A/N: I bet that some of you weren't expecting something like that. I'm
sorry that I haven't updated in a few days. I just wasn't in the writing
mood. I've had some family troubles and a few people online pissed me off.
Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter.
****************************************************************************
****
Joey couldn't talk to Rachel. He was sitting across from her in Monica's apartment, and he couldn't even talk to her then. He thought that things would be okay after the kiss. He never expected himself to develop feelings for Rachel. She was gorgeous, funny, and understood him. He loved the way her hair flowed. Her eyes, that sparkling blue that you could get lost in forever. Joey's thoughts were broken by Chandler walking in the door.
"Hey." Chandler said to everyone.
"Hey." Everyone replied.
"Oh honey, I invited Ross and Elaine over for dinner. I'd like to meet the girl who's keeping Ross away from us. They should be here in about half an hour." Monica said to Chandler.
"Does she do gymnastics?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know." Monica said
"Is she tall?"
"I don't know."
"Is she German?"
"I don't know. What's with the questions?"
"Oh, one of my spirits needs a tall, gymnast that's German."
"What are you setting up some kind of spirit dating service? 'Think that your love life is dead when you're, well,...dead. Think again.'" Chandler said.
Ross and Elaine came over around 6:30. They arrived arm in arm.
"I'm a little nervous about meeting your friends. I hope they like me." Elaine said, clutching Ross' arm before they went in.
"Sweetie, they'll love you." Ross' said, kissing Elaine and then opening the door to Monica's apartment.
"Hey." Everyone said.
"Hallo. Wie geht es Ihnen? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" Phoebe said, shaking Elaine's hand.
"I'm sorry?" Elaine said, smiling and confused.
"Verstehen Sie, was ich sage?"
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Well, one out of three ain't bad." Phoebe said, sitting down on the couch.
Ross and Elaine took a seat on the couch next to Phoebe. Rachel sat on one end of the couch. Joey sat in the sofa chair. Monica and Chandler were standing up in front of the TV.
"So how did you two meet?" Monica asked
"Well, we were sitting at lunch in the cafeteria, and Elaine overheard a conversation I was having with some colleagues. She said that she agreed with what I'm saying and here we are."
"Hey, if they agreed with everything they were saying, how'd we get where we are?" Chandler said, to Monica.
"I'm gonna go start dinner." Monica said, running off to the kitchen. Monica went to look in the refridgerator and shut it in shock. "Oh my god!" Monica said, walking over to the living room. "There is nothing in the fridge! Me and Chandler must've been so busy with the wedding stuff, that the whole fridge is empty. How can this happen to me?" Monica said, pacing.
"Sweetie, it's ok, we can go food shopping." Chandler said.
"Let's go now. I can't take an empty fridge." Monica said.
"What about company that we have over?"
"They can come too."
"Well, Mon, thats not good hostess manners." Chandler said. Monica shot him a glare. "Okay everybody, lets go shopping."
Everyone got up and proceeded to walk to the grocery, considering that not everyone will fit in the car.
All 7 of them walked to the grocery store. Chandler noticed Joey's distance. He was walking towards the back of the group, instead of towards the front, where all the excitement was. He was looking down and seemed to be deep in thought, which is unusual for his friend. He would usually be excited when there was a trip to the grocery store, but not tonight. He's usually the one who's talking and striking up a conversation about anything.
"Hey Joey, can I talk to you for a second?" Chandler said. "Hey Mon, Joey and I will catch up with you in a few minutes." Chandler said, to Monica.
Chandler took Joey aside. "Are you okay Joey? I mean, when Monica said the fridge was empty, you didn't get carried away. Is something up?" Chandler said
"No everythings fine." Joey said. "Everything is just dandy. I couldn't have been happier."
"Come on Joe. I know something is up. The last time you got like this was when you were falling in love with Janine." Chandler said. Joey shot him a look that indicated just that. "You're in love with someone?"
"It's not love, just feelings." Joey said.
"Who is it?"
"I don't want to say."
"Come one Joe. You can tell me. It's not like it's one of our friends." Chandler said. Joey gave him that look again. "God, I'm good. I mean, who is it?"
"I...uh...its...I can't say."
"Joey come on."
"Fine...it's...(mumbling)."
"It's who?"
