No Reason to Go On
Part 9: Getting back to Normal
Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny. Rachel woke up feeling a little disappointed when she realized that she was still in Monica's room.
"What a surprise," Monica said sarcastically as she stood up- making the floor vibrate as she did so.
"Ha ha, very funny," Rachel muttered getting up from the floor and rummaging around in her backpack for some clothes for that day, and some other things she'd need for her shower.
It was a mad dash for the bathroom and the sound of Monica and Rachel's shrieks of laughter and Monica's pounding feet woke Ross.
Sitting up, he listened to the rest of his sister and girlfriend's race, and heard Rachel's cry of tryumph as her bare feet could be heard hitting the tile of the bathroom. He smiled sleepily to himself, as he listened to Monica's complaints just outside the door.
"C'mon Rach," she wined to her friend. "Lemme go first!"
Rachel turned on the water to block out the sound of Monica from the hallway and stepped into the shower with a contented sigh.
Ten minutes later, she walked out fully dressed for school and drying her hair with her towel. Monica had gone off somewhere, and Ross stood outside, his own clothes in hand.
"Hey you," she greeted him with a smile.
"Hi," he responded, walking through the bathroom door.
They each blew each other a kiss, and Monica, walking down the hall gave Rachel a look of disgust.
"That is just too sick for words," she said to her friend in annoyance. "I still can't believe you're going out with my brother, the geekyest senior in the whole school!"
"Runs in the family," Ross called out through the now closed bathroom door, and Monica glared hard at the door.
A half an hour later, all three teenagers walked into the kitchen, by now ready for school. Monica's hair was still damp from her shower, Ross's lips coated with a thin layer of Rachel's lipstick that he'd failed to notice just yet, and Rachel with a smile on her face.
"In honor of Ross feeling better," Judy said by way of greeting, "I made pancakes!"
Monica, who had been looking slightly hurt that Judy had been so worried about Ross, brightined when she heard the word "pancakes."
"Yeah!" She cried with excitement, eagerly sitting down at the table and waiting expectantly.
Judy's expression was one of disgust as she wordlessly placed a plate of pancakes in front of her daughter.
Monica for once didn't notice or care that her mother was annoyed with her, she simply began eating happily.
Ross and Rachel sat down as well, and Ross took a sip from his orange juice, forcing himself to stop thinking about how much weight he was about to gain. Instead, he focused on Rachel who was sitting across from him.
He aloud himself to get lost in her beautiful eyes, barely noticing when his mother placed a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him.
"I want bacon too!" Monica's outraged voice cried from his right, making him jump slightly and come back to reality.
From across the table, Rachel smiled. Ross returned it, and then started slowly cutting one of his pancakes.
He ate one slice of bacon, and one and a half pancakes, but the thought of eating or even looking at anymore food made him feel sick to his stomach.
He took another sip of his orange juice, and stared hard at the floor so as not to throw up at the sight of Rachel and his sister eating.
"Either of you want a ride to school?" Ross asked a few moments later.
"Sure," the girls said in unison, Rachel getting up from the table right away, but Monica lingered slightly, not wanting to leave the table when there was still food on it.
Later that day, Ross entered the school cafeteria, and looked around for a place to sit.
"Ross!" A voice called out from across the room, from where she was sitting with some other cheerleaders.
Ross grinned as he hurried across the room to her.
"Hi," Rachel said, smiling as Ross bent down and kissed her cheek. From around her, the other cheerleaders gasped.
"You and Ross Geller?" A pretty blonde cried, dropping a spoonful of yogurt on the table.
"Rachel sweetie, why? There's so many better looking boys!" A second joined the other in criticizing the dark haired senior standing uncomfortably in front of them.
Ross took a few steps backwards, trying to look as though he couldn't care less about what the girls were saying about him.
"Um I'll see you later," he said a few moments later to Rachel, not being able to take anymore. He leaned over to kiss her, but then looked at the other cheerleaders, who were watching him with looks of disgust on their faces and changed his mind.
He turned around and walked briskly out of the cafeteria, still hearing giggles and rude comments coming from Rachel's table.
