The City That We Loved

Mean Boys

The first day back at the university had been weird. Enjolras didn't know exactly why. All he knew was that it felt different than any other first day. He went class, learned things as one would in school, and then was dismissed. Maybe it was the weird looks he was recieving from his fellow students. It took him a while but it clicked.

Oh, so the party they'd been invited to had been a student's party.

Enjolras had beaten Grantaire up in front of the entire school and now he was being shunned for it. That made a bit more sense.

But Enjolras went on through the day. He ignored the looks and the mutters of all the people around him and did what any normal student would do.

Pay attention in class.

When the school day ended, he walked to the cafe, his bag slung over his shoulder. He checked for any messages on his phone.

Nothing.

Guess his friends were shunning him, too. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it or anything but it certainly stung a lot. He walked into the cafe and was happily greeted by his first warm smile of the day.

"Afternoon, M. Enjolras," Madame Hucheloup said.

"Afternoon, madame," Enjolras said with a warm smile back. "How's business today?"

"It's going well," she said. "Are your friends coming today as well?" Enjolras honestly didn't know how to answer this question. He'd stayed at the hospital with Grantaire until visiting hours were over and that had been long past the meeting that had been set to begin. Then he'd just come home and fell asleep on the couch. When he woke up the next morning, Combeferre had already left.

"I'm not sure," Enjolras said. "Were they here last night?"

"They were waiting for you," Mme. Hucheloup said. "But you never showed. M. Combeferre said it was probably because you were at the hospital with M. Grantaire."

"That's exactly what I was doing," Enjolras said. "Well, if any of them show up, let them know I'm in the back room." Mme. Hucheloup nodded and returned to the kitchen. Enjolras walked into the back room, playing flappy bird on the way in.

He sat at a table and continued. Once he got too frustrated with it, he put it away, and got out one of his textbooks and started to do his homework. Everytime he heard a door open, he looked up, hoping to see one of his friends walk through the door but each time there was no luck and he'd just return to his homework.

Enjolras became overwhelmed with relief when Feuilly and Jean Prouvaire walked through the door.

"Hey," Enjolras said, perhaps too eagerly.

"Hi," Feuilly said, quietly. They walked past him to the table in the far corner. It appeared they had simply left their books there the night before. Enjolras sighed and looked down at his textbook. He took a deep breath in and stood up.

"Guys, I really hope it's not like this forever," he said. "I made a mistake and despite what Grantaire says about me all the time, I am human."

Jehan and Feuilly looked at each other, unsure of what to say next.

"But...you beat him," Jehan said. "I've never been more terrified of a human being before in my entire life, Enjolras...I-I just don't know what to say."

"I visited him yesterday," Enjolras said. "To apologize. I stayed with him until visiting hours were over. I tried to apologize but he was too high on morphine to respond or understand."

"And that makes it okay?" Feuilly asked. "Look, Enjolras, we all know you didn't want to hurt him at all. That you don't want to hurt anybody...but sometimes you can be taken over in a wave of anger that we don't quite understand and it's scary." Enjolras put his hand on the table.