A/N: Once again, I thank those of you who read and/or reviewed my last chapter. I should mention that I don't own the Wizard of Oz, in case the people who made it try to sue me for using a few lines from it. Ya never know xD Don't forget to review! Will hopefully be posting more soon! :)
"Joey, come on! Focus!" Phoebe persuades, Wizard of Oz script in hand as she sat on the sofa in the Tribbiani's living room. She had hopelessly lost the boy's attention to his beloved tv.
"Wait a sec. This is my favorite commercial."
Growing impatient, Phoebe picks up the tv remote and turns it off.
"Hey!" he yells in protest.
"Come on, let's go through it one more time." she insists. "After tonight, I can't help you."
"I know.." Joey sighs. He crosses his arms and pouts. "Look, I don't even know if I wanna go through with this anymore."
"What? Why? Why would you even say that?"
"Because...I dunno. I just don't." he mutters with a shrug. He grabs a bag of potato chips off the coffee table rips it open.
Phoebe can't believe what she's hearing. She shakes her head. "Joey, You can't come this far and then not even try! That's just ridiculous."
"But what if I don't get the part?" He asks, his mouth full of chips.
Phoebe sets down the script and grabs the bag out of his hand to ensure she has his full attention. "Listen to me. If you don't go to the audition tomorrow, I will kick your ass!"
He gives an indifferent snort, acting unaffected by her threat. "Ooh, I'm so scared."
To prove her point, Phoebe slugs him hard in the bicep. He responds immediately, by clutching his arm and letting go a sound of pain.
"Geez!" he mutters, still rubbing his arm, while glaring at her.
"Serves you right!" She says. "Now, come on. I know you can do this!"
"Alright.." Joey mumbles. Finally defeated he picks up his script.
"So, I'll read as Dorothy again." she tells him. "Unless you wanna be Dorothy, y'know, just to change things up."
He gives her an irritable glare that tells her there's not a chance in hell he's reading as Dorothy. He glances down at the script, scanning with his finger for his lines. "Here we go.." he clears his throat and takes a second to prepare himself and get into character. "You're going to see a Wizard? Do you think if I went with you, this wizard would give me some brains?"
"I couldn't say. But even if he didn't, you'd be no worse off than you are now. But maybe you'd better not. I've got a witch mad at me and you might get into trouble." Phoebe reads, in her best "Dorothy" voice.
"Witch? I'm not afraid of anything...except a lighted match."
"I don't blame you, for that."
"But I'd face a whole box of them for the chance of getting some brains! Look..I won't be any trouble, because I don't need to think! And I won't try to manage things, because I can't think. Won't you take me with you?"
"Why of course, I will...That was great!" Phoebe beams, dropping character for a second.
Joey smiles. "Thanks."
"No, I meant me, actually." she explains. "I think I really nailed it! Maybe I should audition for Dorothy."
He gives a small laugh. "If you went to my school, maybe."
"Nah, it's not worth going back to school for. It's like jail. Believe me, I've been to both and they equally suck."
Joey's eyes fall down upon the script again. "So you think I'm going to get it tomorrow?"
"You will." She tells him, nodding confidently. "Trust me. And if your friends laugh at you, well..they won't be laughing when you're a huge movie star some day."
A modest grin flashes across his face. "Awh..you're just saying that."
"No, really. I can see it happening. I mean, you're great at this! And, well, you're handsome, too. That'll help." she playfully touches her finger to his nose.
Joey pushes her hand away, but smirks at her comment. Just then, the phone rings.
"I'll get it!" Both teens declare as the make a grab for the phone on the end table at the same time. Phoebe knows it's most likely not for her, but she enjoys answering the phone, as she's never had one before. Joey however, has gotten into habit of getting to the phone before anyone in his family can, just in case it's a girl calling for him. Phoebe manages to pick up the receiver first, but Joey reaches over top of her and grasps the other end of it.
"I got it!" he tells her as they each try to yank it from the other's hand.
"No, let go! Get off me!" Phoebe cries out. She's still holding her end, despite being partially pinned underneath him on the couch. She struggles, stubbornly holding the phone in one hand, and shoves him with all her might, and Joey ends up on the floor with the phone in his hand.
