Disclaimer: They're mine! ALL MINE!!! ::Evil laughter:: Well, a girl can dream. I tell ya what, I'll just take Matthew Perry, and I'll let Bright, Kauffman, and Crane (the legal owners) keep the other five. Generous? I think so. (For the record, there's really no use in suing me... )
Okay, here's the basic info that you should probably know before you start to read this (and don't worry... I know how annoying these intro pieces are, so I'll make it as short as possible!) Basically, I'm creating a story that begins when Monica is in her senior year of high school and Chandler and Ross are sophomores at NYU (she's 18 and they're 20). Some of the details might be off, but hey... it is, after all, a fanFICTION. So... it's waaaaay before the palatial New York apartments, way before Janice, Richard, Kathy, and Pete... way before pretty much everything we know. One of the things that HAS already happened is the Thanksgiving where Monica and Chandler meet (as he subsequently calls her fat...). So that is an indication... it's kind of what could have happened if Monica and Chandler had gotten together during their younger years... hope you like it! Please let me know what you think!
And, just for the record... I know that this story has, in a way, been done before, in various different ways, but I wanted to do my version, so bear with me. (After all, how many versions of London are floating around out there? And yes, I'm guilty of that one, as well.) Anyway, so if you're going to tell me that it's been done, I'm aware. Thanks for the concern. So this is my rendition... if you get to the point where you're thinking "Hey, someone else has done something with a similar idea..." and you're sick of it, just click that little "back" button on your browser. Otherwise, enjoy! And thanks to everyone who has been so nice with comments and feedback!! I hope that you enjoy this. :)
"Coming!" a voice called from somewhere within the Geller household. Chandler sighed as he wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow and glared at the cause: an exceptionally heavy box of books that Ross had left behind while he went on his internship through Egypt. Chandler laughed inwardly as he imagined Ross standing in the desert watching someone dig... what a way to spend a semester. He looked up and smiled as Mrs. Geller opened the front door. "Chandler! Oh, it's so nice to see you. We don't see nearly enough of you now that Ross is gone... how is everything going at school?" she asked as she ushered him into the house.
"Pretty good, thanks, Mrs. Geller... it's kind of strange without a roommate, but it's going well."
"Oh, Chandler, I told you, call me Judy... it makes me feel old to hear you call me 'Mrs. Geller' still!"
"Okay... Judy," he complied awkwardly.
"Thank you so much for dropping those books off for us... you look sweaty, would you like some water?" she offered.
"That would be great, thank you." Chandler smiled as he followed her into the kitchen. "So how is everything going with you guys?" he asked as he accepted the glass of ice water that she handed to him.
"Quite well, thank you... we got a letter from Ross yesterday. He's getting quite into the whole digging thing... I think he's glad that he decided to major in paleontology. Have you decided what you are going to major in yet?"
"No, not yet," Chandler replied. "I figure I have plenty of time... I know I'll find something once I get into it."
"Yes, of course," she answered as the phone rang. "Hello?" Chandler listened to her end of the conversation and wondered why her voice went from cheerful to frustrated. "Well, I don't have a car, dear, your father has it at work, so I can't come and get you... can't you get a ride with someone?" She listened for a moment and said, "Well, I guess you'll either have to wait there until your father gets home or walk home, Monica." Chandler stepped in front of her to get her attention. "Yes?" Mrs. Geller asked as she covered the mouthpiece.
"If there's a problem I can pick Monica up from wherever she is, Judy. I don't have anywhere to be this afternoon."
"Are you sure? It's just that she's up at school and her junk-bucket of a car has broken down again."
"Of course... it's no problem," Chandler reassured her.
"Okay, Monica, you remember Ross's friend Chandler, don't you? Yes, well, he is here and has offered to pick you up... yes... okay... see you later, dear." As she hung up the phone, Judy turned to Chandler with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, Chandler... I swear, that car of hers... if it breaks down one more time I'm going to get rid of it myself. That girl..." She trailed off as Chandler began edging toward the door. "Well anyway, she's in the senior parking lot over at Lincoln High... do you know where that is?" After assuring her that he did and that everything would be fine, she thanked him again for both bringing the books back and for collecting Monica.
As he pulled into the high school parking lot, Chandler scanned the area for Monica and her "junk-bucket." He spotted an old and rusted car with the hood up on the far side of the lot and cruised over. He turned off the car and got out, greeted by two bodies bent over and peering into the engine of the car. "Monica?" he inquired. One of the heads emerged from the hood and turned to face him. He was shocked by what he saw. Instead of the little fat girl he remembered from Thanksgiving last year, he was faced with someone who could only be described as beautiful. There wasn't an ounce of fat on her body. Her hair was in a clip with wisps tucked behind her ear, and as she smiled she took off her sunglasses. "Hi, Chandler... thank you so much for saving my skin... I really should ditch this car but it gets me places, y'know? Well, usually, anyway..." she trailed off as she became aware that he was staring at her. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Uhh... yes, of course... no problem... you just look... different than last year... great..." he trailed off, embarrassed and blushing. She smiled.
"Thank you." As she tucked another wisp of jet-black hair behind her ear, the other person straightened and turned toward the two of them. He was a little bit taller than Chandler, wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and running shoes.
"It's probably the battery, Mon," came the booming voice. He looked at Chandler. "And who might you be?" he asked.
"Nick, this is Chandler... Chandler, Nick," she said.
"A pleasure," Chandler said.
"Yeah... I woulda taken Mon home myself, but we've got practice this afternoon."
"He's on the soccer team," Monica explained. As she thanked Nick for his help, she gave him a hug, grabbed her bag, slammed the hood of her car, and followed Chandler to his car. "Thank you again for doing this," she said.
"Hey, forget about it... and don't thank me too much... it might go to my head," he joked. She smiled. As he started the car, Monica waved to Nick and sank back into the seat. "So… is that your boyfriend?" Chandler asked, trying not to sound too interested.
"Hmm? Oh, Nick? Nah, he's just a friend... that's all. Nice guy, but not my type. My boyfriend and I broke up a month ago, and he was kind of my support system… you know how it goes."
"Oh... yeah," Chandler replied, wondering why he was glad to hear that. They drove in silence for a few minutes until she broke it.
"So, how is college going?"
"Can't complain... it's kind of strange without Ross around, but classes and everything are going well... how are things with you?"
"Pretty good, thanks... apart from that damn car!" she joked. They chatted for the rest of the drive back to the Gellers' house, Chandler marveling at how different she seemed... older... more mature... and hot. As he pulled into the driveway, Monica grabbed her bag from the backseat and turned to thank him once again for "rescuing" her. "My knight in shining armor!" she joked. Chandler grinned, and looked at her, trying to decide how to broach the subject without looking desperate or pathetic.
"Hey, listen... would you maybe want to go out sometime? I mean, with Ross gone and everything, I have a lot of spare time, so if you'd like to maybe catch up on old times or something... unless you don't, in which case, forget I asked..."
"I'd love to," she cut him off, laughing. "When?"
"Well, let's see," he pondered, surprised that she'd agreed. "I am free... every day until next week, at which point I'm free every day after that."
She smiled again. "How about Friday night, then?"
"Okay... pick you up at seven?"
"Sure."
As he drove away, he marveled at the fact that she'd accepted the date... and worried about how well that would go down with her brother, his best friend.
As Friday night rolled around, he found himself both nervous and excited. He showered and shaved, changed into a pair of khaki pants and a light blue button-down shirt, combed his hair, sprayed on some cologne, and headed out to pick up his date.
"Where are my earrings?!" Monica screeched from the top of the stairs.
"I have no idea, Monica... did you look in your jewelry box?" her mother asked.
