Chapter 9
Someone like you
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Time seemed to stand still in the red walled alley that was now her place of work.
No one passed by; there was no usual drunken jeering from inside the bar, and the smoke from the restaurants furnace was no longer billowing out around her.
All there was were Phoebe and her trusty barrel, which she sat on like a porcelain doll, awaiting an approach from a stranger to come and take her away.
In her alone time she began to make up quirky little songs to pass the time, their presence in her head a comfort, which she embraced whole-heartedly.
When she closed her eyes she pictured herself on a stage, with a guitar, people cheering and clapping with rapturous applause as she finished her rendition of bath time blues.
But when she opened them again she was back to that all too familiar alley, and there was no love being thrown her way, instead it was being taken away from her.
Little tears dripped down solemnly onto her tiny black skirt, making the material seem darker in patches.
"Why did no one love her?"
"Was she a bad person?"
First her real Dad had abandoned them all, then her Mom had killed herself, and then when she thought things couldn't get any worse her step-dad had gone to prison for a crime he insisted he didn't commit, leaving her alone and on the streets to fend for herself. Life just kept crumbling away like an abandoned ruin, its walls falling down around her, entrapping her in its stone prison.
Her sister Ursula had moved out to live with friends. But she had no friends to go to. No one had ever tried to get close to her. Everyone at school deemed her weird, and spooky due to her quirky taste in clothes and spiritual beliefs, which she didn't mind telling people about.
It was then the bullying had started. The odd push here and there, the occasional stealing of her schoolbooks when she wasn't looking. Then came the beatings from the girls that she longed to be like, but to be like them would mean denying her true self, something she strongly was apposed to.
"I didn't deserve it," She sobbed as her mind wander back to years previous, and then back again to her current situation.
"Why can't I just stand up for myself!" She screamed out loud, not caring if anyone heard.
Anger and frustration rose inside her, as her curdled emotions strangled her like a noose.
She wanted to hit back, fight, have dignity, but something stopped her.
She wasn't too timid, of that she was sure. But deep down she didn't want to inflict the pain she felt on anyone else. It was too awful, too horrendous, too agonising. She could never make another human being feel like that.
"What's my meaning here on earth?"
"Maybe I'm here for people to take their problems out on me?
My stepfather did it, so did Ursula, the school kids, and now Tony."
"There was a time when I was happy,
But now im here and,
This song is crappy,
I sit here all day in the rain,
I need men to give me money,
I want a man to call me honey,
Why wont someone take away the pain?"
Her singing was barely perceptible as she sobbed painfully into her hands.
Her crying so loud she didn't hear the footsteps approach her.
"Hey, we meet again! And here's the guy I promised you!" Jason was face to face with Phoebe, so close she could feel his breath on her.
She prised herself down from her barrel and stood with her body touching Jason's.
"You got me a hooker!" Chandler screamed, hidden behind his friend so that Phoebe couldn't see him, only hear him. His words making her feel more ashamed than she already was.
"Hey man calm down, its not as bad as it sounds. Its about time you got over this fear of women you seem to be holding on to and enjoy yourself! Life is too short to be a virgin this long, and look, your practically being offered it on a plate! How often does that happen!" Jason had turned to his friend, and placed his hands on his shoulders trying to convince him, but Chandler just looked mad.
"Jason, I…" Jason ignored him and turned away back to Phoebe and handed her an envelope filled with cash.
"I hope there's enough in there, I didn't get the opportunity to ask what you charged, but im sure Virgin Boy can give you extra if needs be. Oh, and I took the liberty of booking you into the Broadway motel around the corner. It's booked under the name Bing. Oh and sweetie, be gentle with him," He laughed and walked away leaving a very nervous Chandler and Phoebe standing in front of each other, both looking down at the ground searching for words, each hoping the other would make the first move.
"Do, em, do you want to leave now?" Phoebe plucked up the courage to speak and let her eyes drift from the floor and onto the eyes of a stunned looking Chandler.
Her words had jolted him to look at her and he couldn't believe his eyes. She was just like the woman in his dreams.
"She's so beautiful!" He exclaimed into himself, finding it hard to believe. All the hookers he had ever seen on TV had been trashy looking women, unkempt and sleazy, but she was so different. She had a certain look of innocence in her eyes that he couldn't help but feel drawn to.
"Eh, yeah I suppose," he stuttered unintelligibly, clearly embarrassed, but very much in awe.