"It's Rachel." Joey said, sliding against a building and sliding down on the sidewalk.
"Rachel? You---you like Rachel?"
"Yeah, okay. I mean, the other night at the psychic place, we had to kiss to get the spirit out of her, but I never expected anything from it. You know, just doing a friend a favor,but....I haven't been able to sleep, or talk to her, or do anything."
"Wow. I don't know what to tell you Joe. I mean, if you decide to do anything, you know that you have to deal with Ross."
"I don't know if I want to do anything. And don't tell anybody because I'm trying to get rid of these feelings."
"I won't and just be careful Joe. I'll be there for you if you need me."
"Thanks."
"So are you gonna pay me back for all the acting stuff?" Chandler said. Joey gave me a ''no'' look. "Oh well, I was good while it lasted."
The two friends proceeded to go to the grocery store.
When Chandler and Joey arrived at the grocery store, the other 5 were waiting outside. Monica grabbed a cart and proceeded to push the cart into the store.
"You know what I feel like making tonight? Shepards pie." Monica said.
"Just don't do what Rachel did and make us gag on it." Chandler said.
"Yeah, I don't feel like eating feet tonight." Ross said, thinking about the infamous incident. "I'm sorry. It's not my fault the pages were stuck together." Rachel said
"Well, I liked it." Joey said, smiling at her.
Rachel and Joey looked at each other and then looked away quickly. Both were thinking about the other. Thinking about how weird they were acting around each other. Both of them not being themselves lately.
"Okay. We need chop meat, peas, carrots, mashed potatoes, pie crust, and an aluminum pie tray." Monica said, counting out the items on her fingers.
"If you think about it, we're all kind of a shepards pie." Phoebe said. Everyone gave her a look, asking her to explain. "I mean that all of us are some kind of ingredient in the pie. Like I would be the aluminum pie tray."
"Why are you the aluminum pie tray?" Monica questioned
"Because I am strong, shiny, and I can take the heat."
"But I am the one who holds us all together and thats what a pie tray does."
"But I am shiny!"
"No, you're flaky, like a pie crust! Flaky and ridged!"
"Does it really matter what you are?" Chandler said.
"Yes!" Phoebe and Monica said in unison.
"Fine. Argue about what inanimate object you are." Chandler said, with some weirdness in his voice.
"An aluminum pie tray is round and neat! Just like you, you neurotic clean freak!" Phoebe said
"I am not neurotic! You are just like a pie crust! You get all hot and tempered and burn easily!"
"I don't burn easily! I always put on SPF 30."
"I don't mean that kind of burned." Monica said, with evil in her voice. Phoebe and Monica gave each other evil looks
Ross and Elaine drifted away from the arguing and headed off to the dairy section. Rachel and Joey eventually headed to the bakery, deli, and produce aisle. Chandler, was left with Monica and Phoebe.
Joey and Rachel walked around, not talking to each other. Both of them felt weird, all of a sudden, around each other. They walked next to each other and yet they seemed so far away. Someone had to break the long flowing silence.
"So, um, you wanna get Monica some produce?" Joey said, stopping at the produce section.
"Sure." Rachel said. They both grabbed baskets and some bags and proceeded through the produce section.
'My God, what is wrong with me?' Joey thought. 'I can't even look at her.'
'Why can't I look at him?' Rachel thought. 'We're less then a foot away from each other and I can't even form a sentence.'
Joey decided that he had to say something. "Say Rach, do you feel weird after we kissed?"
'Good job, Joe. Just go ahead and bluntly say it!' Joey thought, getting angry at himself.
"Um, no. Not at all" Rachel said, lying.
'Again, I can't even speak to him like his friend.' Rachel thought.
The two of them stood on either side of the produce display and started to pick up the items.
"Oh. Cause I haven't thought about it either." Joey said, picking up a zucchini and placing it in a bag.
"Yeah. I haven't had dreams about it." Rachel said, picking up two grapefruits and putting it in a bag.
"And I haven't constantly thought about it all day at work." Joey said, acting as if it was a joke and walking faster and grabbing a cucumber.
"Oh yeah. And I haven't written about it in my journal in a good way." Rachel said, catching up with Joey's pace and grabbing two melons.
"Cause that kiss meant nothing." Joey said, in the same joking manner, while picking up an eggplant.
