Thank you all so much for the reviews! They definitely give me
inspiration and urge me to continue. I'm so sorry it's been so long since
I updated! It's a long story. Lol. As you can see, I changed my pen name
to Victoria Ann. I was going to do 'Victoria Anne' with an 'e', but
thought the other way looked better. Besides, it's my middle name. Of
course, neither is better than 'Victoria Perry', but you know. lol.
Disclaimer (I thought I might be due for another of these): I do not own any of the settings or characters from the TV show "Friends." They belong to Warner Bros. Television, and Bright Kauffman and Crane Productions. * sigh *
Someone to Lean On Chapter 7: New York Minute
Monica ducked silently into the yellow taxi she had just flagged down and told the driver the address to her parent's house. She figured that she might as well hide out there for the time being while she contemplated what to do with herself. She wasn't sure what she would tell them, but it was a fairly long drive and she still had time to think on it.
While the car drove off toward its destination, she turned in her seat and stared through the back window at the apartment complex in which she had resided happily for only a couple of weeks. The familiar light_up Central Perk sign shined brightly, and normally would look very welcoming to her on any other night.
Was she doing the right thing? Even though they hadn't exchanged those three special words yet, she really did love Chandler. She just wasn't sure on how he'd react to her news. Monica liked to imagine him just being happy; hugging her and congratulating her on something she had wanted and dreamed of for so long. But the only reason why she doubted running was because she knew how he would really feel inside. She just couldn't do that to him. He had agreed to taking her in, rescuing her from that dungeon with George, but he hadn't agreed to this. They hadn't even discussed it yet. It was too much, too soon.
Why did this have to happen? Just when she was happy and was with someone she had a definite connection with. So far for her, life had been full of surprises. Monica wished she hadn't given into George that one night three weeks ago. If she hadn't, this certainly wouldn't be happening right now. She would be safe, back in bed with Chandler, sleeping while feeling the security of his arm around her.
She leaned her head against her window as the bright city lights flashed by. Tiredness finally kicked in, but she couldn't possibly fall asleep now. Not after she had probably just broken the heart of the only man she had ever truly loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Chandler felt the need to vomit, but the feeling was more emotional than anything else. He studied the rushed handwriting on the small piece of paper and gradually Monica's words sunk in. He needed to talk to someone, to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. This was what he had feared would happen all along, and now that it had actually happened, it felt like a, all-to-real nightmare.
He walked quietly across the hall, barely taking his eyes off of the note. After a few knocks, Phoebe answered the door. She was still in her pajamas, and looked like she had just woken up. Immediately she knew something must have been up because Chandler never came over this early in the morning. Rachel and her usually didn't see him until he got out of work in the afternoon. When she saw the look on his face her fears were confirmed. "What is it, Chandler? What's wrong?"
Chandler handed her an unfolded piece of paper and she got the point, reading carefully over the scribbled writing. She had to scan over it again when she was done just to be sure she had read right. Phoebe looked back up at Chandler, who was now visibly shaking.
"Oh, my god. Come in here, Chandler. Sit down." She put an arm comfortingly around him and guided him to the couch, where he sat heavily down and was silent.
"When did you find this?" she asked, referring to the paper in her hand as she sat next to him.
"Just now."
"I can't believe it. She's actually gone?"
Chandler nodded. He studied the room's carpeting, feeling completely useless. But what was he supposed to do when Monica had left without a trace and no clues to tell him where she was and why she was gone?
Phoebe looked at him, worry etched on her face. Finally she stood and walked over the phone, dialing Ross' number. After a few rings, he answered and Phoebe heard him yawn.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ross."
"Oh, hey Phoebe. I thought from the caller ID that maybe it was Rachel. We had THE most amazing date last night-"
"That's great, but it's not what I called to talk about." Phoebe glanced at Chandler, then moved to the corner of the kitchen, asking quietly, "Have you seen Monica?"
"Um, I saw her yesterday morning when I stopped by for breakfast. Why?"
