CHAPTER 2
"Hi, guys. Hey, where's Chandler?" Rachel asked when Monica and Joey entered Central Perk.
She and Ross were snuggled together on the couch.
"He was tired," Monica said, plopping down on a nearby chair. "He said he may come by later."
"But I wouldn't count on it," Joey said, as he sat in a chair at the table.
"Do I need to talk to him?" Ross asked.
"Talk to who?" Phoebe asked, carrying her guitar and walking towards the couch.
"It's whom," Ross quickly corrected.
Rachel playfully punched his arm.
"Oh, so sorry," Phoebe said, tossing back her long blonde hair after she placed her guitar case on the table.
"Sorry, Pheebs," Ross said. "It just comes out automatically."
"Yeah, whatever," she replied. "So, whom do you need to talk to? Hey, where's Chandler?"
"That's whom I might need to talk to."
"He's not coming," Monica said, growing weary of hearing the word "whom".
"What's his problem these days?" Phoebe asked. "We hardly ever see him. Do I need to cleanse his aura? Or should I pound on him for a while?"
Her thoughts clearly entertaining her, Phoebe smiled while the others tried not to roll their eyes at their friend's eccentric ways.
"Neither," Ross said, reluctantly breaking away from Rachel. "I'll go talk to him. Be back soon, hopefully with Chandler."
"Good luck, honey," Rachel said.
They shared a chaste kiss before Ross left the coffeehouse.
*~*
Hearing the knock on the door, Chandler looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Ross. He opened the door and ushered his friend inside.
"What's up? I thought you were going to the coffeehouse."
"I was there. We were expecting you."
Chandler stuffed his hands inside his pants pockets and took a few steps away from Ross. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't feel up to going."
"You never feel like doing anything with us anymore. What's going on? If you don't want to hang around with us, just say so, Chandler."
"No, it's not that. It's just...I have a lot going on at work. I need some down time when I come home."
"Is there something going on that you don't want us to know about?"
"No!"
"Yeah, right," Ross said, eyeing him critically. "What is it, Chandler? You know I'm not giving up until I find out what's really going on, so you might as well tell me."
Chandler stood at the counter and ran his fingers across the top.
"What if I don't know myself? Yeah, okay, things are weird right now, but I'm not sure exactly why. How can I tell you something I'm not sure about?"
"What's making you want to distance yourself from us?"
Chandler stared across the counter at his friend's worried expression.
"Look, Ross, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I can't talk about this with you. I just can't."
"Are you in some kind of trouble? If you are, just tell me. I'll do what I can to help."
"Ross, I'm not in any kind of trouble. I promise. I'm just going through some stuff. It'll get better. It always does, right?"
"I'd say this must have something to do with a woman, but you haven't been seeing anyone lately, right?"
"Thanks, man," Chandler said. He gave Ross a tight smile as he reached across to grab his shoulder. "That's what I needed to cheer me up. Please. Go back to the coffeehouse. I'm sure Rachel is missing you like crazy."
"I didn't mean to say..."
"It's okay," Chandler said, prodding Ross towards the door. "I know you meant well."
"I'm not giving up on this or you," Ross said.
Chandler nodded and pushed his friend out the door.
"I'll find out what's going on," Ross said.
"Please. Leave."
After closing the door, Chandler waited a few moments and when silence greeted him, he walked towards his recliner and threw himself onto it. What he was going through had everything to do with a woman. But how could he discuss the situation with Ross when the woman involved was his sister?
*~*
"No luck?" Rachel said, when Ross resumed his position next to her on the sofa.
Ross shook his head. "It's like he's determined to be unhappy or something. I will find out what's going on, though."
"Maybe we should do what he's asking of us," Monica suggested. "He seems to want to be alone. Maybe we should give him some space."
"But it's weird," Ross said.
"I agree with Mon," Rachel said. "If Chandler doesn't want to hang out with us right now, we need to respect that."
Uneasiness settled over the group as they realized one of their own wanted to spend time away from them. Was Chandler the normal one and were they abnormal for wanting to spend so much time together? As they looked around at each other, they each realized they didn't want to answer that question.
