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<title>Way Back When</title>
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<font face="comic sans ms"><font size="+2"><b><u><center>WAY BACK WHEN</center></u></b></font>
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I’M USED TO WRITING IN SCRIPT FORM, BUT THIS ISN’T A SCRIPT, SO, IF IT SUCKS, I’M SORRY. SO, PLEASE, TO EVERYONE OUT THERE, BEAR WITH ME. IN THIS FIC, THE GANG IS IN HIGH SCHOOL. UNLIKE THE SHOW, IN MY VERSION, THEY ALL ATTENDED LINCOLN HIGH. OKAY, ON WITH THE FIC.
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<br><br>
Rachel smiled at her reflection in the mirror. In a few minutes, her latest boyfriend, Steve, would arrive to pick her up for their first day of school. Steve was a senior, but Rachel was only a freshman.
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She couldn’t wait to see her friends. It felt like years since she had seen them, even though they had all attended a back-to-school party together only a week before. She pushed a stray piece of hair into place as she heard the horn of Steve’s car. With one more quick glance, she grabbed her notebook and ran out the front door.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Phoebe couldn’t believe it. If that foster family hadn’t taken her in three years ago, she wouldn’t have the wonderful life she had now. She missed her mother, and wondered about the whereabouts of her father, but she knew it: this was the life. She had the best friends in the world, and the greatest boyfriend, who was also her best friend. She was so lucky. If only her twin sister, Ursula, weren’t there too. She knew that her foster parents loved her, but they weren’t too fond of her sister. One night, she even heard them whispering about throwing Ursula out. But she didn’t have much time to think about it. With the honk of a car horn, she ran out to greet her boyfriend.
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<center>********************************************</center>
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Monica self-consciously gave her reflection one more worried glance. She wasn’t sure about her new look. Sure, she was thinner, but she didn’t know what that would mean. More friends? Maybe. Popularity? Possibly. A boyfriend? She hoped so. She was about to change her outfit for the third time that morning, when she heard her brother call her name.
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“What?” she replied.
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“If you want a ride to school, then get your skinny butt down here!” he yelled.
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“Skinny butt…” she giggled. “Yeah, it is!”
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<center>********************************************</center>
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As his alarm clock went off, Joey rolled over and smacked it until it stopped beeping. He got up and went to his closet. He picked out what he thought would be cool attire this year. He, after all, had an image to maintain. As the most popular guy in school, he was supposed to keep up with the latest trends. Unfortunately, he had been grounded for the last month, and hadn’t been able to watch TV or to go out to see what was the “in” thing lately. Did his mother even know what she was doing to his social life?
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Ross waited patiently for ten minutes for his sister to come downstairs. He was tired of waiting for her. Ever since she lost weight, all she did was stare at herself in the mirror. Not that he could blame her; she did look much prettier now than she did before. As he began to grow impatient, he called upstairs, “Monica?”
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“What?” she replied.
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“If you want a ride to school, then get your skinny butt down here!” he shouted.
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A few minutes later, she joined him. They walked out to his car and headed for school.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Chandler couldn’t wait to get to school. He wanted to see his friends. They helped him escape from the reality of his home life. He knew that things could be worse, but he didn’t care. He didn’t like his situation, period. He hoped his girlfriend would still care about him. It had been a long summer apart, and even though they were close and saw each other a lot, nothing compared to seeing each other every day. He got dressed, got in his car, and went to pick her up.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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As Rachel and Steve entered the school, arm in arm, everyone smiled at them. Rachel was popular, and because Steve was her boyfriend, he was too. Everyone knew who they were. They continued to walk down the hall until something bumped into them. Rachel tore her eyes away from Steve long enough to see who it was. She immediately wished she hadn’t bothered. It was the person she hated the most. She almost growled with anger. When the person looked up to see Rachel, her expression was matched.
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“Rachel,” the person growled.
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“Monica,” Rachel growled, just as angrily back.
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Rachel and Steve started to walk off and as they did, Rachel purposely bumped into Monica.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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As Chandler put his arm around his girlfriend, he smiled, glad to be in the familiar halls that greeted him. He was so happy to be away from home that he felt like singing. As he walked her to her locker, he greeted his best friend, Ross. Ross’s little sister was best friends with his girlfriend, which was how they had met. The four were a very tight-nit little group. As Monica approached, she smiled at the sight of her friends.