"She . . . left a note this morning for Chandler telling him thank you for everything, and now she's gone." Phoebe lowered her voice even more, for some reason not wanting Chandler to hear someone else say what was really happening for fear the truth hadn't yet sunk in for him.
"Oh my god, are you serious?" Ross asked, his voice full of worry.
"Yes. Are you sure you haven't heard anything from her? Anything about where she went?"
"No, I'd tell you if I had, unless Monica had a really good reason for leaving. How's Chandler?"
Phoebe let her eyes travel to Chandler, who was still staring at the floor with an expression on his face which she had never seen on him before.
"Not good." She hesitated, deciding there was nothing else Ross could do but help her look for Monica. "Well, tell me if you hear anything from her, okay? And maybe you could call your Mom and Dad later, check if they've seen or heard anything?"
"Will do. Good luck." Ross said goodbye and then hung up the phone. He considered calling work up and taking the day off to look for his sister, but finally decided that Monica had simply had some doubts and had to run off to dwell on them for a while. Nevertheless, he was still concerned about her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Why do you need to stay here? I'm okay with it, but I need to know why."
Monica wasn't sure what to say when her mother asked that question. No matter what she told her, she knew somehow there was that possibility it could get back to Chandler about where she was, and she didn't want that; not yet. She shrugged. "I told you, I just need some time to think certain things through. And I know how hard this is gonna be, but please don't tell anyone except for dad about me being here?"
"But sweetie, what about your brother? He's going to be worried." Judy Geller was standing a few feet away from the couch where her daughter was sitting, looking lost.
Monica thought for a moment. "If Ross calls or stops by let me talk to him."
Judy nodded. "Okay. But as soon as you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen, alright?"
"Alright, thanks mom."
Her mother nodded once again and then left the room, leaving Monica alone with her many thoughts. She lay back against the back of the couch and hugged a pillow to her, closing her eyes. A million things were running through her head and she willed them to go away, only wanted some peace and quiet in order to rest for a while. She wanted to see Chandler again, to be able to go back to normal with him and forget all about the recent incident, even though she knew all too well that that was impossible.
Finally she gave up trying to rest and stood, walking over to the room's stereo, hoping that some music would calm her down enough to think things through thoroughly. Momentarily after pressing the radio power button, the voice of Don Henley drifted softly across the room.
I pulled my coat around my shoulders and took a walk through the park
The leaves were falling around me, the groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock, a desperate lover left his mark:
"Baby, I've changed. Please come back."
Monica sighed and sat back down on the couch, closing her eyes once again and prepared to let the song clear her mind. However, whenever she managed to start to drift off to sleep, an image of Chandler entered her mind and she was awoken again.
In a New York minute, everything can change
In a New York minute things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute, everything can change
In a New York minute
("New York Minute" by Don Henley)
She suddenly found herself even more upset, angry that she had done this to him. He had been nothing but good to her; Monica at least owed it to him to be honest. The only reason why she hadn't told him the truth was because she was afraid of losing him. She didn't know how he would react if she simply walked up to him one day and said, "Sweetie, I'm pregnant. By the way, it's not yours."
~*~*~*~*~*~
LATER THAT DAY
"Hey guys! You would never believe the day I had." Rachel hung her jacket on the coat rack by the door when she came home. Phoebe and Chandler were sitting in the living room and Phoebe turned to her.
"So I was sitting in my office, and guess what? My boss came in and told me that since I'm doing so good at my job . . . " she stopped when she saw the look on Phoebe's face. "What?"
Phoebe stood up and walked over to her. She answered her in a hushed tone. "Monica left."
Rachel looked confused. "Oh, okay. Well, that's fine, she doesn't need to be around for this news. I can tell her later."
"No, I mean she really left. She's gone. She left a note for Chandler telling him not to look for her."
"Oh my god. Really? Why?"
"I don't know. If I knew I would have found her by now and tried to convince her to come back. And I don't know what to say to Chandler because we've sat in silence for a long time now and I don't think there's anything I can tell him to make him feel better." Phoebe sighed and sat down at the kitchen table.
Rachel sat in the chair next to her. "There must be some way we can help . . . did you call Ross?"