"Hello?" he answers, before Phoebe can try to grab it away again. The sly smile on his face melts away after a moment. "Yeah, hold on." He holds the phone out to Phoebe. "It's for you."
Phoebe's eyes bulge. "For me?" she repeats in disbelief. Who would be calling Joey's house for her?
"It's Gina." He tells her, placing the phone in her hand.
"Oh...hello?"
"Phoebe! You're never gonna believe this. Greg, the manager here at the Pound House told me to call you. The job is yours if you want it."
Phoebe feels a sense of relief building up inside her, as she'd almost convinced herself she wasn't going to get the job because of how awkward the interview process was.
"No way!" she gushes, excitedly. "That's awesome!"
"I told you, darlin'. You're a natural! I don't know what you did, but he loved you. He said you can start tomorrow night. It'll be a busy night, but I'm working tomorrow, too so you'll have nothing to worry about. I'll swing by and get you about an hour before your shift, so we can get ready."
"Alright, thanks a lot, Gina. I'll see you then." She hangs up the phone and gives a small, excited squeal. She turns to Joey who is still on the floor, watching her in confusion. "I got the job!" she tells him, grinning. She waits for him to get excited with her, but his expression doesn't change. He slowly pulls himself up off the floor.
"That's great, Pheebs.."
An unsettling feeling hits her as he walks to the kitchen, and comes back a moment later with a can of soda.
"Can you at least act happy for me?" she says. "I mean, this is a big deal for me. This is my first real job, where I'm going to be making real money. Not just the pocket change of the few decent people in New York who feel sorry enough for me."
"I know it is." Joey says as he rejoins her on the couch. He snaps open his soda can and takes a few gulps.
Phoebe's happiness fades away into annoyance, knowing that her friend doesn't care about something that means a lot to her. She rolls her eyes, her arms crossed across her chest. Having no words, she waits out the bitter silence, lingering between them. Finally Joey heaves a sigh and speaks his piece.
"Look, Pheebs..I do think it's cool you've got a job. It's just, that bar is kind of..." he pauses, delicately trying to find the right word. "Well, the girls that work there have sort of trashy reputation. Like my sister."
Phoebe's jaw drops, feeling deeply insulted. "So you think I'm trashy?"
"No, I don't." he insists. " That's exactly why I don't think you belong there. Look, nevermind, Pheebs. As long as you're making money there, and you like it, then I'll stay out of it."
"Fine." she says, unforgiving. She's still not satisfied with his indifferent attitude towards her new job.
"Look.." Joey says. "Just promise me one thing. If anything goes wrong while you're there...just give me a call, alright?"
Phoebe shrugs. "Nothing's going to go wrong, Joey. Besides, I know how to handle myself if something happens."
"I know you do. But just in case you need me to come get you or anything..well, you can call and I'll be right there, in no time."
She nods, appreciative that like always, he's looking out for her best interest. "Ok...I'm kind of tired now."
She waits for him to take the hint, but he just finishes off his soda in a few gulps and doesn't move from his seat, still fixated on the tv. Phoebe clears her throat, loudly.
"That means you have to get off of my bed." she says, shooing him with her hands.
"Oh...sorry." he says, and turns off the tv. He rises to his feet, and touches her on the shoulder. "G'night, Pheebs." he tells her before he leaves the room.
Phoebe hesitates a moment. "Joey?"
He turns around, hanging half-way through the doorway to the kitchen. "Yeah?"
"If I'm not awake when you leave for school tomorrow...I just wanted to say good luck on your audition."
A smirk crosses his lips. "Thanks, Pheebs. Night."
"Night." She says.
...
With her make-up done, hair in curls, and her outfit picked out, Phoebe still has a few hours left before her first day on the job. She sitting at the kitchen table, while Gina paints her nails a dark shade of red, and gives her the basic run-down of a typical day on the job.
"If a customer buys you a drink, don't turn it down. Especially if he buys you a shot. See, then you can say 'Only if you do one with me.' Cause the drunker they get, the better they tip. Got it?" Phoebe just nods along, trying to follow her, and growing increasingly nervous about her first day. "But what if I get drunk at work? I mean, isn't there policies against that?"
