January 18, 1988

Phoebe could not believe how lucky she was. She was in Prague. It had been such a whirlwind two weeks leading up to this trip. Duncan had told his boss all about her situation and he generously paid for everything she would need for the trip. She was given a US Passport, which she had never had before. She was even given an ID card. She had also obtained a copy of her social security card. It was all so amazing to her. She was especially drawn to that social security card, memorizing those nine numbers. There was something so heart warming to her about those numbers. It was proof she existed, she wasn't some nameless face wandering around the streets of New York. She was actually someone, she had a number, an ID. She was Phoebe Buffay, born February 16, 1969 in New York, New York.

She did cry when she said goodbye to Lowell, Marjorie and Cindy, but she knew she would see them again in a year. She would be returning on December 30th, 1988 and they decided that on New Years, they would reunite in the junkyard and with those goodbyes, Phoebe was ready to conquer Prague.

She didn't have much in the way of luggage. She packed the clothes she accumulated over the years, the stuff she had stolen and some stuff she had bought. She figured she'd probably have to buy more and she was okay with that. It was all so exciting for her. She had never even been on a plane before, never been out of New York and there she was now on a ten hour flight to Prague. She was going to be turning twenty in Prague. That sounded amazing. She would kick off the beginning of her twenties in a different country. It was definitely a long flight, but she was too excited to sleep or do anything. She spent the whole time writing in her journals and reading books on Prague. She had compiled a list of all the places she wanted to see in her two month stay in Prague.

They arrived in Prague in the early morning hours of January 18th. Phoebe would be getting her own hotel room. She had never had her own room. When she was growing up, she shared a room with Ursula. Then when she was on the street, there was no room at all. When she was in jail, she shared a room with thirty different women. Now, she had a space that was all her's. She hung up every dress and top she had, smiling as she ran her fingers over all the fabric. She took out her toiletries and placed them on the counter. She stared at the shower which was huge. It was late and some might think it would be strange to take a shower at three in the morning, but not for Phoebe. The last time she had a real shower was back in Leslie's house. She turned on the faucet and took off all her clothes, tossing them on to the floor. She stepped into the shower, letting hot water turn her skin pink. As she washed her hair, she began to think about haircuts. She was nineteen and her hair had not been cut or trimmed since she was twelve. It was now past butt length, which she hated. She would have to look up places in Prague to get her hair cut.

After her shower, she wrapped herself in a big, white fluffy robe that hung on a hook in the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, her hair, got fully ready to go to sleep, although she wasn't that tired. She walked out of the bathroom and towards the bedroom, plopping herself on the bed and reaching for the remote to turn on the TV. It didn't matter what she was watching. She just needed to watch anything and it was during an airing of dog show when a commercial began with a familiar face. There he was, Joey. He was placing a bottle of ketchup on its side and running down flights of stairs to get a hot dog where the ketchup dripped on to the hot dog. Duncan was right, he was hot. She looked over at her journal and opened it, she still had Joey's number. She contemplated calling him now but decided against it, not knowing how much that would cost or what time it was in New York. Instead, she got under the covers, pulling all the sheets towards her and burying her face in the pillow where she soon did fall asleep with the television still on.

She woke the next morning to knocking at her door. She didn't want to get up, it was the most amazing sleep she had had in five years. But she could hear Duncan calling for her to open up. She slowly got up, tightened the robe around her and turned off the television. She walked over to the door and opened it, still grinning.

"You made me get out of bed." Phoebe said, giving him a fake pout.

"I'm sorry...but I wanna go for breakfast." Duncan said.

"Alright...I have to get dressed. I have to take another shower...and I have to get my haircut and I slept in the most comfortable bed and I-I watched TV. I watched a dog show and...I saw the commercial with Joey and the ketchup and oh my G-d. I can't believe I gave up that chance and-and-oh my G-d, Duncan, you must think I'm insane."

"I don't actually. Hey, this is fun. I've never been here."

"I can't believe this. I slept in a bed last night. A bed. I haven't slept in a bed since I was fourteen," Phoebe squealed.

"Get dressed. I wanna explore."

"Okay...okay...I really wanna get my haircut."

"Alright."

"Come in and watch television and I'm gonna get dressed. I probably should wash my clothes. I haven't washed any of these clothes since I got them," Phoebe said as she walked over to her closet and pulled out a dress, she sniffed it and winced a little, "wooo...yeah, I stink."

"There's a laundry in the hotel."

"Oh, wow. Okay...well, I'm gonna wear the least stinkiest thing I own and then...get ready and then we'll wash all my clothes and stuff. I'm so happy right now," Phoebe said, giving a little twirl as she grabbed a red tank top and purple flowy skirt and went into the bathroom to get ready. She just felt so excited by everything. She felt like she was being reborn in a way.. Everything looked so different.

After getting ready, Phoebe and Duncan left the hotel and ended up at cafe called Cafe Louvre. Phoebe was a little taken aback by the menu as she kept looking at Duncan and then back at her menu.