"Yes, he hadn't heard anything. He said he'd try to get a hold of his parents later though."
Nodding, Rachel sighed in thought also and looked over at Chandler, who was still sitting as still as a statue on the couch. Though the television was on and he was looking at it, his mind seemed to be somewhere else, his eyes staring through the screen to someplace other than the daytime soap operas which were unfolding themselves at this time of the day.
"I'm so sorry I bummed you out."
"That's alright, Phoebe! It's not your fault."
"I know . . . I just-"
"I know."
" . . . So, what were you going to say about work?"
Rachel thought for a moment, looking shocked. "I can't remember! I guess it wasn't anything too exciting then."
Smiling, Phoebe nodded her head. When she looked out into the living room, she suddenly felt terrible for smiling when Chandler was going through such an awful thing. She stood up. "I'm going back out there. At least I could give him company, even if I can't think of anything to say."
Rachel agreed, standing up too. "I'll come out also. I guess all we can do is wait."
~*~*~*~*~*~
After rushing out of the bathroom with her bathrobe wrapped around her, Judy Geller answered the ringing phone. "Hello, Geller residence."
"Hi Mom, it's Ross."
"Oh, hi, Ross! How are you?"
"Alright. Um, listen. Monica's missing, and I think she might've come to you. I'm really worried about her. We all are. So is she there?" Ross hoped with all his heart that Monica really was there, and that what he was doing now wasn't just getting his mother concerned.
Following a moment's hesitation, Judy decided to give in right away. After all, Monica had said that if Ross called to let her talk to him. "Yes, she is. Hold on a minute, I'll get her."
"Oh, thank God," he said even though Judy had already set down the phone and wandered off to find her daughter. Ross didn't know if this was entirely good news, but at least he knew she was safe. He waited patiently until Monica picked up the phone a minute later.
"Hey Ross." Her voice sounded sad, and Ross could tell she was tired just by the way she said those two words.
"Monica, we're all so concerned for you. Please, I know you probably don't want to talk to anyone right now, but I need a reason."
Monica sighed. It had been a long night; she hadn't been able to sleep any more than thirty seconds the entire night. And now, talking to Ross, guilt filled her because she realized just how much she must have scared everyone. "If I tell you, you must promise not to say a word to Chandler about it. If he's worried, you can tell him I'm alright. It wouldn't surprise me if he's more angry than anything else right now though."
"He's not angry at all, that I know of. He's a mess though. I'll tell him you're safe." Ross wasn't happy about keeping so much from his new friend, but if it meant Monica telling him the truth, he was willing to.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm hungry. You guys want pizza? I'll order some pizza."
Phoebe and Rachel looked over at Chandler in surprise. He hadn't spoken for at least two hours, and when he finally said something it was about food.
Rachel shrugged, still studying him. "Sure, that sounds good. I can pick it up."
"No, that's fine. I can get it. Thanks anyway," Chandler stood up quickly and wandered over to the phone to call the pizza place.
The girls exchanged a puzzled look before they both decided to go along with it. Now he wasn't acting as depressed as he had been a few hours earlier, and they assumed that was a good thing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A half hour later, Chandler exited apartment #20 and headed downstairs. To be honest, he wasn't really all that hungry. He had simply needed an excuse to get out of there without everyone asking where he was going and why. He appreciated his friends' concern, he just needed some time alone right now.
Chandler was still shocked by what had happened early this morning. He could think of no reasonable explanation for Monica to just up and leave like she had. Unless she didn't love him, but if that was why, why had she agreed to move in with him? Maybe to get away from George? The possibilities were endless. Chandler tried his hardest to keep them out of his mind because he didn't like to think of Monica as the kind of girl who would use him like that. There had to be something that made more sense.
He waved down a taxi and got in, telling the driver the address of the pizza place before settling into the backseat. Just when his mind had lost itself deep in thought, the other man spoke up. "She left ya, huh?"
Chandler looked up in surprise. "What?"
"Go on, look surprised. People think cab drivers are mindless, only knowing how to drive and the names of places. Well I'll have you know that we aren't as oblivious as you think."
