chapter 5: The first of many days
"Can't I just wait? One day more?" Gav pleaded.
"No Gavroche, I made a promise to your sister that I would have you dressed and off to school."
The boy flopped himself on the couch, "Why can't she take me?"
"Because she is going with Cosette today to pick out a dress for the wedding." he glanced down at Gavroche who had his arms crossed. "Come on. Please. For me. I can't disappoint your sister."
"Well I can..."
"Gav!" the boy didnt move, "what if when You got home there was a large bar of chocolate waiting for you?"
Gavin's eyes lite up, "You are a cruel, cruel man."
Enjolras grabbed his red jacket, and Gavin's blue coat, "I know. Now let's go to school."
"Oh I think this is the one!" Cosette cried.
"You've said that for the past five dresses." Eponine sighed. This was the fifth dress that she herself had tried on. Cosette had chosen the first dress she had laid eyes upon. To kill some time they decided to go ahead and pick out Eponine's dress.
Eponine turned around, "It's too frilly. Can't I just have something simple? I don't want to outshine you on your special day."
Cosette rolled her eyes, "Don't worry about that, I want you to look beautiful!"
Eponine smiled, "Thank you Cosette, you are too sweet"
All of a sudden Cosette's phone started ringing, "Hello? Papa?" she paused to listen, "Yes I'll be home soon." she clicked her phone away, "Sorry Eponine, papa needs me to go home. But you can pick out whatever dress you want! Just send me a picture! I'm sure whatever you pick will be splendid!"
Eponine spent the next hour searching for the perfect dress that was simple yet elegant. She smiled when she did find the perfect dress, "Looking for two girls, one's really peppy and happy. The other girl is taller, kind of sarcastic."
"Sir, the first one you are talking about left, the sarcastic one is still in the dressing room, you're welcome to wait for her over there sir."
Enjolras went to the dressing room area and shouted, "Eponine!"
Her head popped out of one of the curtains, "Enj! What are you doing here?"
He laughed, "Suprise! I thought I could treat you and Cosette to lunch."
"Well Cosette left, something about her father wanting her home."
"Then why are of still here?"
She rolled her eyes, "There's a party in the dressing room that I just couldnt miss."
He pointed at her, "See there is the sarcasm I was talking about!" he leaned up against the wall, "So are you trying on a dress?" she nodded, "Well let me see it."
"Hold on let me finish zipping it up and you can be my judge."
He went to the seat directly across from her dressing room. a few moments later Eponine appeared through the green curtains. She was wearing a short red dress with a sweetheart shaped bodice. "You don't like it!" she cried looking at the stunned look plastered on his face.
He shook his head, "No, you look beautiful."
"Well now I can't buy it!" he gave her a puzzled look, "I can't be beautiful! I'm not the one getting married."
"Eponine?" she turned to face him, "No matter what you're wearing, you will always be beautiful." her heart leapt inside of her chest.
"I don't know... Cosette wouldn't like it."
Enjolras rolled his eyes, "Cosette just wants you to wear a dress for once. You could be the one in her wedding dress and she still wouldn't care." Eponine glared at him, "Eponine, buy the dress. If you don't I'll make Cosette buy it and force you into it."
"Fine." she mumbled. "What did you have in mind for lunch?"
"You are always thinking about food." he chuckled.
"You're the one that wanted to treat me for lunch." she shrugged.
After buying the dress they walked to the cafe and sat down at their regular booth, "So how was getting Gav to school today? Hell?"
"I love that kid, but he is so cranky and resistant in the mornings. I can see how you two are related."
She playfully hit his arm, "Im not that bad in the morning!"
He raised his eyebrows, "Really?" she nodded, "Oh my God why did I ever want to teach this early in the morning. Why? I hate my life it's so difficult. Why can't those kids teach themselves?" Enjolras mocked her.
"You would say those things too if you had a job."
"Oh I see, you're going to pull the unemployment card on me aren't you?" She nodded, "Let me just say that I am well employed in finding a matter to protest."
"Sure you are Ras." She giggled, looking up from her plate she saw his blue eyes staring at her, "I like that nickname for you so I'm not changing it"
"I like it..." he murmured, "But you can't use it in front of anyone else." she agreed to his terms of the nickname.
"So what are your plans for this evening?"
"There is supposed to be a protest at the cafe tonight. Me and the boys are going."
"Do you mind if I tag along?" she asked.
He thought about it, the protests the boys were going to attend would no doubt turn into brutal riots. He could not allow his Eponine in any sort of danger, 'She is not my Eponine! Snap out of it Enjolras' He looked up at her, "No. I will not allow it."
She pouted before his hands reached hers, "I'm only thinking about your safety."
