DISCLAIMER: THE POEMS USED ARE CREATED BY NO ONE OTHER THAN ME, AND I HAPPILY GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO USE THEM UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU GIVE ME CREDIT. THANK YOU :)
Chapter 1 - The One Where Joey Discovers Monica's Secret Admirer
"Oh come'on, not again." Rachel said, as she shuffled through the mail. She pulled out one specific letter with Monica's name written at the back with their apartment address, and a rose sticker sealing it close. By just a glance at the sticker she knew exactly who this letter was from.
"What is it Rach?" Monica walked beside Rachel, and let out a breath. It was a letter from her secret admirer for the second time this week.
"Open it." She sighed.
Rachel immediately teared the envelope open, and inside it was an ordinary lined paper only to be changed by the simple words written.
Every time I see you I think,
You're perfect in every way,
How can someone be so beautiful,
your smile makes my day,
I wondered if I should ask this but I'll ask it anyway,
Will you make my day as usual by meeting me at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow at Central Perk Cafe?
Rachel gasped."He wants to meet you at Central Perk tomorrow!"
Monica bit her lip."I don't know if I should go."
"You should Mon, you'll finally see who this guy is."
Before Monica could answer, Joey walked into their apartment and Chandler tagged along.
They both saw the girls agonized expressions and just as Chandler was about to see what all the commotion was about until he saw a letter in Rachel's hand and quickly re-treated to the couch. He thought about leaving out the door but he knew he would look very suspicious.
Yet neverthelessly, Joey walked over to the girls in curiosity of what they were wondering about.
"What's that you've got there Rach?" Joey asked, referring to the paper in Rachel's hands.
"Monica's secret admirer sent her another letter again and wants to meet her at Central Perk tomorrow!" Rachel seemed more thrilled about this news than Monica did. Monica sometimes thought Rachel wished these letters were for her instead because of her excitement and somewhat jealous look each time she saw the envolope. Deep down Monica really enjoyed this poems made just for her, but always wondered who was this secret admirer. What he looked like, who he was, his name...
-"Oh really?" Joey leaned in beside Rachel to read the letter and his eyes skimmed through it a few times.
"This writing looks familiar." Joey said, walking with the paper to Chandler. Joey brought the paper to Chandler's face and he inwardly cringed.
"Don't you think so Chandler?"
"N-No, not at all." Chandler responded, ogling his fingers on his lap rather than the paper in front of him.
Monica walked over to them and took the paper from Joey before taking a seat beside Chandler. His body stiffened and he un-acknowledgely moved slightly down from Monica.
Despite the fact Chandler was acting differently, no one realized because they were all captivated by this poem written by Monica's secret admirer.
"I love the poem, it's so sweet." Monica admitted aloud. Chandler's eye's widened, suprised from Monica's words.
"I just wish I knew this guy, he must be living somewhere in this building." She said with a sigh.
"Try next door." Chandler incoherently mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Monica asked.
"Oh, uh, n-nothing...I-I just have to go." Chandler got up from his seat and all eyes were on him with confusion as he left apartment 20 without an explanation.
"What's his problem?" Rachel asked.
"I...I don't know." Joey responded, with a little worry and confusion just like the others."I'll go talk to him."
...
Joey walked into his shared apartment, his roommate not to be seen in the living room as usual. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion until Joey decided to check Chandler's bedroom, where Chandler was sitting by his desk frantically scribbling words across a page. Chandler looked up when he heard his bedroom door creak to see a very confused Joey.
"Whats up with you man?" Joey asked."Why'd you just walk out like that at Monica's?"
Chandler stared at Joey for another second before going back to scribbling words on his page, ignoring his presence.
A moment later Chandler balled up the page in anger and tried to aim it at the garbage can by his door, but missed. Instead, the balled up paper landed by Joey's shoe and he promptly picked it up, observing the paper in his hand.
"What were you writing on this paper anyways?"
Joey looked back at Chandler who now had a panicked expression across his face. He looked ready to pounce on him at any second.
"N-Nothing...Joey just, don't open it please." Chandler begged, but Joey took no notice to Chandler's pleading eyes and opened it anyways. Just then Chandler spang from his seat and tried to obtain his once un-wanted paper, but Joey quickly turned his back to him in time to read most of the page. Joey's eyes widened as he saw Monica's name mostly written all over the page and froze in shock, giving Chandler the ability to grab the already read page from him.
Chandler sighed when he saw Joey's own personal,"Shocked face." His eyes wide and his body still.
"So um, I guess now you know." Chandler said rubbing a hand at the back of his neck, biting his lip in nervousness.
"Yeah I do now know!" Joey exclaimed in somewhat anger."You've been stealing Monica's secret admirer's letter drafts!"