"Do you actually think I'm THAT stupid?" Monica exclaimed, frustrated, and stomped back into her bedroom as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Jack Geller called as he walked to the door to greet a nervous Chandler, who was smiling and holding a single white rose.
"Good evening, sir... I'm here to pick up daughter... um, your Monica... I mean..." his voiced trailed off as he silently cursed himself.
"Come on in, Chandler, she's just getting ready. You know how the females are... never ready for anything. If an asteroid was about to hit, it would have to wait until the women of the world were done powdering their noses."
"Thanks, Dad," Monica said as she walked into the room. She had her hair up in a twist and was wearing a short black dress and sandals and had a small black purse thrown over her shoulder. "Hi, Chandler," she greeted him.
"Hi," he said, as her father left the room. "Wow... you look great," he complimented her, handing her the rose.
"Awww... thank you, that's so sweet," she said as she smelled the flower. "'Bye, Mom, 'bye Dad! Don't wait up!" she called as Chandler escorted her out the door. Once they were in the car, she turned to face him. "You look great, too," she said. As he grinned, she asked, "So where are we going on this beautiful evening?"
As the night wore on, both Monica and Chandler became aware of the fact that they were each having the best time that they had had in quite awhile. They went out for a nice dinner, after which Chandler asked if she would like to go for a walk through Central Park. She enthusiastically agreed and they walked toward the park from the restaurant. As they walked along, their chatter quieted and after a few moments of silence, Chandler nervously reached for Monica's hand, worried that she would pull it back. As he felt her lace her fingers through his own, he smiled and turned to look at her. She smiled back, and broke the silence. "You know, I umm... I kinda... had a crush on you last year when you came to our house for Thanksgiving dinner." Chandler stopped walking, surprised.
"Really? Why? I was such a dork... that Flock-of-Seagulls haircut and all..."
"Yeah, well, I thought you were cute. Anyway... yeah, I had a crush on you."
After looking at her for a moment, he worked up the courage to reply. "Yeah, well, it's okay... I guess we're even then." Off of her confused look, he continued. "Because I've got one now." Equally surprised, she turned to face him, not knowing what to say. As he gazed into her clear blue eyes, he found his free hand lightly touching the side of her face as she gazed back at him. He slowly leaned in toward her and kissed her, relieved to feel her kissing back, and found that despite the fact that they were in the middle of a public park, he didn't want to end that kiss for anything. After a few moments, the kiss did end and they opened their eyes to look at each other again. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, as she blushed and dropped her eyes to the ground. He smiled and tightened his grip on her hand as they continued walking. She shivered slightly and he quickly slipped off the light windbreaker he was wearing and draped it around her. She smiled thankfully as he took her hand once again and they walked in silence.
The next morning, Chandler smiled as he woke up to the memory of the goodnight kiss they had shared as he dropped her off at home after their date. He remembered how happy he had been when she agreed to meet him for a picnic lunch the next day. He smiled again as he rolled out of bed to get dressed. They spent virtually every day of that week together when they weren't in classes. They went to movies, dinners, parties, and pretty much everywhere there was anything worth doing. One night, Chandler picked her up outside her house and grinned as she jumped into the car and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "So, Mr. Mystery... what was the big secret... where are you taking me?"
He grinned and replied, "I told you I wasn't going to tell you until we got there... you'll just have to wait, beautiful." She smiled at his compliment and sighed jokingly, buckling her seatbelt and leaning back to gaze out the window.
As he pulled into a seemingly deserted parking lot and turned off the engine, Monica turned to face him with a confused look. "Where are we?"
He smiled. "C'mon."
He jumped out of the car and grabbed a basket and blanket out of the trunk with one hand and Mon's hand with the other. As they walked around the row of trees that had edged the parking lot, they came into a vast field with one tree a short distance in front of them. "What are we doing here?" He didn't answer, but instead pulled her along beside him. Once they got a few feet away from the tree, he let go of her hand and spread the blanket on the grass that was still warm from the afternoon sun. He placed the basket on top of it, took Monica's hands in his own, and pulled her down to sit beside him. He gently laid back, again pulling her with him, and said simply, "Look up." As she did, she was faced with the most brilliant stars she had ever seen. He smiled as he saw how surprised she was. "They look a lot brighter when you get away from the bright city lights," he explained, turning his own face toward the stars. After gazing upward for a few moments and simply enjoying the feel of her hand in his, he felt her move and all of a sudden her face was right above his. "Thank you," she whispered, and kissed him more passionately than he could remember having ever been kissed before.
As she pulled away, he smiled and said, "That's not all." He sat up and opened the basket, pulling out a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a basket of strawberries. She smiled as he lit two candles and filled both glasses. After they had eaten, Monica felt the warmth begin to fill her body as she laid back down and turned to look at the profile of the man laying beside her. As she gazed absentmindedly at him, he turned to her and smiled. "Hey," he said, softly joking. "I brought you here to gaze at STARS."
"I know," she said. "It's just that there's something even more gorgeous to look at and it's not up there." He blushed and rolled onto his side to kiss her again. As they kissed under the stars, he was overcome by how happy he was simply to be next to her and to be allowed to kiss her. He kissed her mouth, her face, and her neck, not ever wanting to stop. After awhile, he pulled away and looked at her and kissed her lips again. "Monica..." he whispered.
"Yes?" she whispered back. He paused for a moment, trying to find the words without sounding like a fool.
"I... I'm falling for you."
"And I for you," she replied. "Head over heels." He leaned in and kissed her again, and then rested his head beside hers and watched her as she watched the stars.
Two weeks later, as Monica was lying on her bed studying for a test the next day, her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"Yes, good afternoon," came a badly disguised voice. "I have a collect call from a sad and pathetic man who is crazy about the most gorgeous woman in the world... do you accept the charges?"
Monica giggled and replied, "Sorry, no gorgeous women here... tell him he must have the wrong number."
"Hey beautiful," came the voice she had become so accustomed to hearing. "Hey yourself," she answered, smiling. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much... but there's a party on the campus tomorrow night and I thought that it might be a good way to start the weekend... whaddaya say?"
"Sure!" Mon agreed, excited at the idea of a college party. "What do I wear?"
"Does it matter? You'd look gorgeous in a paper bag... hey, that wouldn't be half bad... having a date in nothing more than a bag..."
"Chandler!"
"Sorry, sorry... wear whatever you want to... I'll pick you up around eight, okay?"
"'Kay...bye!"
Saturday night rolled around and Monica was in a frenzy, trying to decide what to wear. She was just adding the finishing touches to her makeup when she heard the doorbell. "Could somebody get that please?" She turned and grabbed her purse from the bed and checked her reflection once more as she heard her father greet Chandler. She descended the stairs to be greeted by his smiling face as he looked up at her.
"So you decided against the paper bag, huh? Probably a smart choice... after all, we wouldn't want to get any college guys' hopes up, now would we?" he joked after her father had left the room. She giggled.
"Chandler!" she hissed as he laughed and escorted her out the door.
As they entered the party, Chandler scanned the crowd for some faces that he knew. "There's a group of my friends," she yelled above the noise, pointing across the room. Monica nodded and allowed him to lead her over to where they were standing. "Hey, guys!" he greeted them. "This," he said placing his hands on Monica's shoulders, "is my girlfriend, Monica." She smiled nervously and exchanged hellos with the people before her.
One of them, a tall, redheaded girl who introduced herself as Kelly, turned to her smiling and said, "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Monica. Chandler never shuts up about you... it's always "Monica this," and "Monica that..." She trailed off as Chandler glared at her, blushing. "Well anyway, glad you could come. Beer?" she offered.
"No, thanks," Monica declined, deciding that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get drunk at her first college party, especially since she was underage to begin with. Kelly turned to Chandler.
