Chapter 9
Everyone had turned around to look at this person who had made such a disruptive entrance into their otherwise peaceful evening. Joey saw Ross look with such anger and hate at him and Rachel, which was when Joey realized they were still in their "embrace." Joey felt Rachel trembling in his arms as Ross started to advance towards them. Joey didn't want to, but he knew it was best as he removed his arms from around Rachel.
Ross [snarling]: HOW COULD YOU JOEY? AFTER ALL I EVER DID FOR YOU. YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!
Rachel [shocked]: ROSS!
Ross: DON'T YOU EVEN START WITH ME RACHEL KAREN GREEN! I PUT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD FOR NEARLY A YEAR AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO...
Rachel [lowering her voice slightly, remembering they are still in the middle of restaurant]: Ross, I wouldn't call your insistence that I live with you so that you could watch my every move "putting a roof over my head."
Ross [in a low growl]: You ungrateful bit-
Joey [stepping in front of Rachel]: Okay Ross, its one thing to call me a name, but to start on Rachel...that's taking it one step too far in my books.
Ross nearly seemed unrecognizable with all this rage built up inside of him, it was like he was a whole other person than the Ross they had known years ago. As Rachel had said before, she had thought he was someone that could never hurt her...but everything had changed now. How true that was.
Ross: What are you suggesting... do you want to take this conversation outside.
Joey swallowed hard. With this much anger inside of Ross, who knew what he could do when he totally unleashed his feelings outside of the restaurant. But he had to do this. He had to take a chance, Rachel was his friend, and Ross had taken a stab at her, and it was Joey's duty to look after Rachel, therefore it was his duty to "take this conversation outside" with Ross.
Rachel [stepping towards Joey slightly, saying this in a near whisper]: Joey...you don't have to do this...
Joey [in a low whisper]: Rachel, he's not going to get away with talking to you like this...we're just going to have a talk that's all...who knows, maybe we could resolve things once and for all.
However, one glance over at Ross's face seemed to show otherwise. Joey knew that Rachel shouldn't be there when they did talk.
Joey [slipping his apartment keys into Rachel's hand]: Go home Rachel, I'll be back later. You don't need to be here when we talk...its ok.
Rachel [softly]: Are you sure...?
Joey [also softly]: Positive. Now go home and get some rest. Don't wait up if I'm late.
Rachel reluctantly moved away from Joey to pick up her coat from the restaurant chair where she had previously been seated. She slid her arms into it, remembering how gently Joey had slipped it onto her earlier that same evening. She wrapped it around herself, and took the long way around the restaurant, as she heard the sounds of Joey and Ross's footsteps behind her. After she pushed open the door and started walking down the sidewalk, she gave one last glance behind her. She saw Ross yelling at Joey, although she couldn't hear what he was saying as she was nearly around the corner. She had a bad feeling about this little "conversation" on a whole. It worried her as she hailed a cab, it worried her as she paid the cab driver, it worried her as she walked up the stairs to Apartment 19, and it worried her as she changed into her pajamas, sitting down in the barcalounger chair, anticipating Joey's return.
Back at the Restaurant...
Ross [still yelling]: ...AND TO HAVE HER LIVING WITH YOU, TAKING HER AWAY FROM HER HOME WITH ME! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME JOEY! HOW!
Joey [at a loss for words]: I...I
Ross: YOU KNOW THERE IS NO EXCUSE THAT YOU'LL HAVE WHICH WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG JOEY...TOO LONG HAVE I WATCHED YOU TAKE AWAY THE GIRLS I LOVE. NOW IT'S MY TURN TO GET THE GIRL, I'M NOT LETTING YOU HAVE THIS ONE.
With that, Ross reached into his pocket, and pulled out a slim, black gun. Joey's eyes widened, his whole life flashed before him, he never got to tell Rachel he loved her...
BANG! Then everything went black...
Everyone had turned around to look at this person who had made such a disruptive entrance into their otherwise peaceful evening. Joey saw Ross look with such anger and hate at him and Rachel, which was when Joey realized they were still in their "embrace." Joey felt Rachel trembling in his arms as Ross started to advance towards them. Joey didn't want to, but he knew it was best as he removed his arms from around Rachel.
Ross [snarling]: HOW COULD YOU JOEY? AFTER ALL I EVER DID FOR YOU. YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!
Rachel [shocked]: ROSS!
Ross: DON'T YOU EVEN START WITH ME RACHEL KAREN GREEN! I PUT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD FOR NEARLY A YEAR AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO...
Rachel [lowering her voice slightly, remembering they are still in the middle of restaurant]: Ross, I wouldn't call your insistence that I live with you so that you could watch my every move "putting a roof over my head."
Ross [in a low growl]: You ungrateful bit-
Joey [stepping in front of Rachel]: Okay Ross, its one thing to call me a name, but to start on Rachel...that's taking it one step too far in my books.
Ross nearly seemed unrecognizable with all this rage built up inside of him, it was like he was a whole other person than the Ross they had known years ago. As Rachel had said before, she had thought he was someone that could never hurt her...but everything had changed now. How true that was.
Ross: What are you suggesting... do you want to take this conversation outside.
Joey swallowed hard. With this much anger inside of Ross, who knew what he could do when he totally unleashed his feelings outside of the restaurant. But he had to do this. He had to take a chance, Rachel was his friend, and Ross had taken a stab at her, and it was Joey's duty to look after Rachel, therefore it was his duty to "take this conversation outside" with Ross.
Rachel [stepping towards Joey slightly, saying this in a near whisper]: Joey...you don't have to do this...
Joey [in a low whisper]: Rachel, he's not going to get away with talking to you like this...we're just going to have a talk that's all...who knows, maybe we could resolve things once and for all.
However, one glance over at Ross's face seemed to show otherwise. Joey knew that Rachel shouldn't be there when they did talk.
Joey [slipping his apartment keys into Rachel's hand]: Go home Rachel, I'll be back later. You don't need to be here when we talk...its ok.
Rachel [softly]: Are you sure...?
Joey [also softly]: Positive. Now go home and get some rest. Don't wait up if I'm late.
Rachel reluctantly moved away from Joey to pick up her coat from the restaurant chair where she had previously been seated. She slid her arms into it, remembering how gently Joey had slipped it onto her earlier that same evening. She wrapped it around herself, and took the long way around the restaurant, as she heard the sounds of Joey and Ross's footsteps behind her. After she pushed open the door and started walking down the sidewalk, she gave one last glance behind her. She saw Ross yelling at Joey, although she couldn't hear what he was saying as she was nearly around the corner. She had a bad feeling about this little "conversation" on a whole. It worried her as she hailed a cab, it worried her as she paid the cab driver, it worried her as she walked up the stairs to Apartment 19, and it worried her as she changed into her pajamas, sitting down in the barcalounger chair, anticipating Joey's return.
Back at the Restaurant...
Ross [still yelling]: ...AND TO HAVE HER LIVING WITH YOU, TAKING HER AWAY FROM HER HOME WITH ME! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME JOEY! HOW!
Joey [at a loss for words]: I...I
Ross: YOU KNOW THERE IS NO EXCUSE THAT YOU'LL HAVE WHICH WILL EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG JOEY...TOO LONG HAVE I WATCHED YOU TAKE AWAY THE GIRLS I LOVE. NOW IT'S MY TURN TO GET THE GIRL, I'M NOT LETTING YOU HAVE THIS ONE.
With that, Ross reached into his pocket, and pulled out a slim, black gun. Joey's eyes widened, his whole life flashed before him, he never got to tell Rachel he loved her...
BANG! Then everything went black...