PART SEVEN
Joey Tribbiani threw the tabloid on the floor and buried his head into his hands. Another bad review. He didn't know how much more of it he could take. His agent constantly told him not to take any notice of the critics. "They're just people who are bitter about not making it into showbiz." Estella would say. Joey knew she was right, but as he told himself over and over again she wasn't the victim of the hurtful comments.
There was a time when Joey loved living in the public eye. It was thrilling to walk down a street and get recognised by people. Now, it was getting tiring. He couldn't just go to his local bar and have a night out with friends anymore… his evening would get ruined by people constantly walking up to him asking how he was and how his love life was going. It was getting too much, all the pressure, keeping up appearances, hanging out with certain individuals and not with others. He missed the quiet life…the simple life.
Chicago…oh how he loved that place. It didn't seem like two years since he last lived there with his roommate Kip.
Kip. Joey wished the thought of Kip had never entered his mind. Kip had been so like him in some ways, but different in others. Kip was smarter than Joey, had a juvenile sense of humour and lived life to it's fullest. Joey was quieter, not so smart and a womaniser to match. Joey remembered when they first met five years ago. Both of them 21, Kip had just graduated from college and had arrived in Chicago to start a new life. Joey was a struggling actor who needed a roommate. They met in a bar one night and it all seemed to go from there. For three years, the two lived together and had the time of their lives. Then Joey auditioned for a part in Days of Our Lives and everything changed. He moved to L.A and lived the busy life of a celebrity.
Joey smiled a little, remembering how in the old days he and Kip would just relax in front of the TV with pizza and beer, watching Baywatch all day. Kip would tell him humorous stories about his life in college. Joey would keep asking him to tell more and more of them, and he soon learned of the friends Kip had. There was Chandler, a bachelor with a kind heart, and a wit that amazed everyone. There was Monica, a neurotic beautiful young woman who had an obsession with cleaning… Ross, the geeky but fun loving older brother of Monica… Rachel, the 'pampered princess' who just wanted to get married.
Joey closed his eyes, the agony of thinking about his old roommate affecting him again. He had realised over the past few weeks it was always going to be like this. Bad memories of that day kept flooding back into his mind to the point when he had to get away from L.A for a while. To come to New York where Kip had once lived, to see the places Kip had visited during his childhood. Just anything to ease the pain…
One thing had made him smile during this visit. A few days ago, a man around his age was having a heated argument with a parking attendant and he had stepped in to resolve it. To his amusement, the man had no idea who he was and had thanked him for helping out. There were no awkward questions about his private life, his work on Days Of Our Lives or anything. It felt good and, for the first time in a month, Joey had smiled. As soon as that little meeting was over though, Joey had become depressed again. There was the overwhelming sadness hanging over his mind and the flashbacks flooding through his head over and over again.
~~~~~L.A, Four weeks ago~~~~
The constant banging coming from downstairs awoke Joey from his deep sleep. He groaned to himself and checked his watch. 6am. Who could be calling round at this unearthly hour? He staggered down the stairs and answered the door, yawning non-stop. Seeing who it was, his mouth remained open in mid yawn and he stared in shock. It was Kip, his old roommate.
"Well that is a really unpleasant sight to see," Kip said, grimacing. "Close your mouth." He grinned.
Joey broke into a grin and gestured for Kip to come inside. "My god Kip!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" he helped Kip drag several suitcases into his living room.
"Well I was just passing through." Kip joked. "I thought I would come for a little visit."
"Well it's great to see you!" Joey said enthusiastically.
"I should think so!" Kip exclaimed, "My plane was delayed three hours before I could get here and then the stupid cab driver got lost and took me to the wrong neighbourhood! I kept saying 'Beverley Hills man! Not Brandley Hills!' Wherever that is…"
Joey laughed. "Same old Kip." He said.
Kip rubbed his palms together. "So, 'big actor in Hollywood', how's it going?"
"It's going great." Joey replied, "The last two years have been amazing."
"What…without my 'living for everything' life?" Kip asked in mock horror.
"Well…"
Kip laughed, "Kidding Joey! Kidding! I'm so proud of you! You're a big star!"
Joey smiled uncomfortably. "Not everything about being famous is good." He said quietly.
"Aww come on!" Kip scoffed, "You're rich beyond your wildest dreams! You have three sports cars in your garage, you have a six bedroom house with a swimming pool!"
Joey chuckled, "Well, when you put it like that…"
Kip slapped him on the back. "That's the attitude Joey! I see your partying ways will need to be improved during my stay here. You and I are going to have fun…I just know it."
"Yeah we are!" Joey exclaimed, catching Kip's enthusiasm.