"No, I'm good," he replied and laced his fingers through Mon's. She smiled to herself, glad that she wouldn't be the only one not drinking. He flashed her a grin that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking and, after about an hour of mingling, suggested that they take a walk around the campus to get some fresh air. He was getting kind of tired of having to yell over the noise and was ready to take a break from the wall of smoke that was everywhere. Monica agreed, and they made their way to the door, saying goodbye to the people they had been talking to.
Once outside, Chandler breathed in deeply. "Ahhhh... nothing like a good party to trash your liver and your lungs," he mused, pleased when Monica giggled. He turned to her and asked, "Did you have fun, or was it boring? I'm sorry if you didn't have a good time... I wanted my friends to meet you and..."
"I had a great time!" Monica interrupted, smiling. "It was fun, and I was with you... an added bonus!" Chandler grinned at the unexpected compliment and took her hand.
"So... where shall we walk to?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I dunno... where do you usually go when you're here?"
After a moment of thought, he replied, "Well, I'm usually in class or in my dorm."
"Hey... I've never seen your dorm," she said. "Ross would never let me in there when he was here."
"Well, it's nothing special... you sure you want to see it?" he asked.
"Sure, why not?" she replied.
They got to his door and Monica giggled when she saw the doodles on the writing board that was tacked to it. "Mon's Man" was printed across the top and there were just random caricatures covering the rest of the space. "Did you draw these?" she asked, marveling at how good they were.
"Yep," Chandler said as he unlocked the door. "It's how I procrastinate when I know I should actually be studying." Monica laughed as he opened the door for her and closed it behind them. She glanced around the room and was surprised at how simple it was. Since Ross was gone, Chandler had moved the room around so that there was one bed in the middle of the room and his desk was by the window. There were drawings, posters, and random clippings from magazines and newspapers stuck to the walls and a TV on top of the dresser against the other wall. A stereo was beside it and there was a framed picture of Monica next to his bed. She blushed when she saw this, and he noticed. "I love that picture," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and softly kissing her neck.
"Ugh, why?" she groaned, remembering the day it was taken. They had been walking through the park, and he had picked a daisy for her, knowing that they were her favorite flowers. A little while later, they had stopped to sit at a table and she bowed her head to smell the flower. At that moment, as if from nowhere, Chandler had produced a camera and taken her photo, which turned out to be a rather decent shot, with the sunlight behind her and a small smile on her lips.
"Because... it shows how beautiful you are," he murmured in her ear. She turned to gaze up at him and he leaned in and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his on her waist. Monica ran her hands through the hair on the back of his head and he ran his over her back. He gently lowered her onto the bed while they kissed and he took off his jacket as he lowered himself on top of her. As the kisses became more intense, he moved his hands to the front of her jeans and began to unbutton them. He felt Monica grab his wrists and he stopped kissing her and looked deep into her eyes, questioning with his own. She tried to find the words without scaring him.
"I..." she stopped, gazing up at him, wondering how he was going to react. "I... I've never done this before." Chandler paused in momentary confusion and then reeled backward like he'd been slapped, apologizing at once.
"Oh, God, Mon, I'm so sorry, I didn't know... please don't think I'm some horny jerk who's just trying to get in your pants because I'm not. I love you, and I'm sorry if this pressured you, and you know I'd never want to do that, and..." he stopped when he noticed that she was smiling up at him. "What?" he asked.
"You love me?" she asked, not completely surprised that he felt it, but surprised that he said it.
He dropped his eyes and ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Well..." he looked up and into her crystal blue eyes. "Yeah, of course I do. I'm crazy in love with you, Mon." She got up off the bed and went to stand in front of him.
"I love you too," she whispered, and gave him a soft kiss that gradually began to build. He pulled away and looked at her.
"I'm sorry, Mon... if I had known I never would have..." he began apologizing again, but was cut off my Monica's hand on his lips. He kissed her fingertips and looked at her intently.
"Chandler... don't be sorry," she whispered. "I'm not. Just... a little more time." He kissed her deeply and rested his forehead against hers and laced their fingers together.
"C'mon, gorgeous," he murmured. "I'll drive you home." She nodded and followed him out the door with their fingers still intertwined.
Chandler awoke to the phone in his dorm room ringing at 9:00 the next morning. Once he had located the handset from under a pile of papers on his desk, he answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie... I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Monica's voice came clearly through the earpiece and Chandler smiled to himself.
"Yeah, but it was worth it." He heard Mon laugh and smiled again.
"Listen, I'm sorry to call so early, but I meant to ask you last night. You see, um, prom's kind of coming up, and my best friend Rachel wants me to go and I totally understand if you don't want to, if you think it's lame or whatever, I mean I really couldn't blame you so if you hate the idea then..."
"Mon!" Chandler interjected, laughing. "I'd love to take you to your prom."
"Really?"
"Of course, really. When is it?"
"Next Saturday... I would have waited to call you later today but Rachel's making me get to the mall at ten when they open so that we get 'maximum shopping hours' in which to find dresses. Are you sure you don't mind going?"
"I'm sure... do you have the plans yet?"
"Not exactly... I know it's at the Hilton and we're going to go out to dinner with Rachel and Chip beforehand and we'll probably get a room in the same hotel to crash in afterward, but I'll call you this afternoon and let you know the specifics, ok? I have to run though, Rachel's bugging me to get out the door." Chandler laughed and agreed, still chuckling when he hung up the phone. The following week went by in a flash of dresses, hairdos, transportation issues, and Rachel obsessing over every little detail. It was ultimately decided that they would all meet at Monica's house where the limo would pick them up and take them to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called Rigatoni's and then to the dance. Saturday night rolled around and Monica and Rachel were in her bedroom getting ready. Rachel had decided on a light pink dress that she said made her feel like Cinderella because the bodice at the top showed her figure and from the waist it spread out and cascaded to the floor. Monica had gone for virtually the opposite and had decided on a simple, navy blue slinky and form-fitting dress that reached the floor and had a slit halfway up her leg. The back scooped down toward the small of her back where it met in a "V" and the entire dress had an almost shimmery look to it as if there were tiny specks of glitter sprinkled throughout the fabric. She had her hair in a French twist with some sapphire clips holding a few tendrils off her face. Matching sapphire earrings were in her ears and a similar necklace was clasped around her neck. The doorbell rang and the girls shrieked, grabbing one another and jumping up and down until they realized with horror that they might cause their hair to fall out of place. "Monica? Rachel?" Judy's voice floated up the stairs and the girls shrieked silently and dashed toward the stairs. Rachel ran down to greet Chip and Monica grinned from the top of the stairs as she heard Rachel yelp with delight when she saw her date. Mon took a deep breath and slowly descended the stairs. Chandler turned as he heard light footsteps on the stairs and his breath caught when he saw her emerge, feet first and then, with each step, more of her body until her head was visible and she gazed back at him. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at him nervously while he looked back at her in awe. Once he regained his composure, he walked to her and stopped in front of her with a box in his hands. "You look... amazing," he said exhaling the breath he had been holding since he first laid eyes on her. She smiled.
"So do you," she said, taking note of how hot he looked in his tux. He opened the box he was holding and took out a beautiful corsage made of white roses. She grinned as he slid it onto her wrist and then she pinned a white rose onto the lapel of his jacket. They stood graciously while Mr. and Mrs. Geller took photos until Monica eventually reminded them of the awaiting reservations. She smiled as she took the arm that Chandler held out to her and waved to her parents as they followed Rachel and Chip to the limousine waiting at the end of the driveway.
Once they got to the dance, Rachel dragged Chip along behind her to say hello to a group of her friends that she could see standing on the far side of the hall. Monica looked around at the decorations, proud that she had been a member of the committee in charge of them. Chandler noticed what she was looking at. "They look awesome, Mon. You guys did a great job." Monica smiled, thinking to herself how lucky she was to have found the perfect boyfriend.