Knowing little of what the man was talking about, Chandler nodded slightly. ". . . Okay."
"Seriously. I mean, I've driven you guys places before. You two were a couple; you were happy. But she certainly didn't seem happy when she had me drive her somewhere this morning."
"You . . . you drove her somewhere?" Chandler asked. "Where? I need to know."
"I cannot disclose that information, mister. But I can tell you that it's never good when a woman just leaves. Let me guess, she left a note, some sort of message. Am I right?" The driver drove on, not taking his eyes off of the road as he talked to Chandler.
"Yeah, she did. But, she was alright though, right? When she left?"
"I think so. Besides acting a little upset, I didn't notice anything wrong with her." He pulled the taxi parallel to the pizza place and placed it into park. "Here we are."
Chandler sat silent for a moment. If the man was telling the truth, at least Monica had been okay when she left.
He didn't know what else to say so he thanked and payed the driver, then exited the vehicle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Oh my god. So . . . you're going to keep it, right?" Ross asked, after Monica had finished her story.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. Do you understand why I didn't, and can't, tell Chandler though?"
"I can see why you would be worried about that, but in the little time I've known Chandler, years ago and in the past weeks, I don't think he'd be too upset."
"I just . . . I don't want to take that chance. You know?"
"I know. Call me any time you want, okay? I'll let him no you're alright, but I won't say anything else to him." Ross was disappointed. He really had thought Monica and Chandler would last. But then again, who was expecting something as drastic as this to happen?
"Thanks, Ross, for being so understanding."
"Hey, no problem sis."
Monica said goodbye and then hung up the phone. She felt awful; both emotionally and physically. She felt like she could sleep for weeks, but at the same time knew that it would be impossible to sleep a minute without her dreams drifting to Chandler.
Finally she attempted to convince herself that she was in fact doing the right thing, though her mind kept screaming the truth right back at her. Monica wandered off to say goodnight to her parents before watching some television in the family room, trying to distract herself.
A/N: I know it's been a long time and you guys are probably pissed at me but please, please, pretty please review!!! Are you interested in hearing more?
Hey, I have a quick question. How do you fix the uploaded chapters so that they look the way you want them to? i.e. Bold, Italics? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Disclaimer (I thought I might be due for another of these): I do not own any of the settings or characters from the TV show "Friends." They belong to Warner Bros. Television, and Bright Kauffman and Crane Productions. * sigh *
Someone to Lean On Chapter 7: New York Minute
Monica ducked silently into the yellow taxi she had just flagged down and told the driver the address to her parent's house. She figured that she might as well hide out there for the time being while she contemplated what to do with herself. She wasn't sure what she would tell them, but it was a fairly long drive and she still had time to think on it.
While the car drove off toward its destination, she turned in her seat and stared through the back window at the apartment complex in which she had resided happily for only a couple of weeks. The familiar light_up Central Perk sign shined brightly, and normally would look very welcoming to her on any other night.
Was she doing the right thing? Even though they hadn't exchanged those three special words yet, she really did love Chandler. She just wasn't sure on how he'd react to her news. Monica liked to imagine him just being happy; hugging her and congratulating her on something she had wanted and dreamed of for so long. But the only reason why she doubted running was because she knew how he would really feel inside. She just couldn't do that to him. He had agreed to taking her in, rescuing her from that dungeon with George, but he hadn't agreed to this. They hadn't even discussed it yet. It was too much, too soon.
Why did this have to happen? Just when she was happy and was with someone she had a definite connection with. So far for her, life had been full of surprises. Monica wished she hadn't given into George that one night three weeks ago. If she hadn't, this certainly wouldn't be happening right now. She would be safe, back in bed with Chandler, sleeping while feeling the security of his arm around her.
She leaned her head against her window as the bright city lights flashed by. Tiredness finally kicked in, but she couldn't possibly fall asleep now. Not after she had probably just broken the heart of the only man she had ever truly loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Chandler felt the need to vomit, but the feeling was more emotional than anything else. He studied the rushed handwriting on the small piece of paper and gradually Monica's words sunk in. He needed to talk to someone, to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. This was what he had feared would happen all along, and now that it had actually happened, it felt like a, all-to-real nightmare.