Chandler slapped a hand over his forehead. All of a sudden his fret about Joey finding out about his love for Monica was gone. Chandler knew it was going to all click in just a moment for Joey when he remembers he was just writing on the paper a minute ago.
"I...I can't believe you would do something like that, your sick man." Joey complained in disgust.
Chandler rolled his eyes at Joey's exaggeration."Joe, I didn't steal anything from Monica."
'She just stole my heart.' he thought.
"Oh yeah, so why were you just writing-" Joey's eyes go wide once again in shock.
"YOUR MONICA'S SECRET ADMIRER!" He yelled. Chandler's eyes quickly go wide, hoping the girls didn't hear Joey's yell.
"SHHH...Dude, be quiet!" Chandler whisper-yelled.
Chandler quickly glanced at his front door which was slammed open by Monica and Rachel with worry.
"What's wrong guys, we heard one of you yell." Monica asked panicked.
Joey fell back on to chair behind him with the same, or even more, amount of shock than before.
"Oh, yeah, that was Joey he just found out he, uh, isn't getting some roll in a play he auditioned for earlier." Chandler said casually."I'm surprised you guys don't hear him that often, he always does this."
"...Chandler...l-loves..." Joey said, rocking his recliner.
Chandler realized what Joey was going to say next and he quickly pushed the girls out the apartment.
"Okay thanks for coming, bye now."He shut the door and locks it with the chain.
"...Chandler, I can't believe you love Monica." Joey immediately said.
Chandler shoved his hands in his pocket and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"How long has it been?"
"...7, 8, years..." Chandler quietly replied.
"You've liked her for that long and you've never told me?!" Joey asked raising his voice again.
"Shhh!" Chandler harshly whispered, almost deathly. He didn't want Rachel and Monica to hear Joey again, or else they'd know something was up.
"...I thought we were best-friends..." Joey said, looking away from him.
"What do you mean Joey, we are best-friends!" Chandler exclaimed, walking to Joey's recliner. He folded his arms over the handle and keeled down to face level with Joey who turned his head as far as it could go in the other direction.
"No one but you knows." Chandler said."Not even Ross."
Joey finally turned his head to face Chandler."Of course he doesn't, that's his sister for crying out loud! Why would you tell him!"
Chandler looked away from Joey, not believing how hurt he was by this discovery.
"I'm sorry Joe for not telling you." He apologized."I...I just didn't know how I would because I knew you used to have some feelings for Monica and I thought you'd think I was some loner because I was sending her those, uh, letters."
Joey smiled."Well we can both agree you're a loner."
Chandler smiled, and playfully punched him in his arm. He was glad Joey wasn't mad at him anymore.
"But those "letters" you send her are really sweet." Joey admitted."I know my sisters would die if one of them got a secret admirer who sent them letters about twice a week."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Didn't you hear Monica before you left?" Joey asked."She loved the poem!"
Chandler half smiled in reply.
Joey gets up from is recliner to the kitchen near the counter top and it goes quiet until Chandler speaks again.
"...So, Joe can you please not tell anyone about this? Can we just keep it between me and you?" He asked.
"Yeah, sure man." Joey replied, taking down a cereal box from the top of the fridge."But oh wait-...I tell Phoebe everything."
"Can you please not tell her this Joe, she might tell the girls and I don't want Monica to know I've been the one sending those poems to her for all these years."
"I'll try my best Chandler, it's just that me and Phoebe made a deal a long time ago to tell each other everything..." Joey ogled him for a second before continuing."...But because you actually are my best-friend, I wont tell her."
Chandler smiled."Thanks Joe."
Joey replied with a nod before he opened the fridge for some milk."But hey- didn't that poem you sent to her today say you want to meet her at Central Perk tomorrow?"
Chandler bit his lip."Yeah, but I don't know if I'm going anymore, I regret asking."
"Why dude, don't you think it's maybe about time you reveal to her that it's always been you?" Joey asked, pouring the milk into his bowl full of cereal."Just think of how long she's been wondering who this mysterious person is. Even if she doesn't like you the way you like her, you both can get some closure."
Chandler couldn't believe he was thinking this, but Joey was right. Just as much pressure that was on him, was on Monica.
Joey took a spoonful of his cereal and immediately spit it out."Yuck, this milk is expired."
"Well what in our fridge isn't." Chandler replied truthfully.
"I'm going back to the girls apartment for some milk and I'll ask Monica if she's going to Central Perk tomorrow. If she's going your going, okay?" Joey said.
"Yes mom." Chandler responded and Joey rolled his eyes before walking out their apartment.
Chandler sat in his recliner wondering what he would do. After 8 years was he ready to finally come clean to Monica? How long more will he be able to hide this, Joey might slip one day to the gang about it. And even if Joey does, what can he do? This was a un-revealed secret for too long.