"Yes absolutely." Rachel said, picking up canteloupes.
"Positively." Joey said, picking up celery.
"Meant." Rachel said, picking up, two oranges.
"Nothing." Rachel and Joey said at the same time, facing each other at the end of the produce display. Rachel had some bananas in her hand. Joey had some broccoli in his hand. Rachel gave him a weird look and he quickly put it down. They felt each others breath. They had this sudden urgency in their eyes. They were trying to figure out what the other one was thinking.
'Does he feel the same way?' Rachel thought, staring into his eyes.
'Does she feel like I feel?' Joey thought, staring into her eyes.
Their moment was broken by Chandler's voice.
"Why am I the mashed potatos?!" Chandler said, whining.
"Oh please! You get so whipped in a relationship and I know how to kick your ass!" Monica said, with a matter of factly manner.
Joey and Rachel stopped looking at each other. Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe walked over to where Joey and Rachel were.
"Hey! What'd you guys get?" Monica asked. Rachel and Joey showed her what they got. "I didn't need all this food."
"Hey, where are Ross and Elaine?" Phoebe said.
With that, Ross and Elaine were heard laughing and walking down the produce aisle. They didn't seem to notice the other five looking on.
"Eh hmm.." All five said to Ross and Elaine. Ross' hair was a mess and had his underwear hanging out of his pocket, and Elaine's blouse was buttoned wrong and her hair was all frizzy. Ross and Elaine, stopped laughing and fixed themselves up, embrassed at their appearance.
All 7 of them proceeded to the check out counter.
After the woman at the check out counter rang everything up, two store clerks started to run towards the 7 of them.
"Get those two! They ruined the new shipment of foam plates!" One of the store clerks said, pointing to Ross and Elaine.
"What's going on?" Rachel said.
"Well..." Ross said.
"Es gibt keine Zeit. Lauf, shepards Torte, Lauf!" Phoebe said, pushing everyone out the door.
All 7 ran out, each with bags in their hands. They ran all the way back to the apartment. Running from a place where everything changed for more than a couple of people. ****************************************************************************
A/N: I hope you liked another wild chapter. I promise to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. *The German translations are "Hello. How are you? Do you speak German?", "Do you understand what I am saying?", "There's no time. Run, shepards pie, run.*
Joey couldn't talk to Rachel. He was sitting across from her in Monica's apartment, and he couldn't even talk to her then. He thought that things would be okay after the kiss. He never expected himself to develop feelings for Rachel. She was gorgeous, funny, and understood him. He loved the way her hair flowed. Her eyes, that sparkling blue that you could get lost in forever. Joey's thoughts were broken by Chandler walking in the door.
"Hey." Chandler said to everyone.
"Hey." Everyone replied.
"Oh honey, I invited Ross and Elaine over for dinner. I'd like to meet the girl who's keeping Ross away from us. They should be here in about half an hour." Monica said to Chandler.
"Does she do gymnastics?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know." Monica said
"Is she tall?"
"I don't know."
"Is she German?"
"I don't know. What's with the questions?"
"Oh, one of my spirits needs a tall, gymnast that's German."
"What are you setting up some kind of spirit dating service? 'Think that your love life is dead when you're, well,...dead. Think again.'" Chandler said.
Ross and Elaine came over around 6:30. They arrived arm in arm.
"I'm a little nervous about meeting your friends. I hope they like me." Elaine said, clutching Ross' arm before they went in.
"Sweetie, they'll love you." Ross' said, kissing Elaine and then opening the door to Monica's apartment.
"Hey." Everyone said.
"Hallo. Wie geht es Ihnen? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" Phoebe said, shaking Elaine's hand.
"I'm sorry?" Elaine said, smiling and confused.
"Verstehen Sie, was ich sage?"
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Well, one out of three ain't bad." Phoebe said, sitting down on the couch.
Ross and Elaine took a seat on the couch next to Phoebe. Rachel sat on one end of the couch. Joey sat in the sofa chair. Monica and Chandler were standing up in front of the TV.
"So how did you two meet?" Monica asked
"Well, we were sitting at lunch in the cafeteria, and Elaine overheard a conversation I was having with some colleagues. She said that she agreed with what I'm saying and here we are."
"Hey, if they agreed with everything they were saying, how'd we get where we are?" Chandler said, to Monica.
"I'm gonna go start dinner." Monica said, running off to the kitchen. Monica went to look in the refridgerator and shut it in shock. "Oh my god!" Monica said, walking over to the living room. "There is nothing in the fridge! Me and Chandler must've been so busy with the wedding stuff, that the whole fridge is empty. How can this happen to me?" Monica said, pacing.
"Sweetie, it's ok, we can go food shopping." Chandler said.
"Let's go now. I can't take an empty fridge." Monica said.
"What about company that we have over?"
"They can come too."
"Well, Mon, thats not good hostess manners." Chandler said. Monica shot him a glare. "Okay everybody, lets go shopping."
Everyone got up and proceeded to walk to the grocery, considering that not everyone will fit in the car.
All 7 of them walked to the grocery store. Chandler noticed Joey's distance. He was walking towards the back of the group, instead of towards the front, where all the excitement was. He was looking down and seemed to be deep in thought, which is unusual for his friend. He would usually be excited when there was a trip to the grocery store, but not tonight. He's usually the one who's talking and striking up a conversation about anything.
"Hey Joey, can I talk to you for a second?" Chandler said. "Hey Mon, Joey and I will catch up with you in a few minutes." Chandler said, to Monica.
Chandler took Joey aside. "Are you okay Joey? I mean, when Monica said the fridge was empty, you didn't get carried away. Is something up?" Chandler said
"No everythings fine." Joey said. "Everything is just dandy. I couldn't have been happier."
"Come on Joe. I know something is up. The last time you got like this was when you were falling in love with Janine." Chandler said. Joey shot him a look that indicated just that. "You're in love with someone?"
"It's not love, just feelings." Joey said.
"Who is it?"
"I don't want to say."
"Come one Joe. You can tell me. It's not like it's one of our friends." Chandler said. Joey gave him that look again. "God, I'm good. I mean, who is it?"
"I...uh...its...I can't say."
"Joey come on."
"Fine...it's...(mumbling)."
"It's who?"
"It's Rachel." Joey said, sliding against a building and sliding down on the sidewalk.
"Rachel? You---you like Rachel?"
"Yeah, okay. I mean, the other night at the psychic place, we had to kiss to get the spirit out of her, but I never expected anything from it. You know, just doing a friend a favor,but....I haven't been able to sleep, or talk to her, or do anything."
"Wow. I don't know what to tell you Joe. I mean, if you decide to do anything, you know that you have to deal with Ross."
"I don't know if I want to do anything. And don't tell anybody because I'm trying to get rid of these feelings."
"I won't and just be careful Joe. I'll be there for you if you need me."
"Thanks."
"So are you gonna pay me back for all the acting stuff?" Chandler said. Joey gave me a ''no'' look. "Oh well, I was good while it lasted."
The two friends proceeded to go to the grocery store.
When Chandler and Joey arrived at the grocery store, the other 5 were waiting outside. Monica grabbed a cart and proceeded to push the cart into the store.
"You know what I feel like making tonight? Shepards pie." Monica said.
"Just don't do what Rachel did and make us gag on it." Chandler said.
"Yeah, I don't feel like eating feet tonight." Ross said, thinking about the infamous incident. "I'm sorry. It's not my fault the pages were stuck together." Rachel said
"Well, I liked it." Joey said, smiling at her.
Rachel and Joey looked at each other and then looked away quickly. Both were thinking about the other. Thinking about how weird they were acting around each other. Both of them not being themselves lately.
"Okay. We need chop meat, peas, carrots, mashed potatoes, pie crust, and an aluminum pie tray." Monica said, counting out the items on her fingers.
"If you think about it, we're all kind of a shepards pie." Phoebe said. Everyone gave her a look, asking her to explain. "I mean that all of us are some kind of ingredient in the pie. Like I would be the aluminum pie tray."
"Why are you the aluminum pie tray?" Monica questioned
"Because I am strong, shiny, and I can take the heat."
"But I am the one who holds us all together and thats what a pie tray does."
"But I am shiny!"
"No, you're flaky, like a pie crust! Flaky and ridged!"
"Does it really matter what you are?" Chandler said.
"Yes!" Phoebe and Monica said in unison.
"Fine. Argue about what inanimate object you are." Chandler said, with some weirdness in his voice.