"C'mon, Phoebe," Monica said, trying to break the tension. "Entertain us. We sure could use it, right, guys?"
*~*
"That was strange," Phoebe said, as she followed Monica into her apartment.
Ross and Rachel had gone to his apartment and Joey had said goodnight to Monica and Phoebe at the door.
"What?"
"Chandler not being at Central Perk."
"Want something to drink?"
"Sure. I'll get it."
Phoebe retrieved bottled water for Monica and for herself and twisted off the cap after she'd sat down at the kitchen table. Monica joined her after checking her phone messages.
"Phoebe, you've been at Central Perk before when Chandler wasn't there. We all don't hang out there together every night."
"I know, but the place had a weird vibe. I can't explain it, but guess what? I missed Chandler and his quirky, sarcastic zingers."
Monica eyed her friend and former roommate with interest.
"I don't mean to sound harsh, but I didn't expect you to miss him. Somehow, I thought you might be relieved, not that you don't give as good as you get, especially where Chandler's concerned."
Phoebe smiled and nodded. "I know. It's fun. I enjoy his sense of humor, and I love it when I can get to him. Isn't that crazy, Mon? I really missed him tonight. I could sooo picture him in my head. His comments were funny, and he looked good. At least in my mind."
Phoebe grew serious and leaned in closer to Monica.
"What do you think that means? Do you think, deep down, deep, deep down I have feelings for him? Would that be wild or what?"
Phoebe and Chandler? Monica almost choked on her water.
"Yeah, it would," she responded. "C'mon, Pheebs, you don't have feelings for Chandler. Do you?"
"I don't know," she said airily, "but this is something I definitely want to explore."
Later that night, when Monica was alone, she took a moment to review the day's events. She concluded Phoebe was right. It had been a very strange evening. And the strangest thing of all was the uncomfortable feeling she experienced whenever she thought of Phoebe and Chandler actually being together. As in a couple. What was wrong with her?
"Hi, guys. Hey, where's Chandler?" Rachel asked when Monica and Joey entered Central Perk.
She and Ross were snuggled together on the couch.
"He was tired," Monica said, plopping down on a nearby chair. "He said he may come by later."
"But I wouldn't count on it," Joey said, as he sat in a chair at the table.
"Do I need to talk to him?" Ross asked.
"Talk to who?" Phoebe asked, carrying her guitar and walking towards the couch.
"It's whom," Ross quickly corrected.
Rachel playfully punched his arm.
"Oh, so sorry," Phoebe said, tossing back her long blonde hair after she placed her guitar case on the table.
"Sorry, Pheebs," Ross said. "It just comes out automatically."
"Yeah, whatever," she replied. "So, whom do you need to talk to? Hey, where's Chandler?"
"That's whom I might need to talk to."
"He's not coming," Monica said, growing weary of hearing the word "whom".
"What's his problem these days?" Phoebe asked. "We hardly ever see him. Do I need to cleanse his aura? Or should I pound on him for a while?"
Her thoughts clearly entertaining her, Phoebe smiled while the others tried not to roll their eyes at their friend's eccentric ways.
"Neither," Ross said, reluctantly breaking away from Rachel. "I'll go talk to him. Be back soon, hopefully with Chandler."
"Good luck, honey," Rachel said.
They shared a chaste kiss before Ross left the coffeehouse.
*~*
Hearing the knock on the door, Chandler looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Ross. He opened the door and ushered his friend inside.
"What's up? I thought you were going to the coffeehouse."
"I was there. We were expecting you."
Chandler stuffed his hands inside his pants pockets and took a few steps away from Ross. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't feel up to going."
"You never feel like doing anything with us anymore. What's going on? If you don't want to hang around with us, just say so, Chandler."
"No, it's not that. It's just...I have a lot going on at work. I need some down time when I come home."
"Is there something going on that you don't want us to know about?"
"No!"