Gina shakes her head. "Nah, not really. I do it all the time. That's why it's such a fun place to work, you know? You can have a few drinks, get your flirt on a little. Just don't get too carried away. Some of the customers are a little desperate if you know what I mean. For example if some old perv grabs your ass, what should you do?"
Phoebe thinks a moment. "Uhm...I stab him and take his wallet?"
Gina throws back her head and laughs. "Oh, Pheebs, you crack me up! That's a good one."
Phoebe gives her a nervous, phony laugh. "Yeah...that was a joke."
She watches Gina, diligently applying a clear top coat to her nails. Usually, they're worn down, broken and dirty from her previous rough life-style.
"Wow..do you have do all of this every night?" she asks Gina.
"Ah, you'll get used to it, hon. Here, lemme go grab my hair dryer so I can blast these babies and we can be out of here."
Phoebe waits as Gina disappears upstairs, trying not to move her hands while she admires her glossy, red nails. The front door opens, suddenly and she turns her head, to see Joey coming in from school. "Hey! So, how'd it go?" she asks. She'd been wondering about his audition all day, sending him good-luck vibes, and happy thoughts.
From his body language, she can already sense that maybe it didn't work, as he walks to the fridge, his head hung down. He opens the door to the fridge, taking out a soda, without answering her. Her smile fades.
"Joey?" she asks, growing worried.
He slumps down across from her at the table in Gina's spot, refusing to look up.
"I really screwed up.." he begins.
"Awh, sweetie. What happened?"
He takes a deep breath and gives a shrug. "Well, I went on stage, and I tripped over some light cords. And I knocked over a bunch of fake trees and fell off the stage."
"My God!" Phoebe says. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." he says, sadly. "I didn't mean to do it though, you know? I was just nervous, I guess."
"Awh, Joey." Phoebe reached over and touches his cheek, very careful not to bend her fingers and ruin her nails. "I'm so sorry you didn't get it. But there's always next time."
"Who says I didn't get it?" he says.
Phoebe furrows her brow, in bewilderment. "What?"
She watches as he lifts his head and a grin passes over his lips. "The drama teacher loved it, Pheebs! He said I was perfect for the part. They didn't even audition anyone else for the scarecrow, after that!"
"Oh!" Phoebe says, getting just as excited as he is. "Oh, that's great, Joey! I knew you would!"
He gives a laugh. "I totally had you, didn't I?"
She smirks, feeling foolish for falling for his joke.
"To be fair, I think they thought I did it on purpose, but hey, it worked!" Joey says as he stands up from his seat and walks to the counter. He opens a cookie jar, forcing his hand into it and grabbing at least 5 chocolate chip cookies before he returns to the table, shortly before Gina returns with her hair dryer. She walks over to the table and flicks her brother in the head with her long nails. "You're in my seat, jackass. Move."
Joey purposefully takes his sweet time, drinking his soda, and stuffing two or three cookies in his mouth before he gets up, to which Gina responds with a twisted expression of disgust.
"You're disgusting, you know that?"
"Oh, hey, Gina, guess what?" Phoebe pipes up. "Joey got a part in the school play! He's gonna play the Scarecrow."
Gina gives a careless snort as she resumes her seat across from Phoebe. "Why does that not surprise me? I mean, it figures they'd cast you as the brainless character, since your head is full of rocks!" Standing over Gina, Joey frowns and mumbles something that sounds like an insult, but comes out as cookie crumbs spraying all over the place.
"Gross!" Gina yells, giving her younger brother a shove away from the table. "Get out of here, would you!? We got things to do! Honestly, Phoebe, how can you put up with this? He's so annoying!"
Phoebe stifles a laugh, amused by their sibling rivalry. Joey simply flips his sister off. She picks up his empty soda can and hurdles it at him, but he ducks out of the room, leaving it to crash against the wall.
"My God, you don't know how much I envy you, being so far away from your family, Pheebs." Gina says as she starts her hair dryer up to dry Phoebe's nails.