He sighed as he walked through the for once deserted hallways, feeling depressed for the first time that day. When he'd woken up that morning, he'd thought that his life was getting back to normal. Actually, it'd been better then normal. He and Rachel were together, and that was heaven for Ross. But, now that all her friends knew and weren't exactly supportive of it, how long would it be before she wanted to break things off?
"Planning to eat outside today? Don't you think it's a little cold?" Ross turned at the unexpected statement, and nearly dropped his lunch bag when he saw who was behind him. "Aren't those girls *nice*?" Her voice was filled with sarcasm, and she glared in the direction of the cafeteria. "I was just sitting with them so I could see what I missed in practice yesterday." She explained, matching her step with Ross, and taking his free hand in hers. "I personally think they're terrible excuses for friends."
Ross's mood lightened instantly. Rachel didn't think that he was a dork, and apparently still wanted to continue their relationship. Still, Ross had to make sure.
"So, are we okay?"
Rachel stared at him in shock. "Of course we are! The day I take their advise is the day your sister cleans her room." (
Ross smiled as he opened the door that led to the lawn where the students could also eat their lunch. "Like that'll ever happen."
"Geller, pick up the pace!" Ross sighed and did as the coach told him.
He hated track, and regretted ever joining it. There were so many other exciting things he could've joined. Like the paleontology research club! That didn't require any running, and Ross had always been interested in dinosaurs and fossilized artifacts like that.
But he'd made the dumb choice of joining the track team, and here he was now, running around the school field, trying to get some air into his lungs.
Finally the torturous hour came to its end, and Ross staggered over to the nearby water fountain.
Splashing water on his face, he sighed in ecstasy, lowering his head and gulping in the cool liquid at a rapid pace.
Ross slightly.
"Ha ha," he said turning his head to smile briefly at her, before returning to the water fountain in front of him.
However, he pressed down too hard on the button, which controlled the flow of water, soaking his face and the upper half of his shirt.
Rachel burst out laughing, at Ross's state, and a moment later Ross did too.
The other members of the track team as well as Monica watched in amusement as Ross began to chase Rachel around, trying to get her to kiss his dripping face.
"Geller!" The coach's voice brought Ross and Rachel's game to an abrupt end. "I'd like a word over here."
Puzzled, Ross nodded and walked over. On his way, Rachel stopped him for a quick but passionate kiss, to the delight of Ross and the annoyance of the Coach.
"Geller," he said stirnly once Ross finally reached his side. "Your pace is terrible! It was bad on Tuesday, but with you being sick and all yesterday, its gotten even worse today." His expression was grave, and Ross felt his stomach tighten into an unpleasant knot as he listened to the coach's words.
He looked down at the ground, not being able to look him in the eye. The Coach continued to speak, but the words were lost to Ross.
Thinking back on it, he realized that it was the coach himself who had put him through the torcher the past few days had been for him. But, he couldn't help thinking with a slight smile, he had gotten him and Rachel together…
"Geller, are you listening to me?" The coach asked sharply of him, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Sorry sir," Ross said quickly, still not being able to meet his gaze.
"So, either shape up on your own or…" Ross shivered, but not from the slightly cool breeze. He did so because of what he had just suggested.
He had been trying to lose weight. There would be scars on his wrists for he rest of his life because of his depression, and he hadn't had a decent meal in nearly a week, all because of this man's "advise".
Ross knew that the coach had only been trying to improve his team, but he had no idea how he had effected Ross's life.
"Um, Coach?" Ross's voice was barely above a whisper as he said this, and he cleared his throat before he continued. "I've tried really hard to lose weight, but maybe the track team isn't the right one for me."
The coach looked at him in surprise for a moment, and then said slowly, "are you saying you want to quit?"
"Well, I'm obviously slowing the other's down," Ross explained, not being able to keep the tone of disappointment from his voice. "I think you'd all be better with out me."
The coach looked as though he didn't know what to say in response to that. "Well Geller," he said finally, "if you ever improve your running, we'd love to see you back here."
Ross nodded, not being able to answer. If he improved? Was he saying that he doubted that he could? He walked into the locker rooms, head down and eyes glued on the ground in front of him.
The other members of the team were mostly gone already, and Ross was glad of this. He slides into the shower, turning the water to as cold as possible.
Twenty minutes later he emerged, hair wet and sticking up in all different directions, causing Monica to burst out laughing once she'd seen him. Rachel looked at him with slight concern, and Ross realized that she and Monica were the only ones left on the field.