"Oh, hey, I found out some interesting news this afternoon," she said as she turned to face him. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "It's not really big, just... I got a letter today in the mail. I got into NYU." Chandler's eyes widened and a grin took over his face as he picked her up by the waist and swung her around.
"Really?! You're going to be at NYU in the fall? With me? We'll be together?" Monica grinned at his reaction.
"Yup. I'm gonna be a freshman all over again."
"This is great!" Chandler exclaimed, leaning in and kissing her hard on the mouth. "C'mon, let's dance!" He led her onto the dance floor and they lost themselves in the huge crowd of people dancing to the upbeat music. After a few songs had gone by, the deejay decided to slow the pace down and he began to play a slower song. Chandler took Monica by the waist and pulled her up against his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as she looked into his clear blue eyes. "You're so beautiful," he murmured as he lightly ran his hands over her bare back, sending a tingling feeling through her body. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as he breathed in the smell of her hair and continued to caress her back. From across the dance floor, Rachel smiled when she saw them dancing together. "They make the cutest couple," she thought to herself as she watched them.
The music picked up again and Chandler and Monica began to move faster, but they did not step back to get the space that had been between them previously. They stayed as close as they were during the slow song, and Monica just allowed Chandler to move her body along with his, marveling at what a good dancer he was. Awhile later the deejay stopped the music and announced that it was time for the crowning of the prom king and queen. Mon searched the crowd for Rachel, who she knew was probably hyperventilating at this point. It had been her dream since they were ten to be prom queen, and when she had gotten a nomination Monica had to argue with her to keep her from writing to the New York Times. She suddenly felt a death grip on her arm and turned to see Rachel, shaking and wide-eyed.
"Oh, God... it's the moment of truth. What if I don't win? Oh, what if that slut Nancy Branson wins? I'll die... I'll just die." Monica tried not to laugh at Rachel's dramatic rambling and gripped her hand as the chaperone opened the envelope.
"This year's prom king is... drumroll, please... Chip Matthews!" Rachel gasped as her date began to jump up and down and make his way to the platform, high-fiving his friends and hooting. Once he had climbed the stairs and been given the aluminum crown, the chaperone once again turned to the microphone. "And the winner of the title of prom queen is... Rachel Green!" Rachel began jumping up and down beside Monica and squealing. Monica tried to figure out if she was actually squealing words, but eventually gave up and just jumped up and down along with her best friend and hugged her. Rachel made her way to the front of the crowd, beaming and close to tears. After she had been crowned and had shared the traditional king-and-queen dance with Chip, she made her way back over to Monica and began blabbing again. "Can you believe it? My existence has finally been validated. I'M PROM QUEEN!" Mon laughed and hugged her best friend again.
"Congratulations, Rach." Chandler said, smiling at her warmly.
"Thanks, Chandler. You know, you're such a nice guy, I'm glad Monica finally got over dating such losers."
"Thanks a lot, Rach," Mon muttered. Chandler grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, wrapping his arms around Monica's waist and kissing her neck.
"Yeah. Well, I'm going to go find Nancy and brag. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, ok?" With that, Rachel was off to flaunt her newly acquired crown.
The deejay's voice once again took over the microphone. "Hey out there, you Lincoln High seniors! I hope you've enjoyed yourselves tonight, and I'm sorry to say that this is going to be the last song of the evening. Enjoy it! Peace!" Monica smiled as Chandler took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor again. He took her in his arms as the music began to play and gazed into her eyes as she looked back into his. They swayed back and forth to the music, forgetting that there were other people around and lost themselves in each other's eyes. When the music was over, Chandler kissed her softly and looked into her eyes again.
"Thank you for coming tonight," she said.
"Babe, I wouldn't have missed this for the world," he replied. She smiled and kissed him lightly.
"C'mon, we should probably find Rach since we have joining hotel rooms." She eventually found her best friend in the center of a circle of new admirers, still beaming. She stifled a laugh, glad to see how happy her best friend was. "Rach?" she interrupted.
"Oh, hey Mon. Okay, sorry guys, I gotta run... it's been nice talking to you." With that, she broke away from the group and ran up to Mon, giggling.
"Chandler and I are gonna go up to the room now and chill... are you and Chip coming up?"
"Yeah, we'll be up in a little while... I guess I should probably find him," she said absently, looking around.
"Okay," Mon said, amused. "Well, here's your room key... if I don't see you tonight, meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning... we have to check out by noon."
"Okay, yeah, noon... got it. Have fun you two!" Rachel said, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Monica blushed and dragged Chandler away. Once they were in the elevator, Chandler pulled Monica in close to him and whispered in her ear, "I think you would have made a beautiful prom queen."
Mon smiled and joked, "Well of course I would have, but who am I to stand in the way of true happiness?" He smiled and kissed her gently until the doors opened at their floor. "What room are we in?" she asked.
"Umm... room 228," Chandler said after reading the key, as if he hadn't been up there before they picked up Monica and Rachel. They found the door and Chandler handed the key card to Mon while he wrapped his arms around her waist and began kissing her neck. She giggled as she tried to open the door, succeeding on the second attempt. As she stepped inside the room, her jaw dropped as she looked around. There was a table by the window with two candles standing and white rose petals scattered across it. There was a vase of beautiful white roses on the dresser and there was a stereo beside them. Monica turned to Chandler, shocked, causing him to finally stop kissing her neck. "Wow... the maid must have gone all out," he joked.
"Chandler, you..." Monica couldn't find any adequate words and simply stood in front of him, dumbfounded. "You did all this... for me?" He nodded slightly, gazing at her. "It's beautiful," she whispered, awestruck and with tears in her eyes.
"Nowhere near as beautiful as you," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and gazing into her eyes lovingly. She kissed him passionately and smiled when their lips parted.
"I'm just going to take a shower to get the hairspray out of my hair, okay?" she asked. He grinned.
"I'll wait," he whispered, kissing her once again. She disappeared into the bathroom and he kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket over the back of a chair along with his bowtie. He undid the top button of his shirt and sat on the bed, listening to his love humming in the shower and smiling to himself. When she emerged a few minutes later, he was pleasantly surprised. He had thought that she couldn't look more beautiful than she had earlier in the evening, but he was dumbstruck to find himself thinking that she looked even more beautiful wearing a plain white bathrobe with her wet, dark hair framing her face. He stood up with the sudden irresistible urge to kiss her. He went over to her and brushed her hair away from her face and did just that. He became lost in the intoxicating smell of her shampoo and her skin as he ran his fingers through her wet hair and felt the taste of her tongue against his. He was surprised a few minutes later to discover that she was unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed her once more and then separated his lips from hers, looking into her eyes, searching for the answer to his question. "Mon?" he asked, his voice unsteady. She peered back at him evenly, and her eyes seemed to hold nothing but certainty. She reached the last button on his shirt and slid it off his shoulders and onto the floor. As he gazed into her eyes, he wanted her more than ever before, but he knew he would never forgive himself if he pushed her in any way. "Mon?" he inquired again, his voice a little stronger this time. She looked up at him, her innocent blue eyes questioning him and her porcelain skin tempting him. "Are you sure about this? I mean, are you sure you're ready?" She nodded.
"Positive," she whispered. He looked at her for another moment, as if to be sure, and kissed her deeply as he wrapped her in his arms, feeling her small, fragile body against his. She untucked his undershirt and he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, and then ran her hands over his bare shoulders and chest. He began to kiss her once more and untied the knot that held her bathrobe closed. As it opened, he slid it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, leaving her standing there in nothing but a pair of black underwear. She unbuttoned his pants and slid them off, along with his boxers, as he laid her down on the bed, leaving her panties as the only thing left between them. He kissed her tenderly and momentarily stopped to look at her again. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she answered, and pulled him back down toward her.
