The next week literally flashed by, Christmas was full of excitement and joyfulness and quickly enough it was New Year's Eve. Courfeyrac's parents had allowed him to have a free house for the party (with a few rules of course) after all all the parents were joining up to have their own celebrations elsewhere. It had become a bit of tradition of sorts every New Years, the kids and parents would always celebrate separately and next day they would spend the day celebrating as a whole family. It would be untrue to say Courfeyrac was more than a little bit excited the second he woke up the morning of the party, a smile never leaving his face, bouncing up and down with joy, it was as if Christmas had come again that year. Grantaire, Jehan and the rest of the boys had offered to help him set up the house, even Enjolras had come round offering a helping hand, doing most of the heavy lifting of the furniture.
"There's no point in trying to get on our good side Enj, we are going to get you laid whether you like it or not, bet or no bet!" Courfeyrac smirked as he pushed open the door merging the dining area with the living room.
"I'm no trying to get on anyone's good side! I just want to help my friend, is that a crime?" Enjolras sighed, he knew he wold regret the day he ever made that bet with Marius! Jehan and Grantaire were pushing the wooden dining table across the floor so it was leaning against the wall,
"Is this where you want the –"
"Yes Jehan thanks it looks awesome, if can go get the stuff from upstairs that would be very handy, its in my room by the door, I'll help you get it all connected!" Jehan, with a light spring in his steps quickly gave a big high five to Courfeyrac before he hurried up the stairs. Suddenly Courfeyrac turned serious.
"Right I know I said I want this to be a big party, but I do need to have some ground rules - also my parents have made me say this or else we don't get to do this again! Ground rule one: no one is to on the third floor, that's my parent's room! And finally ground rule two: If you do get lucky," He know took the opportunity to give Enjolras a wink, "Please be discrete about it and as always leave a piece of clothing on the door handle so we all know!"
"How come you said 'as always'?" Combeferre asked while he sorted out the drinks and food from the kitchen,
"Let's just say Ferre that there are events at your party that is better left unsaid!"
"WHAT!"
"Anyway back to business, the party officially starts at six and will end whenever the last person leaves! Any questions?"
"Y-yes I have one!"
"I'm sorry Ferre but I'm sworn to secrecy."
"But-"
"Leave it Ferre you're getting nothing out of him!" Marius patted him on the back, both boys went back to the kitchen finishing off putting the food out, meanwhile Jehan was bringing down- with a little help from Joly- speakers and sound equipment.
"Right then where do I put these?"
Enjolras and Grantaire watched from the corner as Joly, Jehan and Courfeyrac sort out countless wires and leads, Grantaire chuckled into his second drink of the day when Joly squeaked as the wires wrapped around his neck.
"So what's the plan?" Grantaire asked quietly,
"Well I'll go home at three get something to eat, get changed, pick up the girls and met you guys here around half five."
"That's not what I mean Enjy, what I mean is what is your plan" Grantaire asked whilst wriggling his eyebrows,
"Nothing Taire, I intend to go through winning this bet. I'm not losing my virginity on some drunken one night stand."
"So you admit you're a virgin!" Grantaire spoke in almost a whisper, Enjolras heard the slight victorious tone in his voice.
"Taire, everyone knows. You think I don't know? And to be honest I don't care what they think."
"Alright, no need to bite my head off, I was just asking."
"I'm not biting anyone's head off, I just believe that sex is a lot more than getting drunk and going it in the bathroom or a cupboard!" Enjolras downed his glass of water, placing the glass on the windowsill. Grantaire was shocked, he had never heard or seen this side of Enjolras before, willing to open up about his sex life (or lack of it).
"Then… what do you believe it is about? You never really talk to us about this."
"There could be a reason for that."
"Well then, tell me. I won't say anything to them if you want."
Before Enjolras answered he looked around, making sure only Grantaire was listening, once he was satisfied he looked Taire straight in they eyes.
"I- I just think that… it should mean something, that it shouldn't be rushed or forced. That your comfortable with someone who means something to you, I know it seems old fashioned but that's what I think."
"Wow! You're going to die a virgin!" Taire smirked giving Enjolras a nudge on the shoulder.
"Thanks for understanding."
"I'm here all night long!" Taire teased finishing his drinking in one big swish.
It was now eight o'clock and the party was in full swing, almost the entire population of the school was crowding up the makeshift dance floor. The New Year's Eve parties that the group hosted was an event that was not to be missed, they were the talk of the school every year. If you missed it, you missed everything. Enjolras stood back in the kitchen his first alcoholic drink still full in hand leant against the counter. He could see everything from here, even if he had to squint his eyes to make out who people where. He could see Marius and Cosette making out in the corner, Grantaire and Montaparnasse were center stage raving to the music, bottles in hand. Courfeyrac was attempting and succeeding in chatting up his science partner, what was her name again….Amber? Meanwhile Joly and Musichetta where nowhere to be seen, that only meant one thing, that somewhere upstairs there was a piece of clothing on a door handle. Combeferre and Jehan were too busy making sure the sound systems were working, Enjolras was too focused on what was going on with everyone else he didn't notice the red head that had crept up on him through the crowd.
