So this is my first Mondler fic! And as you've probably realized already, it's AU and it's based off the movie She's the Man. I tweaked it a little bit to fit the Friends-verse though. Chandler will appear soon. So for now, I hope it's alright.
It was probably the greatest moment in Monica Geller's entire social career. What she thought was another dreary day of classes turned out to be so much more. During lunch, she finally got invited to a hot and happening party! Monica couldn't believe it. And to top it all off, she was asked to the party by Chip Matthews, the campus heartthrob and her secret crush since freshman year. She finally got noticed by the popular crowd! All the hours working for trendy clothes and flashy accessories were worth it. A month before summer and she got a pass to Mindy Hunter's traditional winter break celebration. By senior year, she'll probably be able to eat on the cool kids table. No more looking for a seat in the cafeteria. No more teasing. Finally.
"Girl, I swear, it's a freaking prank," remarked Phoebe, Monica's only friend for the past three years in high school. They usually walked home together after school since they live on the same block. "Popular kids don't just ask smart people like us to go to their parties. It's probably their traditional end-of-the-year prank. You of all people should know that."
"It's not a prank okay," Monica assured her friend in a sing-song voice. "Of course I know about their traditional prank, and I think they're gonna do it to Quentin Weasel. He got an invite too, you know." Everyone in Monica's class considered Quentin Weasel the biggest dork in the entire Western Hemisphere – he talked in "old," and just had a snooty air around him. "And, hello! Chip himself gave me an invitation!"
"Monica E. Geller, invitations don't guarantee it's not a prank," Phoebe replied. She is a street-wise kid who went through a lot of schools, so in her opinion, she knew what she was saying. Monica was not deterred. "Saturday night! Tomorrow, Phoebe! Can you believe it?"
"I can't," Phoebe sighed.
Monica woke up at nine in the morning, and the moment she got out of bed, she decided to spend the whole day prepping herself for her "proper entrance to high school." Everything has to be perfect, she thought. No room for a single mistake. She needed all the right clothes, the right shoes, and the right makeup; in short, no wrong anything. This wasn't just the OCD kicking in – this day really is important for Monica.
"Monica, you're talking to the mirror again."
Her pep talk was interrupted by her mother. Judy Geller wasn't the most supportive person about Monica's "childish" desire to be popular; she'd rather have her daughter be the smart, nice young lady she already is. But if that would be the thing that could make Monica happy, then she has to tolerate it.
Monica frowned. Of all the times to barge in her room. "Mom, I'm kinda in a really important situation here. It's for a party."
"Oh, a party! With Phoebe and the rest of the home ec club?"
"No, with Mindy and Chip and the cool kids."
"I do not know this Mindy and Chip."
"Because you don't go to my high school. Can I have please have some privacy now?"
Everyone always asked Monica why she wanted to be one of the cool kids - and by everyone, that meant her mom and Phoebe. The answer was this: the popular kids don't get crap. They get treated nicely. They are respected, even if they don't do their homework. They are admired by all, simply because they look like models for the Gap. And one day, they probably will have their faces on billboards. Monica wasn't exactly a bullied student, but she was one of those who simply blended in the crowd. And she wanted to stand out.
Monica asked Phoebe if she could driver her over to the party, since she didn't want to seem like a dork that just walked to a party filled with kids who have cars. Although Phoebe was hesitant at first, the girl couldn't say no to a friend. They arrived at the Hunter house around 7 pm; several cars were parked outside and the noise from the house could be heard from neighboring blocks.
"Monica Geller," Phoebe began, "I must say that you can give Mindy Hunter a run for her rich, blond girl money." Monica stuck her tongue out, and then laughed. "Thanks, it took some work, I guess." The 80s was the theme of the party, so she styled her hair a bit wavy, wore some neon colors, and painted her nails in different colors. She had probably spent most of her winter savings, but she knew it was going to be worth it.
"I still don't approve of this by the way," Phoebe said seriously. "Also, I can't fetch your pretty ass since the family and I are gonna go to this cousin's birthday party. So, yeah. Stay safe. Sexually, and literally." She snickered and then drove off into the night.
The party was in full swing when Monica arrived; it was exactly what she imagined it to be. It looked like they were all starring in an 80s music video. Madonna was on full blast, the dance floor was crowded, and everyone seemed to be having fun, including her. There was Quentin Weasel dancing on a table; Monica shook her head. She spotted Mindy and Chip making out on a couch. She felt uncomfortable for a bit, but she realized that this was normal for them. A redhead girl, one of Mindy's usual companions at the cheerleader table, noticed her presence.
"Yo Minds, Geller's here."
"Hi Monica! How are you?" Mindy broke away from Chip. Her voice sounded a little bit off; she cleared her throat. "How nice of you to have come, in our little…shindig."
"How nice of you to invite me," Monica replied with a wide grin. Did she just sound too cheery?
"Yes, well, we do that sometimes."
That sounded a bit mean, Monica thought. But she ignored it. Mindy was probably a teensy bit high already – their corner was a little smoky.
"Well, help yourself, Monica," Chip offered. "We got lots of fun stuff here. Do you have curfew?"
"No," Monica replied coolly. She did – eleven pm to be exact. But she wouldn't dare say that, not to them at least.
"Awesome! Let's get this party started!" the redhead exclaimed, and gave Monica a shot.
She couldn't remember anything. Monica didn't know how she got back home, she didn't know what time it was, and she certainly couldn't recall the party last night. Ugh, her head was pounding. Her slender body ached. She felt like she was in the Hangover. The only comfort was the snow outside. What happened? Was she popular already? She looked at her cellphone.
"Nice one Monica!"
"You rock Geller!"
"That was some stuff you did there, girl!"
There was her answer. Monica eagerly grinned as she scrolled through a full inbox filled with messages from people in school. She couldn't believe it. She called Phoebe after going through a whopping fifty text messages – more than she had gotten for the past three years. But Monica's best friend still was not convinced.
"Pheebs, you are such a downer."
"Nope, I'm not. I am a realist, and you should be too, you know."
"Gosh Phoebe, can't you fly off the ground for a minute? Or maybe you're jealous. Because I accepted the fact that I do want to be in their world even just for a day, and I ended up partying the night away. While you were stuck on some family dinner that you secretly didn't want to go to."
But Phoebe wasn't jealous. She was right.