He walked quietly across the hall, barely taking his eyes off of the note. After a few knocks, Phoebe answered the door. She was still in her pajamas, and looked like she had just woken up. Immediately she knew something must have been up because Chandler never came over this early in the morning. Rachel and her usually didn't see him until he got out of work in the afternoon. When she saw the look on his face her fears were confirmed. "What is it, Chandler? What's wrong?"
Chandler handed her an unfolded piece of paper and she got the point, reading carefully over the scribbled writing. She had to scan over it again when she was done just to be sure she had read right. Phoebe looked back up at Chandler, who was now visibly shaking.
"Oh, my god. Come in here, Chandler. Sit down." She put an arm comfortingly around him and guided him to the couch, where he sat heavily down and was silent.
"When did you find this?" she asked, referring to the paper in her hand as she sat next to him.
"Just now."
"I can't believe it. She's actually gone?"
Chandler nodded. He studied the room's carpeting, feeling completely useless. But what was he supposed to do when Monica had left without a trace and no clues to tell him where she was and why she was gone?
Phoebe looked at him, worry etched on her face. Finally she stood and walked over the phone, dialing Ross' number. After a few rings, he answered and Phoebe heard him yawn.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ross."
"Oh, hey Phoebe. I thought from the caller ID that maybe it was Rachel. We had THE most amazing date last night-"
"That's great, but it's not what I called to talk about." Phoebe glanced at Chandler, then moved to the corner of the kitchen, asking quietly, "Have you seen Monica?"
"Um, I saw her yesterday morning when I stopped by for breakfast. Why?"
"She . . . left a note this morning for Chandler telling him thank you for everything, and now she's gone." Phoebe lowered her voice even more, for some reason not wanting Chandler to hear someone else say what was really happening for fear the truth hadn't yet sunk in for him.
"Oh my god, are you serious?" Ross asked, his voice full of worry.
"Yes. Are you sure you haven't heard anything from her? Anything about where she went?"
"No, I'd tell you if I had, unless Monica had a really good reason for leaving. How's Chandler?"
Phoebe let her eyes travel to Chandler, who was still staring at the floor with an expression on his face which she had never seen on him before.
"Not good." She hesitated, deciding there was nothing else Ross could do but help her look for Monica. "Well, tell me if you hear anything from her, okay? And maybe you could call your Mom and Dad later, check if they've seen or heard anything?"
"Will do. Good luck." Ross said goodbye and then hung up the phone. He considered calling work up and taking the day off to look for his sister, but finally decided that Monica had simply had some doubts and had to run off to dwell on them for a while. Nevertheless, he was still concerned about her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Why do you need to stay here? I'm okay with it, but I need to know why."
Monica wasn't sure what to say when her mother asked that question. No matter what she told her, she knew somehow there was that possibility it could get back to Chandler about where she was, and she didn't want that; not yet. She shrugged. "I told you, I just need some time to think certain things through. And I know how hard this is gonna be, but please don't tell anyone except for dad about me being here?"
"But sweetie, what about your brother? He's going to be worried." Judy Geller was standing a few feet away from the couch where her daughter was sitting, looking lost.
Monica thought for a moment. "If Ross calls or stops by let me talk to him."
Judy nodded. "Okay. But as soon as you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen, alright?"
"Alright, thanks mom."
Her mother nodded once again and then left the room, leaving Monica alone with her many thoughts. She lay back against the back of the couch and hugged a pillow to her, closing her eyes. A million things were running through her head and she willed them to go away, only wanted some peace and quiet in order to rest for a while. She wanted to see Chandler again, to be able to go back to normal with him and forget all about the recent incident, even though she knew all too well that that was impossible.
Finally she gave up trying to rest and stood, walking over to the room's stereo, hoping that some music would calm her down enough to think things through thoroughly. Momentarily after pressing the radio power button, the voice of Don Henley drifted softly across the room.