Okay, here's the basic info that you should probably know before you start to read this (and don't worry... I know how annoying these intro pieces are, so I'll make it as short as possible!) Basically, I'm creating a story that begins when Monica is in her senior year of high school and Chandler and Ross are sophomores at NYU (she's 18 and they're 20). Some of the details might be off, but hey... it is, after all, a fanFICTION. So... it's waaaaay before the palatial New York apartments, way before Janice, Richard, Kathy, and Pete... way before pretty much everything we know. One of the things that HAS already happened is the Thanksgiving where Monica and Chandler meet (as he subsequently calls her fat...). So that is an indication... it's kind of what could have happened if Monica and Chandler had gotten together during their younger years... hope you like it! Please let me know what you think!
And, just for the record... I know that this story has, in a way, been done before, in various different ways, but I wanted to do my version, so bear with me. (After all, how many versions of London are floating around out there? And yes, I'm guilty of that one, as well.) Anyway, so if you're going to tell me that it's been done, I'm aware. Thanks for the concern. So this is my rendition... if you get to the point where you're thinking "Hey, someone else has done something with a similar idea..." and you're sick of it, just click that little "back" button on your browser. Otherwise, enjoy! And thanks to everyone who has been so nice with comments and feedback!! I hope that you enjoy this. :)
"Coming!" a voice called from somewhere within the Geller household. Chandler sighed as he wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow and glared at the cause: an exceptionally heavy box of books that Ross had left behind while he went on his internship through Egypt. Chandler laughed inwardly as he imagined Ross standing in the desert watching someone dig... what a way to spend a semester. He looked up and smiled as Mrs. Geller opened the front door. "Chandler! Oh, it's so nice to see you. We don't see nearly enough of you now that Ross is gone... how is everything going at school?" she asked as she ushered him into the house.
"Pretty good, thanks, Mrs. Geller... it's kind of strange without a roommate, but it's going well."
"Oh, Chandler, I told you, call me Judy... it makes me feel old to hear you call me 'Mrs. Geller' still!"
"Okay... Judy," he complied awkwardly.
"Thank you so much for dropping those books off for us... you look sweaty, would you like some water?" she offered.
"That would be great, thank you." Chandler smiled as he followed her into the kitchen. "So how is everything going with you guys?" he asked as he accepted the glass of ice water that she handed to him.
"Quite well, thank you... we got a letter from Ross yesterday. He's getting quite into the whole digging thing... I think he's glad that he decided to major in paleontology. Have you decided what you are going to major in yet?"
"No, not yet," Chandler replied. "I figure I have plenty of time... I know I'll find something once I get into it."
"Yes, of course," she answered as the phone rang. "Hello?" Chandler listened to her end of the conversation and wondered why her voice went from cheerful to frustrated. "Well, I don't have a car, dear, your father has it at work, so I can't come and get you... can't you get a ride with someone?" She listened for a moment and said, "Well, I guess you'll either have to wait there until your father gets home or walk home, Monica." Chandler stepped in front of her to get her attention. "Yes?" Mrs. Geller asked as she covered the mouthpiece.
"If there's a problem I can pick Monica up from wherever she is, Judy. I don't have anywhere to be this afternoon."
"Are you sure? It's just that she's up at school and her junk-bucket of a car has broken down again."
"Of course... it's no problem," Chandler reassured her.
"Okay, Monica, you remember Ross's friend Chandler, don't you? Yes, well, he is here and has offered to pick you up... yes... okay... see you later, dear." As she hung up the phone, Judy turned to Chandler with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, Chandler... I swear, that car of hers... if it breaks down one more time I'm going to get rid of it myself. That girl..." She trailed off as Chandler began edging toward the door. "Well anyway, she's in the senior parking lot over at Lincoln High... do you know where that is?" After assuring her that he did and that everything would be fine, she thanked him again for both bringing the books back and for collecting Monica.
As he pulled into the high school parking lot, Chandler scanned the area for Monica and her "junk-bucket." He spotted an old and rusted car with the hood up on the far side of the lot and cruised over. He turned off the car and got out, greeted by two bodies bent over and peering into the engine of the car. "Monica?" he inquired. One of the heads emerged from the hood and turned to face him. He was shocked by what he saw. Instead of the little fat girl he remembered from Thanksgiving last year, he was faced with someone who could only be described as beautiful. There wasn't an ounce of fat on her body. Her hair was in a clip with wisps tucked behind her ear, and as she smiled she took off her sunglasses. "Hi, Chandler... thank you so much for saving my skin... I really should ditch this car but it gets me places, y'know? Well, usually, anyway..." she trailed off as she became aware that he was staring at her. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Uhh... yes, of course... no problem... you just look... different than last year... great..." he trailed off, embarrassed and blushing. She smiled.
"Thank you." As she tucked another wisp of jet-black hair behind her ear, the other person straightened and turned toward the two of them. He was a little bit taller than Chandler, wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and running shoes.
"It's probably the battery, Mon," came the booming voice. He looked at Chandler. "And who might you be?" he asked.
"Nick, this is Chandler... Chandler, Nick," she said.
"A pleasure," Chandler said.
"Yeah... I woulda taken Mon home myself, but we've got practice this afternoon."
"He's on the soccer team," Monica explained. As she thanked Nick for his help, she gave him a hug, grabbed her bag, slammed the hood of her car, and followed Chandler to his car. "Thank you again for doing this," she said.
"Hey, forget about it... and don't thank me too much... it might go to my head," he joked. She smiled. As he started the car, Monica waved to Nick and sank back into the seat. "So… is that your boyfriend?" Chandler asked, trying not to sound too interested.
"Hmm? Oh, Nick? Nah, he's just a friend... that's all. Nice guy, but not my type. My boyfriend and I broke up a month ago, and he was kind of my support system… you know how it goes."
"Oh... yeah," Chandler replied, wondering why he was glad to hear that. They drove in silence for a few minutes until she broke it.
"So, how is college going?"
"Can't complain... it's kind of strange without Ross around, but classes and everything are going well... how are things with you?"
"Pretty good, thanks... apart from that damn car!" she joked. They chatted for the rest of the drive back to the Gellers' house, Chandler marveling at how different she seemed... older... more mature... and hot. As he pulled into the driveway, Monica grabbed her bag from the backseat and turned to thank him once again for "rescuing" her. "My knight in shining armor!" she joked. Chandler grinned, and looked at her, trying to decide how to broach the subject without looking desperate or pathetic.
"Hey, listen... would you maybe want to go out sometime? I mean, with Ross gone and everything, I have a lot of spare time, so if you'd like to maybe catch up on old times or something... unless you don't, in which case, forget I asked..."
"I'd love to," she cut him off, laughing. "When?"
"Well, let's see," he pondered, surprised that she'd agreed. "I am free... every day until next week, at which point I'm free every day after that."
She smiled again. "How about Friday night, then?"
"Okay... pick you up at seven?"
"Sure."
As he drove away, he marveled at the fact that she'd accepted the date... and worried about how well that would go down with her brother, his best friend.
As Friday night rolled around, he found himself both nervous and excited. He showered and shaved, changed into a pair of khaki pants and a light blue button-down shirt, combed his hair, sprayed on some cologne, and headed out to pick up his date.
"Where are my earrings?!" Monica screeched from the top of the stairs.
"I have no idea, Monica... did you look in your jewelry box?" her mother asked.
"Do you actually think I'm THAT stupid?" Monica exclaimed, frustrated, and stomped back into her bedroom as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Jack Geller called as he walked to the door to greet a nervous Chandler, who was smiling and holding a single white rose.
