When We Were Young

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

The next day, I meet with Montparnasse at the market place.

"Hey, Ep, where've you been?"

"Home," I mutter.

I keep looking to the ground. I don't want him to see my face.

"Something up?" he asks me, concern starting to grow in his tone.

"No, no. All's good."

He walks towards me, but I quickly turn away.

"Ep?"

"I'm fine, I just-"

Before I can do anything, he grabs my chin and lifts my face up. He lets out a gasp instantly.

"What happened?"

"I fell," I tell him. "On the, umm, table's corner."

Which is true. Technically.

"You have a black eye, Ep!"

"I'm very much aware."

"What did Monsieur Thénardier say?"

I bite my bottom lip.

"He said I'd be fine," I finally answer.

That, too, is technically true.

"So you fell?" he asks again.

I nod.

"Accidently?"

I hesitate, but end up nodding as well.

"Why are you lying to me?" Montparnasse suddenly lets out.

And the next thing I know, I'm breaking down into sobs in his chest.

"Okay, okay," he tells me, his arms wrapping around my back. "Shh... It'll be fine. I'm going to cheer you up. Come on."

He grabs me by the hand and leads me across the market place.

"Close your eyes," he tells me.

I do as told, though my black eye keeps twitching. I feel his hand leave mine and no less than five seconds later, I hear him scream.

"EP!"

My eyes fly open and spot him instantly, untop of a fruit cart, holding on to some sort of wooden plank.

"This one's for you, Ep!"

Before I have time to stop him from doing whatever he's thinking about, he leaps off of it, right into the freshly stacked apples at the bottom, squishing a good dozen.

"Hey, kid!" the merchant hisses.

But Montparnasse is already long gone. He runs through the crowd, patting butts with his wooden plank as I watch random heads pop up in surprise along the way. I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me smile.

"Can't catch me, random strangers," he chants.

He's running around, passing through some people's legs and jumping over some other people's shoulders, making sure to keep wacking butts as he goes.

"And then the finale!" I hear him shout.

I spot him again at the side of a building, where a dozen flags are hanging on the pillars. Oh no, he is not thinking what I think he is. But of course, yes, he is.

He leaps on a wooden barrel and next thing I know, he is grabbing the first flag and swinging from pillar to pillar. I watch in amazement as he gracefully grabs one flag than another, making his way back to me. Before getting to the last one, he bends down and picks up something from the stand below. One huge jump later and he's back in front of me, a yellow flower between his teeth.

"Ta da," he says, handing me the flower. "Did that cheer you up a bit?"

I nod.

"Great, because now we've got to run!"

I look behind me and see the National Guard walking straight towards us. Ah crap, Montparnasse! He grabs my hand again and soon enough we're disappearing in the shadows of the alleys we know so well.

"I think we lost them," he says, a dozen turns later.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I-"

Oompf! I stumble back, losing grip with Montparnasse's hand as I awkwardly fall to the ground. My vision gets blurry for a second, but it soon comes back to normal.

"Hey, watch it dude!" I hear Montparnasse scream.

And the next thing I know, Montparnasse is leaping onto some guy holding a hell of a lot of books.