I pulled my coat around my shoulders and took a walk through the park
The leaves were falling around me, the groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock, a desperate lover left his mark:
"Baby, I've changed. Please come back."
Monica sighed and sat back down on the couch, closing her eyes once again and prepared to let the song clear her mind. However, whenever she managed to start to drift off to sleep, an image of Chandler entered her mind and she was awoken again.
In a New York minute, everything can change
In a New York minute things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute, everything can change
In a New York minute
("New York Minute" by Don Henley)
She suddenly found herself even more upset, angry that she had done this to him. He had been nothing but good to her; Monica at least owed it to him to be honest. The only reason why she hadn't told him the truth was because she was afraid of losing him. She didn't know how he would react if she simply walked up to him one day and said, "Sweetie, I'm pregnant. By the way, it's not yours."
~*~*~*~*~*~
LATER THAT DAY
"Hey guys! You would never believe the day I had." Rachel hung her jacket on the coat rack by the door when she came home. Phoebe and Chandler were sitting in the living room and Phoebe turned to her.
"So I was sitting in my office, and guess what? My boss came in and told me that since I'm doing so good at my job . . . " she stopped when she saw the look on Phoebe's face. "What?"
Phoebe stood up and walked over to her. She answered her in a hushed tone. "Monica left."
Rachel looked confused. "Oh, okay. Well, that's fine, she doesn't need to be around for this news. I can tell her later."
"No, I mean she really left. She's gone. She left a note for Chandler telling him not to look for her."
"Oh my god. Really? Why?"
"I don't know. If I knew I would have found her by now and tried to convince her to come back. And I don't know what to say to Chandler because we've sat in silence for a long time now and I don't think there's anything I can tell him to make him feel better." Phoebe sighed and sat down at the kitchen table.
Rachel sat in the chair next to her. "There must be some way we can help . . . did you call Ross?"
"Yes, he hadn't heard anything. He said he'd try to get a hold of his parents later though."
Nodding, Rachel sighed in thought also and looked over at Chandler, who was still sitting as still as a statue on the couch. Though the television was on and he was looking at it, his mind seemed to be somewhere else, his eyes staring through the screen to someplace other than the daytime soap operas which were unfolding themselves at this time of the day.
"I'm so sorry I bummed you out."
"That's alright, Phoebe! It's not your fault."
"I know . . . I just-"
"I know."
" . . . So, what were you going to say about work?"
Rachel thought for a moment, looking shocked. "I can't remember! I guess it wasn't anything too exciting then."
Smiling, Phoebe nodded her head. When she looked out into the living room, she suddenly felt terrible for smiling when Chandler was going through such an awful thing. She stood up. "I'm going back out there. At least I could give him company, even if I can't think of anything to say."
Rachel agreed, standing up too. "I'll come out also. I guess all we can do is wait."
~*~*~*~*~*~
After rushing out of the bathroom with her bathrobe wrapped around her, Judy Geller answered the ringing phone. "Hello, Geller residence."
"Hi Mom, it's Ross."
"Oh, hi, Ross! How are you?"
"Alright. Um, listen. Monica's missing, and I think she might've come to you. I'm really worried about her. We all are. So is she there?" Ross hoped with all his heart that Monica really was there, and that what he was doing now wasn't just getting his mother concerned.
Following a moment's hesitation, Judy decided to give in right away. After all, Monica had said that if Ross called to let her talk to him. "Yes, she is. Hold on a minute, I'll get her."
"Oh, thank God," he said even though Judy had already set down the phone and wandered off to find her daughter. Ross didn't know if this was entirely good news, but at least he knew she was safe. He waited patiently until Monica picked up the phone a minute later.
"Hey Ross." Her voice sounded sad, and Ross could tell she was tired just by the way she said those two words.
"Monica, we're all so concerned for you. Please, I know you probably don't want to talk to anyone right now, but I need a reason."
Monica sighed. It had been a long night; she hadn't been able to sleep any more than thirty seconds the entire night. And now, talking to Ross, guilt filled her because she realized just how much she must have scared everyone. "If I tell you, you must promise not to say a word to Chandler about it. If he's worried, you can tell him I'm alright. It wouldn't surprise me if he's more angry than anything else right now though."
