The Changed Girl

7. Night of Planning

Chapter Seven: Night of Planning

"Would you like me to escort you home?" I looked up to see Courfeyrac looking down at me with a soft smile.

"That would be very nice," I nodded as I got up to my feet. My whole body ached and I noticed that most of the men were gone now except for Enjolras, Combeferre, and Marius who must have come back after I'd dozed off and then there was Grantaire passed out drunk at a table.

"Be back here by seven!" Enjolras called after Courfeyrac as we headed down the stairs and out into the dark and empty streets.

"What time is it?" I yawned as I placed my hand on the crook of his arm as we headed towards my flat.

"Nearly two," he informed me with a yawn of his own. "There was a lot to be planned for tomorrow."

"When did Marius come back?" I gazed up at the star filled sky as I thought of the pain that had filled Ephonie's eyes.

"Around midnight, he said that he'd fight with us but I'm not sure if he's really into it anymore." He frowned. "I can understand why he's hesitant but I don't understand why he seemed to come back a different man altogether."

"How do you understand his hesitancy?" I raised a brow at him as I thought back to Grantaire and Joly's words earlier.

"Pontmercy isn't the only one who can have a fancy you know?" He chuckled but I could tell that it was weak.

"The famous flirt having serious feelings for someone?" I stopped walking and looked at him as I started to grow nervous. "Have you told this special girl how you feel yet?"

"No," he looked up at the sky. "I'm not sure if I want to tell her though. She seems so happy without me telling her and I might be dead in a few days. Why would I want to start something between us when it could end in just a matter of a day?"

"Everyone deserves to have love, even if it is just for a short time." I almost whispered as he looked back at me with soft eyes. "I should get home and so should you. You'll need as much rest as you can get for tomorrow."

"Be safe Aloe," he surprised me by pulling me into a hug. "Stay away from the barricades."

"Don't get yourself killed," I whispered as I fought back tears. I kissed him lightly on the cheek before hurrying down the street to my flat. I shut the door as tightly as I could and turned around to see Ephonie sitting there crying on the floor as she wrapped a cloth around her chest.

"Ephonie, what's wrong?" I hurried over to her side.

"He loves her and she loves him," she choked out between cries. "I've been there for him for all this time but he chooses her after just meeting her!"

"What are you doing?" I watched as she kept wrapping her chest with the cloth.

"I'm going to fight." She tucked the end of the cloth in before pulling out a set of mens' clothes from my trunk that I'd found a few months ago and kept in case of an emergency. "I'm going to the barricades and I'm going to make sure he doesn't die. The girl's leaving for England tonight so I might have a chance if he lives."

"You can't go in there!" I tore the shirt away from her. "I'm not going to let you get yourself killed!"

"What if it were someone you loved?" She asked and right away I thought of Courfeyrac. I don't know why though, sure he was sweet and nice to me but I'd only known him for two days. How could I be in love with someone I don't even know? "Would you just sit back and watch them die, knowing you could have tried to save them?"

"No," I admitted as I pulled another set of clothes and pulled off my dress. "Help me tie myself down."

"What?" Her eyes were wide as I started to use some torn cloth to tie down my own chest.

"I'm not going to let you go in their alone," I told her as she helped me with the cloth. "If one of us is going in then we both are and we'll come out of it all alive with Marius."

"Thank you," she gave me a small smile as we finished tying my chest down and we pulled on the pants and shirts and finished with shoes while she pulled her hair up into a hat. I just stared at my long blonde hair.

"You need to pull that up into a hat!" Ephonie threw the second hat at me but I didn't pick it up.

"No," I shook my head as I pulled my knife out of the trunk and started to saw off my hair with the dull blade.

"What are you doing?" She watched in with wide eyes as I continued to cut my hair until it was the same length as Marius' if not shorter.

"It wouldn't all fit in a hat," I told her the truth. "It's better for me to cut it. Now we should get some sleep, they're meeting at the café in a few hours."

"Okay," she gave me a weak nod as we both laid down on my mattress but I knew that neither of us were going to get any sleep. I knew that she was lying next to me thinking of Marius and the mystery girl that'd stolen his heart and I thought of Courfeyrac. I knew that I needed to protect him.