Valerie (An Enjolras Love Story)

Chapter Thirteen

I looked at Enjolras, with wide eyes full of fear as the sound of the marching drew closer to us. Enjolras just squeezed my arm before grabbing a rifle and making his way to the top of the barricade with the others. I grabbed Gavroche as he ran past me, pulling him into a corner in the Musain.

"Valerie! Let me go! I have to help them!" He said trying to pull away from me.

"No Gavroche! You will stay here! I don't want you getting hurt!" I said sternly. Gavroche crossed his arms and began to pout as I crouched down to get to his level. From the corner of the barricade we watched everything unfold in front of us. Enjolras, Marius and the others were crouched down so that they were protected by the barricade as the army came to a halt on the other side.

"Whose there?" A voice shouted. It was quiet for a moment as Enjolras looked over to Marius who was next to him. Enjolras gave him a slight nod

"French Revolution!" He shouted to the firing squad. It got quiet for another moment. I pulled Gavroche to me as I tried to fold myself around him in an attempt to protect him from whatever is coming next.

"Fire!" I heard the captain shout, and a huge explosion of rifles blew through the barricade causing everyone to duck as debris flew through the air. Instantly panic started to settle in. The boys started to fire back hitting a few of the soldiers as they stormed their way to the barricade.

"They're coming over the barricade!" I heard Combeferre shout, as a few soldiers climbed over the barricade. The boys started attaching in any way they could.

"Get back!" Joly shouted as he hugged the wall of the café. I looked down at Gavroche.

"Quickly! Go and hide in the café! Do not come out until I or one of the boys comes to get you!" I instructed the boy as he climbed through one of the broken windows and into the café. I looked around me as the soldiers made their way over the barricade. Marius and Enjolras were right at the top of the barricade defending themselves from the soldiers. Marius took out his musket shooting one in the stomach as Enjolras turned one of the rifles of the soldier back on its owner causing then to fall back down the barricade. I looked around for the musket Enjolras had given me, aiming it like he had taught me, but I froze. I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. I put the gun back in the waist of my skirt and ran to go and help some of the boy who had been wounded. I looked up at the barricade to see Marius climbing back up to the top, with a barrel of gunpowder in his hand.

"MARIUS! NO!" I shouted at him. I stood up from the man I was helping and watched as my best friend was possibly making the biggest mistake of him life. "MARIUS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I shouted loud enough to grab the attention of everyone around me. Marius reached the top and struggled to grab the torch that was stuck into the barricade. During his struggle he didn't notice a soldier right in front of him pointing his rifle right at Marius.

"Marius! Look out!" I shouted, this got the attention of one of the boys who was still fighting on the barricade. The boy rushed over to Marius and pulled the rifle away from Marius just as the soldier pulled the trigger, sending the bullet right into the abdomen of the boy. I watched as the boy fell back down the barricade landing at the bottom.

"Fall back or I blow the barricade!" Marius shouted at the soldiers as he pulled the torch out of the barricade and held it to the barrel, threatening to blow it up. IDIOT! I thought to myself. How could he do this! He was not only risking his life, but the lives of everyone else as well!

"Blow it up and take yourself with it!" The captain answered back to Marius.

"And myself with it!" Marius said moving the torch closer to the barrel.