When Stars Align || G. Lafayette

Chapter 2

"Actually, you do not 'ave one at all," I stood up. "Mulligan, thank you for the drink, but I don't think I'll be accepting another any time soon," I said callously before walking away.

I shook my head at the behavior of the men. But what was I expecting? I exited the bar full of rowdy men and walked down the dirt road back to my barracks. I hoped that whoever else was living in the small room with me would not be as intolerable.

I sat down on my bed, which my roommates had left for me, unfortunately, in the middle of the room. There would be two people on either side of me. I pulled out my journal for the third time that day, and tried to escape in my art. I drew everything from home, from the beautiful fields to the old oak tree that I loved to climb. I lost track of the time while I drew in every last detail, and fell asleep with my journal laid on my chest.

"Well what do we have here?" a familiar booming voice that I could not quite place roused me from my sleep. I didn't move as I regained consciousness and I heard several people enter the room.

"S'il vous plaît, she is asleep," another man with a thick French accent chided him.

"What is this?" another familiar voice asked, just above my head. I felt a finger brush my shoulder as the journal I had fallen asleep with was lifted off of me. I snapped upwards and caught his wrist.

"Put it down," I said with venom in my voice as I looked into the man's surprised face.

"You." I narrowed my eyes, full of hatred as I realized who it was. Freckles from the bar.

"So you're awake," he said with a smirk and realeased my book. I caught it moments before it hit the dusty wooden floor. I sat back up to see that it was not only him, but all four of the men who I had met.

"Please tell me that all of you are in ze wrong place," I asked slowly.

"Nope," Mulligan said as he sat down on his bed. I sighed in disgust and stood up to leave.

"Where ya going?" Freckles yelled after me as I walked out. I wasn't even sure. But I needed to get away from them.

I walked out of the small cabin, journal in hand, and just sat against the side wall. I huffed, releasing a cloud of warm breath that was visible in the brisk night air. Would this really be how I would spend my time in the revolution? Avoiding obnoxious men who think they have a chance with me was not high on my list of priorities. But now I lived with four of them.

I heard a creak as the door opened on its rusty hinges and I winced. I hoped desperately that he wouldn't see me here.

"What are you doing out 'ere, mon amour?" the Frenchman asked.

"I am not your love," I replied coldly to his casual use of the term.

"Mes excuses," he replied, making me roll my eyes, "but what is your name?"

"That is not your business."

"Would you like to come inside? It is freezing out 'ere," he offered me his hand to stand up and I laughed humorlessly.

"I do not plan on going back in there anytime soon," I decided and he sighed.

"I apologize for my friend's behaviors, they can seem a bit," he considered for a moment, "awful at first." I sighed as we heard a tinkle of shattered glass come from the room behind us.

"I promise that they are not like that usually," he said.

"You 'ave not experienced disrespect from men in the same way," I said flatly.