Here you go, another chapter! Probably the last one I will be posting at the age of seventeen, as I really don't feel like writing more tonight, and won't have any chance to write more until Sunday, and my birthday is Saturday, so... Yeah. Hope you like it!
Chapter 9
Eponine felt aware of every eye on her as she walked down the street with Enjolras. The dress was too frilly, too lacy, too poofy! It was just too much, period. She found herself desperately longing for her old clothes, even if they were ragged, torn, dirty, and basically not good for anything anymore. At least people didn't stare at her quite so much when she wore them.
"Calm down, you look fine," Enjolras muttered as they approached the door.
"You're a man, you don't understand," she hissed in response.
"You're right, I don't, I actually think that you're being a bit ridiculous," Enjolras replied. "Now come one, let's just go inside. I told you that you can see Musichetta later and get new clothes. But for now, you're just going to have to deal with it."
Eponine scowled, but didn't say anything else. They were both stubborn, and the argument would probably last forever if she did, and she was pretty sure that, being a man, he would never understand what the problem was.
"Eponine!" Grantaire yelled drunkenly as she walked through the café door with Enjolras. "You actually look like a girl for once!"
Eponine's eyes flashed with anger. "I can still knock you out with a single blow though!" she snapped back without a single moment's hesitation. That shut Grantaire right up, until he saw Enjolras with her.
"Wait, don't tell me: You and Enjolras are actually together! Aha! I knew it!"
Eponine scowled and rolled her eyes. "What did I just tell you Grantaire?"
"Who cares!" the drunk replied cheerfully, raising his bottle over his head. "You got his attention away from Patria! This calls for a celebration!"
"Shut up wine-cask," Enjolras replied before Eponine could make another biting remark. "Yes, 'Ponine and I are together now, but that is no reason for you to practically drown yourself with your stupid alcohol."
At that, the rest of Les Amis turned their astounded gazes on their leader and Eponine.
"So Grantaire is actually right and not more drunk than usual?" Courfeyrac asked, raising an eyebrow.
Eponine snorted. "Probably both. I don't think I've ever seen Grantaire so drunk before noon."
Marius chose that exact moment to walk in. "I've told Enjolras and Eponine this already, but now I want to tell the rest of you!" he announced, ignoring the fact that no one was paying any attention to him. "Cosette and I are engaged!"
"Shut up, Marius, there's bigger news here already," Courfeyrac replied.
"What could be better than that?" Marius asked, looking rather confused.
"Pony and Enjy are together," Grantaire replied, trying to walk over to Marius but falling on his face instead.
"For the hundredth time Grantaire, do not call me that!" Eponine snapped at the drunk while Enjolras scowled and rolled his eyes before going to help his friend get off the floor. Marius, however, looked like he was about to pass out.
"What? 'Ponine… Enj… What?" Marius spluttered, swaying slightly in his shock. "How… When… What?"
Enjolras looked up at him and simply rolled his eyes again before continuing to try to get Grantaire to wake up, as the drunk had passed out upon hitting the floor. Everyone else was looking at Eponine and Marius, waiting for some sort of reaction.
"We're together. Yesterday. We kissed. You're an idiot. End of story," Eponine replied without a moment's hesitation. Marius seemed hardly able to comprehend her.
"I don't believe this. This is some sort of practical joke. You with Enjolras, and wearing that? Nice one guys. I'm going for a walk," Marius said after a moment. Well, that certainly proved to be the last thing he should have said.
"Excuse me?" It was one thing to have Eponine yelling at you, but for her voice to be so deadly calm was another thing altogether. It was far more terrifying, and when Marius turned around to see a deadly expression that matched her voice perfectly, he found himself nearly fearing for his life. No one crossed a Thenardier, even if it was Eponine. "First off, the dress is not my fault, and it is the last thing I wanted to wear – no offense, Joly, but were the lace and frills necessary? Secondly, what's so hard about the whole thing to believe? That I'm actually happy and in a relationship with someone, or is it that that someone is Enjolras, the Marble Statue with no emotions – sorry Enj, but everyone thought that for ages."
"Really, no emotions at all?" Joly had been too startled to comment about the dress, and, after seeing her in it, had decided a split second later the whole thing had been a mistake, so he wasn't offended at all, but the no emotions comment had gotten to Enjolras.
"Sorry, Enjolras, but it is true," Courfeyrac replied, as Eponine had clearly ignored him. She was too busy glaring rather intimidatingly at Marius.