"What'd the Coach want to talk to you about?" Rachel asked as they started walking home.
"Wanted to complain about my speed. Told him that I didn't want to slow the other guys down, so I quit." Ross said it all in an emotionless voice, staring blankly at the ground ahead of him.
"You quit the team?" All the humor was gone from Monica's voice when she asked this, staring at her brother in surprise.
He nodded saying nothing, and the girls didn't press him to.
Ross hoped he'd done the right thing in quitting the team. If he had listened to the Coach, he reasoned, there was no telling what could've happened. He sighed quietly to himself, his thoughts not making him feel any better.
But when he looked up and saw Rachel smiling at him, his sprits lifted. The two teens made eye contact, and a beam of understanding past between them. Ross's own lips curled into a small smile, and Rachel's widened.
Ross reached over, connecting his hand with Rachel's.
Monica pretended to throw up when she saw them holding hands. Ross rolled his eyes, and Rachel simply smiled at her friend, giving Ross's hand a little squeeze.
The older boy squeezed back, and they completed the walk home in silence. Ross still had some doubts about his decision to quit, but for the moment he didn't care. All he cared about was the girl walking beside him, and he smiled, knowing she cared about him too.
[A/N
Sorry again for the long wait. It's not my fault, blame school! Also, this fic is going to have two more chapters, and maybe an epilogue too. These will probably be just straightening things out, and one is going to have lotssa Ross and Rachel goodness…
Oh yeah, in one of the reviews, someone said that Rachel was out of character. I've noticed that too, and am trying to work on it. But I needed her to be sort of motherly in this fic, so that's why I made her like that. And as that reviewer also pointed out, it's my story and I can do anything I want! If I want to make Rachel all… un Rachel like, I can do that. If I want to make Monica and King Cong get into a duel, and have Phoebe and Chandler dance a waltz while the Rug Rats theme is playing, I can! This is what happens when I have homework over load and not enough sleep ^_^
Well, hoped ya enjoyed this chapter, and review pleasie!
Bye, off to bed…
L_angel]
Part 9: Getting back to Normal
Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny. Rachel woke up feeling a little disappointed when she realized that she was still in Monica's room.
"What a surprise," Monica said sarcastically as she stood up- making the floor vibrate as she did so.
"Ha ha, very funny," Rachel muttered getting up from the floor and rummaging around in her backpack for some clothes for that day, and some other things she'd need for her shower.
It was a mad dash for the bathroom and the sound of Monica and Rachel's shrieks of laughter and Monica's pounding feet woke Ross.
Sitting up, he listened to the rest of his sister and girlfriend's race, and heard Rachel's cry of tryumph as her bare feet could be heard hitting the tile of the bathroom. He smiled sleepily to himself, as he listened to Monica's complaints just outside the door.
"C'mon Rach," she wined to her friend. "Lemme go first!"
Rachel turned on the water to block out the sound of Monica from the hallway and stepped into the shower with a contented sigh.
Ten minutes later, she walked out fully dressed for school and drying her hair with her towel. Monica had gone off somewhere, and Ross stood outside, his own clothes in hand.
"Hey you," she greeted him with a smile.
"Hi," he responded, walking through the bathroom door.
They each blew each other a kiss, and Monica, walking down the hall gave Rachel a look of disgust.
"That is just too sick for words," she said to her friend in annoyance. "I still can't believe you're going out with my brother, the geekyest senior in the whole school!"
"Runs in the family," Ross called out through the now closed bathroom door, and Monica glared hard at the door.
A half an hour later, all three teenagers walked into the kitchen, by now ready for school. Monica's hair was still damp from her shower, Ross's lips coated with a thin layer of Rachel's lipstick that he'd failed to notice just yet, and Rachel with a smile on her face.
"In honor of Ross feeling better," Judy said by way of greeting, "I made pancakes!"
Monica, who had been looking slightly hurt that Judy had been so worried about Ross, brightined when she heard the word "pancakes."
"Yeah!" She cried with excitement, eagerly sitting down at the table and waiting expectantly.
Judy's expression was one of disgust as she wordlessly placed a plate of pancakes in front of her daughter.
