Thank you for the reviews so far! Please review more because with review, a dollar goes...well nowhere...but it's good! Also, I'm glad a lot of you are liking Lizzie a little more. I know she was a hated character in Chandler's story, so I hope I'm adding a few more layers to this character.
December 1987
"So Two-Face is Rachel?" Chandler asked as he, Ross and Lizzie were sitting around a small table eating pizza and drinking sodas, well Ross and Lizzie were drinking sodas. Chandler had snuck a tiny bottle of booze into the pizzeria and was currently drinking coke and rum. Lizzie and Ross ignored it as they had grown accustomed to it and because some battles they no longer felt like fighting. Instead, Ross had told them about the comic books.
"And you are Science Boy?" Lizzie asked.
"The Adventure of Two-Face and Science Boy. Yeah, we work on them a lot. We did one that was a crossover with Ghostbusters," Ross said.
"I love that movie," Chandler said.
"Well, duh. It's the best movie ever," Ross said.
"It is….wait, a Ghostbusters crossover?" Chandler asked.
"Well, I gotta be honest...it's not quite Ghostbusters because we figured if we sold it, we'd owe the producers money but it's sorta inspired because I went to this party once at this house and the guy there was like a pimp and he was totally like the Keymaster looking for his Gatekeeper."
"Whoa," Chandler said.
"I know," Ross said.
"You went to a party in high school?" Chandler asked.
"Funny, drink more," Ross said.
"And you know what, how many parties did you go to in high school?" Lizzie asked.
"Lots and I had a lot of girlfriends….okay, girlfriend. Okay, you," Chandler said.
"It was a dumb party. This guy was a total tool. He was standing at the door ushering people in and had girls attached to him like velcro," Ross said.
"Were you jealous?" Lizzie asked.
"I was," Ross said.
"Guys like that are never happy," Chandler said, "I just have to keep telling myself that."
"You know, I wanna start a band. I bet guys who have bands get lots of girls," Ross said.
"That would be so cool. A band. We should."
"Can I be in it?" Lizzie asked. "You have to have a girl in the band."
"Why?" Chandler asked.
"'Cause if you don't, you'll get wasted, I won't be there to take care of you and then you'll end up cheating on me with a groupie and then I'll get pissed off at you," Lizzie said.
"Okay," Chandler said.
It was a good idea, a perfect idea. He would start a band with Chandler and Lizzie. They would call themselves, "Way, No Way" and they would do cover songs. Their suitemate, Kip, was also going to be in the band which Ross didn't love all that much. Kip lived in Chandler and Ross' suite and shared their common area. Chandler liked Kip and Ross thought he was a douche. He also disliked one of Chandler's other friends, Gandalf, who seemed to encourage Chandler's drinking. Kip and Gandalf made fun of Ross every chance they got and he felt that the only reason the two guys were friends with Chandler was because Chandler could easily pay for anything they wanted, but if it meant hanging out with Chandler and playing music, he would suck it up. A rock star who wrote comics and dug up dinosaur bones, a semester into his first year of college and he was quite certain this was going to push him into the realm of ladies man.
Right before winter break, there was a party. He had invited Monica and was also inviting Rachel. He wasn't sure he should. Maybe he should think more about Carol, although they hadn't really talked all that much since the party in Lizzie's hall. Maybe he thought Rachel seeing him in a different light would be good, maybe he could invite her to Way, No Way's first show at the Asian Student Union but all he knew was a few days before the party, he was on the phone with Rachel listening to her complain and whine about Chip Matthews who was apparently cheating on her…..again.
"Come, it'll be fun," Ross said.
"I have a boyfriend….even though he slept with Samantha Milano."
He wasn't sure who that was but Chip cheating on Rachel was nothing new.
"So let me ask you something, in the years that you've dated Chip Matthews….how many times has he cheated on you?"
"I don't know. I don't keep track."
"Why are you dating him?"
"Because….he's cute and sweet and likes me."
