Not slaves anymore 1

Fanfic of Les Misérables

Not slaves anymore 1

Enjolras’ POV
“My dear friends.”I started as I took in every single face that had gathered in the small café know as the Musain which we, the Friends of ABC, used as our basis. “Every night that passes brings us closer to freedom. With General Lermarque close to God’s gate, the moment of revolution draws near.”.
A sarcastic sounding laugh reached my ears followed by a muttered ‘idiots’ and it didn’t take long for me to spot the one who had made the sound, since she was the only one not facing. She was wipping the tables, what made me realize she worked here at the café. If it wasn’t for the laugh and comment that had escaped her lips, I would have thought she wasn’t paying attention to my words at all.
“Excuse me, Madame.”I spoke. “Is there anything funny about the revoltion?”. “Not about the revolution no.”she answered, her eyes still fixed on the wooden surface she was scrubbing. “I’m all pro revolution.”. That was the moment she looked up and her dark blue eyes met my own blue ones. “You guys are the funny part.”.
“Enlighten us.”I challanged her, crossing my arms to show her I wasn’t expecting much. The girl shook her head what caused her long brown hair to fall forward and frame her face somewhat. “You guys are with what? Thirty?”she started. “Thirty-nine.”Marius told her. She nodded and bit her lip. “You guys do know that the French army has a thousand soldiers and that only to protect the streets of Paris, right?”.
“If you want to point out we’re outnumbered, we already know that.”I remarked. “That’s why we’ll built barricades. And when the fight starts, the people of France will gather behind us.”. “First of all, never trust on the patriotic feeling of the people of France.”she pointed out. “Because when it comes to it, everyone will protect their own. Why would a father risk his life when he has a wife and children at home? Secondly, barricades won’t last long against cannons and the French army. A barricade is way to easy to take in. They can storm forward all at once. You need a design which forces the soldiers to advance in small groups and that without cannons. Then maybe, and I really stress the word maybe here, you all would make a chance.”.
She was standing about a meter away from me by now, clearly not impressed by the glare I send her way. “But then again...”she said next and tossed the cloth she had used to wipe the tables in a bucket against the wall. “I’m just a girl. What do I know about winning wars? You pretty boys have fun planning to free France. I’m going back to my own harsh reality.”.
We all watched how she walked towards the door but halted in the doorway itself. “You coming Roche?”she asked on which the young boy who was seated on the counter jumped down to follow her. I frowned. How did she know Gavroche?
“You know Enjolras...”Marius spoke when the door of the Musain had closed again. “She has a point.”. “Shut up Marius.”I hissed at my best friend. “I know she does.”.

The evening had fallen about an hour before the meeting was officially over, though I have to admit the blue eyed girl somehow always had found her way back to my thoughts. When I walked out of the café’s door, I spotted Gavroche leaning against a house across the street.
“Hey Gavroche.”I greeted the boy who lived on the streets and because of that knew Paris better than anyone. “Enjolras.”he spoke in return. “That girl from earlier...”I said. “The one that put you in your place in front of all your friends?”the boy asked with a grin as he looked up at me. “Yes, that one.”I admitted slightly annoyed. “You know where I can find her?”.
“I do.”he told me and next held out his hand. “No need for charity. I give you something, you give me something.”. I dug in the pockets of my coat and managed to fish out a franc which I tossed to him. He quickly stuck the coin in one of the pockets inside his shirt before he peeled himself from the wall and started to walk, motioning I had to follow him.
Before I knew it, we were standing in Rue D’Eau, one of the many small streets that would lead to the harbor. “She likes hanging out here around this time of the day.”Gavroche told me. “I’m pretty sure you’ll bump into her here. Ow and by the way... I would keep your hands in your pockets if I were you.”. He ended his comment with a wink before he ran off into the darkness.
Rue D’Eau wasn’t really a good place to hang out at the moment night came. It was known for it’s... Grey and dark events. This was mainly because it was a direct way to the harbor and nothing good ever comes from the harbor. I had walked almost till half the street when the silence got broken by a pair of quick footsteps and I felt how slim fingers tried to glide into my pocket to steal whatever was inside of it.
Without thinking twice, I grabbed the thief’s wrist and pinned him against the wall of the small street we were standing in. Thanks to the light the stars and moon provided, I quickly discoverd it wasn’t a ‘him’ but a ‘her’. The ‘her’ I was looking for. Just now I noticed she was holding a knife in her still free hand which she had aimed at my gut.
“Ow, it’s you.”she remarked her eyes not leaving mine. “Can I have my wrist back or do I have to use my knife before you do so?”. Slowly I released my grip on her wrist and took a step back to give her some more space.
“What are you doing here?”she wanted to know. “The streets of Paris aren’t safe for pretty boys like you at night.”. “I didn’t catch your name back at the café.”I simply said. She looked at me as if I had gone insane before she rolled her eyes. “Evelyn.”she introduced herself. “Though everyone calls me Evi.”. “I’m Enjolras.”I returned the favor. “I know.”she pointed out. “Now go home.”.
She pushed her way passed me. I turned on my heels following where she went. “Why do you hate me so much?”I asked next. The tone she had used in the café had been equal to the one she had used now what meant that I was the trigger and I wanted to know why.
“I don’t hate you, you annoy me.”she spat. “Now go home!”. “No.”I simply answered. “Why do I annoy you?”. She stopped walking and turned around so she was facing me. “Pretty boys.”she said. “Wealthy family, schooled - I even dare to say college. You speak about revolution. One that will give the people of France their rights back. After your words have been spoken you go home, eat a nice meal and then crawl into a warm bed, no worries crossing your mind until the sun rises. But I...”. She shook her head.
“I, as so many, roam the streets to stay warm, eat a mouth full of bread. Most of us sleep on the streets, praying that the cold won’t take away their souls that night. The thing that annoys me about you Enjolras and your friends is that you all seem blind for the fact that you guys are the ones with the rights. I admit, it’s nobel that you want to fight for the ‘scum of the street’ like myself but... Do you really think we will follow a leader who doesn’t know a thing about our lives? You’re not one of us Enjolras. You count on the people to rise the moment the first shot echoes through the air but that won’t happen. As I said before, we protect our own.”.
She turned to leave again, her figure already slowly disappearing in the shadows. “Then show me.”I stated. “Show you what?”she questioned as she glanced over her shoulder. “Your life.”I answered. “Help me understand. Make me understand.”. She stood frozen on her spot for a while before she made her decision. “Fine.”she agreed. “Guess I won’t be roaming the streets alone after all tonight.”.