It's been pouring down with rain all day here, pretty appropriately, so there'll be another chapter later - can't let inspiring weather go to waste!
Disclaimer: If I owned Les Miserables the ending would have been much happier
She hated herself sometimes. Like, actually wanted to scream at herself.
She'd let it all get to her: Marius had been dropping a series of 'really subtle' hints about her going to find Cosette so she went, partly to get out of the café, partly to please Marius, and partly to shut him up.
It wasn't even hard. The funny thing about knowing a fair amount of dodgy people is that you can find out information about someone very quickly – of course, she'd had to ask the right people, who she didn't think would tell her father she was asking. In any case, by 8pm she knew the girl's full name was Cosette Fauchelevent and she lived with her father on Rue Plumet. Other than this, people didn't seem to know much; they kept themselves to themselves, apparently.
She almost laughed at the weather perfectly reflecting her feelings as it started to pour with rain when she got back to the café and relayed what she knew to Marius. His reaction made it almost worth it: he had freaked out and hugged her, shouting 'YOU'RE AMAZING, 'PONINE, WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU?!' (Grantaire's mutter of 'Your own dirty work, probably' earned him a glare. She was too happy that her nickname was back to care about much else at that moment.)
Suddenly, his shouting changed from singing Éponine's praises to 'WE'VE GOT TO GO NOW LET'S GO WE CAN WALK IT'S NOT FAR' and this time, les Amis weren't keeping quiet.
'Have you seen the weather?' (Feuilly)
'Don't be stupid Marius' (Courfeyrac)
'NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR LONELY SOUL' (Enjolras)
'At least wait until it stops raining' (Combeferre)
'You're joking, right?' (Bossuet)
Marius looked a bit put out. 'You're not being very supportive here, guys'
Bahorel started shouting about Éponine's support and how he didn't appreciate it, so Joly cut him off before he could say too much. Keeping his tone as level as he could, he reasoned 'all we're saying is: Éponine's in a t-shirt. She'll catch her death.'
'She never gets ill, she'll be fine!' I never get ill? What?
Courfeyrac exclaimed, incredulous, 'She's been coughing like a chain-smoker for weeks! You're with her the most, how have you missed this?!'
'Everyone gets coughs!' And then they were arguing again. Bahorel, always up for a fight, was being held in his seat by Combeferre, despite the furious looks on both their faces. The rest were just shouting over each other.
Jehan smiled sympathetically at her and offered her a can of Diet Coke, which she took with a grateful smile. Their conversation was covered by the loud arguments as Jehan just said 'You're going to go, aren't you?'
'Yep.'
'In this rain?'
'I like the rain! Also, I honestly just want this whole thing over with and he's not going to stop talking about her until I take him there, is he?'
'Fair point. Are you all right? Generally, I mean, about the whole thing?'
'No. But I will be.'
He took her hand and squeezed it. 'There's something quite poetic about you doing this in the rain.'
'I thought that! What do you call that again?'
'Pathetic fallacy.'
'Hmm. Thanks. Speaking of pathetic…' she let go of Jehan's hand and stood on a chair '…WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!?'
Unsurprisingly, they did.
'I AM A GROWN WOMAN WHO IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF GOING OUT IN THE RAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONCERN BUT I WILL TAKE MARIUS TO THE RUE PLUMET AND YOU WILL ALL STOP ARGUING ABOUT IT. AND BAHOREL, IF YOU EVER TRY AND FIGHT MY BATTLES AGAIN, I WILL FIGHT YOU AND YOU WILL LOSE.' She looked at them all individually, with her fiercest glare on her face. She nearly fell off her perch when she reached Enjolras and he was smirking. Smirking! Like, almost a smile! 'Enjolras?'
'Sorry, just imagining you fighting Bahorel.' Really? YOU were picturing that, of all people? Holy shit, have you developed a sense of humour? Who are you and what have you done with Enjolras?!
'Oh.'
'Also, you realise this whole problem is easily solved if Marius just drives to the Rue Plumet.' Oh. Yeah. That would actually solve the whole thing.
Marius was off again. 'Enjolras, that's genius! I knew I would be able to count on you to be the smartest! I should have thought of it myself, but my world has been changed in a burst of light and what was right seems wrong and –'
'Marius, I really don't care.'
'Oh. Excellent. Right, let's go Éponine.'
The daggers were stabbing her again as he talked all the way there. She'd never felt so smothered in a Ford Fiesta, the air was full of his stupid phrases 'She's burst into my life like the music of angels, the light of the Sun!' 'I feel like something is over and something has scarcely begun!' 'I'm at one with the Gods and heaven is near!'
They pulled into the Rue Plumet and he slowed down so she could see the house numbers.
'Stop here.'
They were there. 55 Rue Plumet.
'Is this it?' He searched her face, his expression one of delight and slight trepidation. Marius parked the car and took the keys out, but didn't move.
This better not have been for nothing. 'You not going to go and see her?'
'Yes. Yes I am, of course… But, 'Ponine…' Her heart jumped at his use of her pet name. '…what if she doesn't like me.'
I can't believe I'm doing this 'Marius, she'll love you. It's impossible not to. You're handsome and kind and smart and funny and… if she doesn't, you're better without her, trust me.' If he doesn't notice your feelings from that, he's even denser than you thought.
'You're right of course, you always are! You always know just what to say, Éponine.' Her heart dropped like a stone again. Of course he hadn't noticed. He never did. He never would.
She just replied softly and sadly, 'go get her, Tiger.' And then he was gone and she was left in the car on her own.