Monica for once didn't notice or care that her mother was annoyed with her, she simply began eating happily.
Ross and Rachel sat down as well, and Ross took a sip from his orange juice, forcing himself to stop thinking about how much weight he was about to gain. Instead, he focused on Rachel who was sitting across from him.
He aloud himself to get lost in her beautiful eyes, barely noticing when his mother placed a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of him.
"I want bacon too!" Monica's outraged voice cried from his right, making him jump slightly and come back to reality.
From across the table, Rachel smiled. Ross returned it, and then started slowly cutting one of his pancakes.
He ate one slice of bacon, and one and a half pancakes, but the thought of eating or even looking at anymore food made him feel sick to his stomach.
He took another sip of his orange juice, and stared hard at the floor so as not to throw up at the sight of Rachel and his sister eating.
"Either of you want a ride to school?" Ross asked a few moments later.
"Sure," the girls said in unison, Rachel getting up from the table right away, but Monica lingered slightly, not wanting to leave the table when there was still food on it.
Later that day, Ross entered the school cafeteria, and looked around for a place to sit.
"Ross!" A voice called out from across the room, from where she was sitting with some other cheerleaders.
Ross grinned as he hurried across the room to her.
"Hi," Rachel said, smiling as Ross bent down and kissed her cheek. From around her, the other cheerleaders gasped.
"You and Ross Geller?" A pretty blonde cried, dropping a spoonful of yogurt on the table.
"Rachel sweetie, why? There's so many better looking boys!" A second joined the other in criticizing the dark haired senior standing uncomfortably in front of them.
Ross took a few steps backwards, trying to look as though he couldn't care less about what the girls were saying about him.
"Um I'll see you later," he said a few moments later to Rachel, not being able to take anymore. He leaned over to kiss her, but then looked at the other cheerleaders, who were watching him with looks of disgust on their faces and changed his mind.
He turned around and walked briskly out of the cafeteria, still hearing giggles and rude comments coming from Rachel's table.
He sighed as he walked through the for once deserted hallways, feeling depressed for the first time that day. When he'd woken up that morning, he'd thought that his life was getting back to normal. Actually, it'd been better then normal. He and Rachel were together, and that was heaven for Ross. But, now that all her friends knew and weren't exactly supportive of it, how long would it be before she wanted to break things off?
"Planning to eat outside today? Don't you think it's a little cold?" Ross turned at the unexpected statement, and nearly dropped his lunch bag when he saw who was behind him. "Aren't those girls *nice*?" Her voice was filled with sarcasm, and she glared in the direction of the cafeteria. "I was just sitting with them so I could see what I missed in practice yesterday." She explained, matching her step with Ross, and taking his free hand in hers. "I personally think they're terrible excuses for friends."
Ross's mood lightened instantly. Rachel didn't think that he was a dork, and apparently still wanted to continue their relationship. Still, Ross had to make sure.
"So, are we okay?"
Rachel stared at him in shock. "Of course we are! The day I take their advise is the day your sister cleans her room." (
Ross smiled as he opened the door that led to the lawn where the students could also eat their lunch. "Like that'll ever happen."
"Geller, pick up the pace!" Ross sighed and did as the coach told him.
He hated track, and regretted ever joining it. There were so many other exciting things he could've joined. Like the paleontology research club! That didn't require any running, and Ross had always been interested in dinosaurs and fossilized artifacts like that.
But he'd made the dumb choice of joining the track team, and here he was now, running around the school field, trying to get some air into his lungs.
Finally the torturous hour came to its end, and Ross staggered over to the nearby water fountain.
Splashing water on his face, he sighed in ecstasy, lowering his head and gulping in the cool liquid at a rapid pace.
Ross slightly.
"Ha ha," he said turning his head to smile briefly at her, before returning to the water fountain in front of him.
However, he pressed down too hard on the button, which controlled the flow of water, soaking his face and the upper half of his shirt.
Rachel burst out laughing, at Ross's state, and a moment later Ross did too.
The other members of the track team as well as Monica watched in amusement as Ross began to chase Rachel around, trying to get her to kiss his dripping face.
"Geller!" The coach's voice brought Ross and Rachel's game to an abrupt end. "I'd like a word over here."
