Love Beyond The Barricade

Chapter 3

   Les Amis sit on the barricade together, drinking and laughing. Even though they're soaked with rain, they don't feel cold because of the comforting warmth of friendship wrapping itself around them.

    Grantaire raises his bottle, which is clearly not his first because of the way he veers off balance as he goes to take another sip, nearly falling from the barricade.

"Drink with me to days gone by," he says in a sing-song voice.

   The only situations in which Grantaire addresses everyone are when he wants to rant about the meaninglessness of life and whatnot, so Enjolras cuts him off.

   "Could it be you fear to die? Will the world remember you when you fall? Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie? Oh Grantaire, I know you think these things to yourself, but you are worth so much more than-"

   "Shut up! I will be remembered by no one, I am good for nothing except drinking and deploring the world. Don't you dare lie and tell me otherwise! Enj, this whole revolution was a stupid idea anyway!" Grantaire yells then storms into the café, Corinthe.

   With his head spinning and tears streaming down his cheeks, he runs up to the second floor of the café, slumps down into the darkest corner and curses himself. Why have I done this? Enjolras was only trying to make me feel better, but I just had to go and ruin everything like I always do."

   Grantaire notices several bottles of absinthe and wine lying near him so he grabs them all, and drinks as much as possible, as quickly as possible. He just wants to be rid of the wretched feeling of regret that hangs over him like a storm cloud. As he drinks more and more, time warps and the clock blurs. It isn't known how long Grantaire spends doing this, but soon he's on the brink of passing out. As he slips out of consciousness he thinks to himself: "What if I'll never see Enj again?"

   Meanwhile, Enjolras has an announcement to make:

"Unfortunately, we are likely going to be defeated in the next attack, so if any of you would like to leave now, then do."

   Les Amis go quiet and think for a moment, then Gavroche speaks up:

"None of us are leaving, we'll all fight as hard as we can for the cause and if that means death, then we're ok with that."

'What the heck??? You're way too young to be here and should really leave now," Enjolras replies.

"No way, your a boring bich and I am 12, " Gavroche says before he skkrt skkrts out of sight.*

   Les Amis chat lightheartedly, enjoying talking to each other because this might be the last time they do.

   "So what books have you been reading as of late?" Courferyac asks Combferre.

   Courferyac isn't interested in books, but he knows how much Combferre loves to talk about them and asks him just to see his eyes light up.

   "Well I just finished 'Le Rouge et le Noir' by Stendhal, it was great, the satirical analysis of the French social structure under the Bourbon Restoration was very intriguing. There was a particularly interesting storyline about the protagonist's relationship with another man's wife and I feel that it displayed the conflict between the brain and heart quite well."*

"Would you ever go for someone else's partner?" asks Courferyac.

"No I don't think so, I'm not that kind of guy, I mean unless this person is my soulmate, then maybe," responds Combferre.

"Do tell, what does it say on your wrist?"

"It just says 'Vive-'"

   Now they're thinking of their impending doom again, the specific topic they were trying to avoid. So Courferyac switches the topic back to Combeferre's reading.