learning the truth he grabbed another bottle he had hidden in the room and became quite occupied.
Enjy and Ponine were not seen again for four days, until they were spotted in the Luxemburg making out by the fountain.
The End