Chapter 11
Monica raced down the stairs when the doorbell rang late Thanksgiving morning. She couldn't wait to tell Rachel about the previous evening. She hardly slept, and she had no appetite, which she considered a good thing. When Monica opened the door and saw her best friend standing there, she practically pulled her inside.
"Rachel's here!" Monica called out to her parents and brother. "We're going upstairs."
"What's the rush?" Rachel asked, after Monica had made sure her bedroom door was closed.
"I've been dying to talk to you. My parents wouldn't let me call you last night because I had to spend time with my brother. But guess what?!"
"What? How did your surprise dinner go with Chandler?"
"It was perfect. Rachel, he likes me. I mean, he really likes me. Me! Can you believe it? He asked me to be his girlfriend. We're gonna like go out on dates and everything! I still can't believe it. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up, but it's real. He loved that I cooked dinner for him. He said no one had ever done anything like that for him. It was the best night!"
Monica finally stopped to catch her breath. Rachel smiled.
"It sounds great. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks."
Only when Monica had taken a seat on her bed did she notice Rachel's sad expression.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. But...it's weird. I just broke up with Chip, and now you have a boyfriend."
"But Rach, you know you'll have another boyfriend by next week!"
Rachel laughed. "You're probably right. Chandler sounds like a really nice guy. I think I'm ready to date older guys. The ones in high school are stupid idiots."
Monica giggled. "I can laugh now because I do have a great guy, but remember when I would've gone out with any one of them? You'll find the right one, Rach, I know you will."
"You're right. Of course I will. I'm Rachel Karen Green."
But for the first time in the history of their friendship, at least when it came to guys, Rachel felt a twinge of jealousy towards Monica. She didn't like the feeling and knew she would have to do something about it.
*~*
"Monica, dear, help me clear the table," Judy said, after the turkey with all its trimmings had been heartily consumed.
Still in a great mood, Monica offered to do the clean up all by herself.
"You don't mind if I don't help?" Rachel asked.
"No."
"Great," her friend said, after following Monica into the kitchen, "because Ross asked me to go for a walk with him, and I want to."
"Go ahead."
Ross smiled when Rachel told him she would accompany him outside.
"Rachel and I are going for a walk," he informed his parents.
"That's lovely," Judy said and smiled approvingly. "We'll have dessert when you return."
*~*
After Monica cleaned up the kitchen, she went to her room to wait for Rachel. She pulled the penny Chandler had given her from underneath her pillow and stared at it. She didn't know why, but her instincts cautioned her not to tell Rachel about Chandler's gift. She wanted to keep some things just between her and Chandler. She didn't want to share them with anybody, even her best friend.
When the phone rang, she lunged for it. She smiled when she heard Chandler's voice.
"Hi! How are you? I was hoping you'd call. Did you have dinner with your mom?"
"Yes, I did."
"So, how horrible was it?" Monica teased, returning the penny to its special place. "How many Tums have you chewed so far?"
Chandler laughed. "You sound like you're in a wonderful mood."
"I am!"
"I wish I could be there."
"So do I. But you, mister, are avoiding my questions."
"Not avoiding, just delaying. Actually, dinner wasn't horrible, and I haven't taken any Tums. My mother is...well, my mother. She tries. What about you? How was your day?"
"Not bad. I haven't fought with my brother, and my parents are being very nice. Rachel ate with us. I'm waiting for her to return. She and Ross went for a walk."
"You didn't want to go?"
"No, not really. Besides," she said and giggled, "they didn't ask me."
"Oh. Well, maybe you'll feel like taking a walk with me this weekend?"
"I might," she said, her tone playful. "What do you have in mind?"
"I thought maybe we could get together tomorrow. And Saturday, too. I could stay some place cheap on Friday night, and maybe even Saturday night. What do you think?"
"That would be great! Since Ross is spending the weekend here, you can probably stay with us. It means you have to meet my parents. If you're okay with that..."
"I don't mind meeting your parents. I can tell them what a lovely, warm, thoughtful, generous, giving daughter they have."
"Chandler!"
"What? It's true."
"You're making me blush. Stop it! Now, what time will you be here?"