~~~~~Present~~~~
"Some fun we had." Joey muttered to himself now, looking moodily around his hotel room.
******
Chandler opened the apartment door and walked in, with Phoebe trailing behind. At the kitchen table, they could see Monica and Rachel laughing and talking.
"I see you two have made up." Chandler commented, smiling.
"Yeah we have." Rachel said softly, hugging Monica.
"What happened in the past doesn't matter now." Monica added, "It's the future we must look forward to now." Seeing Phoebe, she widened her eyes. "Oh my god!"
Phoebe smiled awkwardly. "Hi…" she said quietly.
Monica got up from the table and walked over. "My god Phoebe, you look terrible!"
"Who's that?" Rachel whispered to Chandler.
"It's a long story." Chandler whispered back.
"I've got a cold," Phoebe explained, "But your friend here seemed to think I was dying so he brought me back here." Her brow furrowed and she turned to Chandler. "That's a thought…I don't even know your name!"
Chandler smiled. "It's Chandler." He told her.
Phoebe nodded and turned back to Monica. "Chandler brought me back here to stay for a while but I don't want to intrude…" she said in a rush.
"Especially with clothes like that." Rachel muttered under her breath, getting a nudge from Chandler.
"Phoebe, it's ok." Monica assured her. "You can stay here for as long as you like. You saved my life…it's the least you can do."
"She saved your life?!" Rachel exclaimed.
"I'll explain later." Monica said quickly. She turned back to Phoebe. "Why don't you take a bath and I'll make up the couch for you to sleep on?" she suggested.
Phoebe's eyes lit up. "I haven't had a bath in years." She breathed.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Rachel muttered, looking at Phoebe with distaste.
"Rachel!" Chandler hissed, glaring at her.
"Come on Phoebe," Monica said, pulling her towards the bathroom. "I'll show you where the guest towels are…"
Chandler turned to Rachel and shook his head. "Why the hell did you say that?" he whispered angrily.
Rachel scowled. "She lives on the streets." She whispered back. "She could have diseases all over her."
Chandler snorted. "Don't be ridiculous!" he scoffed, "Phoebe's not diseased."
"She's got a cold, hasn't she?"
"As everyone does at some point in their lives." Chandler pointed out.
"Well, she could be a criminal for all we know!" Rachel exclaimed.
"Shhh!" Chandler hissed, "She'll hear you."
"I don't care!" Rachel said loudly, "I'm not associating myself with people like her." She stood up and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.
Chandler rolled his eyes. Monica came back into the living room. "Phoebe's in the bath." She explained. She frowned, "Where's Rachel?"
Chandler sighed. "I think Rachel is jealous of Phoebe." He said.
"Oh no," Monica groaned, "Just when I thought everything was ok between us again."
Chandler wrapped his arms around Monica. "Don't worry." He tried to assure her, "She'll get over it."
"Maybe you're right." Monica said quietly. She looked up at Chandler and smiled. "I don't know what I would have done without you," she added.
Chandler grinned down at her. "Well that's me…Mr Reliable." He joked.
Monica laughed. "No I'm being serious." She insisted, "You've been so great to me this past week. You've helped me pay the bills, I've got the electricity back, you've comforted me whenever I've got upset and worried about something." She smiled softly at him.
Chandler nodded and touched her cheek. "I'll do anything for you," he whispered.
Monica looked into his eyes, leaned in towards him and kissed him gently on the lips. He responded and soon the temptations of the past few days turned into a passionate embrace. They collapsed together on the couch and continued to kiss feverishly.
"Chandler." Monica mumbled as he continued to kiss her, "Phoebe's in the next room. She'll hear us."
"Who cares," Chandler mumbled, kissing her neck.
"I do." Monica giggled, trying to think straight.
Chandler stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "You want to stop?" he asked, the disappointment clear on his face.
Seeing Chandler's caring eyes looking at her Monica shook her head. "No." she whispered. "But Phoebe…"
Chandler nodded and sat up. "I know." He said quietly. Monica sat up and kissed him tenderly. She stroked his cheek and smiled mischievously. "Wait one second…" she whispered. She walked over to the bathroom and peeked in. Inside, she saw Phoebe asleep in the bath.
"Thought so…" Monica murmured. She walked back over to Chandler. "She's asleep." She explained to him.
"How did you know that would happen?" Chandler asked, amazed.
"Phoebe has a fever and she hasn't had a bath in years!" Monica said sounding like it was obvious. "Which means…" she smiled at Chandler suggestively.
Chandler smiled and leaned in again, kissing Monica passionately. He gathered her into his arms and carried her to the couch.
END OF PART SEVEN:hope that's what you wanted! lol but it isn't over yet!! PLEASE review! If I get reviews, I'll write more! Lol: