PART THREE
"What kind of psycho would write like a note like that?!" Monica asked Rachel a few hours later. It was now dawn, and the sun was beginning to rise.
"Those three over there?" Rachel asked doubtfully.
Monica nodded. "They've crossed the line…our pride is at stake here."
"So what are we going to do?" Rachel asked her.
Monica frowned, "I'm not sure." She admitted. "It's got to be something good! Those boys don't just fall for anything."
"Ok well, we know Joey doesn't like blood or anything that looks like it." Rachel said thoughtfully, "He also hates spiders."
"Yes, but what about Chandler?" Monica asked, "The only thing he doesn't like is dogs…"
"The trick has got to be big…" Rachel smiled mischievously.
Monica nodded, "We're going to get them this time."
*****
Ross carried Ben out of the boys' apartment. "See you in a few hours," he told them, "I need to get this kid to bed."
Chandler nodded, "See you later," he said, shutting the door. He turned to Joey, "You know, I think we've proved our point to the girls now. Maybe we should call a truce with them."
Joey breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank god," he muttered.
They walked across the hall to the girls' apartment and knocked the door. "Who is it?" Monica called out.
"It's us," Chandler called back, "Can we come in?"
"Why should we let you?"
Chandler sighed, "I want to call a truce." He answered, "Let's just forget about all this, hmm?"
Chandler and Joey could hear muffled discussion going on inside until finally Rachel called out, "Come on in."
They walked in, smiling sheepishly at the girls. "I think we need to have a talk," Chandler said to them all.
Monica and Rachel nodded.
"I realised earlier this morning that this scare war is getting stupid," Chandler told them, "I mean, we got Ben out of bed for crying out loud!"
"That was taking it a touch too far," Monica agreed.
"Yes, I know, that's why all this has got to stop. It could get dangerous."
"Like that note you mean?" Rachel snapped.
Joey frowned, "What note?" he asked, "There was no note!"
"Yes there was!" Monica exclaimed. "It was really sinister." She shuddered.
Chandler frowned, "Probably a kid did it. I swear, we never wrote any note." He held out his hand to Monica. "Truce?" he offered.
Monica glanced at Rachel, who nodded. Monica shook Chandler's hand, "Truce." She replied.
Joey breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. Now maybe things can get back to normal again." He told them all. "What about that Halloween party now?"
Monica laughed, "Ok, you win. We can have a party."
"Yay!"
As Joey and Rachel argued over whether or not to have costumes, Monica and Chandler sent a smile across the room to each other before joining in on the debate.
*****
"You know…I'm not convinced about that truce." Rachel told Monica during lunch. "I don't think the boys are done yet."
"I think we should trust them and see what happens." Monica said, "Chandler and Joey seemed sincere."
"…But what about that note?" Rachel asked, "That didn't look like a 'truce' to me."
Monica shrugged. "That's one thing I don't get…why are they denying they wrote it?"
"Because they're jerks that's why." Rachel grumbled, "I can't believe Ross is helping them. I know the two of us had trouble getting along just after the break up, but I thought we had moved on now."
They finished their lunch and left the restaurant. Arriving back at their apartment, Monica opened the door and what she saw made her close it again.
"Mon…what is it?" Rachel asked, seeing her friend's pale face.
"Don't go in there." Monica said faintly.
"Why not?" Rachel pushed open the door, peeked inside and shrieked.
A white sheet was hanging from the ceiling, with a painting of a skull on it. The colours of the skull glowed in the dim light. Underneath the picture were the words: Beware girls…I am here.
"Those boys are really going to get it this time." Rachel said darkly, "Are we going ahead with the counter-attack?"
Monica nodded slowly, trying not to look at the sheet. "Yes…" she replied, "They're not fooling us like that again."
****
It was midnight, and Monica and Rachel were still awake. Monica came out of her bedroom with some white sheets.
"So what are we going to do…paint the sheets like they did?" Rachel asked doubtfully.
"No…" Monica went over to the freezer and pulled out some trays. "I've frozen some red fizzy pop in these trays. Now all we got to do is crush these up into slush and wrap them up in the sheets."
