Chapter 2
Chandler escorted Monica to a cafeteria-style diner not far from the campus. Monica averted her eyes as she passed up all the delicious-looking entrees. She stopped when she reached the healthier foods and placed a large mixed green salad onto her tray, along with a bottle of water.
"Will it bother you if I have pasta?" Chandler asked.
"No. Eat whatever you want."
They found a table against the wall and settled in. Laurie, a student who worked as a waitress, approached them and placed a basket of sourdough bread and grated parmesan cheese on the table.
"Never saw her before," she said, cracking her gum. "New student you got stuck with?"
The blonde beauty snickered; Chandler gave her a icy stare.
"Laurie," he said, with more patience than he felt, "this is Monica, Ross' sister."
"Get outta here! Ross? Tall, thin, good-looking Ross has a sister who looks..."
"Laurie!"
She stepped back at Chandler's harsh tone and then shrugged. "It's just hard to imagine."
"I am so sorry about that," Chandler said, once the rude waitress had left. "I think she wants to date Ross and is upset about Carol."
"Don't," Monica said, more familiar with the situation than Chandler could ever realize. "I know what she's thinking. It's what most people think when they see me. I'm surprised you wanted to be seen with me."
"Ross could've treated you better. I could tell you were upset. I didn't want you to be alone."
"Wow, Chandler, that's so sweet. Thank you. Tell me more about you. You mentioned something about having parent trouble. Share with me, so I won't feel so isolated with my 'mother issues'."
"Oh, no, no, no. This is meant to be a lighthearted meal. If I tell you about my parents, you'll run screaming into the night. I can't let that happen. I'd never forgive myself."
Monica covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled.
"You should see the expression on your face," she said. "You look like you'd rather be having root canal. Someday, you are going to have to tell me your story."
He thought for a moment. "Maybe I will. But definitely not tonight."
*~*
As they walked back to the dormitory, Monica thought about the meal she had shared with Chandler. She had done pretty well, if she did say so herself. It took every ounce of willpower she had, but she managed to say "no" to his offer of dessert. So what if she had eaten all his bread, without asking his permission. She was hungry!
"Hey," Chandler said, when they reached Carol's room. "I'm not much of a fan, but there's a football game tomorrow night. That might be something fun for you. Wanna go?"
"Football? Um...sure. But I guess I should check with Ross."
"Of course. Come by our room in the morning. He should be there. He has a late class."
"Okay, I will. I had a nice time, Chandler. Thank you for taking me to dinner and spending time with me. I know Ross doesn't like that I'm here, and well..."
"I was happy to do it," he told her honestly. "I can see you're a good kid who needed a change of environment. Believe me, I can relate."
Monica nodded and said goodnight to Chandler. Her soaring spirits had been dampened somewhat when he'd used the term "kid", but still, Monica reasoned, as she stepped into the room ready to say "hello" to Carol and to meet her roommate, Brenda, he had willingly spent time with her. And seemed to enjoy it. As had she.
"There you are," a perky Carol said, rising from her bed to greet Monica. "Ross told me you went to dinner with Chandler. How was it?"
"Very nice."
"Good. Brenda, this is Ross' younger sister Monica."
"Hi," Brenda said, shaking Monica's hand. "Nice to meet you. So, Chandler took you to dinner. How nice."
Brenda's smile didn't quite reach her emerald eyes. Monica sensed an underlying tension in the room but didn't want to dwell on it.
"We had a good time," was all she said. "I'm sorry I'm inconveniencing you."
"It's no trouble," Carol said. "We laid out a sleeping bag for you next to my bed."
"And we stowed your bag in the closet," Brenda added.
"I'll just get ready for bed then."
"I hope my light won't bother you," Brenda said, a little too sweetly. "I have to study for a test tomorrow."
"That's fine. I don't want to be a bother."
*~*
Ross pounced on Chandler the second he entered the room.
"Dude, where did you take my sister?"
"To the diner. For dinner. Where did you think I was gonna take her?"
"I...I wasn't sure," Ross admitted.
"Well, if you had done your brotherly duty, I wouldn't have had to step in."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for covering for me. Don't worry. I'm not going to pawn Monica off on you the whole weekend."
"Actually," Chandler said and grinned, "I wouldn't mind if you did."
"What is up with you and my sister?"
"I'm not sure," Chandler said, sinking onto his mattress. "There's something about Monica I like. She seems to have had it pretty rough compared to you. I like that I can make her smile. And laugh."
"She laughed at your jokes?"