"Hey Enjy, I didn't know you drink?!" She said seductively, leaning forward ever so slightly making sure Enjolras got full sight of her cleavage.
"I don't, this was forced into my hand." He spoke deadpan, trying to give her the message to kindly leave him alone. She didn't.
"Well, I bet those hands wish to be doing something else. What do you say?" Enjolras didn't even look at her, he felt uncomfortable and uneasy, he just wanted to walk away but he was too squished in by the amount of people in the kitchen. "Come on I know for a fact that the top floor is empty, no one would even know-"
"Can I have you attention please?" For one in his lifetime Enjolras was grateful for Courfeyrac's interruptions, Courfeyrac's booming and drunk voice through one of the two microphones standing on the table.
"Excuse me." He quickly muttered still not making eye contact with the red head and soon he escaped from the kitchen and joined Combeferre and Jehan by the side of the table ready to catch Courfeyrac just in case,
"Now as you all know, our little gang have been putting on these little get together for some years now!"
"WE LOVE YOU!" Came a voice from the sea of people.
"So I am sure that most of you are aware of our New Year's Tradition!" This received a huge roar from the crowd and lots of whistling and 'whoop wooing'! "But for those who are new to this let me explain! When we were just mere second years we thought to ourselves what is the best way to create a positive party atmosphere? The obvious answer is of course KARAOKE! Then some idiot thought- and I'm not naming names!- that singing the High School Musical song 'Start of Something New' would be the greatest thing to do! Of course none of us wanted to do so we put all our names in a hat and on the night some random party goer would pick two out. These would be the two unlucky victims! But then after two years we all started to like watching our mates embarrass themselves. But of course there were rules to this embarrassing event! Rule one: Whose ever name was picked first would sing the role of Troy, and the second had to sing Gabriella! Rule two: No complaints about rule one! Rule three: The two performers must act out the entire song just like the movie, so get prepared to catch one of them nearly falling off the table! We don't want a repeat of last year!" The crowd reacted well to Courfeyrac's explanation, the gang was impressed that he was able to even stay on his feet and talk fluently considering the amount of drinks he had consumed. "And finally rule number four: Once the song ends performers must introduce themselves using their real names! Right now that you're all up to date let's find out who are performers are. Although we all kind of know considering they are the last ones left in the hat! But we must know who is singing who so urm…..Amber my dear would you do the honour?" Courfeyrac jumped down from the kitchen table/stage area with the microphone and hat at the ready, Amber placed her hand into the hat and quickly brought up a piece of folded paper. "And the lucky person playing the role of Troy is….drum roll please….ENJOLRAS! Which means our beautiful Eponine will be of course Gabriella, the two of you get your butts up on that stage and do us proud!"
Enjolras groaned, he had not been looking forward to this, but when he finally saw Eponine he smiled, she was wearing a short red dress that hugged her curves beautifully, he would have told her right there and then that she was the most beautiful thing he had seen but then he remembered where they were. They both climbed onto the stage adjusting the microphone stands,
"You ready Enjy?" Eponine whispered a smirk plastered on her face,
"Nope!" He couldn't help but crack a smile, he saw everyone getting their phones out ready to record this ready to blackmail him with it later on in the year. The rest of the group had merged together in the center of the room, even Joly and Musichetta came back from upstairs to witness this, "Do we even know if Enjolras can sing?!" Cosette asked
The music started playing and Enjolras took a deep breath at a last attempt to calm himself.
"Were about to find out" Montaparnasse chuckled,bringing his own phone out to film.
"Livin' in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance" He looked over to Eponine who had a smile on her face, his voice was beautiful. Why hadn't she got him to sing before?
"Holy crap he's really good, damn it" Marius teased.
"I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
Too all the possibilities, Ohh." Her voice was like something he had never heard before, Enjolras just wanted her to take over the whole song just to hear her voice.
"I know."
The crowd watched in awe as for the first time in the years of the karaoke tradition they had a girl and a boy sing it properly. The pairs since the tradition started had been Marius and Combeferre second year saw Cosette and Musichetta take to the stage. With the third year it was Jehan and Joly's lucky day and the last party saw a very drunk Grantaire and Courfeyrac which ended up in Courfeyrac actually falling off the stage, as people forgot about rule three!
"That something has changed"
"Never felt this way."
Eponine could help but think of the irony in what they were doing as she sang
"And right here tonight!"