He was glad that she couldn't see him roll his eyes. Really? He just really did not understand why any of this was important.
"There will be a huge party this weekend….Monica is coming, it will be fun."
"Will Chandler be there?"
"Probably yes," Ross said, looking over at Chandler who was laying on his bed, reading and drinking a beer.
"Ugh, gross. I don't wanna...ugh…"
"He has a girlfriend, Lizzie," Ross said and glanced over at Chandler who was now looking at him.
"Lizzie?" Rachel asked.
"Yes."
"How does a loser like that get to be in a serious, committed, stable relationship and I get...Chip Matthews?"
He let out a laugh. He wasn't sure he would call Lizzie and Chandler stable.
"I don't think it's stable. Lizzie and I spend a lot of time cleaning up after him. He gets wasted a lot," Ross said when suddenly a pillow smacked him in the head. Chandler mouthed, "hey" to which Ross responded by mouthing, "it's true."
"Lovely. You know, he sounds like he has a drinking problem."
"He does….but he really is a good guy. Maybe one day you two will be friends. I actually think you two would make a good team. You both like movies, you both pull amazing pranks, you're both funny. I could actually see you two being very good friends," Ross said. It almost seemed funny to him watching how both Rachel and Chandler would tear each other apart. He really could see them as friends and he felt he was the only one who could see this.
"In order for that to happen, hell would have to freeze over….pigs would have to fly and like monkeys would like explode into shiny pieces of monkey bacon," Rachel mused which made Ross laugh.
"Alright, alright. You and Chandler will never be friends."
"Ever."
Ross laughed as Rachel let out a whine. He looked over at Chandler who was staring at him. Ross eventually hung up with Rachel and looked back at Chandler.
"You know, trashing me while I'm in the room, not good roommate etiquette," Chandler said.
"But I didn't say anything that wasn't true," Ross grinned.
"Bite me and Rachel and I will never be friends. She's evil."
"She did say that in order for you two to be friends hell would have to freeze over, pigs would have to fly and monkeys would have to explode into shiny pieces of monkey bacon," Ross said and watched Chandler's face for a reaction. He noticed that it looked like Chandler was trying to suppress a grin.
"Hmmm….well, she's right."
"Wait, do you find that funny?"
"I'm not giving her that kind of satisfaction."
"She's not here," Ross said.
"You'll still tell her."
"I won't. She is funny though. Sometimes she can be as funny as you."
"That's hurtful," Chandler said.
"And I wasn't lying about the pranks. She one time filled my desk with honey and dental floss and she one time filled her sister's shampoo bottle with food coloring and it made her sister's hair like blue or green or something."
"Hmmm, those aren't bad….I still think she's a witch," Chandler said. Ross laughed. He just found it almost funny how stuck both he and Rachel were on just hating each other.
"Okay."
"By the way, why are you inviting her?"
"'Cause….it will be fun to see her."
"I thought you liked that blonde chick?"
"Carol. Yes. But….we're not dating and…maybe, I don't know."
"And my relationship with Lizzie is not unhealthy," Chandler said.
"Are you joking? You're an alcoholic who doesn't know he's an alcoholic and you put her through emotional hell. Yeah, you're the perfect catch," Ross said.
"I am not an alcoholic," Chandler said as he took a drink of his beer, "I like to drink. Liking to drink does not make you an alcoholic."
"Okay."
"And Lizzie isn't even sure if she can even come to the party because she has to study so I will take care of my own drinking."
"You'll show me."
"I will. I am not an alcoholic. My name is Chandler Bing and I'm not an alcoholic," he said as he raised his beer and continued drinking. Ross let out a sigh and looked back at his desk. He was working as well on a paper for class. Studying was the thing that helped him for a moment forget about Rachel and forget about Chandler. He had actually enjoyed studying, maybe not the way Monica did. His sister viewed it as a competition, he viewed it as a way to let everyone know how much he had learned.