"Well, kind of both, and really, the dress is actually rather pretty on you- you actually look like a girl!" Marius stuttered, only to find himself lying on his back seeing stars a split second after Eponine's fist connected with his face.
"I can't believe that all these years I've been best friends with a complete idiot!" she yelled as he tried to sit up.
"Does the fact that I have no idea what I said to set you off help?" Marius asked, making Eponine glare at him again. He flinched involuntarily.
"I really doubt that," Combeferre said, answering for Eponine, who was seething with fury.
Enjolras sighed. "And you all said I know nothing about women," he commented.
"Can you blame us? Up until now you've been completely indifferent to them!" Courfeyrac replied.
"And I'm beginning to wonder if it was with good reason," Joly whimpered as Eponine continued to shriek at Marius. "Thank God Musichetta isn't like that."
"Speaking of which," Enjolras said, "maybe I should have left Eponine with Musichetta instead of bringing her there later."
"That might have been a good idea," Combeferre commented. "I'm not sure how much longer Marius is going to last. Sure he's been annoying by rambling about Cosette nonstop, but he doesn't deserve to be killed."
"I'm not rescuing him," Courfeyrac said with a smirk. "And if you ask me, he did have it coming. You, Enjolras, are very lucky."
Enjolras sighed and rolled his eyes. "I doubt that we'll accomplish anything while Eponine is busy screaming at Marius. I'll bring her to Musichetta now." He walked over and grabbed Eponine's wrist just in time to stop her from slamming the book over Marius' head. "Come on, Eponine, let's go introduce you to Musichetta. You can spend the day getting new clothes with her," he said calmly.
"Fine. If it gets me away from him," she glared rather viciously at Marius, who was cowering slightly.
"Don't worry, I'll talk to him later," Enjolras promised. "For now, though, let's go."
Eponine nodded, and followed Enjolras out of the café. Within ten minutes, they had arrived at a shop, and Enjolras was leading her in.
"Musichetta?" he called.
"Is that you, Enjolras?" replied a woman's voice. The voice reminded Eponine of a bird; musical, but not airy and lofty like Cosette's. "I wasn't expecting you until later!"
A moment later, the speaker appeared. She was slender with coppery, silky hair that fell down her back in gentle waves, and her eyes were bright green and curious. Eponine decided instantly that she was very pretty, and could see why Joly liked her so much.
"We had some issues with Marius," Enjolras replied carefully, and Musichetta nodded understandingly, although she was looking at Eponine through narrowed eyes.
Great, she views me as a street rat already. Why did Enjolras have to bring me here? I'd rather deal with Marius!
"Eponine, this is Musichetta. I'll be back in a few hours," Enjolras told her before turning to walk away.
"It's nice to meet you at last, Eponine," Musichetta said as he walked away before scowling. "Light blue and all that lace on you? Good grief, what was Joly thinking! Based on what he told me of your personality, no wonder you had issues with Marius! The one time I met him, I was instantly convinced that he was a blinking idiot! No doubt he took one look at you and said something ridiculous!"
Eponine was startled. Musichetta had been narrowing her eyes at her… because of the lace and frills, not because of where she was from? She decided it would be best to respond. "He actually flat out said 'Eponine, you actually look like a girl'. And Grantaire said the same thing he did, too!"
Musichetta's jaw dropped. "He said that? What a moron! That is no way to speak to any girl, regardless of what they normally wear or where they are from! All women are ladies, and deserve to be addressed as such!"
Eponine grinned. "You sound like Enjolras."
Musichetta grinned. "We were childhood friends. We came from the same village, and he was always going on about equal rights. The last time I saw him was when we were about eight, and then we came across each other about two years ago, and he insisted on introducing me to his friends. Joly and I hit it off right away."
Eponine smiled. "I remember Joly mentioning you rather frequently. I wonder why he never offered to introduce us?"
Musichetta shrugged. "Who knows? Men can be very empty-headed at times, even Enjolras! Now come on, let's get you some decent clothes that look nice and reflect your personality. On your typical frilly bourgeois girl, that dress might look decent, but on you, someone who is stubborn and brave, it looks ridiculous."
Eponine laughed and went with Musichetta in search of material. "That's exactly what I told Enjolras!"
Musichetta grinned at her. "See, I told you so! Men are clueless sometimes!"
The two young women smiled at each other happily. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
*Edit* The fight between Marius and Eponine is based off of personal experience. Seriously, Les Amis and Eponine in this chapter were just like how me and my friends normally are :/