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“Hey, Chandler,” she greeted her brother’s best friend. “Hey, Pheebs.” (Author’s Note: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Chandler and Phoebe? It scares me too. I just thought it would be an interesting way to go.)
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“Hey Mon,” Chandler and Phoebe answered in unison.
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“How was your summer?” Ross asked.
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“Fine,” Chandler and Phoebe answered in unison.
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Just then, the warning bell rang.
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“Okay, we gotta go. Come on, sweetie, I’ll walk you to class,” Chandler told Phoebe.
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“’Kay. But, uh… it’s just right here. So, bye, sweetie,” she told him.
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They shared a quick kiss, then Chandler and Ross left to go to their first class, as Monica and Phoebe went into the English room.
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“You won’t believe who I ran into this morning!” Monica said.
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“Who?” Phoebe asked.
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“Rachel,” Monica said with a fair amount of disgust, just as she turned around and noticed the pretty, popular, cheerleader standing behind her.
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Monica blushed and quickly ran to a seat in the back of the room next to Phoebe.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Joey sauntered into the school, relieved to see that what he had chosen to wear was at least circa that week. He greeted all his friends. That’s when he spotted her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. He had never seen her before today, but her knew he had to have her. She had to be his girlfriend. He started to approach her, but Rachel and Steve interrupted his thoughts.
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“Hey, Joey,” Rachel said.
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“Hey, Rach. Hey Steve,” Joey replied, still unable to keep his eyes off the mystery girl.
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Rachel turned to see where he was looking. She couldn’t believe that her best friend was staring at Monica. She didn’t like this. It was not a good thing. She wanted to say something to stop him, but the warning bell rang and Joey and Steve left to go to their classes. She headed off towards her first class, English, praying that Monica wouldn’t be there.
<br><br>
As she spotted Monica in front of her, she sighed. Well, some prayers just don’t get answered, do they? She thought bitterly as she heard Monica say her name so disgustedly. But if she were saying Monica’s, her tone would be just the same.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
At lunch, Monica, Ross, Chandler, and Phoebe sat at a table by themselves. Or at least, it was going to be that way. They were catching up on what went on over break when Joey Tribbianni came over and sat down next to Monica. He kept flirting with her, and Monica didn’t get why, but she thought it was a joke. She didn’t like it very much, especially since Ross and Chandler seemed to have a problem with him. But he did seem to be a nice guy, it was just that he was coming on too strong.
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“Uh, Joey?” Monica finally said.
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“Yes, beautiful?” Joey cooed.
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“Uh, Joey, I don’t know how to say this. You’re a great guy, I’m sure, but you’re coming on a little too strong for my taste, so, please, could you just tone it down a little?” she whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear.
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“Oh, sure…on one condition. Will you go out with me Friday? A friend of mine is having a party, and well, I was hoping you’d be my date.”
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“Okay…I’ll uh, see you Friday. You can pick me up at my house around…?”
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“Seven.”
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“Seven it is, then.”
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“Okay, later, Mon. I’ll see you Friday.”
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“Okay. Bye, Joey.”
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Joey left the table and went to join Rachel and Steve at their table.
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“How can you go out with that guy?” Ross exclaimed as soon as Joey was out of earshot.
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“What do you mean?” Monica asked.
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“Do you know who his best friend is?” Phoebe asked.
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“No…” Monica said.
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“Rachel.”
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“Oh, God…”
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Back at their table, Rachel was steaming at the fact that Joey was over there talking to her worst enemy.
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“Can you believe it? Ugh! The betrayal!” she shouted.
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“Would you please stop whining about that!? So he’s talking to Monica! She seems like a nice person! Why do you hate her so much, anyway?” Steve yelled.
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“When we were kids, we were best friends. Her older brother, Ross, always had a crush on me. She wasn’t supposed to, but she told me. When I told her I didn’t like him, she kinda got mad, and then, one day, she caught me making fun of him with some of our other friends, and well, since then, you’ve seen how we get along.”
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“Oh…” Steve said as Joey approached their table.