He was actually starting to enjoy college parties. They were kinda fun, although, he did primarily stick with hanging out with Sam and Jonathan. They were his buddies. They thought like him and he enjoyed that and they could all drink responsibly although they were pissed about the band thing. He had wanted Jonathan and Sam in the band but he had been overruled by Chandler having Kip, Lizzie and even Gandalf.
"We're so going to heckle you at the Asian Student Union tomorrow," Jonathan mused.
"Hey, I wanted you guys. I swear. It's just Chandler want Kip and Gandalf. I hate them. I hate Gandalf more. Every single time I suggest we don't give Chandler more booze, he goes 'oh, here have another beer, Bing'. Do you not realize how big of an ass you are?" Ross said.
"And why do you wanna be Chandler's roommate next year?" Jonathan asked.
"Because I'm afraid if I left him on his own, he'd die," Ross said. "He's pushing Liz way too far and we're the only two who thinks he has a problem."
"Gandalf is not cool enough to pull off the name Gandalf," Sam said.
"He's really not," Jonathan said.
"Ross?" Carol asked, walking towards him. She looked very pretty with her long blonde hair. Ross grinned when he saw her. She was in one of his anthropology lecture.
"Carol, hey….these are my friends, Sam and Jonathan," Ross said as the introductions were made and as soon as they were done, he and Carol walked away from them. He wanted to get to know her, focus on her. Yes, he knew Rachel would arrive soon but it wouldn't hurt to talk to someone else.
"So are you ready for the anthropology final?" Carol asked.
"No...well, I'm supposed to say no and be like, 'I haven't studied' but actually, I made flashcards weeks ago and yes, I am ready for it."
Carol laughed, "we are almost finished with our first semester of school. It went by so fast and quick. It's so strange."
"Are you from here?"
"Tyler, Texas."
"You like New York?"
"Yeah, it's different here. I feel like you can kind of be yourself."
"Or it's easier to hide," Ross said.
"Yeah. I'm not hiding anything."
"Me neither."
He found himself liking this girl. Something comforting about talking with her, far more comforting than talking to Rachel. Carol was the polar opposite of Rachel. She seemed to be confident in herself, in who she was. She spoke passionately about education and seemed to know exactly what she wanted out of life. She was driven and intelligent and not worried about school dances or cheating high school boyfriends. This could turn into something. He did notice Monica and Rachel arrive but he was busy. He wanted to get to know Carol.
"I think I'm over Rachel," Ross said to Chandler. He had noticed Chandler pouring vodka into a large red cup and he wanted to check in with his roommate. Lizzie wasn't there so he figured he'd take a break from talking to Carol to check in with Chandler.
"Really?"
"Look at that girl over there? Her name is Carol, she's in my anthropology class," Ross pointed at Carol. Although it did occur to him that Chandler and Carol had met at that party where Lizzie introduced Ross to Carol but he figured Chandler didn't remember. The introduction had been brief and because Carol was not a giant bottle of booze, Ross figured Chandler wouldn't remember and he was right.
"She's pretty," Chandler said.
"Yeah. I'm gonna talk to her. She apparently digs the 'stache," Ross said, pointing to his mustache. It was a recent development. He had decided to try and grow one and he thought it looked quite good.
"Well, I know it drives me crazy," Chandler said, drinking a little more.
"Go easy on the booze, please."
"Leave me alone, Ross," Chandler said.
"You know I'm not going to do that and you know...next year, you're staying at my place for the entire Thanksgiving break," Ross said.
"Fine. By the way, your sister and Rachel are in our room."
"Fine and I really don't want to have to clean up after you tonight. Seriously, Liz is not here. Let me have a night off."
"I don't need a babysitter, Ross."
"No, you need an AA Sponsor."
"You know, the alcoholic jokes are getting old."
"They're not jokes," Ross said as he turned and began to walk off towards Carol. When he reached her, he turned back and looked towards Chandler surprised to see Lizzie next to him. He hadn't even seen her walk in and almost wished she had stuck to her word and not come to the party but he knew she would.
