The Changed Girl

6. Returning to Hate

Chapter Six: Returning to Hate

My stomach was in knots as I followed Courfeyrac and Gavroche into the room above the café and sat at one of the table with them but not a minute after we sat down Gavroche was off again. We were sitting with Joly and Grantaire while the others were all talking and working on the guns around the room. After a few minutes Courfeyrac went and started working with Enjolras and Combeferre.

"Looks like someone has quite a fancy for you," Grantaire grinned after Courfeyrac was out of earshot.

"You must be drunk," I rolled my eyes. "He's just being polite unlike some people."

"We've known Couf for years," Joly shook his head. "He may be a flirt but he's never acted like this around someone before. He seems to really care for you. If it'd been anyone else to speak out against Enjolras' plans he would have jumped down their throat but he tried to defend you."

"He probably just feels sorry for me," I tried to get him to stop it but as he went to open his mouth Marius came in with a blank expression on his face as we sat down between Grantaire and I.

"What's wrong today?bYou look as if you've seen a ghost." Joly asked Marius as we all just watched him. His expression seemed so familiar but I couldn't place where it was from.

"Some wine and say what's going on!" Grantaire handed him cup of wine but Marius just sat it on the table.

"A ghost you say... a ghost maybe," Marius gave a small smile as I saw a faint blush fill his cheeks. "She was just like a ghost to me. One minute there, and she was gone!

"I am agog! I am aghast! Is Marius in love at last? I have never heard him 'ooh' and 'aah'!" Grantaire looked at his friend in disbelief as Marius kept his eyes on the table. Could he have finally realized his feelings for Ephonie? I watched as Grantaire stood up with a grin on his face as he looked at Enjolras. "You talk of battles to be won but here he comes like Don Ju-an! It's better than an o-per-a!"

"Just ignore him," I whispered to Marius as Enjolras came over and sat across the table from me so he was on Grantaire's other side as he sat back down too.

"It is time for us all to decide who we are..." He glared at Grantaire as he spoke before slowly looking around at the others in the room. "Do we fight for the right to a night at the opera now?Have you asked of yourselves what's the price you might pay? Is it simply a game for rich young boys to play? The color of the world is 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!"

"Had you been there tonight you might know how it feels!" Marius grabbed Enjolras' arm when he went to walk away. I couldn't help but smile at the way Marius was standing up to his cold leader. "To be struck to the bone in a moment of breathless delight! Had you been there tonight you might also have known 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..." Grantaire grinned as he egged his friend on.

"I feel my soul on fire!" Marius smiled as Enjolras just glared at him.

"Black..."

"My world if she's not there..."

"Red..." All the men joined in with Grantaire and I could feel a set of eyes on my back but I didn't turn to see who they belonged to.

"The color of desire!" Marius almost yelled.

"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!" Enjolras spoke in just over a whisper. "Who cares about your lonely soul? We strive toward a larger goal our little lives don't count at all!"

"Red - the blood of angry men!" All the men cheered with Enjolras except for Marius and I who just stood there staring at Enjolras. "Black - the dark of ages past! Red - a world about to dawn! Black - the night that ends at last!"

"Everyone listen!" Courfeyrac called and we all looked to see him standing by the stairs with Gavroche.

"General Lamarque is dead!" Gavroche's words made the room silent as everyone looked to Enjolras for some sort of answer, even I did.

"Lamarque's death is the sign we've awaited!" Enjolras looked over all of our shocked faces as he spoke. "On his funeral day we will call the people to arms! We will light the flames from their candles of mourning! They will come when we call!"

"Marius," I heard Ephonie whisper and I watched as Marius ran over to where she was standing on the stairs.

"Did you find her?" He whispered as I saw the pain in my friend's eyes. Of course, the girl he'd spoken of wasn't her. She didn't answer him before darting down the stairs with him on her tail. I felt so out of place as the men all started to prepare the guns for the funeral tomorrow so I just sat there next to Grantaire as he drank. Every time I looked over at Enjolras though I could feel his hate running off of him. I wondered, is all of that hate really for me?