When We Were Young

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I decided to let Enjolras bring me to his picnic despite my mother's words. On one hand, I felt it wouldn't hurt to let my father wait a bit jail and, on the other hand, I secretly kind of really wanted to go. I owed it to Enjolras. But what I saw when I arrived at the park was not what I could've even come close to imagining.

"Enjolras," I start, amazed. "This is..."

I stop mid-sentence as I see Enjolras is already running towards his set up, arms waving through the air.

"Damn birds!" he yells. "And the ants! God! Get away from the cheese!"

I run after him, laughing, as he grabs a tissue and starts slamming it on the ground.

"This is not for you!" he keeps yelling, obviously furious.

"Enjolras, relax. It's fine."

"No, it's not! This wasn't supposed to happen! This is..."

I put my hand on his arm, stopping it in mid-air. He looks at me, shaking his head.

"I wanted this to be perfect," he lets out under his breath.

"Enjolras," I reply, a huge smile on my face. "You have no idea how this is perfect to me."

And that's the truth. Nobody has ever prepared a meal like this for me, not even my parents. My stomach's already grumbling just at the smell of food. So what if a couple ants marched on the cheese? I once had to eat a half eaten apple by a rat because my mother had kicked me out of the house one night. This picnic is surreal.

"Are you sure?" Enjolras starts.

But I am already sitting down. That shuts him up. He bends over and kneels down on the other side of the red blanket as he starts digging in the basket.

"Okay, so my Mama made us some things to snack on. So we have, yeah, the bread, cheese, some crackers, brioches... Oh, and some salad. Gross. I told her not to make things too healthy!"

And then, right there, a laugh escapes my body. A loud, genuine laugh. Enjolras's head shoots up.

"What?"

"Too healthy? Seriously?"

"I hate vegetables."

"I've never tried any..." I let out, almost a whisper.

Enjolras freezes, his eyes wide. His gaze goes back and forth from the salad and me.

"Never?" he finally replies.

"Nope, not once. Too hard to steal and way too expensive. Plus, no traveller carries vegetables in their suitcase when they check in at the inn."

Enjolras looks back down at his hands before tossing me the salad bowl.

"Well then here you go, Eponine. It's all yours. Not that I mind much."

We start to eat, me making sure I try everything. Enjolras just looks at me and smiles during the whole time.

"What?" I ask him after I finish my last bite. "What are you so happy about?"

"I've never seen anyone eat like that."

"And that's supposed to be a compliment?"

He starts to laugh.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

I shake my head.

"Whatever."

"Oh, before I forget, I have a surprise for you!"

He digs in the picnic and pulls out a small rectangular thing. But as he turns towards me, my eyes light up.

"Marius told me this is the one," Enjolras says, depositing it in front of me.

I look at it, amazed, afraid that if I touch it it will turn to ash. Like the last one.

"You found the book," I let out, almost in a whisper.

"Well, another copy of it, yes. Now make yourself comfy, Eponine. We've got some reading to do!"