"How about noon?"
"Noon sounds excellent. I can't wait to see you."
"Me, too. I hope Ross is okay with this."
"If my parents are, why shouldn't Ross be?"
"I don't know, but he's been acting weird lately."
"You mean weirder than usual?"
They shared a laugh.
"Yeah, I guess that's what I mean."
"He did seem fairly quiet at the dinner table, now that you mention it. But he sure seemed happy when Rachel agreed to go with him. Speaking of Rachel, she just walked in."
"Okay. I'll say good-bye. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"Me, too. Bye, Chandler. I'm glad we got to talk."
*~*
"Wipe that goofy grin off your face," Rachel said, as she plopped down on Monica's bed.
"I can't help it. I enjoy talking to him."
"That's nice he called you."
"How did your walk go?"
"It was fun. Did you know Ross and Carol aren't getting along that well?"
"No. But Chandler said Ross has been acting strange lately. Maybe that's why."
"Could be. Ross is a nice guy, don't you think?"
"He's okay, but remember, he's my brother, so I can't really be objective. I had to live with him."
Rachel laughed. "Your mom said she's ready to serve the dessert. We'd better get downstairs."
*~*
At the table, Monica mentioned Chandler's phone call and that he would be coming to see her tomorrow.
"Good. We finally get to meet this young man," Jack said. "It's about time."
"If you approve of him, can he sleep on the sofa tomorrow night and Saturday night?"
"I suppose," Jack said, looking to his wife who nodded her assent.
"Thank you!"
Ross hid his surprise that Chandler would be coming to his house. It wasn't that he didn't want him there, but he wished he had a better feeling about his roommate and friend dating his baby sister. Something just didn't seem right to him, but he had to admit he'd never seen Monica looking happier.
When Rachel was ready to leave, Ross offered to take her home. She agreed.
"So, Mon, what time should we hit the mall tomorrow to take advantage of all those wonderful sales and start our Christmas shopping?"
"Rachel, I can't go. Chandler will be here by noon."
"Oh. Wow. I didn't realize we wouldn't be spending the day together. It had become sort of a tradition."
"I know. I'm sorry. Maybe we can go one day next week after school?"
"Maybe. Well, have fun with Chandler. If he's spending the weekend, I probably won't talk to you."
"I'll call you, Rach. I will."
"Sure. Whenever you get a chance. No big deal. If not, I'll see you at school on Monday."
That same twinge of jealousy resurfaced; this time even worse. Monica was always available and eager to go with Rachel whenever she wanted to do something. Being told her plans had to be changed was definitely a new experience for Rachel, and she had to admit she didn't like it.
*~*
Monica sat at her desk writing in her journal when her mother told her she had a phone call. Hoping it was Chandler but realizing that was unlikely, she said a tentative "hello".
"Monica, it's Rachel."
"Hi! I wasn't expecting to hear from you."
"I know, but I had to tell you something."
"What?"
"Remember when I got punished for covering for you when you went to see Ross at NYU a few weeks ago?"
"Of course I remember, Rach. I'll never forget that time. That's when I met Chandler."
"Yeah, okay, whatever. You said you would do anything to make up for getting me into trouble. Do you recall saying that?"
"Yes."
"Well, I thought of something."
Monica, her stomach tensing, hesitated before asking her friend what she wanted her to do. She knew Rachel had been upset that she wouldn't be going shopping with her. If she forced her to choose between spending time with Chandler or her, Monica would choose Chandler. She didn't even have to think about it.
"What do you want me to do?" she finally asked.
She held her breath waiting for the answer.
"If Ross breaks up with Carol, which it sounded like he might do, then I want you to get me a date with your brother."
Relief washed over Monica. That would be easy.
"Sure, Rach. If Ross breaks up with Carol, I'll talk to him about taking you out on a real date. No problem."
"Good."
Rachel hung up the phone, feeling somewhat vindicated. If Monica could date a college guy, so could she. And if she and Ross started dating seriously, then maybe she would be unavailable when Monica wanted to do something important to her. Rachel chose to ignore the fact that she was using Ross when she had no romantic feelings for him. But until someone better came along to occupy her time, Ross would have to do.