And by the look on his face Enjolras saw it too.
"This could be the start of something' new
It feels so right to be here with you... oh
And now... looking' in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something' new"
It was as if it was just them in the room, their voices blended together perfectly, but now of course came the real acting,
"Now who'd of ever thought that"
There were several wolf whistles as Enjolras slipped of his jacket chucking towards Combeferre and Jehan who in turn cheered him on, Eponine holding back her laughter controlled herself,
"We'd both be here tonight!"
"Oh yeah, and the world looks so much brighter"
"Brighter, brighter"
"Oh, with you by my side!"
Right now they didn't care how they looked, with big smiles on their faces Enjolras caught a glimpse of the dimples appearing on her cheeks, she was so beautiful even now with several lights from cameras filming pointed at her making her slightly flushed.
"I know... that something' has changed
Never felt this way"
"Oh I know it for real"
"This could be the start of something' new
It feels so right to be here with you... oh
And now... looking' in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something' new"
Enjolras took the microphone stand and went down on his knees knowing Courfeyrac would kill him if he didn't do this properly.
"I never knew that it could happen
'Til it happened to me
Ohhhh, yeah!"
Eponine had now taken her microphone from her stand but still kept one hand on the stand, their eyes never left each other's.
"I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see
Ohhhhh"
"It the start of something new
It feels so right to be here with you... oh
And now... looking' in your eyes"
They were so close now they could feel the heat from each other radiating off them Enjolras managed to take away the microphone stand away from her, and of course Eponine had walked back dangerously too close to the edge of the table.
"I feel in my heart
That it's the start of something' new"
The cheering crowd managed to push Eponine back up onto the table, Enjolras also grabbed her arm definitely not wanting a repeat of last year.
"It feels so right
To be here with you... oh
And now...
Looking' in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something' new"
"The start of something' new"
"The start of something' new!"
The crowd went wild, clapping, cheering, cat calls! But of course Courfeyrac had managed to shush them for apparently 'the best bit'
"Enjolras!"
"Eponine!" The pair said loudly shaking each others hands.
And yet again the cheering started all over again, both performers jumped down from the table and suddenly they were surrounded by people praising them and of course there was some teasing! Eponine had managed to slip away to get to the kitchen, she needed a strong drink and the vodka that was on the side looked tempting. Leaving Enjolras to be attacked by the crowd.
"Ep that was amazing! Since when do you sing?!" Came a voice from behind her.
"I don't and thanks Parnasse, I was so worried we were going to get booed off the stage!"
"Well if you want my advice out of all the versions I've seen… Yours is the best and not because it was done almost sober, I cant even watch the footage of last years and not cringe!"
"You're just saying that because this time we had the right gender singing the right parts!"
"That is part of it!" Parnasse leant against the counter and looked up at Eponine thinking deeply about how he would come about saying what he needed to say. "So urm I was thinking, that maybe in the new year of course that… I don't know you and me could…you know get a coffee or something." The sudden question made Eponine freeze in shock, was this really happening!
"Parnasse I- I'm sorry, it's not like I wouldn't want to, believe me you're a great guy any girl would be lucky to have you its just- I don't want to spoil what we have already. I like the way we are and I don't want to ruin it." Great cover up! Parnasse just nodded and looked down,
"It's Enjolras isn't it?"
"What?"
"Ep come on I may not be as smart as Combeferre or Cosette but I'm definitely not dumb! I saw the chemistry up on that stage! You may have fooled everyone else here but not me. Now come on, is there something between you, do you want something to happen?"
Eponine could hear her heartbeat in her ears, she suddenly felt the need to vomit, but maybe this was a way to stop feeling guilty about keeping their secret from everybody. Maybe if one of them knew, she would feel better.
"Okay, I will tell you but you have to swear to me that this stays between us! Swear it!"
"I swear!" Montaparnasse stood up straight and raised his right hand up almost like he was on trail.
"Its true okay me and Enjolras, we've been seeing each other, we only kept it a secret from you guys because we knew for a fact that if you knew we would never be able to act normal around each other. You would force us to always sit next to each other or hold hands, just like you did with Marius and Cosette! We work fine the way we are and I don't want us to feel like our relationship is forced or unnatural. Parnasse please don't say anything!"
"How long have you been together?"
"It doesn't matter I just need to know that you won't say!"
"Seriously how long?" Eponine sighed he wasn't giving up.
"Three years!" She was expecting a big reaction but instead she just saw him nod, he patted her on the shoulder and said
"Well, I happy for you both, and don't worry your secret is safe with me!" And with that he walked into the crowd. Eponine smiled and looked over towards Enjolras who was being forced to watch a video Courfeyrac had recorded of their performance. This was going to be a good night.