"Yeah, right," Ross said, eyeing him critically. "What is it, Chandler? You know I'm not giving up until I find out what's really going on, so you might as well tell me."
Chandler stood at the counter and ran his fingers across the top.
"What if I don't know myself? Yeah, okay, things are weird right now, but I'm not sure exactly why. How can I tell you something I'm not sure about?"
"What's making you want to distance yourself from us?"
Chandler stared across the counter at his friend's worried expression.
"Look, Ross, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I can't talk about this with you. I just can't."
"Are you in some kind of trouble? If you are, just tell me. I'll do what I can to help."
"Ross, I'm not in any kind of trouble. I promise. I'm just going through some stuff. It'll get better. It always does, right?"
"I'd say this must have something to do with a woman, but you haven't been seeing anyone lately, right?"
"Thanks, man," Chandler said. He gave Ross a tight smile as he reached across to grab his shoulder. "That's what I needed to cheer me up. Please. Go back to the coffeehouse. I'm sure Rachel is missing you like crazy."
"I didn't mean to say..."
"It's okay," Chandler said, prodding Ross towards the door. "I know you meant well."
"I'm not giving up on this or you," Ross said.
Chandler nodded and pushed his friend out the door.
"I'll find out what's going on," Ross said.
"Please. Leave."
After closing the door, Chandler waited a few moments and when silence greeted him, he walked towards his recliner and threw himself onto it. What he was going through had everything to do with a woman. But how could he discuss the situation with Ross when the woman involved was his sister?
*~*
"No luck?" Rachel said, when Ross resumed his position next to her on the sofa.
Ross shook his head. "It's like he's determined to be unhappy or something. I will find out what's going on, though."
"Maybe we should do what he's asking of us," Monica suggested. "He seems to want to be alone. Maybe we should give him some space."
"But it's weird," Ross said.
"I agree with Mon," Rachel said. "If Chandler doesn't want to hang out with us right now, we need to respect that."
Uneasiness settled over the group as they realized one of their own wanted to spend time away from them. Was Chandler the normal one and were they abnormal for wanting to spend so much time together? As they looked around at each other, they each realized they didn't want to answer that question.
"C'mon, Phoebe," Monica said, trying to break the tension. "Entertain us. We sure could use it, right, guys?"
*~*
"That was strange," Phoebe said, as she followed Monica into her apartment.
Ross and Rachel had gone to his apartment and Joey had said goodnight to Monica and Phoebe at the door.
"What?"
"Chandler not being at Central Perk."
"Want something to drink?"
"Sure. I'll get it."
Phoebe retrieved bottled water for Monica and for herself and twisted off the cap after she'd sat down at the kitchen table. Monica joined her after checking her phone messages.
"Phoebe, you've been at Central Perk before when Chandler wasn't there. We all don't hang out there together every night."
"I know, but the place had a weird vibe. I can't explain it, but guess what? I missed Chandler and his quirky, sarcastic zingers."
Monica eyed her friend and former roommate with interest.
"I don't mean to sound harsh, but I didn't expect you to miss him. Somehow, I thought you might be relieved, not that you don't give as good as you get, especially where Chandler's concerned."
Phoebe smiled and nodded. "I know. It's fun. I enjoy his sense of humor, and I love it when I can get to him. Isn't that crazy, Mon? I really missed him tonight. I could sooo picture him in my head. His comments were funny, and he looked good. At least in my mind."
Phoebe grew serious and leaned in closer to Monica.
"What do you think that means? Do you think, deep down, deep, deep down I have feelings for him? Would that be wild or what?"
Phoebe and Chandler? Monica almost choked on her water.
"Yeah, it would," she responded. "C'mon, Pheebs, you don't have feelings for Chandler. Do you?"
"I don't know," she said airily, "but this is something I definitely want to explore."
Later that night, when Monica was alone, she took a moment to review the day's events. She concluded Phoebe was right. It had been a very strange evening. And the strangest thing of all was the uncomfortable feeling she experienced whenever she thought of Phoebe and Chandler actually being together. As in a couple. What was wrong with her?