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“I got a date with Monica!” He cried happily.
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“How could you?” Rachel gasped.
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“Hey! You’re the one who has a problem with her, not me. I like her. She’s sweet, smart, caring, pretty, and from what you’ve told me, loyal. I happen to like those qualities.” Joey shouted back.
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“Ooooohhh!” Rachel shouted as she stood up, grabbed Steve’s hand, and ran out of the cafeteria. She paused, looked over her shoulder, and shouted, “TRAITOR!” Then she and Steve left.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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As Phoebe and Chandler strolled along the beach, arm in arm, they both sighed in contentment.
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“This was the best evening ever,” Phoebe cooed in Chandler’s ear.
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“I know…but only because I was with you.” Chandler replied. “Pheebs, I need to tell you something.”
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“What?” she whispered.
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“I…I…I love you.”
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“What?!” Phoebe gasped, stopping dead in her tracks.
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“I love you. And I’m not afraid to say it.”
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“I love you, too…” She whispered.
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He smiled and they kissed, then continued walking.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
The party was slammin’. The noise was so loud that Joey had to shout in Monica’s ear to tell her anything. After awhile, they gave up on speaking to each other, and just enjoyed the party. Mostly they danced. Once, they ran into Rachel, and there was a bunch of tension. After the party had been going strong for three hours, and Monica started to look a little bored, Joey shouted in Monica’s ear, “Hey! Wanna go outside to talk?” Monica started to shout back, but instead just nodded her head yes. Once they were outside, he put his arm around her.
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“Monica, I had a good time tonight. I hope you did too. But, I gotta apologize. This was not the place for a first date. On the first date, you’re supposed to get to know each other, and we couldn’t do that because of all the noise. So, I’m sorry, and I hope you’ll go out with me again…as sort of a second first date. Please. Give me another shot.”
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“Joey, it’s okay. I had fun. And I never would have gotten to go to this party if you hadn’t invited me. So…thanks. And sure, I’d love to go out with you again.”
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“Great…uh, what are you doing tomorrow?”
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“Well, Ross, Phoebe, Chandler, and I are going ice skating…but…why don’t you come too?”
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“I don’t know how to skate.”
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“That’s okay, Joey…I’ll teach you.”
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“Really? Thanks, Mon. You’re the greatest.”
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“I know.”
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That night, when he dropped her off at her house, Joey walked Monica to her front door. She stood, staring at him for a few seconds, before speaking.
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“Aren’t you gonna kiss me now?”
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“Well, I wanted too, but I was afraid you didn’t want me to.”
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“Do you hear me protesting?”
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He leaned in and kissed her. It was the sweetest, most passionate kiss of her life. Her toes curled in those short five seconds. She never wanted it to end. When they pulled apart, they looked into each other’s eyes for a moment.
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“Well, uh, goodnight…” Monica whispered into the darkness.
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“’Night…see you tomorrow…”
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“Yeah…tomorrow.”
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She turned around and opened her front door, and went in.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Rachel was trying to enjoy the party, but knowing that Joey was here with Monica stopped her. What did he see in her?
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She went looking for Steve, who had wandered off before. When she finally spotted him, he was kissing another girl. She walked over, grabbed his arm, and started to yell at him. But before she could, he shouted, “We need to talk.”
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She nodded, and he took her hand and lead her outside, to a secluded corner.
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“Rach, it’s not working. I can’t take any more of your whining. So, uh…it’s over. Bye…”
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And with that, he walked off, leaving Rachel alone.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
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Monica entered her house, and to her surprise, not her parents, but her brother was there waiting for her.
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“So, how was the party?”
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“It was amazing.”
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“So, uh…you like this…this…Joey?”
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“Yeah…we’re going out again tomorrow.”
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“But we’re going ice skating tomorrow!”
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“I know…he’s coming with us.”
<br><br>
“Oh…uh, Mon…look, I’ve heard some things about him, that…well, I don’t like.”
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“Ross, do you think I live in a hole? I’ve heard the same things as you. But I can take care of myself. If he tries anything, he’ll have me to deal with. And, ya know…maybe what we’ve heard isn’t true…I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
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“Mon, I’m not trying to make you angry…I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
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“I know…you’re my older brother…it’s your job…but look, if he hurts me, you can beat him up. Until then, let’s just get through the second date, okay?”