"You alright, Pheebs?"

"Yeah it's just sausage, ham, bratwurst... it's going to be tough to be a vegetarian in Prague."

"Oh, yeah...but you can drink. The legal drinking age is like seventeen."

"Uh, I've been drinking heavily since I was fourteen. Lowell's like thirty something."

"Do you think that's creepy?"

"What?"

"He's a thirty year old homeless guy hanging out with two nineteen year old girls. He's a nice guy...it just...it is a little creepy."

"I met him when I was fourteen...but I guess it could be creepy but I don't see it like that. He doesn't do anything creepy. He just buys us booze. He's lost, you know. He's a father figure...kinda. Hmmmm, oh, I'm gonna get pancakes with berries and for a drink...well, you know don't laugh but I saw a psychic-"

"You saw a psychic?"

"Yeah, I was reading up on them. It's interesting...you know to be aware of stuff like that. She said that she could see me being around coffee or something. Maybe I should develop a taste for it...how about a grand cappuccino and if that doesn't work...Irish coffee."

"Sounds good to me."

"I still can't believe I'm here. I'm...I had my first plane ride...I mean, I don't know if I'll ever get this kind of opportunity again. If I'll get to go on a plane or see another country, this might be it...I just...I wanna absorb it all. Thank you for making me come. G-d, thank you."

"No, thank you...it's much more fun with you."

Phoebe smiled as she let out another squeal. She was sure she was probably acting a little silly but she didn't really care. She felt more alive and more ready to take on the world than she ever had.

After breakfast which she loved...she even liked the coffee... Phoebe and Duncan hit the town. They visited the Prague Castle and went shopping in New Town. Duncan had brought a camera and they took tons of pictures and in her head, Phoebe began to write songs about this adventure.

She also bought clothes and did indeed get her hair cut, getting it cut several inches so now it just came down to the middle of her back and not past butt. The evening was spent eating dinner and dessert and drinking with her and Duncan walking hand in down the streets of Prague, exchanging kisses and acting like two giddy kids. Phoebe instantly recalled that same feeling she had felt in the movie theater with Chandler, laughing at Chandler's jokes and acting young and silly. She had that same feeling once again with Duncan.

"You are so not gay," Phoebe said after one of their many shared kisses.

"I am. I swear," Duncan said, "I'm an ice dancer...by choice. My friends are all gay,."

"I know and that's cool, but I don't think you are."

"I am...or maybe I'm bi...or maybe I just like kissing you."

"Maybe...so Duncan let me ask you, if you could be anything you want...anything in the world, what you be?"

Duncan smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. She felt herself melting while he held her closer.

"I don't know...I'd like to be successful in my ice dancing...successful. That's what I want to be. What about you?"

"Happy. Just happy. I want friends that are more like family, I want some family...I want love and a job and...music...and a home. I want to travel. I don't want Prague to be the only place I ever go. I just want to be happy. That's all. The only thing. The rest is just...stuff. I going to be twenty next month and I've been through things that people my age would have no clue about. I want to beat the odds."

"I think you are, Phoebe."

"I hope so."

"You know, I'm always gonna love you."

"I love you, too."

Phoebe and Duncan kissed again, this time it grew even deeper. She could feel her breath being taken from her as he wrapped his arms around her. She had never felt so safe as she had in that moment. His touch made her feel whole. It was the perfect first night, the perfect way to be in Prague.

That night, Phoebe could not stop smiling as she got ready for bed in the pink pajamas she had bought from New Town. She jumped into her bed and turned on the television, finding an American television station. She stopped on what seemed like a sitcom about a family with two sons named, Ben and Mike and a daughter named, Carol. The sitcom was followed by a drama about L.A. lawyers. She felt like she was catching up on everything she had missed from being out on the streets.

After that night, Phoebe's job began. She was in charge of the costumes. She would make sure they were clean and ready for the performers on the ice show. It was a definite step up from her three dollar an hour job cleaning bathrooms. She was now making ten dollars an hour and felt quite rich. She'd wake up, have breakfast and then spend a few hours at the ice rink. Then she would explore on her own and then go back help with the ice shows. Her evenings were spent drinking and hanging out with Duncan and the other ice dancers. It was a fantastic time for her.

It was few weeks in that she also discovered a passion, something she was actually good at. During a rehearsal, Phoebe and Duncan were sitting watching other ice dancers when she noticed Duncan kept rubbing his shoulders. He complained about being sore so she offered him a massage which he accepted. She had always liked giving massages and people seemed to enjoy hers and for the first time she began to wonder if perhaps this could be a job. Could there be a career where she could massage people for a living? She made a mental note that she would have to look it up.

This trip was definitely turning out to be one that would no doubt change the direction of the life of Phoebe Buffay. The first few weeks had proved to be wonderful and she could just imagine what the other months would bring.