Hello everybody!
Don't judge me for this. I woke up at 4:30 this morning (which is better than Friday, when I woke up at 1 and decided to watch Man of Steel while I was writing because reasons which include and are mainly limited to Russell Crowe. Oops…) just to keep writing this.
As much as I'd like to continue, I'm running out of ideas a little bit. Also, I'm impatient and can't wait too long for Éponine and Grantaire to actually get together. Next chapter will be the performance of Macbeth and will result in Grantonine (I don't care, that's what I'm calling this), Mariette, and Enjolras+French history textbook.
Éponine had been questioning what was happening for weeks. Suddenly Enjolras had become one of her closest friends, and Grantaire was avoiding her. Also, she no longer felt a lot of pain when she saw or heard anything from Marius and Cosette about each other.
She missed Grantaire above all things. As impossible as it seemed, she had started to like him in a way she didn't ever think she would. Every day, Éponine thought back to Grantaire's eyes peering over the top of the booth. It was like she could feel him staring at her, or still feel his lips pressing into her brow. What had he meant by that, anyways?
Puzzled, Éponine thought about whom she could ask for help. Enjolras? No. He neither knew nor cared. Azelma? No, she was probably busy. Éponine knew what her best option was, and she didn't like it very much. Trembling, she picked up her phone. "Marius, could you meet me at the coffee shop around 2? Thanks."
Two o'clock came faster than Éponine expected it to. When Marius came and sat next to her, her heart still fluttered, but not nearly as much as it used to. For that matter, not nearly as much as it did when she stood with Grantaire onstage.
"Hey, Éponine! What's up?"
"Marius, there's something I need to ask you."
"What is it, 'Ponine?" Éponine couldn't help but realize that Marius showed genuine concern when he asked. He wasn't perfect, but he was a good friend.
"Marius, I think I might be in love with Grantaire. Only I'm not sure if I should be." Éponine couldn't believe what was happening. Here she was, talking to Marius Pontmercy about the person she loved.
He smiled lovingly. "Éponine, don't question whether you should or should not love someone. If you are questioning whether or not you should be in love, the only thing that can come of that is you falling out of love. I don't wish that on anyone, especially you."
Éponine was completely at a loss for words. Was Marius really giving her this advice? Now she was sure she could tell him anything. "The thing is, I think he likes me, but I can never be sure. I've been really bad at reading people's signs in the past."
"What do you mean, in the past? Has this happened before?" Marius' oblivion would never cease to amaze Éponine. She drew in a quavering breath.
"And then, do you know Monsieur?" She coughed to break the tension. "I believe I was a little bit in love with you." Her eyes turned down to the ground.
Marius blushed, ashamed. She was his best friend, how had he not realized it? He laid his hand on her wrist. "Éponine, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never realized that you had feelings for me until now. How long did this go on?"
Éponine wasn't sure whether or not she should tell the truth, but she did anyway. "Up until I realized I was falling for Grantaire."
Marius could not even look up at her. "Was this before or after you introduced me to Cosette?" he mumbled sheepishly.
"After." They looked away from each other.
"Éponine." Marius took both of her hands. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. Please forgive my ignorance, and tell me. If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, you need only ask."
She squeezed his hands briefly before letting them go. "Marius? Will you and Cosette please come to see Macbeth?"
Marius smiled. "Of course, dear 'Ponine. Why wouldn't we?"
Éponine waited through the entire dress rehearsal. Whoever titled the week before opening night 'hell week' was not joking. Oh well, at least Grantaire was no longer avoiding her. Well, he wasn't quite so distant and cold anyways.
Act five scene nine had also become difficult for Éponine to sit through. Although technically her character was dead by that point, it was hard for her, while thinking in character, to hear the others talking about how they had just killed her husband.
Just as had happened before, Grantaire noticed her detachment from reality and tapped on her shoulder to distract her. "Hey. Can I tell you a secret?"
Éponine's heart raced. "What?"
Grantaire stepped up behind her and whispered in her ear "I'm not actually dead, you know. Macduff forgot to kill me."
Éponine became instantly grateful for the darkness behind the stage which hid an otherwise obvious fact: she was blushing. "May I tell you an even bigger secret, my love?" Grantaire's whole chest shook as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I am not dead either."
Grantaire, in that moment, broke character. Yet he still wanted Éponine to think he hadn't. Thankful that the darkness hid the ecstatic smile that was only for her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes. "Together at last…" he whispered as she clasped his elbows.
"Enj. Deliver a message to Grantaire once he gets back please. 'Ponine"
Enjolras hated this web Éponine and Grantaire had caught him up in. He was going to a performance of a play that wasn't even about France, he hugged Éponine, lied to Grantaire, hell. He lived with Grantaire. What more could those two possibly want?
"This better be good, Jondrette. What should I tell him? -Enj"
"Éponine says we should stop faking it. Total honesty. You tell me when to start."
"Éponine Jondrette, what the hell did you do to him this time?!"
"None of your concern, Whatever-your-first-name-is Enjolras."
Enjolras sighed. "My name is Jacob. Now quit bothering me."
