Les Miserables: The Flame That Never Dies

Chapter 13

{Éponine}

Gabrielle and Courfeyrac were obviously in love. They kept laughing, blushing, and talking to each other. They never stopped holding hands either.

I looked at Enjolras, listening intently to anything and everything he was saying. Maybe I was starting to love him as much as I had loved Marius. Or did love Marius. I pushed the thought aside. That was all too confusing to try and sort out right now.

Enjolras looked over at something in the distance then smiled and said something to me. In all honesty, I can't even remember what he said. I just smiled and nodded like an idiot.

We reached the cafe and I looked over to Gabrielle. She was smiling at Courfeyrac and laughing. She was obviously in love with him. Would she care if I liked Enjolras?

{Gabrielle}

Enjolras was sitting right in front of me and Éponine was close beside him. I was sitting in between Courfeyrac and Grantaire. Cosette and Marius sat to the right of Courfeyrac. Combeferre, Joly, and Jehan sat on the other side of Enjolras. We were at a long table, near the back wall of some small cafe. I had my hand in Courfeyrac's. Our hands were resting on my leg, on top of my knee. I kept my eyes locked on our hands, trying to avoid any awkward eye contact with anyone.

"Told you you'd come to lunch," Grantaire whispered to me.

"Oh you shut up!" I said back. I didn't whisper as he had and a few people looked over to us. I gently hit him on the shoulder. I was laughing. He threw his hands back defensively, grinning widely.

He leaned over towards me whispering again and said, "So what are you doing after this insanely awkward lunch?" I just sighed and shrugged my shoulders, releasing Courfeyrac's hand in the process. "Would you want to go somewhere with me?" he whispered.

"Where do you have in mind?" I whispered back to him suspiciously. He had asked it in such a manner it sounded like he had been trying to figure out a casual way to ask it for quite a while.

He shrugged his shoulders, a smirk plain on his face. "It'll be a surprise."

"Alright," I say nodding my head.

"What is it?" Courfeyrac whispered beside me. I quickly turn towards Courfeyrac to see he's studying me curiously.

"Oh, Grantaire and I will be going somewhere after lunch," I say shrugging it off; trying to make it seem as if it's not a big deal. I don't even know how, but all of a sudden I remember something. "Wait a second," I say.

"What is it?" Courfeyrac asks again, but for a different reason this time. I could see a few curious and uneasy glances thrown my way. I ignored them- the majority of them coming from Enjolras and Grantaire. I quickly turned to look at Enjolras in front of me.

"Enjolras, you and Combeferre came into class together right?" I quickly asked. Grantaire nodded once as he sank to the back of his chair, realizing what I had discovered most likely. Courfeyrac was looking at me confused- and hurt possibly? Enjolras looked quizzically to Grantaire, then to me.

"Yes," he replied slowly. He had a tone of confusion in his voice. He was puzzled as to why I was asking I assumed. I didn't address it.

"Did Grantaire talk to Combeferre today?" I asked. Grantaire sighed by my side. Courfeyrac nodded, pursing his lips and looking down to the table. Everyone aside from the three of us and a nosy Éponine seemed to be having a normal, calm conversation. Enjolras glanced uneasily at Grantaire. "Don't look at him; just answer," I say. He raises his eyebrows then quickly shakes his head once. So Grantaire had lied. I turned towards Grantaire who was slumped back in his chair and looking only at the table. His mouth carved into a slight frown.