"And since when have you been the judgment of my safety? You're only my flatmate! I can take care of myself Antoine Enjolras!"
"That's not what I'm saying! I just care about your well being!"
"And why on earth would you care about that?" she spat.
He stayed silent for a moment, 'oh my god...' she thought. Then the sound of his voice interrupted her thought, "Because you're my friend." he pulled her face to meet him eye to eye, "So can you please just let me protect you?"
"Fine." she mumbled.
"Where did Enjolras go?" Gavroche asked eating his dinner.
"He went out with some of the other boys to fight for human rights!" Eponine told him. "So how was school today?"
He shrugged, "A bit boring. Apparently it's against the rules to eat chocolate during class."
"Where did you get the chocolate from?"
"I pick-pocketed this boy that sat next to me."
"Gavroche!"
"Calm down Eppie! I shared it with him!"
Before continuing her scolding session her cell phone rang, "Hello."
"Hey Eponine, it's Enjolras."
"Yeah, what phone are you using? Did yours die?"
"No I'm in prison."
Eponine jumped out of her seat and ran to her purse to count how much money she had, "Shit! I'm on my way right now, dont worry I am on my way! KEEP CALM!" she yelled
"Why would you do that?" for a guy in jail he was so calm
She stopped and furrowed her brows, "Um... Because that's what friends are for... We bail each other out of jail when we do something stupid."
"For your information Eponine I was put in jail for a very good reason!"
"Then why did you call!?"
"To tell you that me and the boys wouldnt be home for dinner." she growled in frustration, "Don't come and get us we are here for a purpose."
She hung up her phone reluctantly and called Cosette, "Hello!" she chirped.
"Hey Enjolras just called me and said that he and the others are in jail."
"I know Marius just called a while ago and was crying about it."
"Well I'm going to go and bail them out, could you come over and watch Gavroche? He should finish his homework then should be off to bed!"
"Sure I'll be over there in ten minutes!"
As haunted as Eponine was by the jail house, she couldn't let Enjolras and the others be there. That place was too dark for them. She also would risk her exposure if she showed up at the jail house. She risked running into the possibility of meeting anyone on her list. But she knew the employees well, having to make some sort of deal with them about her parents at an early age. She knew Enjolras would give them big trouble and if anyone other than Eponine came then he would be charged at least double the bond.
She marched down to where the boys were, "Eponine? Thenardier? What are you doing down here?"
"I have a couple of friends who got in quite a mess this evening."
"What Parnasse?"
Eponine froze, "No. Not. Him. The loud group of boys."
From inside the guard and Eponine could hear Enjolras, "AND I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS CELL UNTIL THE PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE HEARD!"
"Will you just shut up? We'll never get out of here if you keep yelling that at the guards!" Graintaire shouted back.
The guard turned back to Eponine, "Those your friends?" she bit her lip and nodded, "Well if it was anyone other than you I would not only double the bail but keep them there till morning."
"Oh thank you so much! I promise to keep them all out of trouble." he began to leave, "Um when you get in there... Their benefactor's name is Cosette." he nodded.
A few moments later a fuming Enjolras busted through the door followed by the rest of the group. "I told you not to come down here!" he said.
"I couldn't leave you here. It's not good for anyone."
"Um... Excuse me Eponine?" the guard asked. She nodded, "You gave me double their bail."
"Oh that? Keep Parnasse in there as long as you can. I don't care what he's done. Just tell him his sentence has been prolonged, just keep him out of Paris." Eponine began to walk away from the group, she heard their thanks but didnt respond.
"Joly, I swear that you did not get some prison disease in a matter of hours." Jehan said.
"How do you know? I feel queazy. I've got to Call Chetta." he touched Eponine's shoulder. She went into instant survival mode and threw her hands up to protect herself, "Eponine? You alright?" he asked.
Enjolras came over and helped her up, she was shaking. "I'm scared. I just want to go home." he hailed a cab and waved goodbye to the rest of the group before escorting Eponine home. "I'm sorry, I thought it would be easier going back." she said after they were back inside of the apartment. He was in the kitchen making jasmine tea (something he knew that always calmed her down)
"I'm sorry I don't know what you mean." he said handing her favorite mug to her.
She took a deep breath, "I think I should tell you about my past. What my whole life was like before you and the boys."
AN: thanks again for reviews and follows, etc! It makes my day everytime I see one of those things! I love hearing any sort of feedback so please give me any suggestions!
Me and my boyfriend watched Les Mis last night and I decided to make this a trilogy along with the other couples that I have ideas for so that'll be 9 les mis fanfics for me(woo!)
Anne: thanks! I'm glad you're still following! I hope that you liked this chapter
Lots of love!
T.