"Good evening, sir... I'm here to pick up daughter... um, your Monica... I mean..." his voiced trailed off as he silently cursed himself.
"Come on in, Chandler, she's just getting ready. You know how the females are... never ready for anything. If an asteroid was about to hit, it would have to wait until the women of the world were done powdering their noses."
"Thanks, Dad," Monica said as she walked into the room. She had her hair up in a twist and was wearing a short black dress and sandals and had a small black purse thrown over her shoulder. "Hi, Chandler," she greeted him.
"Hi," he said, as her father left the room. "Wow... you look great," he complimented her, handing her the rose.
"Awww... thank you, that's so sweet," she said as she smelled the flower. "'Bye, Mom, 'bye Dad! Don't wait up!" she called as Chandler escorted her out the door. Once they were in the car, she turned to face him. "You look great, too," she said. As he grinned, she asked, "So where are we going on this beautiful evening?"
As the night wore on, both Monica and Chandler became aware of the fact that they were each having the best time that they had had in quite awhile. They went out for a nice dinner, after which Chandler asked if she would like to go for a walk through Central Park. She enthusiastically agreed and they walked toward the park from the restaurant. As they walked along, their chatter quieted and after a few moments of silence, Chandler nervously reached for Monica's hand, worried that she would pull it back. As he felt her lace her fingers through his own, he smiled and turned to look at her. She smiled back, and broke the silence. "You know, I umm... I kinda... had a crush on you last year when you came to our house for Thanksgiving dinner." Chandler stopped walking, surprised.
"Really? Why? I was such a dork... that Flock-of-Seagulls haircut and all..."
"Yeah, well, I thought you were cute. Anyway... yeah, I had a crush on you."
After looking at her for a moment, he worked up the courage to reply. "Yeah, well, it's okay... I guess we're even then." Off of her confused look, he continued. "Because I've got one now." Equally surprised, she turned to face him, not knowing what to say. As he gazed into her clear blue eyes, he found his free hand lightly touching the side of her face as she gazed back at him. He slowly leaned in toward her and kissed her, relieved to feel her kissing back, and found that despite the fact that they were in the middle of a public park, he didn't want to end that kiss for anything. After a few moments, the kiss did end and they opened their eyes to look at each other again. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, as she blushed and dropped her eyes to the ground. He smiled and tightened his grip on her hand as they continued walking. She shivered slightly and he quickly slipped off the light windbreaker he was wearing and draped it around her. She smiled thankfully as he took her hand once again and they walked in silence.
The next morning, Chandler smiled as he woke up to the memory of the goodnight kiss they had shared as he dropped her off at home after their date. He remembered how happy he had been when she agreed to meet him for a picnic lunch the next day. He smiled again as he rolled out of bed to get dressed. They spent virtually every day of that week together when they weren't in classes. They went to movies, dinners, parties, and pretty much everywhere there was anything worth doing. One night, Chandler picked her up outside her house and grinned as she jumped into the car and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "So, Mr. Mystery... what was the big secret... where are you taking me?"
He grinned and replied, "I told you I wasn't going to tell you until we got there... you'll just have to wait, beautiful." She smiled at his compliment and sighed jokingly, buckling her seatbelt and leaning back to gaze out the window.
As he pulled into a seemingly deserted parking lot and turned off the engine, Monica turned to face him with a confused look. "Where are we?"
He smiled. "C'mon."
He jumped out of the car and grabbed a basket and blanket out of the trunk with one hand and Mon's hand with the other. As they walked around the row of trees that had edged the parking lot, they came into a vast field with one tree a short distance in front of them. "What are we doing here?" He didn't answer, but instead pulled her along beside him. Once they got a few feet away from the tree, he let go of her hand and spread the blanket on the grass that was still warm from the afternoon sun. He placed the basket on top of it, took Monica's hands in his own, and pulled her down to sit beside him. He gently laid back, again pulling her with him, and said simply, "Look up." As she did, she was faced with the most brilliant stars she had ever seen. He smiled as he saw how surprised she was. "They look a lot brighter when you get away from the bright city lights," he explained, turning his own face toward the stars. After gazing upward for a few moments and simply enjoying the feel of her hand in his, he felt her move and all of a sudden her face was right above his. "Thank you," she whispered, and kissed him more passionately than he could remember having ever been kissed before.
As she pulled away, he smiled and said, "That's not all." He sat up and opened the basket, pulling out a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a basket of strawberries. She smiled as he lit two candles and filled both glasses. After they had eaten, Monica felt the warmth begin to fill her body as she laid back down and turned to look at the profile of the man laying beside her. As she gazed absentmindedly at him, he turned to her and smiled. "Hey," he said, softly joking. "I brought you here to gaze at STARS."
"I know," she said. "It's just that there's something even more gorgeous to look at and it's not up there." He blushed and rolled onto his side to kiss her again. As they kissed under the stars, he was overcome by how happy he was simply to be next to her and to be allowed to kiss her. He kissed her mouth, her face, and her neck, not ever wanting to stop. After awhile, he pulled away and looked at her and kissed her lips again. "Monica..." he whispered.
"Yes?" she whispered back. He paused for a moment, trying to find the words without sounding like a fool.
"I... I'm falling for you."
"And I for you," she replied. "Head over heels." He leaned in and kissed her again, and then rested his head beside hers and watched her as she watched the stars.
Two weeks later, as Monica was lying on her bed studying for a test the next day, her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"Yes, good afternoon," came a badly disguised voice. "I have a collect call from a sad and pathetic man who is crazy about the most gorgeous woman in the world... do you accept the charges?"
Monica giggled and replied, "Sorry, no gorgeous women here... tell him he must have the wrong number."
"Hey beautiful," came the voice she had become so accustomed to hearing. "Hey yourself," she answered, smiling. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much... but there's a party on the campus tomorrow night and I thought that it might be a good way to start the weekend... whaddaya say?"
"Sure!" Mon agreed, excited at the idea of a college party. "What do I wear?"
"Does it matter? You'd look gorgeous in a paper bag... hey, that wouldn't be half bad... having a date in nothing more than a bag..."
"Chandler!"
"Sorry, sorry... wear whatever you want to... I'll pick you up around eight, okay?"
"'Kay...bye!"
Saturday night rolled around and Monica was in a frenzy, trying to decide what to wear. She was just adding the finishing touches to her makeup when she heard the doorbell. "Could somebody get that please?" She turned and grabbed her purse from the bed and checked her reflection once more as she heard her father greet Chandler. She descended the stairs to be greeted by his smiling face as he looked up at her.
"So you decided against the paper bag, huh? Probably a smart choice... after all, we wouldn't want to get any college guys' hopes up, now would we?" he joked after her father had left the room. She giggled.
"Chandler!" she hissed as he laughed and escorted her out the door.
As they entered the party, Chandler scanned the crowd for some faces that he knew. "There's a group of my friends," she yelled above the noise, pointing across the room. Monica nodded and allowed him to lead her over to where they were standing. "Hey, guys!" he greeted them. "This," he said placing his hands on Monica's shoulders, "is my girlfriend, Monica." She smiled nervously and exchanged hellos with the people before her.
One of them, a tall, redheaded girl who introduced herself as Kelly, turned to her smiling and said, "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Monica. Chandler never shuts up about you... it's always "Monica this," and "Monica that..." She trailed off as Chandler glared at her, blushing. "Well anyway, glad you could come. Beer?" she offered.
"No, thanks," Monica declined, deciding that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get drunk at her first college party, especially since she was underage to begin with. Kelly turned to Chandler.
"No, I'm good," he replied and laced his fingers through Mon's. She smiled to herself, glad that she wouldn't be the only one not drinking. He flashed her a grin that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking and, after about an hour of mingling, suggested that they take a walk around the campus to get some fresh air. He was getting kind of tired of having to yell over the noise and was ready to take a break from the wall of smoke that was everywhere. Monica agreed, and they made their way to the door, saying goodbye to the people they had been talking to.