"An aluminum pie tray is round and neat! Just like you, you neurotic clean freak!" Phoebe said
"I am not neurotic! You are just like a pie crust! You get all hot and tempered and burn easily!"
"I don't burn easily! I always put on SPF 30."
"I don't mean that kind of burned." Monica said, with evil in her voice. Phoebe and Monica gave each other evil looks
Ross and Elaine drifted away from the arguing and headed off to the dairy section. Rachel and Joey eventually headed to the bakery, deli, and produce aisle. Chandler, was left with Monica and Phoebe.
Joey and Rachel walked around, not talking to each other. Both of them felt weird, all of a sudden, around each other. They walked next to each other and yet they seemed so far away. Someone had to break the long flowing silence.
"So, um, you wanna get Monica some produce?" Joey said, stopping at the produce section.
"Sure." Rachel said. They both grabbed baskets and some bags and proceeded through the produce section.
'My God, what is wrong with me?' Joey thought. 'I can't even look at her.'
'Why can't I look at him?' Rachel thought. 'We're less then a foot away from each other and I can't even form a sentence.'
Joey decided that he had to say something. "Say Rach, do you feel weird after we kissed?"
'Good job, Joe. Just go ahead and bluntly say it!' Joey thought, getting angry at himself.
"Um, no. Not at all" Rachel said, lying.
'Again, I can't even speak to him like his friend.' Rachel thought.
The two of them stood on either side of the produce display and started to pick up the items.
"Oh. Cause I haven't thought about it either." Joey said, picking up a zucchini and placing it in a bag.
"Yeah. I haven't had dreams about it." Rachel said, picking up two grapefruits and putting it in a bag.
"And I haven't constantly thought about it all day at work." Joey said, acting as if it was a joke and walking faster and grabbing a cucumber.
"Oh yeah. And I haven't written about it in my journal in a good way." Rachel said, catching up with Joey's pace and grabbing two melons.
"Cause that kiss meant nothing." Joey said, in the same joking manner, while picking up an eggplant.
"Yes absolutely." Rachel said, picking up canteloupes.
"Positively." Joey said, picking up celery.
"Meant." Rachel said, picking up, two oranges.
"Nothing." Rachel and Joey said at the same time, facing each other at the end of the produce display. Rachel had some bananas in her hand. Joey had some broccoli in his hand. Rachel gave him a weird look and he quickly put it down. They felt each others breath. They had this sudden urgency in their eyes. They were trying to figure out what the other one was thinking.
'Does he feel the same way?' Rachel thought, staring into his eyes.
'Does she feel like I feel?' Joey thought, staring into her eyes.
Their moment was broken by Chandler's voice.
"Why am I the mashed potatos?!" Chandler said, whining.
"Oh please! You get so whipped in a relationship and I know how to kick your ass!" Monica said, with a matter of factly manner.
Joey and Rachel stopped looking at each other. Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe walked over to where Joey and Rachel were.
"Hey! What'd you guys get?" Monica asked. Rachel and Joey showed her what they got. "I didn't need all this food."
"Hey, where are Ross and Elaine?" Phoebe said.
With that, Ross and Elaine were heard laughing and walking down the produce aisle. They didn't seem to notice the other five looking on.
"Eh hmm.." All five said to Ross and Elaine. Ross' hair was a mess and had his underwear hanging out of his pocket, and Elaine's blouse was buttoned wrong and her hair was all frizzy. Ross and Elaine, stopped laughing and fixed themselves up, embrassed at their appearance.
All 7 of them proceeded to the check out counter.
After the woman at the check out counter rang everything up, two store clerks started to run towards the 7 of them.
"Get those two! They ruined the new shipment of foam plates!" One of the store clerks said, pointing to Ross and Elaine.
"What's going on?" Rachel said.
"Well..." Ross said.
"Es gibt keine Zeit. Lauf, shepards Torte, Lauf!" Phoebe said, pushing everyone out the door.
All 7 ran out, each with bags in their hands. They ran all the way back to the apartment. Running from a place where everything changed for more than a couple of people. ****************************************************************************
A/N: I hope you liked another wild chapter. I promise to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. *The German translations are "Hello. How are you? Do you speak German?", "Do you understand what I am saying?", "There's no time. Run, shepards pie, run.*