"A little," Chandler said, slightly offended. "What? Your sister isn't allowed to laugh? Or I'm not allowed to humor her?"
"No, it's just...this...this is so weird. I can't believe she took off from home like that and came here."
"You need to listen to her, Ross. I think she's going through some serious stuff with your parents, or at least your mom."
"Yeah, I guess she is."
"I told her you'd be here tomorrow morning, so don't disappoint her, okay?"
"I won't."
*~*
Monica waited until she was sure Carol and Brenda were asleep and after reaching for her purse, she sneaked into the bathroom. She noiselessly closed the door and turned on the light. Leaning against the basin, she pulled a pen and notebook from her handbag and began writing.
I did it, she wrote with a flourish. I managed to fool Mom and Dad into thinking I'm with Rachel for the next few days, and now I'm here at NYU, staying in a dorm room with Ross' girlfriend, Carol. I met the nicest guy tonight. His name is Chandler, and he's Ross' roommate. He didn't run away from me. He looked at me and talked to me like I was a real person and not some freak. He is soooo cute! He has the bluest eyes and the sexiest smile. He's funny, too, but I got a sense he uses his wit as a cover for some problems he's had in his life. He wouldn't tell me about them, but I hope someday he will. He invited me to a football game tomorrow night. I can't wait to see him again. I can't believe a great guy, a college guy no less, is spending time with me, ME, just because he wants to! I'm sooo excited!
And I was good, too. I didn't eat what I wanted to. I ate things that were good for me, for the most part. When I get home, I'm going to tell my parents that I'm ready to lose weight and that I want help. Their help. I think I can do it this time. I really do!
*~*
Monica smiled as she reread what she'd just written. She heard a noise and decided she'd better vacate the bathroom. When she returned her notebook and pen to her purse, her hand landed on a small square object. Knowing what it was, she sighed as she withdrew the package. It was her last Kit Kat candy bar. She stared at it, wanting to rip it open and eat it, especially since her stomach had been growling with hunger since she went to bed.
Why does this have to be so hard, she mused. Hearing another noise propelled her into action. She dumped the candy bar into her purse and tiptoed back to her sleeping bag, silently congratulating herself on not having wolfed down the chocolate bar.
This time, she planned to succeed.
Chandler escorted Monica to a cafeteria-style diner not far from the campus. Monica averted her eyes as she passed up all the delicious-looking entrees. She stopped when she reached the healthier foods and placed a large mixed green salad onto her tray, along with a bottle of water.
"Will it bother you if I have pasta?" Chandler asked.
"No. Eat whatever you want."
They found a table against the wall and settled in. Laurie, a student who worked as a waitress, approached them and placed a basket of sourdough bread and grated parmesan cheese on the table.
"Never saw her before," she said, cracking her gum. "New student you got stuck with?"
The blonde beauty snickered; Chandler gave her a icy stare.
"Laurie," he said, with more patience than he felt, "this is Monica, Ross' sister."
"Get outta here! Ross? Tall, thin, good-looking Ross has a sister who looks..."
"Laurie!"
She stepped back at Chandler's harsh tone and then shrugged. "It's just hard to imagine."
"I am so sorry about that," Chandler said, once the rude waitress had left. "I think she wants to date Ross and is upset about Carol."
"Don't," Monica said, more familiar with the situation than Chandler could ever realize. "I know what she's thinking. It's what most people think when they see me. I'm surprised you wanted to be seen with me."
"Ross could've treated you better. I could tell you were upset. I didn't want you to be alone."
"Wow, Chandler, that's so sweet. Thank you. Tell me more about you. You mentioned something about having parent trouble. Share with me, so I won't feel so isolated with my 'mother issues'."
"Oh, no, no, no. This is meant to be a lighthearted meal. If I tell you about my parents, you'll run screaming into the night. I can't let that happen. I'd never forgive myself."
Monica covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled.
"You should see the expression on your face," she said. "You look like you'd rather be having root canal. Someday, you are going to have to tell me your story."
He thought for a moment. "Maybe I will. But definitely not tonight."
*~*
As they walked back to the dormitory, Monica thought about the meal she had shared with Chandler. She had done pretty well, if she did say so herself. It took every ounce of willpower she had, but she managed to say "no" to his offer of dessert. So what if she had eaten all his bread, without asking his permission. She was hungry!
"Hey," Chandler said, when they reached Carol's room. "I'm not much of a fan, but there's a football game tomorrow night. That might be something fun for you. Wanna go?"