Once outside, Chandler breathed in deeply. "Ahhhh... nothing like a good party to trash your liver and your lungs," he mused, pleased when Monica giggled. He turned to her and asked, "Did you have fun, or was it boring? I'm sorry if you didn't have a good time... I wanted my friends to meet you and..."
"I had a great time!" Monica interrupted, smiling. "It was fun, and I was with you... an added bonus!" Chandler grinned at the unexpected compliment and took her hand.
"So... where shall we walk to?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I dunno... where do you usually go when you're here?"
After a moment of thought, he replied, "Well, I'm usually in class or in my dorm."
"Hey... I've never seen your dorm," she said. "Ross would never let me in there when he was here."
"Well, it's nothing special... you sure you want to see it?" he asked.
"Sure, why not?" she replied.
They got to his door and Monica giggled when she saw the doodles on the writing board that was tacked to it. "Mon's Man" was printed across the top and there were just random caricatures covering the rest of the space. "Did you draw these?" she asked, marveling at how good they were.
"Yep," Chandler said as he unlocked the door. "It's how I procrastinate when I know I should actually be studying." Monica laughed as he opened the door for her and closed it behind them. She glanced around the room and was surprised at how simple it was. Since Ross was gone, Chandler had moved the room around so that there was one bed in the middle of the room and his desk was by the window. There were drawings, posters, and random clippings from magazines and newspapers stuck to the walls and a TV on top of the dresser against the other wall. A stereo was beside it and there was a framed picture of Monica next to his bed. She blushed when she saw this, and he noticed. "I love that picture," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and softly kissing her neck.
"Ugh, why?" she groaned, remembering the day it was taken. They had been walking through the park, and he had picked a daisy for her, knowing that they were her favorite flowers. A little while later, they had stopped to sit at a table and she bowed her head to smell the flower. At that moment, as if from nowhere, Chandler had produced a camera and taken her photo, which turned out to be a rather decent shot, with the sunlight behind her and a small smile on her lips.
"Because... it shows how beautiful you are," he murmured in her ear. She turned to gaze up at him and he leaned in and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his on her waist. Monica ran her hands through the hair on the back of his head and he ran his over her back. He gently lowered her onto the bed while they kissed and he took off his jacket as he lowered himself on top of her. As the kisses became more intense, he moved his hands to the front of her jeans and began to unbutton them. He felt Monica grab his wrists and he stopped kissing her and looked deep into her eyes, questioning with his own. She tried to find the words without scaring him.
"I..." she stopped, gazing up at him, wondering how he was going to react. "I... I've never done this before." Chandler paused in momentary confusion and then reeled backward like he'd been slapped, apologizing at once.
"Oh, God, Mon, I'm so sorry, I didn't know... please don't think I'm some horny jerk who's just trying to get in your pants because I'm not. I love you, and I'm sorry if this pressured you, and you know I'd never want to do that, and..." he stopped when he noticed that she was smiling up at him. "What?" he asked.
"You love me?" she asked, not completely surprised that he felt it, but surprised that he said it.
He dropped his eyes and ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Well..." he looked up and into her crystal blue eyes. "Yeah, of course I do. I'm crazy in love with you, Mon." She got up off the bed and went to stand in front of him.
"I love you too," she whispered, and gave him a soft kiss that gradually began to build. He pulled away and looked at her.
"I'm sorry, Mon... if I had known I never would have..." he began apologizing again, but was cut off my Monica's hand on his lips. He kissed her fingertips and looked at her intently.
"Chandler... don't be sorry," she whispered. "I'm not. Just... a little more time." He kissed her deeply and rested his forehead against hers and laced their fingers together.
"C'mon, gorgeous," he murmured. "I'll drive you home." She nodded and followed him out the door with their fingers still intertwined.
Chandler awoke to the phone in his dorm room ringing at 9:00 the next morning. Once he had located the handset from under a pile of papers on his desk, he answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie... I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Monica's voice came clearly through the earpiece and Chandler smiled to himself.
"Yeah, but it was worth it." He heard Mon laugh and smiled again.
"Listen, I'm sorry to call so early, but I meant to ask you last night. You see, um, prom's kind of coming up, and my best friend Rachel wants me to go and I totally understand if you don't want to, if you think it's lame or whatever, I mean I really couldn't blame you so if you hate the idea then..."
"Mon!" Chandler interjected, laughing. "I'd love to take you to your prom."
"Really?"
"Of course, really. When is it?"
"Next Saturday... I would have waited to call you later today but Rachel's making me get to the mall at ten when they open so that we get 'maximum shopping hours' in which to find dresses. Are you sure you don't mind going?"
"I'm sure... do you have the plans yet?"
"Not exactly... I know it's at the Hilton and we're going to go out to dinner with Rachel and Chip beforehand and we'll probably get a room in the same hotel to crash in afterward, but I'll call you this afternoon and let you know the specifics, ok? I have to run though, Rachel's bugging me to get out the door." Chandler laughed and agreed, still chuckling when he hung up the phone. The following week went by in a flash of dresses, hairdos, transportation issues, and Rachel obsessing over every little detail. It was ultimately decided that they would all meet at Monica's house where the limo would pick them up and take them to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called Rigatoni's and then to the dance. Saturday night rolled around and Monica and Rachel were in her bedroom getting ready. Rachel had decided on a light pink dress that she said made her feel like Cinderella because the bodice at the top showed her figure and from the waist it spread out and cascaded to the floor. Monica had gone for virtually the opposite and had decided on a simple, navy blue slinky and form-fitting dress that reached the floor and had a slit halfway up her leg. The back scooped down toward the small of her back where it met in a "V" and the entire dress had an almost shimmery look to it as if there were tiny specks of glitter sprinkled throughout the fabric. She had her hair in a French twist with some sapphire clips holding a few tendrils off her face. Matching sapphire earrings were in her ears and a similar necklace was clasped around her neck. The doorbell rang and the girls shrieked, grabbing one another and jumping up and down until they realized with horror that they might cause their hair to fall out of place. "Monica? Rachel?" Judy's voice floated up the stairs and the girls shrieked silently and dashed toward the stairs. Rachel ran down to greet Chip and Monica grinned from the top of the stairs as she heard Rachel yelp with delight when she saw her date. Mon took a deep breath and slowly descended the stairs. Chandler turned as he heard light footsteps on the stairs and his breath caught when he saw her emerge, feet first and then, with each step, more of her body until her head was visible and she gazed back at him. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at him nervously while he looked back at her in awe. Once he regained his composure, he walked to her and stopped in front of her with a box in his hands. "You look... amazing," he said exhaling the breath he had been holding since he first laid eyes on her. She smiled.
"So do you," she said, taking note of how hot he looked in his tux. He opened the box he was holding and took out a beautiful corsage made of white roses. She grinned as he slid it onto her wrist and then she pinned a white rose onto the lapel of his jacket. They stood graciously while Mr. and Mrs. Geller took photos until Monica eventually reminded them of the awaiting reservations. She smiled as she took the arm that Chandler held out to her and waved to her parents as they followed Rachel and Chip to the limousine waiting at the end of the driveway.
Once they got to the dance, Rachel dragged Chip along behind her to say hello to a group of her friends that she could see standing on the far side of the hall. Monica looked around at the decorations, proud that she had been a member of the committee in charge of them. Chandler noticed what she was looking at. "They look awesome, Mon. You guys did a great job." Monica smiled, thinking to herself how lucky she was to have found the perfect boyfriend.