Monica raced down the stairs when the doorbell rang late Thanksgiving morning. She couldn't wait to tell Rachel about the previous evening. She hardly slept, and she had no appetite, which she considered a good thing. When Monica opened the door and saw her best friend standing there, she practically pulled her inside.
"Rachel's here!" Monica called out to her parents and brother. "We're going upstairs."
"What's the rush?" Rachel asked, after Monica had made sure her bedroom door was closed.
"I've been dying to talk to you. My parents wouldn't let me call you last night because I had to spend time with my brother. But guess what?!"
"What? How did your surprise dinner go with Chandler?"
"It was perfect. Rachel, he likes me. I mean, he really likes me. Me! Can you believe it? He asked me to be his girlfriend. We're gonna like go out on dates and everything! I still can't believe it. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up, but it's real. He loved that I cooked dinner for him. He said no one had ever done anything like that for him. It was the best night!"
Monica finally stopped to catch her breath. Rachel smiled.
"It sounds great. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks."
Only when Monica had taken a seat on her bed did she notice Rachel's sad expression.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. But...it's weird. I just broke up with Chip, and now you have a boyfriend."
"But Rach, you know you'll have another boyfriend by next week!"
Rachel laughed. "You're probably right. Chandler sounds like a really nice guy. I think I'm ready to date older guys. The ones in high school are stupid idiots."
Monica giggled. "I can laugh now because I do have a great guy, but remember when I would've gone out with any one of them? You'll find the right one, Rach, I know you will."
"You're right. Of course I will. I'm Rachel Karen Green."
But for the first time in the history of their friendship, at least when it came to guys, Rachel felt a twinge of jealousy towards Monica. She didn't like the feeling and knew she would have to do something about it.
*~*
"Monica, dear, help me clear the table," Judy said, after the turkey with all its trimmings had been heartily consumed.
Still in a great mood, Monica offered to do the clean up all by herself.
"You don't mind if I don't help?" Rachel asked.
"No."
"Great," her friend said, after following Monica into the kitchen, "because Ross asked me to go for a walk with him, and I want to."
"Go ahead."
Ross smiled when Rachel told him she would accompany him outside.
"Rachel and I are going for a walk," he informed his parents.
"That's lovely," Judy said and smiled approvingly. "We'll have dessert when you return."
*~*
After Monica cleaned up the kitchen, she went to her room to wait for Rachel. She pulled the penny Chandler had given her from underneath her pillow and stared at it. She didn't know why, but her instincts cautioned her not to tell Rachel about Chandler's gift. She wanted to keep some things just between her and Chandler. She didn't want to share them with anybody, even her best friend.
When the phone rang, she lunged for it. She smiled when she heard Chandler's voice.
"Hi! How are you? I was hoping you'd call. Did you have dinner with your mom?"
"Yes, I did."
"So, how horrible was it?" Monica teased, returning the penny to its special place. "How many Tums have you chewed so far?"
Chandler laughed. "You sound like you're in a wonderful mood."
"I am!"
"I wish I could be there."
"So do I. But you, mister, are avoiding my questions."
"Not avoiding, just delaying. Actually, dinner wasn't horrible, and I haven't taken any Tums. My mother is...well, my mother. She tries. What about you? How was your day?"
"Not bad. I haven't fought with my brother, and my parents are being very nice. Rachel ate with us. I'm waiting for her to return. She and Ross went for a walk."
"You didn't want to go?"
"No, not really. Besides," she said and giggled, "they didn't ask me."
"Oh. Well, maybe you'll feel like taking a walk with me this weekend?"
"I might," she said, her tone playful. "What do you have in mind?"
"I thought maybe we could get together tomorrow. And Saturday, too. I could stay some place cheap on Friday night, and maybe even Saturday night. What do you think?"
"That would be great! Since Ross is spending the weekend here, you can probably stay with us. It means you have to meet my parents. If you're okay with that..."
"I don't mind meeting your parents. I can tell them what a lovely, warm, thoughtful, generous, giving daughter they have."
"Chandler!"
"What? It's true."
"You're making me blush. Stop it! Now, what time will you be here?"
"How about noon?"