Puzzled, Ross nodded and walked over. On his way, Rachel stopped him for a quick but passionate kiss, to the delight of Ross and the annoyance of the Coach.
"Geller," he said stirnly once Ross finally reached his side. "Your pace is terrible! It was bad on Tuesday, but with you being sick and all yesterday, its gotten even worse today." His expression was grave, and Ross felt his stomach tighten into an unpleasant knot as he listened to the coach's words.
He looked down at the ground, not being able to look him in the eye. The Coach continued to speak, but the words were lost to Ross.
Thinking back on it, he realized that it was the coach himself who had put him through the torcher the past few days had been for him. But, he couldn't help thinking with a slight smile, he had gotten him and Rachel together…
"Geller, are you listening to me?" The coach asked sharply of him, breaking him from his thoughts.
"Sorry sir," Ross said quickly, still not being able to meet his gaze.
"So, either shape up on your own or…" Ross shivered, but not from the slightly cool breeze. He did so because of what he had just suggested.
He had been trying to lose weight. There would be scars on his wrists for he rest of his life because of his depression, and he hadn't had a decent meal in nearly a week, all because of this man's "advise".
Ross knew that the coach had only been trying to improve his team, but he had no idea how he had effected Ross's life.
"Um, Coach?" Ross's voice was barely above a whisper as he said this, and he cleared his throat before he continued. "I've tried really hard to lose weight, but maybe the track team isn't the right one for me."
The coach looked at him in surprise for a moment, and then said slowly, "are you saying you want to quit?"
"Well, I'm obviously slowing the other's down," Ross explained, not being able to keep the tone of disappointment from his voice. "I think you'd all be better with out me."
The coach looked as though he didn't know what to say in response to that. "Well Geller," he said finally, "if you ever improve your running, we'd love to see you back here."
Ross nodded, not being able to answer. If he improved? Was he saying that he doubted that he could? He walked into the locker rooms, head down and eyes glued on the ground in front of him.
The other members of the team were mostly gone already, and Ross was glad of this. He slides into the shower, turning the water to as cold as possible.
Twenty minutes later he emerged, hair wet and sticking up in all different directions, causing Monica to burst out laughing once she'd seen him. Rachel looked at him with slight concern, and Ross realized that she and Monica were the only ones left on the field.
"What'd the Coach want to talk to you about?" Rachel asked as they started walking home.
"Wanted to complain about my speed. Told him that I didn't want to slow the other guys down, so I quit." Ross said it all in an emotionless voice, staring blankly at the ground ahead of him.
"You quit the team?" All the humor was gone from Monica's voice when she asked this, staring at her brother in surprise.
He nodded saying nothing, and the girls didn't press him to.
Ross hoped he'd done the right thing in quitting the team. If he had listened to the Coach, he reasoned, there was no telling what could've happened. He sighed quietly to himself, his thoughts not making him feel any better.
But when he looked up and saw Rachel smiling at him, his sprits lifted. The two teens made eye contact, and a beam of understanding past between them. Ross's own lips curled into a small smile, and Rachel's widened.
Ross reached over, connecting his hand with Rachel's.
Monica pretended to throw up when she saw them holding hands. Ross rolled his eyes, and Rachel simply smiled at her friend, giving Ross's hand a little squeeze.
The older boy squeezed back, and they completed the walk home in silence. Ross still had some doubts about his decision to quit, but for the moment he didn't care. All he cared about was the girl walking beside him, and he smiled, knowing she cared about him too.
[A/N
Sorry again for the long wait. It's not my fault, blame school! Also, this fic is going to have two more chapters, and maybe an epilogue too. These will probably be just straightening things out, and one is going to have lotssa Ross and Rachel goodness…
Oh yeah, in one of the reviews, someone said that Rachel was out of character. I've noticed that too, and am trying to work on it. But I needed her to be sort of motherly in this fic, so that's why I made her like that. And as that reviewer also pointed out, it's my story and I can do anything I want! If I want to make Rachel all… un Rachel like, I can do that. If I want to make Monica and King Cong get into a duel, and have Phoebe and Chandler dance a waltz while the Rug Rats theme is playing, I can! This is what happens when I have homework over load and not enough sleep ^_^
Well, hoped ya enjoyed this chapter, and review pleasie!
Bye, off to bed…
L_angel]