<br><br>
“’Kay…night, sis.”
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“Night.”
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She walked up the stairs to her bedroom, then changed into her pajamas, and went to bed.
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<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
The ice rink was crowded when they got there, but soon, it started to clear out.
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Chandler and Phoebe were skating along slowly whispering sweet words in each other’s ears.
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When they got there, Joey had been very nervous. But Monica put him at ease and soon, he was wobbling about on the ice with Monica gracefully in tow.
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Ross just skated fast around in circles trying to keep an eye on Joey and Monica.
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After two hours of skating, they all decided to take a break. They went over to a bench and all sat down.
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“Thirsty?” Chandler asked Phoebe.
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“Yeah…and cold. Could you get me a hot chocolate?” she answered. (Author’s Note: Or “hot cocoa” as some people call it.)
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“’Kay…be back in a sec, sweetie.”
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Chandler got up to leave.
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“Would you like something to drink, Mon?”
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“Sure…a soda would be nice.”
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“Okay.”
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Joey then got up to join Chandler at the concession stand.
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In a few minutes, they returned with hot chocolates for Chandler and Phoebe and sodas for Monica, Joey, and Ross. They all sat for a few seconds just enjoying the liquids.
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They skated a little longer, then piled into Ross’s car to head home. The first stop was Joey’s. He got out of the front seat and walked around next to Monica’s side. She rolled down the window, then they kissed good-bye…
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“I’ll call you tonight, okay?” Joey whispered.
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“Sure.” Monica replied.
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The next stop was Chandler’s.
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Just before he got out, he leaned over and kissed Phoebe.
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“Bye, sweetie. I love you.”
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“Bye, Chandler. I love you, too.”
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He then got out of the car and walked to his house.
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As soon as he was out of earshot, Monica exclaimed, “I love you?! Since when do you guys say that?!”
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“He said it first…”
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“When!?”
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“Friday night…we were walking along the beach, and he just said it…”
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“What did you say?”
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“I said it back.”
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“Oh, my God! This is huge!”
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Phoebe just smiled.
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Next, they dropped off Phoebe. As soon as she was out of the car, Ross began to speak.
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“Uh, Mon…I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I spent some time with Joey today, and he seems really nice. I think I misjudged him.”
<br><br>
“So…you’re saying you like him?”
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“Yeah…I think I do. I can see us being friends.”
<br><br>
“That’s great, Ross…I’m so happy!”
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<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
As Monica was heading downstairs Monday morning in search of Ross, her trusty ride to school, she heard a car horn outside, and assumed that it was Ross waiting for her. But as she was about to leave, she heard his voice.
<br><br>
“Hey, Mon. Where you goin’?”
<br><br>
“But if you’re in here, then who’s out there?”
<br><br>
She opened the front door to find Joey standing there, hand poised to knock.
<br><br>
“Hey, I was just uh, wondering if you’d like a ride to school today…”
<br><br>
“Oh, uh, sure Joey…” She turned around to face Ross. “Ross, I uh, guess I won’t be needing a ride to school today…I’ll uh, see you there?”
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“Oh, sure,” Ross said, eyeing Joey.
<br><br>
Joey put his arm around Monica and walked her out to his car. He opened her door for her, once she was in, he shut the door, walked around to the other side, and got in, then pulled off.
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“At least he’s chivalrous.” Ross sighed.
<br><br>
As they rode, Joey replayed over and over exactly what he wanted to say.
<br><br>
“Monica? Uh, can I ask you something?”
<br><br>
“Sure…”
<br><br>
“I know we’ve only been on two dates, but I have fun with you, ya know? I like you. I’m really starting to care for you…a lot. So…would you be my girlfriend?”
<br><br>
“I’d love too!”
<br><br>
“Oh! That’s great!”
<br><br>
He leaned over to kiss her just as they pulled into a parking space in the school parking lot.
<br><br>
“What’s your first class?” he asked her.
<br><br>
“English.”