"He's not angry at all, that I know of. He's a mess though. I'll tell him you're safe." Ross wasn't happy about keeping so much from his new friend, but if it meant Monica telling him the truth, he was willing to.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm hungry. You guys want pizza? I'll order some pizza."
Phoebe and Rachel looked over at Chandler in surprise. He hadn't spoken for at least two hours, and when he finally said something it was about food.
Rachel shrugged, still studying him. "Sure, that sounds good. I can pick it up."
"No, that's fine. I can get it. Thanks anyway," Chandler stood up quickly and wandered over to the phone to call the pizza place.
The girls exchanged a puzzled look before they both decided to go along with it. Now he wasn't acting as depressed as he had been a few hours earlier, and they assumed that was a good thing.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A half hour later, Chandler exited apartment #20 and headed downstairs. To be honest, he wasn't really all that hungry. He had simply needed an excuse to get out of there without everyone asking where he was going and why. He appreciated his friends' concern, he just needed some time alone right now.
Chandler was still shocked by what had happened early this morning. He could think of no reasonable explanation for Monica to just up and leave like she had. Unless she didn't love him, but if that was why, why had she agreed to move in with him? Maybe to get away from George? The possibilities were endless. Chandler tried his hardest to keep them out of his mind because he didn't like to think of Monica as the kind of girl who would use him like that. There had to be something that made more sense.
He waved down a taxi and got in, telling the driver the address of the pizza place before settling into the backseat. Just when his mind had lost itself deep in thought, the other man spoke up. "She left ya, huh?"
Chandler looked up in surprise. "What?"
"Go on, look surprised. People think cab drivers are mindless, only knowing how to drive and the names of places. Well I'll have you know that we aren't as oblivious as you think."
Knowing little of what the man was talking about, Chandler nodded slightly. ". . . Okay."
"Seriously. I mean, I've driven you guys places before. You two were a couple; you were happy. But she certainly didn't seem happy when she had me drive her somewhere this morning."
"You . . . you drove her somewhere?" Chandler asked. "Where? I need to know."
"I cannot disclose that information, mister. But I can tell you that it's never good when a woman just leaves. Let me guess, she left a note, some sort of message. Am I right?" The driver drove on, not taking his eyes off of the road as he talked to Chandler.
"Yeah, she did. But, she was alright though, right? When she left?"
"I think so. Besides acting a little upset, I didn't notice anything wrong with her." He pulled the taxi parallel to the pizza place and placed it into park. "Here we are."
Chandler sat silent for a moment. If the man was telling the truth, at least Monica had been okay when she left.
He didn't know what else to say so he thanked and payed the driver, then exited the vehicle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Oh my god. So . . . you're going to keep it, right?" Ross asked, after Monica had finished her story.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. Do you understand why I didn't, and can't, tell Chandler though?"
"I can see why you would be worried about that, but in the little time I've known Chandler, years ago and in the past weeks, I don't think he'd be too upset."
"I just . . . I don't want to take that chance. You know?"
"I know. Call me any time you want, okay? I'll let him no you're alright, but I won't say anything else to him." Ross was disappointed. He really had thought Monica and Chandler would last. But then again, who was expecting something as drastic as this to happen?
"Thanks, Ross, for being so understanding."
"Hey, no problem sis."
Monica said goodbye and then hung up the phone. She felt awful; both emotionally and physically. She felt like she could sleep for weeks, but at the same time knew that it would be impossible to sleep a minute without her dreams drifting to Chandler.
Finally she attempted to convince herself that she was in fact doing the right thing, though her mind kept screaming the truth right back at her. Monica wandered off to say goodnight to her parents before watching some television in the family room, trying to distract herself.
A/N: I know it's been a long time and you guys are probably pissed at me but please, please, pretty please review!!! Are you interested in hearing more?
Hey, I have a quick question. How do you fix the uploaded chapters so that they look the way you want them to? i.e. Bold, Italics? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!