"Oh, hey, I found out some interesting news this afternoon," she said as she turned to face him. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "It's not really big, just... I got a letter today in the mail. I got into NYU." Chandler's eyes widened and a grin took over his face as he picked her up by the waist and swung her around.
"Really?! You're going to be at NYU in the fall? With me? We'll be together?" Monica grinned at his reaction.
"Yup. I'm gonna be a freshman all over again."
"This is great!" Chandler exclaimed, leaning in and kissing her hard on the mouth. "C'mon, let's dance!" He led her onto the dance floor and they lost themselves in the huge crowd of people dancing to the upbeat music. After a few songs had gone by, the deejay decided to slow the pace down and he began to play a slower song. Chandler took Monica by the waist and pulled her up against his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as she looked into his clear blue eyes. "You're so beautiful," he murmured as he lightly ran his hands over her bare back, sending a tingling feeling through her body. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder as he breathed in the smell of her hair and continued to caress her back. From across the dance floor, Rachel smiled when she saw them dancing together. "They make the cutest couple," she thought to herself as she watched them.
The music picked up again and Chandler and Monica began to move faster, but they did not step back to get the space that had been between them previously. They stayed as close as they were during the slow song, and Monica just allowed Chandler to move her body along with his, marveling at what a good dancer he was. Awhile later the deejay stopped the music and announced that it was time for the crowning of the prom king and queen. Mon searched the crowd for Rachel, who she knew was probably hyperventilating at this point. It had been her dream since they were ten to be prom queen, and when she had gotten a nomination Monica had to argue with her to keep her from writing to the New York Times. She suddenly felt a death grip on her arm and turned to see Rachel, shaking and wide-eyed.
"Oh, God... it's the moment of truth. What if I don't win? Oh, what if that slut Nancy Branson wins? I'll die... I'll just die." Monica tried not to laugh at Rachel's dramatic rambling and gripped her hand as the chaperone opened the envelope.
"This year's prom king is... drumroll, please... Chip Matthews!" Rachel gasped as her date began to jump up and down and make his way to the platform, high-fiving his friends and hooting. Once he had climbed the stairs and been given the aluminum crown, the chaperone once again turned to the microphone. "And the winner of the title of prom queen is... Rachel Green!" Rachel began jumping up and down beside Monica and squealing. Monica tried to figure out if she was actually squealing words, but eventually gave up and just jumped up and down along with her best friend and hugged her. Rachel made her way to the front of the crowd, beaming and close to tears. After she had been crowned and had shared the traditional king-and-queen dance with Chip, she made her way back over to Monica and began blabbing again. "Can you believe it? My existence has finally been validated. I'M PROM QUEEN!" Mon laughed and hugged her best friend again.
"Congratulations, Rach." Chandler said, smiling at her warmly.
"Thanks, Chandler. You know, you're such a nice guy, I'm glad Monica finally got over dating such losers."
"Thanks a lot, Rach," Mon muttered. Chandler grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, wrapping his arms around Monica's waist and kissing her neck.
"Yeah. Well, I'm going to go find Nancy and brag. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, ok?" With that, Rachel was off to flaunt her newly acquired crown.
The deejay's voice once again took over the microphone. "Hey out there, you Lincoln High seniors! I hope you've enjoyed yourselves tonight, and I'm sorry to say that this is going to be the last song of the evening. Enjoy it! Peace!" Monica smiled as Chandler took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor again. He took her in his arms as the music began to play and gazed into her eyes as she looked back into his. They swayed back and forth to the music, forgetting that there were other people around and lost themselves in each other's eyes. When the music was over, Chandler kissed her softly and looked into her eyes again.
"Thank you for coming tonight," she said.
"Babe, I wouldn't have missed this for the world," he replied. She smiled and kissed him lightly.
"C'mon, we should probably find Rach since we have joining hotel rooms." She eventually found her best friend in the center of a circle of new admirers, still beaming. She stifled a laugh, glad to see how happy her best friend was. "Rach?" she interrupted.
"Oh, hey Mon. Okay, sorry guys, I gotta run... it's been nice talking to you." With that, she broke away from the group and ran up to Mon, giggling.
"Chandler and I are gonna go up to the room now and chill... are you and Chip coming up?"
"Yeah, we'll be up in a little while... I guess I should probably find him," she said absently, looking around.
"Okay," Mon said, amused. "Well, here's your room key... if I don't see you tonight, meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning... we have to check out by noon."
"Okay, yeah, noon... got it. Have fun you two!" Rachel said, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Monica blushed and dragged Chandler away. Once they were in the elevator, Chandler pulled Monica in close to him and whispered in her ear, "I think you would have made a beautiful prom queen."
Mon smiled and joked, "Well of course I would have, but who am I to stand in the way of true happiness?" He smiled and kissed her gently until the doors opened at their floor. "What room are we in?" she asked.
"Umm... room 228," Chandler said after reading the key, as if he hadn't been up there before they picked up Monica and Rachel. They found the door and Chandler handed the key card to Mon while he wrapped his arms around her waist and began kissing her neck. She giggled as she tried to open the door, succeeding on the second attempt. As she stepped inside the room, her jaw dropped as she looked around. There was a table by the window with two candles standing and white rose petals scattered across it. There was a vase of beautiful white roses on the dresser and there was a stereo beside them. Monica turned to Chandler, shocked, causing him to finally stop kissing her neck. "Wow... the maid must have gone all out," he joked.
"Chandler, you..." Monica couldn't find any adequate words and simply stood in front of him, dumbfounded. "You did all this... for me?" He nodded slightly, gazing at her. "It's beautiful," she whispered, awestruck and with tears in her eyes.
"Nowhere near as beautiful as you," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and gazing into her eyes lovingly. She kissed him passionately and smiled when their lips parted.
"I'm just going to take a shower to get the hairspray out of my hair, okay?" she asked. He grinned.
"I'll wait," he whispered, kissing her once again. She disappeared into the bathroom and he kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket over the back of a chair along with his bowtie. He undid the top button of his shirt and sat on the bed, listening to his love humming in the shower and smiling to himself. When she emerged a few minutes later, he was pleasantly surprised. He had thought that she couldn't look more beautiful than she had earlier in the evening, but he was dumbstruck to find himself thinking that she looked even more beautiful wearing a plain white bathrobe with her wet, dark hair framing her face. He stood up with the sudden irresistible urge to kiss her. He went over to her and brushed her hair away from her face and did just that. He became lost in the intoxicating smell of her shampoo and her skin as he ran his fingers through her wet hair and felt the taste of her tongue against his. He was surprised a few minutes later to discover that she was unbuttoning his shirt. He kissed her once more and then separated his lips from hers, looking into her eyes, searching for the answer to his question. "Mon?" he asked, his voice unsteady. She peered back at him evenly, and her eyes seemed to hold nothing but certainty. She reached the last button on his shirt and slid it off his shoulders and onto the floor. As he gazed into her eyes, he wanted her more than ever before, but he knew he would never forgive himself if he pushed her in any way. "Mon?" he inquired again, his voice a little stronger this time. She looked up at him, her innocent blue eyes questioning him and her porcelain skin tempting him. "Are you sure about this? I mean, are you sure you're ready?" She nodded.
"Positive," she whispered. He looked at her for another moment, as if to be sure, and kissed her deeply as he wrapped her in his arms, feeling her small, fragile body against his. She untucked his undershirt and he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, and then ran her hands over his bare shoulders and chest. He began to kiss her once more and untied the knot that held her bathrobe closed. As it opened, he slid it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, leaving her standing there in nothing but a pair of black underwear. She unbuttoned his pants and slid them off, along with his boxers, as he laid her down on the bed, leaving her panties as the only thing left between them. He kissed her tenderly and momentarily stopped to look at her again. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she answered, and pulled him back down toward her.