When Tomorrow Comes

Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Courfeyrac was the first to spot Lamarque's funeral procession arrive. The boys were anxious, nervously swaying from side to side, waiting for it to arrive.

Marius shot a glance at Enjolras who nodded back. Marius could see the fire in his eyes. Okay, he was ready. He had forgotten about Eponine and was finally focusing on this urgent matter.

When the procession finally arrived at their level, it was like the street was exploding. Flags were being raised, people were screaming and running everywhere.

"Enjolras, over here!" Courfeyrac shouted from the top of the carriage.

Grabbing Marius' arm, Enjolras pulled him towards the others. Soon they were all side by side.

"This is it," Enjolras shouted.

"Do you hear the people sing now, Enjolras?" Gavroche shouted from a rooftop.

"Yes!" he yelled back. "And they're singing the song of angry men!"

Gavroche smiled, as did all the rest of the boys.

"For freedom!" Combeferre exclaimed.

"And for the citizens of Paris!" Prouvaire added.

"For the people who will not be slaves again!" Feuilly finished.

"The beating of your heart," Marius shouted.

"Shall echoe the beating of the drums," Courfeyrac announced.

"It is the future that we bring when tomorrow comes!" Enjolras let out.

And soon everyone assisting to the funeral procession started to sing their songs. They watched as the people united together. That is, until the first gunshot was heard. And a woman fell to the ground.

"To an innocent woman!" Combeferre raged. "Murderer!"

He lunged towards the soldier and pulled him out of his hiding spot as all hell started to break loose. The students pulled out their weapons as gunshots filled the air.

"Attack!" an officer yelled to his troops.

"To the barricades!" Enjolras counter-attacked.

The students ran through the streets of Paris towards Café Musain, hundreds of soldiers following close behind.

"They're catching up, Enjolras!" Combeferre shouted.

"They won't if we build the barricade!" he replied as they reached the street.

"We need stuff! Anything!" Prouvaire yelled towards the open overhead windows.

"Throw everything you have!" Courfeyrac added.

Furniture starting pouring out the windows. It crashed down in a diabolical symphony of hope and dreams, getting shattered once arrived at the bottom.

"Go get them, boys!" a man yelled, tossing out his kitchen table.

Students ran through Café Musain, grabbing extra guns and ammunition. Piles of furniture were being tossed randomly. Some guys were just running around trying not to get killed by the furniture falling from the sky.

Ten minutes later, a lonely barricade stood strong with a bunch of students hiding behind it. And that's when the soldiers' steps were heard, coming around the corner.

"Hang in there, guys," Enjolras whispered. "This is the time to show them what we're made of."

But the students couldn't help but tremble at the sight of all those soldiers. They were outnumbered, that's for sure.

The soldiers stopped in a perfect harmony as they all raised their guns to point them towards the barricade.

"Who's there?!" the commanding officer yelled.

Enjolras looked at his friends, who all nodded back. They were ready. No time to back away now. He took a deep breath.

"French revolution!" he shouted back.

And the answer was immediate.

"Fire!" the commanding officer told his troops.

Bullets starting pouring down on them from everywhere. Words could not express the rush of adrenaline they were feeling at the moment. Their hands trembled as the first soldiers started to climb the barricade.

But Gavroche was smart. He knew a way to stop all of this. He sneaked under the barricade and carefully made his way to the commanding officer standing nearby. He grabbed his little gun and, creeping up behind him, stuck it right onto the officer's head.

"Tell your mates to back off," Gavroche said, "or you won't see tomorrow."

The officer hesitated.

"You're quite young to be part of a revolution," he told him.

Gavroche couldn't help but watch the waves of soldiers climbing the barricade. The boys were doomed. He nervously pressed the gun harder.

"You have ten seconds," he said. "Tell them to back off or I'll shoot."

"Sir?" a soldier suddenly asked.

He noticed that his commanding officer was standing still, but he couldn't see Gavroche from where he was standing. The officer smiled.

"All's good here, soldier."

The soldier nodded and turned around.

"Okay, little boy," the officer said. "I'll tell my soldiers to back off. But remember this."

He turned around to face Gavroche, who was now holding a trembling gun in between the officer's eyes.

"You can't delay fate, boy," the officer told him. "What must happen will happen. It's just a matter of time before you all join your ancestors."

The commanding officer gently put his hand on Gavroche's gun and lowered it.

"Back!" he yelled to his troops. "Retreat!"

"But, sir!" a soldier protested.

"My orders!" he replied. "Back off, now!"

The soldiers obeyed as the officer looked one last time at Gavroche.

"Go on, little boy," he said. "Go join your troops. But be careful now, there's danger in the streets tonight."

Gavroche nodded hesitantly and suddenly started running towards the barricade, disappearing a few seconds later under a broken piano.

"What was that all about?" a soldier asked.

He was perched on a balcony overhead and had witnessed the whole scene. The commanding officer smiled.

"All boys need to feel like a hero at some point of their life," he let out.