The Dark of Ages Past-An Enjolras Fanfiction

Chapter 3 I Feel My Soul on Fire

"Have you ever watched a leaf leave a tree? It falls upward first, and then it drifts toward the ground, just as I find myself drifting towards you."

                                                                                        —Beth Kephart

Chapter 3 I Feel My Soul on Fire

Enjolras

"Enjolras!" A voice behind me calls. I turn around; Combeferre, Marius, and Courfeyrac are behind me, trying to match my long strides. I stop to let them catch up. "Where were you this morning?" Combeferre continues once he is beside me. "You missed Biology; Monsieur Hughes is out for blood."

"Sorry." I reply. I start walking again, shortening my steps so they can keep up. "I accidentally slept in." I lie, thinking of the hours I spent on the roof of the building Lissette took me to—a small, usually empty café—this morning, thinking. I woke before the sun and watched itrise from that vantage point, wishing I could get that kind of bird's eye view on my life, on my feelings for Lissette, on what I should do.

Combeferre raises his eyebrows and I know he can tell that I'm lying, but he doesn't say anything. He'll probably ask me about it later, when we are alone. I sigh. Combeferre is a good friend, my best friend besides Lissette, but I just don't want to talk about it. Mybe he wont push too hard.

"Well, we're all getting together at my house tomorrow to study for exams." Marius says. "I'm supplying food and drinks, so just bring your books and your brain."

Courfeyrac puts his hand on my arm. He looks at me with an expression of mock desperation. "Please, Enjolras, if you don't come I'm going to fail history!" he begs.

I laugh. "You missed your calling, Courfeyrac; you should've been an actor." I tease, then nod at Marius. "I'll be there." I glance at the huge clock on the wall of the university's math building. "Now I really have to go or I'll be late for class; I don't need two murderous professors on my tail." I take off into the building, the three of them waving goodbye behind me.

Trust your friends to make you feel better no matter what. I smile.

*****************

Lissette

I settle into the corner of the roof where two sides of the building meet and pull out my sketchbook. I flip through the drawings. Some are in color, some are just black charcoal. I smile; I remember when Enjolras gave me the small black book full of beautifully empty white pages. It was Christmas five years ago. I protested that it was too much, but he insisted. Now I'm glad I ended up accepting it and the art supplies he occasionally brings me. The Sketchbook is my most prided possession. Drawing is my outlet, how I express all the terrible and wonderful things I see every day and convert them into something that I can share with the world to try to find the meaning in all the chaos.

I pick up a piece of charcoal and Starr sketching absentmindedly, staring off into space at the clouds floating slowly through the sky. I don't pay attention to what I'm drawing, just let my hand move on its own. When I look down at the paper my heart skips a beat. Enjolras is sharing up at me, his features jumping off of the page. I take a deep breath and continue drawing. I outline his dark eyes, his angular eyebrows, his soft ecrooked smile. I even add the freckle on his chin and the small lock of brown hair that always curls across hid forehead. When I am finishers it looks so much like him that I can almost hear him laugh. "Why are you staring at me like that?" his eyes ask. I blush.

I wipe the charcoal off of my fingers and reach out hesitantly to stroke the picture. My fingers outline his smooth forehead, his high cheekbones, his full lips. I touch every inch of the drawing, imagining that I feel warm skin under mu fingers instead of paper.

I sigh and close mu eyes. I'm so confused. Enjolras is my best friend; I've known him for so long that I feel like he is a part of me. I've always considered him my brother, but lately....something stirs in the pit of my stomach every time I see him. Sometimes when he meets my eyes my heart stops beating and I can't breathe.

I groan. Things used to be so easy between us, but now....I don't know what I feel.

I close the sketchbook and climb back down to the street. I'm supposed to meet Enjolras at the university when his classes are over and I'm already going to be late even if I run the whole way. I sprint through the streets, savoring the feeling of the wind blowing through my tangled blonde hair.

I am close to the university when I round a corner and bump right into Gavroche. We both fall to the ground. I drop my sketchbook and it falls open upside down on the dirt.

"Sorry, Lissestte, I didn't see you there." the little boy apologizes, standing up and offering me a hand.

"Oh, it was my fault, Gavroche." I protest. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

Gavroche bends down and picks up my sketchbook. He starts to hand it to me but as he does he glances down at it. "Hey!" he exclaims, "That's Enjolras!"

My stomach drops. The book fell open to the page I was just working on. Gavroche is staring at my drawing. "You know Enjolras?" I ask.

"Yeah. He's friends with Courfeyrac; they go to school together."

"Oh."

"Here you go, Madamoiselle." Gavroche hands me the sketchbook. "You're really good." he adds with a grin and a wink before taking off again.

I shake my head. Hopefully Gavroche wont tell Enjolras about the drawing; he'll want to see it and then he'll know just how closely I watch him. I sigh and take off through the streets again, a bit more cautiously than before. Enjolras will be waiting for me. I push my legs harder; no matter how confused I am, I know onething; I'm always happy to see my best friend.