Phoebe went upstairs and knocked on Joey and Chandler's door.
"Who is it?" Chandler asked cautiously.
"It's Phoebe. I'm just looking for Joey. Did he come up here?"
"No, I haven't seen him since this morning."
"Oh. Hey, you know what? Maybe I can talk to you about this. Can I come in?"
Chandler hesitated. He had become defensive and distant with everyone besides Joey, ever since the night that he caught Monica cheating. But Chandler reconsidered and opened the door. "Sure, come in."
Phoebe entered and cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, um, Monica told us about the divorce."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, that's the final decision."
"And, and I respect that, Chandler. I--I really do. It's your life."
"I appreciate that."
"But, um, okay. So where--where exactly do you intend to live after the divorce? I mean, I assume Monica's gonna keep her grandmother's apartment."
"Yeah," Chandler nodded. "I can get along fine over here with Joey."
"Really, with Joey?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Okay, first of all, did you even ask him if you could stay?"
"Well, no. I--I just assumed--"
"Ah ha! That's it. See, you just assume. This is a big permanent change in his life, not just yours, and you can't just *assume* that he's okay with it."
"But--but he never said that he didn't want me here."
"How could he? Chandler, you're his best friend. He doesn't want to reject you or hurt you right now, but someone has got to look out for him if he won't. You aren't the only one suffering in this divorce, okay? I mean, letting you stay over while you figure things out is one thing, but if you stay here permanently, right across the hall from your ex-wife, how do you think that's going to affect him?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, remember how you started smoking when your parents got divorced? And then when Ross and Rachel broke up and couldn't get along, the trauma started all up again? You're going to tear Joey apart, not knowing how to be friends with both of you."
Chandler became defensive. "Why, why should he be friends with both of us? He's *my* friend. He belongs to me."
"What?! Do you hear yourself? Joey's not your possession! Or, or a child to claim custody over. He loves you both. He was the minister at your wedding. How can you ask him to choose?"
"He already chose. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Chandler! Don't you see how miserable Joey looks lately? How little sleep he's getting? He has to sit here day after day and endure all the shouting matches going on, and it will only get worse with your divorce." She shook her head. "If you want out of your marriage, that's fine with me, but at least stay at a hotel or something until it's all over with. Forcing Joey to go through all this with you is just selfish and mean."
"You know what's selfish and mean? Yelling at a man who's divorcing his cheating wife!"
Phoebe looked at him with pity and walked out the door.
"Yeah, you get out of here! Maybe I don't want to see you again either, Phoebe!"
"Your loss," she scoffed and slammed the door.
"Who is it?" Chandler asked cautiously.
"It's Phoebe. I'm just looking for Joey. Did he come up here?"
"No, I haven't seen him since this morning."
"Oh. Hey, you know what? Maybe I can talk to you about this. Can I come in?"
Chandler hesitated. He had become defensive and distant with everyone besides Joey, ever since the night that he caught Monica cheating. But Chandler reconsidered and opened the door. "Sure, come in."
Phoebe entered and cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, um, Monica told us about the divorce."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, that's the final decision."
"And, and I respect that, Chandler. I--I really do. It's your life."
"I appreciate that."
"But, um, okay. So where--where exactly do you intend to live after the divorce? I mean, I assume Monica's gonna keep her grandmother's apartment."
"Yeah," Chandler nodded. "I can get along fine over here with Joey."
"Really, with Joey?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Okay, first of all, did you even ask him if you could stay?"
"Well, no. I--I just assumed--"
"Ah ha! That's it. See, you just assume. This is a big permanent change in his life, not just yours, and you can't just *assume* that he's okay with it."
"But--but he never said that he didn't want me here."
"How could he? Chandler, you're his best friend. He doesn't want to reject you or hurt you right now, but someone has got to look out for him if he won't. You aren't the only one suffering in this divorce, okay? I mean, letting you stay over while you figure things out is one thing, but if you stay here permanently, right across the hall from your ex-wife, how do you think that's going to affect him?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, remember how you started smoking when your parents got divorced? And then when Ross and Rachel broke up and couldn't get along, the trauma started all up again? You're going to tear Joey apart, not knowing how to be friends with both of you."
Chandler became defensive. "Why, why should he be friends with both of us? He's *my* friend. He belongs to me."
"What?! Do you hear yourself? Joey's not your possession! Or, or a child to claim custody over. He loves you both. He was the minister at your wedding. How can you ask him to choose?"
"He already chose. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Chandler! Don't you see how miserable Joey looks lately? How little sleep he's getting? He has to sit here day after day and endure all the shouting matches going on, and it will only get worse with your divorce." She shook her head. "If you want out of your marriage, that's fine with me, but at least stay at a hotel or something until it's all over with. Forcing Joey to go through all this with you is just selfish and mean."
"You know what's selfish and mean? Yelling at a man who's divorcing his cheating wife!"
Phoebe looked at him with pity and walked out the door.
"Yeah, you get out of here! Maybe I don't want to see you again either, Phoebe!"
"Your loss," she scoffed and slammed the door.