Chapter 2:
The children of the barricade thought they had more time, more time to spend with the ones they loved. But in a cold reality they would only have one week left.
Grantaire met Josephine late that morning outside of her appartment. "Monsieur Grantaire," she called to him with a sweet smile, "When do we all meet at the cafe?"
"Oh don't you fret my fair lady, Josephine!" He mocked, "I'll get you safely to the cafè and to your sweet Enjolras. When time calls for it!"
"Monsieur Grantaire, you must be mistaken!" She said to him in a derisive tone, "For Enjolras isn't my sweet, I believe you are the sweetest of all Les Amis."
"I do believe you're mocking me now mademoiselle! I'm beyond hurt!" He laughed offering her arm, which she took and on the went on their daily walk.
Once again they were surrounded by silence neither one of them daring to talk. Grantaire knew times like these needed to be cherished it wouldn't be long before he would be taken out of the world, he just knew it. He put on a hard shell in front of everyone seeming as though he didn't care. When in reality he was terrified, terrified mostly of losing Josephine.
This is why you would always find him drinking. To escape from all the worry.
xx
"Grantaire, I do believe it's time to head to the cafè." Josephine called breaking the silence.
"What a shame, I was enjoying our alone time." He sighed heavily.
In the distance was the ABC café getting closer by the second.
Grantaire opened the door of the café, "Ladies first," he said letting her go ahead of him.
"What a gentleman!" She curtsied, running up the stairs.
Enjorlas, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Joly sat around with others as they arrived. Marius followed suit.
Enjorlas' voice broke through the chattering, "Well, Courfeyrac! Do you have all the guns? Joly, Prouvaire! Our time is running short!"
Courfeyrac answered, "Students, workers,everyone! There's a river on the run! Like the flowing of the tide. Paris is coming to our side!"
"Enjolras! At Notre Dame, the sections are prepared!" Combeferre told him. Enjorlas turned to see his dear friend standing by the bar grabbing ahold of a bottle of wine, the Thenadier girl standing next to him.
"Grantaire, put down the bottle! Did we get the guns we need?" Enjolras yelled at him.
Grantaire and Josephine looked towards Enjolras as Grantaire roared, "Give me brandy on my breath. And I'll breathe them all to death!"
Josephine giggled at his response, even though this rebellion was a serious thing Grantaire always had time to joke with Enjolras.
"The time is near- So near it's stirring the blood in their veins. And yet beware!" Enjolras began, "Don't let the wine go to your brain!" He said, with a hard glance to Grantaire, who put the wine bottle to his mouth. "For the army we fight is a dangerous foe with the men and the arms that we never can match. But the National Guard will be harder to catch. We need a sign." He stopped with a look around his companions. "To rally the people, to call them to arms! To bring them in line!"
Josephine looked towards Marius curiously, he hadn't said anything like normal. He looked lost in all his thoughts."Marius, wake up!" Josephine spoke loudly to him, causing him to jump a little, "What's wrong today? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
Grantaire heard Josephine's voice that was like music to his ears call for Marius and he turned to him as well, holding up his wine bottle. "Some wine and say what's going on!"
"A ghost you say? A ghost maybe, she was just like a ghost to me. One minute there then she was gone."
Grantaire sat by his friend pulling Josephine into his lap and sang, "I am agog! I am aghast! Is Marius in love at last? I've never heard him, 'ooh and 'aah!" He cast a glance to the woman he held in his lap ad continued with a hand gesture towards Enjolras, "You talk of battles to be won. And here he comes like Don Juan! It is better than an opera!"
Josephine tried to get up but Grantaire held her there. They started laughing, but Enjolras wasn't thrilled. "It is time for us to decide who we are, do we fight for the right at the opera now?" Enjolras cut in, "Have you asked yourselves what's the price you might pay?" He looked between Grantaire and Marius, this being said caused Grantaire to loosen his grip on Josephine and she allowed herself to take the seat next to him. "Is this simply a game for a rich young boy to play? The colors of the world are changing day by day.
Red- the blood of angry men!
Black- the dark of ages past!
Red- a world about to dawn!
Black- the night that ends at last!"
Marius rose from his chair and turned to Enjolras, "Had you seen her today you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone on a moment of breathless delight." As Marius described his love for this woman, Grantaire looked toward Josephine who smiled at him. "Had you been there today you might also know, how the world: may be changed in just one burst of light. And what was right seems wrong! And what was wrong seems right!"
"Red!" Josephine piped up.
"I feel my soul on fire!"
"Black!" Grantaire sang.
"My world if she's not there!" Then everyone but Enjolras joined, "Red!"
"The color of desire!"
"Black!"
"The color of despair!"
"Marius, you're no longer a child! I do not doubt you mean it well, but now there is a higher call! Who cares about your lonely soul? We strive towards a larger goal, our little lives don't count at all. Red."
"The blood of angry men!"
"Black!"
"The dark of ages past! Red- a world about to dawn!
Black- the night that ends at last!" They all ended.
"Listen! Listen to me!" Gavroche said, no one payed any mind tobtje small boy but Courfeyrac who heard him.
"Listen, everybody!" Courfeyrac yelled causing them all to look.
"General Lamarque is dead."
Enjolras' eyes widened, he knew the time was so close, turning back towards his companions.
