Meanwhile, Ross bought Sherry an extravagant birthday present, and Rachel got sulky and remembered the expensive pin that Ross once bought her.
"What do you care? You're with Gunther." But then Phoebe realized what was going on. "No! Rachel, how could you?"
Rachel tried to shush her. "Mind your own business, Phoebe!"
"No! Gunther really thinks you like him, Rachel. You can't treat people like this. This isn't high school!"
"What do you know about it? You never went to high school."
"Well, I've heard enough from you five to feel like I was there. From what Ross and Monica have said, you could be a real cheerleading bitch!"
Rachel stormed out.
Phoebe informed Gunther that Rachel was using him (unsuccessfully) to make Ross jealous. He didn't believe her at first, but then he saw it for himself when Rachel still didn't want to sleep with him after the twentieth date. "Do you actually like me or not?" he demanded.
Rachel bluffed yet again, so Gunther confronted her with what Phoebe had said, and he dumped Rachel.
He looked so hurt that Rachel realized now how cruel she'd been to lead him on and toy with his feelings. She tried to apologize, but he just threw her out of Central Perk and called her something bad in Dutch.
***
Sherry spent Thanksgiving out of town with her family, and Ross kept calling her to keep in touch.
Rachel kept calling Gunther too, and left numerous messages on his machine, but he wouldn't answer. "And the cold silence he gives me if I try to see him at Central Perk! The worst part is that I know I completely deserve it."
Everybody expressed sympathy, but knew better than to get involved. They concentrated on dinner, the parade, and the football.
***
After more failed attempts to reach Gunther, Rachel put down the phone and sat there depressed. Then she asked to speak to Ross in private.
"I forgive you."
"What?"
"For sleeping with Chloe. I forgive you. I mean, I just did an awful, awful thing to Gunther, and I realized that I can't keep holding a grudge about Chloe. Now, don't--don't use this as an excuse to cheat on your girlfriend, but um, but I just know from personal experience that being jealous about somebody you love can make you do stupid, horrible things without thinking."
Ross blinked at her warily. "Somebody you love? You mean, me?"
"Um." She looked nervous, then quietly admitted, "Yeah, I still love you, Ross, and I'm so horribly jealous of you and Sherry."
"Rach, I--"
"I know, I know! You're with Sherry now, and I'm not gonna do what I did when you were with Bonnie and with Julie. I didn't say 'I forgive you' to mess with your head or to make you take me back. I said it because I mean it, and I want us to just be friends again, like we used to be. I won't interfere with you and Sherry, I promise. I've learned my lesson."
"I see," he answered. "Then, well... thank you for forgiving me. I guess I was right that someday you would forgive me, but I'm sorry that Gunther had to suffer for it to happen."
"I know," she nodded. "I still have to find some way to earn his forgiveness, let alone figure out how to forgive myself. Anyway," she sniffled, "you go back to calling Sherry, and I'll try Gunther's answering machine again."
"Okay. Good luck, Rachel."
She nodded and dialed Gunther's number again.
"What do you care? You're with Gunther." But then Phoebe realized what was going on. "No! Rachel, how could you?"
Rachel tried to shush her. "Mind your own business, Phoebe!"
"No! Gunther really thinks you like him, Rachel. You can't treat people like this. This isn't high school!"
"What do you know about it? You never went to high school."
"Well, I've heard enough from you five to feel like I was there. From what Ross and Monica have said, you could be a real cheerleading bitch!"
Rachel stormed out.
Phoebe informed Gunther that Rachel was using him (unsuccessfully) to make Ross jealous. He didn't believe her at first, but then he saw it for himself when Rachel still didn't want to sleep with him after the twentieth date. "Do you actually like me or not?" he demanded.
Rachel bluffed yet again, so Gunther confronted her with what Phoebe had said, and he dumped Rachel.
He looked so hurt that Rachel realized now how cruel she'd been to lead him on and toy with his feelings. She tried to apologize, but he just threw her out of Central Perk and called her something bad in Dutch.
***
Sherry spent Thanksgiving out of town with her family, and Ross kept calling her to keep in touch.
Rachel kept calling Gunther too, and left numerous messages on his machine, but he wouldn't answer. "And the cold silence he gives me if I try to see him at Central Perk! The worst part is that I know I completely deserve it."
Everybody expressed sympathy, but knew better than to get involved. They concentrated on dinner, the parade, and the football.
***
After more failed attempts to reach Gunther, Rachel put down the phone and sat there depressed. Then she asked to speak to Ross in private.
"I forgive you."
"What?"
"For sleeping with Chloe. I forgive you. I mean, I just did an awful, awful thing to Gunther, and I realized that I can't keep holding a grudge about Chloe. Now, don't--don't use this as an excuse to cheat on your girlfriend, but um, but I just know from personal experience that being jealous about somebody you love can make you do stupid, horrible things without thinking."
Ross blinked at her warily. "Somebody you love? You mean, me?"
"Um." She looked nervous, then quietly admitted, "Yeah, I still love you, Ross, and I'm so horribly jealous of you and Sherry."
"Rach, I--"
"I know, I know! You're with Sherry now, and I'm not gonna do what I did when you were with Bonnie and with Julie. I didn't say 'I forgive you' to mess with your head or to make you take me back. I said it because I mean it, and I want us to just be friends again, like we used to be. I won't interfere with you and Sherry, I promise. I've learned my lesson."
"I see," he answered. "Then, well... thank you for forgiving me. I guess I was right that someday you would forgive me, but I'm sorry that Gunther had to suffer for it to happen."
"I know," she nodded. "I still have to find some way to earn his forgiveness, let alone figure out how to forgive myself. Anyway," she sniffled, "you go back to calling Sherry, and I'll try Gunther's answering machine again."
"Okay. Good luck, Rachel."
She nodded and dialed Gunther's number again.