"Why?"
"I wonder what freezing cold crushed ice feels like against your skin…" Monica murmured.
Rachel widened her eyes. "Are you suggesting we drop these on the boys why they're asleep?" she smiled.
"Nice little wake up call, don't you think?"
"Let's do it!"
The pair sneaked over to the boys' apartment and walked in.
"Are you ready?" Monica whispered. Rachel nodded.
Monica tiptoed over to Chandler's door and eased it open. She walked in, and saw Chandler snuggled up in the bed sheets, asleep. Smiling a little at his peaceful face, Monica moved closer. She removed the covers and hesitated, then, remembering the skull, she positioned the slush over Chandler's stomach and took aim…
"AUGH!" Chandler woke up the instant the cold slush touched his body and leaped out of bed. Seeing the red substance all over the bed sheets, he screamed again.
Monica and Rachel started to run out of the room without being seen, only to crash into Joey in the doorway.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Joey yelled. He turned to Chandler, who was a quivering wreck in the corner of the room. "Do you know what time it is?"
"No Joey, I don't know what the time is!" Chandler yelled back, "At the moment, I don't know anything!"
Joey walked cautiously over to Chandler's bed, studying the red stain on Chandler's sheets. "Eww…" he grimaced, "What is that?"
"It's frozen slush made out of a drink," Monica announced, "…and we've just won this round!"
"What?!" Chandler exploded, "I thought we called a truce!"
"That's what we thought until we saw the little prank you pulled on us a few hours ago!" Rachel retorted.
Chandler rubbed his eyes, looking bewilderedly at his friends. "I've just had frozen wet slush thrown at me," he said slowly, "Up until that point, I was asleep and, in a way, still am now. What the hell are you talking about?"
" 'Beware girls I am here'", Monica mimicked.
"Excuse me?"
"That skull was pretty impressive though…did you steal our paints to do that?" Rachel asked, scowling.
Chandler glanced at Joey, who shrugged. He turned back to the girls, running his hands through his hair looking more bewildered by the second. "Seriously…what? I don't know what you're talking about…Joey doesn't know what you're talking about…do you even know what you're talking about?"
"Look, somebody played a very mean joke on us earlier and we want to know whether you were involved." Monica replied.
"So you thought the best way to ask us about this is to break into my bedroom at whatever time it is in the morning and attack me with frozen ice." Chandler smiled wryly, "Both of you would make great interrogators for the police I must say."
"Even half asleep you're still sarcastic." Rachel murmured.
Chandler sighed, "I just want to know what is going on." He said, "That's all. Where's this 'skull' then?"
*****
The group had assembled around the kitchen of Monica and Rachel's. Monica showed the boys the sheet.
"Wow…" Joey murmured. "That is some painting!"
"Well, we didn't paint this." Chandler announced. He frowned at the girls. "Would you care to explain why you attacked me?"
"We wanted revenge for what we thought you did to us." Monica explained, "We're sorry."
Rachel nodded. "Very sorry. If you like, I'll buy you some new bed sheets." She giggled. "You're going to need some."
"So…if you two didn't do this. Then who did?" Monica asked, "I'm scared."
Chandler hugged her. "It might just be some kids who got a bit carried away." He tried to assure her.
A knock came from the door.
"I'll get it," Joey said nervously.
He opened the door to see a very annoyed looking old man glaring at them. "I'm Mr Gonzales from downstairs," he said, "This week has been a nightmare trying to get any sleep. Every night I have been awoken by screams and shouts coming from this area of the building. Even when I try to sleep in the day there is no peace… and I am sick of it! What have you kids got to say for yourselves?!"
Joey swallowed hard. "er…um…don't look at me." He stuttered. "I don't live here!"
Chandler walked over. "I am very sorry Mr Gonzales. We'll try to keep it down."
"It's not just me you know! The whole building has been disturbed by your antics!" the man shouted, "If it happens again, I'm calling the landlord." The man walked off and Chandler shut the door.
"Do you think that man is the reincarnation of Mr Heckles?" he asked everyone.
END OF PART THREE