They had fallen asleep on the couches in the common room. Chandler and Lizzie on one couch and Ross and Carol on another. Carol and Ross had gotten up early and went for breakfast. He had checked on Monica and Rachel but they were both sound asleep. It had been a very relaxing day with Carol. They talked over breakfast, got to know each other. Carol came from a very religious family who hated New York, thought it was filled with too much temptation. She had a brother whom she wasn't very close to and a sister who had gotten pregnant at sixteen. That sister had been kicked out of her parents house. It was a family more dramatic than his own. By 1:30 that afternoon, they were now eating pizza and curled up in each others arms and still talking.
"My parents refuse to even visit NYU," Carol said, "I moved all my stuff here myself. I'm not going back."
"Don't."
"Oh, look who's up," Carol said, pointing to Chandler.
"Good afternoon, sunshine," Ross grinned.
"What time is it?" Chandler asked.
"One thirty," Ross said.
"Oh...ow, I'll be right back," Chandler said as he slowly got up and noticed Lizzie, asleep. He gently shook her awake.
"Hey," Lizzie said.
"It's one thirty," Chandler said.
"Seriously?" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah."
"Oh, crap," Lizzie said, getting up. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Hungover, but fine," Chandler said.
"He's always hungover. It's how he goes through life," Ross said.
"Go away," Chandler said.
"Hey, Carol," Lizzie said.
"Hey, Liz," Carol said.
"How do you two know each other?" Ross asked. Lizzie gave him a strange look and he immediately regretted the question.
"Carol is friends with my roommate, Susan," Lizzie said. "Alright, I really have to go, Chandler. I have finals to study for and I will see you at six when we rehearse for our gig at the Asian Student Union," Lizzie said.
"That's gonna rock," Chandler smiled.
"I wanna go. I wanna be your groupie," Carol said.
"We need those," Ross said, smiling.
"Alright, I have to. I will see you tonight," Lizzie said.
"Yes, you will," Chandler said as they shared a kiss and got up as Lizzie walked out of the common room.
"She's very sweet," Carol said.
"She is. She's fantastic and she plays bass really well. I'm gonna marry her one day," Chandler said.
"Hey...we're ready to go," Monica said walking into the common room with Rachel by her side. Ross was almost shocked to see them. He kinda felt bad that they had come all this way and he had not spoken with them at all. He was surprised to see that they were still there.
"Oh, okay...alright...I guess I'll walk with you to the train," Ross said.
"No, wait...I can take you back in Sally," Chandler said.
"You would drive 'em back? It's a far drive," Ross said. He was a little surprised by the offer. It was far but sometimes Chandler surprised him.
"It's fine...I don't mind. It'll give you two a chance to chat," Chandler said. "And besides I owe you for Thanksgiving."
"Alright, thanks man," Ross said.
"Let me get ready," Chandler said walking into his room to get ready for the long drive to Long Island. Rachel and Monica walked towards the couch that Chandler and Lizzie had been on and sat side by side, watching them.
"Oh, well that's nice of him," Ross said. "He has a very nice car."
"He probably bought it with drug money," Rachel said.
"You can't lay off him for a minute, can you?" Monica asked.
"What? You know he has like a pharmacy in his nightstand," Rachel said, looking at Ross.
"I do."
"By the way, I'm Carol."
"Yes, yes...Carol, that's my sister, Monica and that one over there is the Wicked Witch of the East."
"Fuck off, Geller. I'm Rachel."
"Hi and Ross, you know how Lizzie and I know each other. She introduced us," Carol said.
"I know, dumb question," Ross said.
"Not good paleontology digging," Carol said.
"No, it wasn't. Did you girls like the party? Sorry we didn't talk or anything," Ross said.
"It's okay. We got super drunk," Monica said.
"I'm a proud big brother," Ross said.
"Off beer, not red wine." Monica said.
"Mon and her friends like red wine because they feel that makes them classy," Ross said.
"I like red wine," Carol said.
"It's so good," Monica said.
