The Beating of Your Heart

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

MY HEAD IS BUZZING.

You know, like actually buzzing. I'm sort of disoriented. I'm having trouble distinguishing the yelling from the gunshots. Actually, it's a miracle I haven't shot one of the boys yet.

"They're everywhere!" Joly yells, firing in the mass of soldiers that are starting to climb over the barricade.

In this moment, I'm sort of glad that Gavroche is not here to see this. Students are falling one by one. There are too many soldiers. We won't make it.

"Enjolras!"

I snap back to reality as I see Marius standing in front of me, shaking me by my shoulders. It takes a couple of seconds to get him into focus.

"Enjolras, now's not the time to black out on us!"

"I'm... I wasn't."

"Well dazed isn't better, come on!"

He grabs me by the jacket and pulls me behind a pillar. He puts his hand right in front of my face and starts snapping his fingers.

"Hello. Wake up."

I grab his hand and slam it down, a little bit frustrated.

"I'm fine," I snap.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to your face."

"Marius, I just doomed us all."

Marius stares at me wide-eyed for a moment, but instantly shakes his head.

"No. No, you can't give up."

"What's the use? They're like one billion and we're what? Ten, maybe fifteen?"

"We don't need to be more than them, we just need to be smarter."

I look back towards the barricade and sigh.

"I can't," I let out.

"Just think, Enjolras!"

"I can't think straight right now, Marius! Can't you see that all of our friends are dying? Because of me, Marius. It's all because of me!"

I grab my gun and throw it towards the wall, panting.

"I'm going to rot in hell," I mutter.

A group of boys suddenly arrive next to us, panting. I recognize them all. Bahorel, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Feuilly, Grantaire, Joly, and Prouvaire. A rush of relief washes over me. My close friends are alive. I know that it's selfish, but everyone's a little bit selfish. We're the human race, after all.

"Combeferre just thought of the most brilliant plan," Courfeyrac exclaims. "All the boys agree."

"Well, what is it?" Marius asks.

"When Feuilly and Bahorel went out to get the weapons, they made sure to be seen going into Café Musain to stash them."

"We got the last of them," Bahorel lets out. "And since the National Guard saw us going in there, my guess is that they'll try to steal them from us, or at least make sure that we won't be able to get to them."

"And so we all came here as we saw some of them climbing the rooftops to infiltrate Café Musain."

"It won't be long now," Combeferre adds. "As soon as a lot of them are in there, we'll sneak in through the back and open fire. They'll be stuck in there. They won't be able to run."

"Enjolras, what do you think?"

All eyes turn on me, but my mouth has gone dry.

"Enjolras?" Grantaire asks.

"Café Musain," I stutter. "They're going in Café Musain?"

"Well, yes, thanks for listening," Combeferre sighs.

"And, umm..." I clear my throat. "They're there now?"

"Infiltrating it as we speak."

I don't know what clicked in my brain, but before I know it, I'm grabbing my gun, running towards Café Musain before the boys can restrain me, yelling one single name.

"Eponine!"