onvergence
Montparnasse shielded his eyes from the dust that blew right into his face.
When he looked up, the scene that greeted him made him lose all nerve. A humongous cart had run into a stack of crates nearby. Goods of all sorts were everywhere. Flour covered the street, and wine was running into the gutters, making a red, sticky mess of everything.
More alarmingly though, there were two young boys trapped under the cart, calling for help. Nearby in an alley near the convent, a child screamed and buried her face in the skirt of an older girl.
"Someone help!" Montparnasse shouted, running to rescue Navet.
He was not alone. A group of well-dressed young men immediately joined him in raising the cart. Two more students went round the other side and pulled the two boys out of the wreck.
"Mon Dieu! Gavroche!" a young girl gasped, running over to the older and better dressed of the boys. Gavroche was stunned, but otherwise unhurt. On the other hand, blood matted Navet's hair.
Her sister jabbed her in the ribs as they knelt in the dirt to see to their brother. "Ponine, Maman says..."
"Never mind it, Azelma!" Eponine said. She looked up at the students. "Will he be alright?" she asked.
"I think he will be, mademoiselle," Joly said, helping the three Thenardiers up. "I can't say the same about his friend."
Enjolras had scooped up Navet, who was beginning to whimper. "I'll bring him to the hospital. Are any of you coming?" he asked.
"I'll go. It will be easier to get help if Joly and I are around," Combeferre said.
Bossuet and Bahorel looked from Cosette and Musichetta to the group of young men. "Do we know you?" Bossuet asked Enjolras. "I see you at the Sorbonne."
"I'm a first-year law student," Enjolras said.
"He's just arrived in Paris," Combeferre explained to Bossuet.
"I'm two years above you. I'm L'aigle," Bossuet said. "My friend here is Bahorel."
"You can call me Enjolras," the younger student said.
In the meantime, Azelma had let go of Gavroche's hand and was now looking at the two convent school girls standing nearby. "Ponine..." she said to her sister. "Look who's here!"
Eponine turned and her jaw dropped. "The Lark?"
Cosette paled. "Ponine? Zelma?" she gasped before turning to flee.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Eponine asked indignantly. She would have run after Cosette if Azelma and Gavroche hadn't stopped her.
"Wait! You know her?" Marius asked, overwhelmed by all the goings-on around him. "Where are you going?" he asked Enjolras, Combeferre, and Jolly. Suddenly, the bell from the convent began to ring.
"The mass is over. Are you waiting for someone?" Courfeyrac asked Marius concernedly.
Marius nodded. "I'd better hurry back to the convent to find my aunt..."
"Good luck. We have to go." Courfeyrac said. He turned to Montparnasse. "Could you watch the three children here?" he asked, gesturing to the Thenardiers.
"Gladly. Now let's get back inside," Montparnasse said, leading Eponine, Azelma, and Gavroche into the bakery.
Musichetta smiled at Bossuet and Bahorel. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked.
"Sometime, Musichetta," Bahorel said gallantly.
"Oh of course...ouch!" Musichetta exclaimed as she felt someone grab her ear.
"Musichetta Laurain!" an old nun screeched. "A disgrace! Talking to the gentlemen...go away, you demons! And get back inside, girl! I'm sure Mother Prioress will have a word with you!"
Bossuet and Bahorel were too stunned to flee while the nun dragged Musichetta back into the convent amid the girl's protestations of innocence. "Poor girl..." Bahorel said. "So pretty and shut up in there?"
Bossuet shook his head. "We've caused enough trouble today, Bahorel," he said, leading his friend away.
Marius had not budged from where he stood. He looked up at the afternoon sky, then around at the now empty street. "Ghosts maybe? Where have they all gone?" he wondered dreamily as he walked back towards the convent gates.