So Many Memories – Chapter Five
Disclaimer: I wonder if they'll be up for grabs after the show is over… Anyways, nope, I still don't own them.
A/N: A big thanks to all that reviewed. It really meant a lot to know how you feel about this. Also, the hints in the last chapter made it so obvious there shouldn't have been any guesswork involved. Everybody who said Phoebe was right on the button. Okay, you're probably getting impatient with my going on and on, so here ya go!
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Rachel flung open her bedroom door so fast she almost ripped it off the hinges. She went straight for the closet to dig out her new outfit. It was an enticingly red, Gunne Sax dress. 'Just perfect for seducing Joey,' she thought to herself. She noticed Amy's face in her mirror, and quickly turned on her heels. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to get ready here?" Rachel spat in her direction.
"What exactly are you planning on doing with Joey tonight?" Amy asked, trying to hide the glint of jealousy in her eyes. "What's it to you? He's my date, not yours!" Rachel began a staring match between the two of them. Amy had stolen a few of her boyfriends in the past, but she wasn't going to get away with it this time. Amy wasn't backing down without a fight. Like most girls at their school, she too had developed a crush on the adorable Joey.
Before an all out war could be waged between the two of them, Irene, their housekeeper, interrupted them. "Oh, hey, Irene," Rachel said through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off Amy for even a nanosecond. "I'm just going to put a few things away," Irene answered with a thick Brazilian accent. She opened the closet and immediately wrinkled up her nose. "That damn mofo smell is back again! I'll be back in a minute to take care of it." She brushed past Amy on her way out the door. Rachel was quick to get back on the subject of Joey.
"You do know that I'll have my eye on you tonight. If you even try to consider putting the moves on my Joey, I'll be one step ahead of you!" Without noticing it, she had called Joey "hers," although they weren't even dating. Amy was fast to counter attack. "You won't be there the entire time, and the minute you let your guard down, I'll be right there."
Rachel had enough of this. Without another word, she shoved Amy out in the hallway, causing her to run into Irene on her way back with a brown box. Amy turned around and stormed off to her room at the end of the hallway. Irene went on into Rachel's room to get rid of the wretched smell that had worked its way back into her closet. "So I take it you like this Joey guy?" Rachel was surprised by that comment. She didn't realize she was making it so clear to everyone that she was head over heels for her next door neighbor. "Is it really that obvious?" She already knew the answer to that question before she asked it. There had been so many times in the past that he had done something kind for her, even the slightest thing, and she would start to blush.
"Are you kidding me? You can actually see your knees start to melt beneath you every time he stops by!" Irene chuckled, swinging the door shut. "Just be careful. I have known some girls who were just like you. They ended up going after their guys, and then BAM! The next thing you know, they're in for trouble!" She put an excessive amount of emphasis on that statement, in hope that it would sink in. "You mean they…" Rachel was shocked. That could never happen to her! 'Irene doesn't know what she's thinking, right?' Rachel questioned herself. 'No, there's no way I would go that far with a guy and not take all the precautions. Besides, Joey and I are only going to this dance as friends, nothing more,' She reassured herself.
"There's nothing to worry about there, I'll make sure we're extra careful if things sorta start to… heat up between the two of us." Irene gave her a knowing look. "I know sweetie, unlike your sisters, you use your head for what it was meant to be used for." Rachel grinned, then gasped when she saw the clock. "Oh my God! Joey's gonna be here in a half an hour! And I'm not even dressed yet!" She ran hurriedly across the room to her bed where her dress was laid out.
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"Joey, hurry up! You have to pick up Rachel in five minutes!" Gloria Tribbiani called up the stairs. "I'm coming, Ma!" Joey yelled back, frantically searching for the corsage he had bought Rachel. "Ah-hah! Here it is!" he said, triumphantly holding it over his head. He looked one last time in the mirror to see if there was anything missing. The only thing he needed now was his date, the one and only person who could complete him. He straightened his bow tie, which Dina had so graciously tied for him. 'Just think, maybe someday it will be Rachel doing that for me.'
The only thing he could think about all week long was how this very night would go. He thought it over in head a few nights before just to be sure that nothing could possibly go wrong. He wasn't normally this nervous about girls, but this one was special. This was the one that would break his heart if she got away. He wiped his mind of all other thoughts except that of which pertained to tonight. He was going to show her a good time, no matter what. But he just couldn't shake this gut feeling that something just wasn't quite right.
He ran downstairs, kissing his mom on the cheek before he ran outdoors. He went straight to Rachel's front doorstep, pausing a moment to compose himself before ringing the doorbell. "I'll get it!" He heard Rachel's dad promptly announce, before the door swung open, revealing Mr. Greene standing there with an unusually joyous grin on his face. 'Man, he sure has changed since he started going to those alcohol awareness meetings!' Joey thought, sure to keep his smile spread from ear to ear in anticipation of seeing Rachel.
"Well hi there, Joey! Come on in! Rachel should be down any second now." He said, closing the door behind Joey as he took a look around the house. "RACHEL! JOEY'S HERE TO PICK YOU UP!" Joey jumped at the sudden change in his voice. Not too long afterward, Rachel appeared at the top of the steps. Joey's jaw almost hit the floor. He couldn't believe how much more beautiful she looked all spiffed up.
"Wow!" was the only word he could manage as she strode down to him. "I know, you don't look too bad yourself there, Mr. Tribbiani!" He just stood there, awestricken for a while longer, before he remembered her gift. "Um, I bought this for you. Here, let me put it on," he said before placing it on her. "Oh my God, Joey it's so beautiful! Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around his neck in a meaningful embrace.
"I think you two should get on out of here, or else you'll both be late," her dad said, shooing them out the door. "And remember, I want her back around midnight," he said, aware that his precious daughter was in good hands. "Don't worry, Mr. Greene, you'll get her back safe and sound." They waved as he closed the door. "So how were we going to get there? I sure hope you weren't planning on walking, because it looks as if we'll get soaked on the way back if those weathermen are right," she just couldn't seem to stop admiring him. That tuxedo just made him look all the more handsome. "Oh, don't worry about that. My dad is gonna let us borrow his truck. But one thing… Before we leave, my mom kind of wanted to take pictures."
He waited for her reaction, because he knew she was aware of what that meant in the Tribbiani household. They would have to pose for almost an entire roll of film before they could be on their way. But to his surprise, Rachel didn't even flinch. She just turned to him, smiling. "Well then, we better get over there if we want to get to the school within the hour," she said, trying to suppress a laugh caused by the terrified look on his face.
Just as he thought, the minute they walked in the door, there was pure chaos. The flash from his mom's camera dazed them, while his dad was screaming at her to stop before they all went blind. A few minutes went by before they all started to calm down and proceed to do things in an orderly fashion. They went through a whole roll of film, with poses ranging from Rachel leaning her head on his shoulder, to Joey standing behind her with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. At long last, they were in the truck and on the open road with the radio sending soft melodies to their ears. They each only had one thought running through their minds. 'Tonight is going to be perfection!'
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Well, I hope you all like it! And about the whole smelly closet thing, I'm sure most of you were confused. It was kind of one of those things where you just had to be there to understand it. I was determined to add it somehow! As always, let me know what you thought of it. Reviews are greatly appreciated.