Phoebe says nothing, but feels the bitter emptiness those words hit her with. If only Gina knew how much she envied her for having a family. Even having a younger brother to fight with, would be much better than the Loneliness she'd been through. She forces a smile, trying to push such thoughts from her mind as Gina finishes up with her nails.
"Looking good, chicky-poo." she says, as she stands up. She grabs her purse and car keys, glancing up at the kitchen clock. "We better get moving before I catch shit for making us late. You ready?"
"Yeah!" Phoebe says, excited that it's finally time. She's a little nervous, but she still can't wait to see for herself what this place is all about. Who knows, she might actually like it.
...
Just when Joey was starting to grow fond of his new routine of watching tv with Phoebe before bed, she goes and gets a job, leaving him feeling lonely, watching tv in the dark, by himself. If his parents were here he'd never get away with staying up so late on a school night, let alone with a girl. He sighs, glumly when Love Boat ends and the credits roll. He doesn't even like that show, but Phoebe does, so he watched it without her. At least he'll be able to tell her what happens, later. Feeling anxious, Joey gets up and goes into the kitchen. Maybe a snack would calm his nerves. On his way to the fridge, he catches a glimpse of the kitchen clock. It's quarter past 12. Her shift should be ending, so she should be coming home soon. He paces around a bit, with a sinking feeling in his stomach. 'I hope she's ok..' he thinks. He opens the fridge door and stares, absent-mindedly inside. A carton of chocolate ice cream catches his eye. Probably belonging to one of his sisters. Not caring if he gets yelled at later, he takes it out, and grabs a spoon, and some chocolate sauce. He drizzles some over the ice cream.
'This would be great with some nuts.' he thinks. Suddenly he remembers that his dad usually as a stash of walnuts in the drawer. He'd kill him if caught him taking them, but he was on the other side of the world, right now. How would he find out. Joey digs around until he locates a bag of walnuts, with their shells on. He digs around for something to crack them open with, and is suddenly distracted by an itch, deep inside his cast. It's becoming unbearable. He tries to reach it with his spoon, despite what the doctor has told him about putting things in his cast. Suddenly, he looks at the bag of walnuts and then at his cast, and sits down at the kitchen table with an idea. If his cast can't crack the walnuts, maybe the walnuts will crack his cast, and he can take it off, for once and for all. To his surprise, the plaster of his cast is just heavy enough to shatter the nut. He digs out the insides, and places another one on the table to crack it, when the door opens. He turns around, eagerly, hoping that Phoebe is finally home. To his disappointment, he see's only Gina.
"What are you doing, shithead? Those are dad's!" she say, pointing to the walnuts.
"Eating them, what does it look like?" he tells her. "I just couldn't find anything to open them with."
"Did you try using your head?" Gina teases. "It's heavy enough it'll probably work."
Joey rolls his eyes as she lets the front door close behind her. He can tell by the way she half-staggers into the kitchen, that she's been drinking again.
"Damn these fucking shoes!" she mumbles, holding onto Joey's chair to kick her shoes across the floor.
Joey stands up and turns around. He waits a few seconds, expecting Phoebe to come in next. Hopefully not as drunk as his sister is. Nothing happens.
"Where's Phoebe?" he demands as his sister sits down at the table, rubbing her feet.
"Huh?" she asks, dumbfounded.
Joey's heart starts pumping faster. "You left her there!?"
"Who?"
"Phoebe, you moron!"
Gina scowls, angrily. "Hey! I didn't leave her there, ok? She was having a good time, so I just..." she trails off.
"So you left her there." Joey finishes. He shakes his head. "Unbelievable, Gina. You left her in a scum-bag bar, where she doesn't know anyone, with no way of getting home...what the hell were you thinking!?"
"Relax, ok? She's a big girl. She knows how to handle herself. She was having a good time hanging out with those British guys from the band, so I left her with some cash to take a cab home. Chad dropped me off here, after we had a big fight, that jerk! Anyways.. She's fine. It's not like you're her boyfriend! Geez..."
Joey's anger level rises even more. His nostrils flare as he glares at his sister. "And I'm the brainless one?"
Grabbing his jacket and shoes and the keys to the family car, he heads out, slamming the door, furiously behind him.