"Football? Um...sure. But I guess I should check with Ross."
"Of course. Come by our room in the morning. He should be there. He has a late class."
"Okay, I will. I had a nice time, Chandler. Thank you for taking me to dinner and spending time with me. I know Ross doesn't like that I'm here, and well..."
"I was happy to do it," he told her honestly. "I can see you're a good kid who needed a change of environment. Believe me, I can relate."
Monica nodded and said goodnight to Chandler. Her soaring spirits had been dampened somewhat when he'd used the term "kid", but still, Monica reasoned, as she stepped into the room ready to say "hello" to Carol and to meet her roommate, Brenda, he had willingly spent time with her. And seemed to enjoy it. As had she.
"There you are," a perky Carol said, rising from her bed to greet Monica. "Ross told me you went to dinner with Chandler. How was it?"
"Very nice."
"Good. Brenda, this is Ross' younger sister Monica."
"Hi," Brenda said, shaking Monica's hand. "Nice to meet you. So, Chandler took you to dinner. How nice."
Brenda's smile didn't quite reach her emerald eyes. Monica sensed an underlying tension in the room but didn't want to dwell on it.
"We had a good time," was all she said. "I'm sorry I'm inconveniencing you."
"It's no trouble," Carol said. "We laid out a sleeping bag for you next to my bed."
"And we stowed your bag in the closet," Brenda added.
"I'll just get ready for bed then."
"I hope my light won't bother you," Brenda said, a little too sweetly. "I have to study for a test tomorrow."
"That's fine. I don't want to be a bother."
*~*
Ross pounced on Chandler the second he entered the room.
"Dude, where did you take my sister?"
"To the diner. For dinner. Where did you think I was gonna take her?"
"I...I wasn't sure," Ross admitted.
"Well, if you had done your brotherly duty, I wouldn't have had to step in."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for covering for me. Don't worry. I'm not going to pawn Monica off on you the whole weekend."
"Actually," Chandler said and grinned, "I wouldn't mind if you did."
"What is up with you and my sister?"
"I'm not sure," Chandler said, sinking onto his mattress. "There's something about Monica I like. She seems to have had it pretty rough compared to you. I like that I can make her smile. And laugh."
"She laughed at your jokes?"
"A little," Chandler said, slightly offended. "What? Your sister isn't allowed to laugh? Or I'm not allowed to humor her?"
"No, it's just...this...this is so weird. I can't believe she took off from home like that and came here."
"You need to listen to her, Ross. I think she's going through some serious stuff with your parents, or at least your mom."
"Yeah, I guess she is."
"I told her you'd be here tomorrow morning, so don't disappoint her, okay?"
"I won't."
*~*
Monica waited until she was sure Carol and Brenda were asleep and after reaching for her purse, she sneaked into the bathroom. She noiselessly closed the door and turned on the light. Leaning against the basin, she pulled a pen and notebook from her handbag and began writing.
I did it, she wrote with a flourish. I managed to fool Mom and Dad into thinking I'm with Rachel for the next few days, and now I'm here at NYU, staying in a dorm room with Ross' girlfriend, Carol. I met the nicest guy tonight. His name is Chandler, and he's Ross' roommate. He didn't run away from me. He looked at me and talked to me like I was a real person and not some freak. He is soooo cute! He has the bluest eyes and the sexiest smile. He's funny, too, but I got a sense he uses his wit as a cover for some problems he's had in his life. He wouldn't tell me about them, but I hope someday he will. He invited me to a football game tomorrow night. I can't wait to see him again. I can't believe a great guy, a college guy no less, is spending time with me, ME, just because he wants to! I'm sooo excited!
And I was good, too. I didn't eat what I wanted to. I ate things that were good for me, for the most part. When I get home, I'm going to tell my parents that I'm ready to lose weight and that I want help. Their help. I think I can do it this time. I really do!
*~*
Monica smiled as she reread what she'd just written. She heard a noise and decided she'd better vacate the bathroom. When she returned her notebook and pen to her purse, her hand landed on a small square object. Knowing what it was, she sighed as she withdrew the package. It was her last Kit Kat candy bar. She stared at it, wanting to rip it open and eat it, especially since her stomach had been growling with hunger since she went to bed.
Why does this have to be so hard, she mused. Hearing another noise propelled her into action. She dumped the candy bar into her purse and tiptoed back to her sleeping bag, silently congratulating herself on not having wolfed down the chocolate bar.
This time, she planned to succeed.