"But I should clarify that when I say Mon and her friends, I don't mean Rachel because in public, Rachel is not our friend," Ross teased. He looked over at Monica who was trying not to smile and Rachel who was glaring at him.
"What's your deal, Geller?" Rachel asked. "By the way, I would check to make sure your roommate isn't getting drunk and high before he drives us home."
"Oh, I don't think he'd do that. He likes his car too much," Ross teased. Monica and Carol both started laughing which seemed to make Rachel more upset.
"Why are you laughing?" Rachel asked looking at Monica.
"'Cause you're a mean person," Monica said.
"No, I'm not. I'm really not," Rachel said.
"I believe you," Carol said.
"You do?" Rachel asked.
"Sure, why not?" Carol asked. Ross and Monica laughed more as Rachel looked uncomfortable and upset. Soon, Chandler emerged from his room to take Monica and Rachel back to Long Island. He said goodbye to both and both promised to call when they got back home. Once Ross and Carol were alone again, they continued to talk until he needed to get ready. After all, there was studying to do before the rehearsal and show that night.
He was getting dressed for Asian Student Union show when the phone rang, he grabbed it and was stunned to hear Rachel's voice on the other end. She rarely called him.
"Your roommate is funny," Rachel said, reluctantly as soon as Ross said hello. "He made me laugh a lot."
"He's good for that."
"That makes it really hard for me to hate me."
"I understand. Why do you hate him?"
"Do I need a reason?" Rachel asked.
"It usually helps."
"I just do. He's a self entitled prick who thinks really only of himself."
"Rachel, he drove almost an hour and a half, both ways, to take you and my sister home. That's two hours of driving he didn't need to do."
"I know."
"Okay. Well, maybe he's not that bad."
"Well, he only did it 'cause his car is fun to drive," Rachel tried. Ross rolled his eyes.
"Fine. I gotta go, Rach."
"Carol seems nice."
"She is. I really have to go. We have rehearsal and then the show."
"Okay, good luck tonight."
"Thanks."
Ross hung up and let out a sigh. He really was so confused by Rachel. Sometimes he thought that maybe she liked him. Maybe he might have a shot but then there were other times when he wasn't sure. His thoughts were interrupted by knocking. Ross walked to the door and opened it to Lizzie and Carol.
"Ready to rock?" Lizzie asked, doing her best air guitar.
"Very much," Ross yelled. "Bing's in the bathroom."
"Okay, by the way….you know Carol and I know each other. I introduced you. Why did you ask how we know each other?" Lizzie asked.
"Because sometimes I'm stupid," Ross said.
"I forgive you. You are a rock star," Carol said.
"I know and Liz, why did you come last night? I thought you were gonna study and not come to the party?" Ross asked.
"Because...because as I sat there studying, I got worried that he was going to drink too much and no one would be there to take care of him and then….so I had to come and make sure he didn't die in a pool of his own vomit," Lizzie said.
"You're such a good girlfriend," Ross said.
"I'm a fucking saint," Lizzie said. "I want a goddamned medal and a crown."
"I think she's too good for him. I tell her that all the time," Carol said.
"No, no...he's….I don't know. I wanna rock," Lizzie said.
"Hey, let's go rock stars," Chandler walked out of the bathroom and towards Ross where they did the handshake they had been perfecting. They called it the, "lame cool guy" handshake which was really just doing a weird handshake thing where their fingers touched. They had spent hours perfecting it. Once they did the handshake, Chandler walked towards their minifridge and grabbed a beer. The three looked at him.
"Seriously? Now?" Ross asked.
"I'm singing. I gotta calm my nerves," Chandler said.
"You know, Carol says I'm too good for you," Lizzie said.
"She's right," Chandler said.
"Alright, let's go," Ross said as he grabbed his keytar off the bed and the quartet walked out the door towards the Asian Student Union. It would be a great show, it would have to be. He was now officially a musician. A musician who wrote comic books, yeah, he definitely had it made. College was going to rock.
