Running

11

Running Eleven

The next morning, Eponine woke up feeling like she was hit by a truck. Memories from the night came flooding back to her mind, and she wanted to crawl under a rock. She was embarrassed, but mostly she was worried. Had she ruined things with Grantaire? She got up, wrapped her robe around her, and went downstairs to put on a kettle of tea. Out of her kitchen window, she could she that Grantaire's car was gone. She assumed he was already at work. She didn't know what to do. She needed to talk to him, but what would she say? Suddenly, she remembered an offer she'd gotten weeks back and decided it might be the time to take it up. After downing her tea and getting ready, doing her best to hide her dark circles, she began her walk to the college's law school.

Half an hour later, she was there, standing outside Enjolras's classroom. She'd gotten the room number from a secretary. He still had a class, so she waited for him to release his students. She didn't have to wait long before the door was flung open and a large group of ambitious looking, young students flooded out. As the last one left, she looked into the classroom to see him rifling through papers and trying to stuff them in his briefcase. She knocked on the open door.

"My office hours are Tuesday and Thursday 2-5," he snapped.

Eponine almost walked away, thinking it was a bad time, but she stepped forward anyway.

"Hi, Enjolras," she said, her hands clasped in front of her.

Enjolras jerked his head up, "Oh Eponine forgive me. I thought you were a student."

"Rough day?" she smiled.

"You could say that. I don't like students with no drive, and half of the class didn't turn in their assignments this week. Please come in."

Eponine could detect the irritation in his voice and imagined a very frustrated Enjolras blessing out his law students.  She stepped inside the room further, her hands still clasped together nervously. Enjolras noticed it then. He looked at her curiously.

"Eponine, is everything alright?"

She looked down at her hands, "You said I could come talk to you if I needed to, and I wanted to know if that offer still stands?"

She heard him move across the room, then his classroom door click shut. She looked up at him and saw worry in his eyes.

"Sit, please. Of course it still stands. What's bothering you?"

They both took their seats at two of the desks.

Here it goes, Eponine thought. She took a deep breath.

"I told Grantaire about my husband and about the abuse. I couldn't go into details though. I wasn't ready to talk about it," she began.

"I knew you did, and I'm glad," he nodded.

She was shocked, "How did you know?"

"I don't want you to be mad, but Grantaire told me and Combeferre. He was really concerned about you, and wanted to know if there was anyway he could help you," Enjolras explained.

Eponine's heart warmed at the thought of him being concerned about her. That was really sweet.

"Oh. I'm not mad. Well, last night, he took me to see the school's performance of Cats and we went to a really nice dinner. Then he brought me back up to the theatre and had me try on all kinds of costumes. I ended up in a Cinderella costume and he ended up in the Prince's costume. Then we danced together for a while. It was one of the most amazing nights of my life. When he brought me home, I told him I was in love with him, and he told me he loved me too. We ended up kissing. Everything was going so well. I never wanted the moment to end. Then all of a sudden, all I could see in my head was Marius and him abusing me. I panicked. I shoved Grant away and screamed for him to stop, a complete basket case. When I came back to reality and realized what I'd done, it only made it worse, and I completely lost it. Next think I knew, he was gone. I'm afraid I've completely messed it up with Grant, and I just don't think I can lose him right now. I don't know what to do," Eponine finished with a sigh.