"Noon sounds excellent. I can't wait to see you."
"Me, too. I hope Ross is okay with this."
"If my parents are, why shouldn't Ross be?"
"I don't know, but he's been acting weird lately."
"You mean weirder than usual?"
They shared a laugh.
"Yeah, I guess that's what I mean."
"He did seem fairly quiet at the dinner table, now that you mention it. But he sure seemed happy when Rachel agreed to go with him. Speaking of Rachel, she just walked in."
"Okay. I'll say good-bye. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"Me, too. Bye, Chandler. I'm glad we got to talk."
*~*
"Wipe that goofy grin off your face," Rachel said, as she plopped down on Monica's bed.
"I can't help it. I enjoy talking to him."
"That's nice he called you."
"How did your walk go?"
"It was fun. Did you know Ross and Carol aren't getting along that well?"
"No. But Chandler said Ross has been acting strange lately. Maybe that's why."
"Could be. Ross is a nice guy, don't you think?"
"He's okay, but remember, he's my brother, so I can't really be objective. I had to live with him."
Rachel laughed. "Your mom said she's ready to serve the dessert. We'd better get downstairs."
*~*
At the table, Monica mentioned Chandler's phone call and that he would be coming to see her tomorrow.
"Good. We finally get to meet this young man," Jack said. "It's about time."
"If you approve of him, can he sleep on the sofa tomorrow night and Saturday night?"
"I suppose," Jack said, looking to his wife who nodded her assent.
"Thank you!"
Ross hid his surprise that Chandler would be coming to his house. It wasn't that he didn't want him there, but he wished he had a better feeling about his roommate and friend dating his baby sister. Something just didn't seem right to him, but he had to admit he'd never seen Monica looking happier.
When Rachel was ready to leave, Ross offered to take her home. She agreed.
"So, Mon, what time should we hit the mall tomorrow to take advantage of all those wonderful sales and start our Christmas shopping?"
"Rachel, I can't go. Chandler will be here by noon."
"Oh. Wow. I didn't realize we wouldn't be spending the day together. It had become sort of a tradition."
"I know. I'm sorry. Maybe we can go one day next week after school?"
"Maybe. Well, have fun with Chandler. If he's spending the weekend, I probably won't talk to you."
"I'll call you, Rach. I will."
"Sure. Whenever you get a chance. No big deal. If not, I'll see you at school on Monday."
That same twinge of jealousy resurfaced; this time even worse. Monica was always available and eager to go with Rachel whenever she wanted to do something. Being told her plans had to be changed was definitely a new experience for Rachel, and she had to admit she didn't like it.
*~*
Monica sat at her desk writing in her journal when her mother told her she had a phone call. Hoping it was Chandler but realizing that was unlikely, she said a tentative "hello".
"Monica, it's Rachel."
"Hi! I wasn't expecting to hear from you."
"I know, but I had to tell you something."
"What?"
"Remember when I got punished for covering for you when you went to see Ross at NYU a few weeks ago?"
"Of course I remember, Rach. I'll never forget that time. That's when I met Chandler."
"Yeah, okay, whatever. You said you would do anything to make up for getting me into trouble. Do you recall saying that?"
"Yes."
"Well, I thought of something."
Monica, her stomach tensing, hesitated before asking her friend what she wanted her to do. She knew Rachel had been upset that she wouldn't be going shopping with her. If she forced her to choose between spending time with Chandler or her, Monica would choose Chandler. She didn't even have to think about it.
"What do you want me to do?" she finally asked.
She held her breath waiting for the answer.
"If Ross breaks up with Carol, which it sounded like he might do, then I want you to get me a date with your brother."
Relief washed over Monica. That would be easy.
"Sure, Rach. If Ross breaks up with Carol, I'll talk to him about taking you out on a real date. No problem."
"Good."
Rachel hung up the phone, feeling somewhat vindicated. If Monica could date a college guy, so could she. And if she and Ross started dating seriously, then maybe she would be unavailable when Monica wanted to do something important to her. Rachel chose to ignore the fact that she was using Ross when she had no romantic feelings for him. But until someone better came along to occupy her time, Ross would have to do.