<br><br>
“Okay…here.” He said, taking her books in his right arm. He put his left arm around her waist. When they entered the school, everyone stared at them. No one knew what was going on. Joey never entered school carrying books with his arm around a girl. They were looking in each other’s eyes when they heard Rachel’s voice.
<br><br>
“Oh, God. That’s just great. Way to go Joe.”
<br><br>
When they turned around to say something to her, all they saw was her retreating form. Joey shrugged, then they kept walking. When they got to the English room, they weren’t the only couple saying good-bye. Chandler and Phoebe were there too.
<br><br>
“Hey, guys.” Chandler and Phoebe said.
<br><br>
“Hey.” Monica said.
<br><br>
“Hey, Chandler. Hey, Phoebe,” Joey said nervously.
<br><br>
“You don’t have to be nervous, Joey.” Monica whispered. “They like you.”
<br><br>
Joey smiled as the warning bell rang.
<br><br>
“Uh, I gotta go, Mon…I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”
<br><br>
“’Kay.”
<br><br>
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then made his way down the hall.
<br><br>
“I gotta go too, Pheebs. I love you…” Chandler whispered.
<br><br>
“Bye, sweetie. I love you, too.”
<br><br>
He gave her a quick peck on the lips, then walked off.
<br><br>
Phoebe and Monica entered the English room, both smiling from ear to ear, each thinking about their respective boyfriend.
<br><br>
<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
Joey and Rachel sat in the back of the room, whispering to one another.
<br><br>
“I still can’t believe you’re going out with her.”
<br><br>
“Rach, I want you two to get along…I have an idea…why don’t the six of us: you, Monica, Ross, Chandler, Phoebe, and me get together and go somewhere and hang… And try to forge a friendship, because you’re both going to have to get along for this relationship to work…and I really like her, Rachel. Really. I can see myself falling in love with her…so please, at least try…”
<br><br>
Rachel sighed…“Alright… But only because you’re my best friend.”
<br><br>
“Thanks.”
<br><br>
<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
As Monica walked to her second class, she saw Rachel heading right towards her. Oh, great. Monica thought.
<br><br>
“Monica, may I talk to you?”
<br><br>
“Uh…I guess.” Monica said reluctantly.
<br><br>
They stepped out of the main hallway and into an empty classroom.
<br><br>
“Mon, Joey wants us to get along. And normally, I wouldn’t bother, but Joey’s my best friend. I care about him. I’d do anything for him, So…I wanted to say…I’m sorry for…what started our hatred, and for everything since it began. We’re just two girls who care a lot about the same guy, and we both want him to be happy, right?”
<br><br>
“Right,” Monica sighed. “And you’re right. I’m sorry too…It’s just that he’s my brother…and well, ya know?”
<br><br>
“Yeah. I do. And uh, well…are we okay?”
<br><br>
“Yeah…We’re okay.”
<br><br>
They hugged, then left the room to go to class.
<br><br>
<center>***************************************************</center>
<br><br>
As they sat in the restaurant, Monica thought about how their little group had two extra members this year. It was Joey and Monica’s one-year anniversary, and they were all out to celebrate.
<br><br>
“I’d like to propose a toast.” Chandler said, raising his glass. “To Joey and Monica!”
<br><br>
“To Joey and Monica!” Ross said.
<br><br>
“To Joey and Monica!” Phoebe said.
<br><br>
“To Joey and Monica!” Rachel said.
<br><br>
“To us!” Joey said, smiling at Monica.
<br><br>
“To us.” Monica sighed happily.
<br><br>
After they had clinked their glasses and drank, Joey leaned over and passionately kissed Monica.
<br><br>
“Oh, get a room!” Phoebe giggled.
<br><br>
“Yeah!” Chandler and Rachel agreed.
<br><br>
“No!” Ross exclaimed.
<br><br>
Monica just giggled as Joey smiled. She was so happy. She had five best friends, one of them being her brother, one of them being her ex-worst enemy, and one of them being her boyfriend. It was perfect. She and Rachel had made up, and all six of them were happy. She smiled and thought to herself, this is the life.
<br><br>
<center>***************************************************
<br><br>
THE END</center>
<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Got a Rant? Got a Rave? Send them to<a href="mailto:FriendsFanFicsByKaci@yahoo.com"> me</a>.
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