The Changed Girl

3. Agree to Disagree

Chapter Three: Agree to Disagree


"Aloe!" Ephonie smiled as I entered the room above the café again with Gavroche and Courfeyrac. I gave her a small smile as I sat down in the same seat as before and thankfully the blonde man wasn't sitting at that table anymore but was speaking with some others across the room.

"I'm glad you came back," Marius gave me a small smile too.

"I'm sure your loving leader feels differently," I chuckled as I glanced over at the leader again to see him looking at me through narrowed eyes. When I sent him a smile he only returned it with a frown and looked away. "Is he really always like this?"

"He'll warm up over time and treat you civilly." Marius assured me. "He's mainly just upset about what you said."

"I hope he's not expecting an apology," I took a sip from Ephonie's wine bottle while Courfeyrac and Grantaire laughed at my words.

"He probably is but you don't have to give him one." Courfeyrac shook his head in laughter.

"Good," I nodded as I glanced around the room to see that some tables held maps and papers while others had guns that men were cleaning and loading. "So exactly how far are you in these plans of yours? It seems as if you're planning on attacking tonight."

"We're just readying ourselves," Marius looked around to room too. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ephonie watching him with a smile in her eyes. How was Marius so blind to her affection for him? "The time will be here soon and we need to be ready."

"At the end of the day there's another day dawning." Jehan clapped his hand on Marius' shoulder as he got up and headed across the room to where the leader and Combeferre were talking with each other.

"Such a poet!" Courfeyrac pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes which made the others burst into laughter.

"We have a meeting to start." Their laughter died down in an instant at the cold voice. I looked over my shoulder to see the blonde nuisance standing behind me. "You two ladies should be leaving."

"Come on Enjolras!" Gavroche started to beg with him. "Let 'em stay! They want to help us!"

"Yeah Enjolras," Courfeyrac smiled at me from across the table. "They could be helpful!"

"They'll only be distractions." Enjolras shook his head.

"Are you sure that isn't your damaged ego talking?" I grinned as he sent me a glare. "I know for a fact that Ephonie's stayed at these meetings before so why kick the both of us out now unless it's do to me hurting your feelings?"

"Women shouldn't be involved in this." He told me flatly.

"I think that's our decision to make." I pointed out to him as I leaned back in my chair and turned my back to him to see the guys watching our exchange with smiles.

"Just let them stay, they could be helpful," Marius looked his friend in the eyes.

"Yes your friend and a little slut." He scoffed as I felt myself break inside. The room went silent at his words and I didn't know if they were waiting for me to speak or if they were just as stunned as me by his words.

"Come on," Ephonie stood up and took my arm but I stayed in my seat. I couldn't find it in me to get up or to even talk. I hadn't expected him to go that far.

"Go with Phonie," Marius leaned across the now empty seat and rested his hand on my shoulder as he sent a glare at his friend.

"You don't know me." I hissed at Enjolras as I pulled my shoulder from Marius' grasp and got to my feet. I didn't follow Ephonie to the door though, instead I turned and found myself face to face with Enjolras. "You have no right to say a word of me when you don't know who I am! Just because we have different thoughts doesn't mean you can treat me like this! You are no better than I am!"

"Let's go," Courfeyrac wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he pulled me away from Enjolras and out the door with Marius, Ephonie, and Gavroche following behind us. As soon as we were out on the street I tore away from Courfeyrac and picked up a rock to only throw it at a wall in anger.

"Don't let him get to you," Ephonie tried to calm me down.

"He's not usually like that, I'm sorry Aloe." Marius apologized as he and Courfeyrac stood back and watched me with worried eyes.

"It's not your fault," I wiped a few tears from my eyes before they could fall from my eyes. I didn't want to look weak in front of them but I knew I wasn't doing too well with that. "I should go home."

"I can walk you," Ephonie offered.

"No," I shook my head. "Go back upstairs and listen to the meeting, I think I'll visit my Papa tonight. I'll find you tomorrow so you can tell me what they discussed."

"Be safe," she hugged me.

"Just come and find any of us if you find yourself in trouble," Marius offered as he and Ephonie went back into the café with Gavroche while Courfeyrac stayed where he stood.

"May I escort you?" He asked.

"You should go to your meeting," I walked past him and headed towards the house Papa had told me of earlier. I was relieved when I didn't hear him following as I let the tears fall from my eyes and stain my cheeks in the darkening night. It took my nearly twenty minutes of walking before I reached the small house and slipped through the back gate. The garden was alive in the growing moonlight as I knocked on the door. When it opened I was greeted by Papa's warm embrace and I cried into his chest. What was happening to me?