Chandler turned and walked off towards the motel that he had often passed on his way to the club he frequented with his friends at the weekends, and Phoebe followed him unsurely, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on the back of his head, the memory of his face clear in her head.
He wasn't like she imagined at all. She had expected a guy like Jason, all cocky with a smart mouth just waiting to degrade her, but he hadn't, yet anyway.
"Here we are," Chandler said without looking at her, unsure if he could really go through with this, but thought it a little too late to back out now, morals or no morals.
"We have reservations for Bing," Chandler could feel the receptionists eyes check him over as they approached the front desk, and then move over to Phoebe, whose attire gave the game away. The embarrassment he felt made his cheeks blush red, knowing that the man he had never met was standing there judging him.
He then surprised himself by worrying if Phoebe was feeling the same way. Why did he care about her feelings so much? He didn't know her after all.
"She's just a hooker." The second he let that thought enter his mind he scolded himself for being so nasty.
"No, she's a human being, and she deserves respect, despite what she is." He corrected himself.
"Yes Mr Bing. Here are your keys. You're in room 214, on the left. Have a nice evening," He smirked at them both and gave Chandler a sly wink that made him nearly trip over his own feet.
Both wandered over to the door in silence and Chandler turned the key in the lock to let them into the room.
He switched on the light and surveyed its small surroundings.
There were two single beds, separated only by a bedside table with a lamp on top and telephone directories underneath, even although there was no phone.
The sheets were decorated in a floral pattern, which clashed with the rooms other décor and two different paintings adorned the walls above each bed.
He heard Phoebe close the door over behind her and turned to finally look at her.
She stood with her back against the door and let her eyes fall swiftly back to her feet when she saw him spin around to face her.
"Have you, eh, done this before? I mean, not that I think you are, eh, inexperienced, its just, you look a little shy," He had felt the need to say something, but the minute the words started to come out he regretted every last one of them. He hadn't even been thinking about how many times she had done thing kind of thing before…or maybe he had subconsciously? All he knew was in his mind the only thing he could think about was how beautiful and captivating her eyes were, and he wished she would look up so he could see them again.
His wish was granted sooner than he expected. Her eyes met his and she paused in her rely, for the first time noticing how handsome her "client" really was and it made her forget what he had just asked.
"Eh, oh yeah, I mean no. I have done this before, sort of." She felt her cheeks burning as his eyes continued to bore into hers; a look of awe on his face that she could not decipher and it was beginning to scare her.
Was he going to hurt her?
Was his shy demeanour just a ruse?
She felt her legs begin to tremble, her knees almost knocking together, and a look of dread on her face that did not go unnoticed by Chandler.
"Hey are you ok?" Chandler watched on as Phoebe's legs began to buckle beneath her and her back slid as though in slow motion down the door.
He felt all the emotions of nervousness and fear that had been dominating him since her had arrived at the motel leave him immediately as he ran to her aid, terrified for her well being.
"I'm fine, I'm just a little scared and…" She cut herself off quickly, trying to get back onto her feet.
Chandler tried to wrap his arm around her in comfort, but she pulled away sharply and moved towards one of the beds to sit down.
"Listen, if you don't want to do this I understand. I never wanted to go through with this in the first place, I just didn't want to seem like I was rejecting you, you looked so fragile." He felt his heart melting as he realised just how lost she had looked in that alley earlier, and his own feelings of anger towards his friends set up had overshadowed how sad she appeared.
The same look of sadness was reappearing as Chandler continued to justify why she shouldn't be doing this.
"I'll take you back to where you work and make sure you are ok if that's what you want?" He watched for a reaction, but when he didn't get one he continued.
"Phoebe? Just go home, its ok. I really don't mind. I can stay a virgin a little longer, it wont harm me, I don't think." Chandler tried to joke, and paused to see if laughed but instead she was crying.
"I'm just going to go. You don't need me here hassling you." Chandler turned to walk to the door and felt hands on his shoulders.
"No, please stay. If you go he will hit me again, and I can't deal with that again. Please, I need the money." Phoebe's wet eyes pleaded with him, her words shocking him to his core.
"Who will hurt you?" Chandler demanded to know, anger swelling in him till he felt like her would burst. Who could possible hurt someone like her? So innocent and sweet.
"No one! I didn't mean to say that, just forget it," She turned her face to right trying to get away, but Chandler now had a hold of her arms.
He removed one hand from her arm and ran it through her long blonde hair, brushing if away from her face, where he could see underneath well plastered make-up, that Tony had had earlier left discreetly by her bed, was a large black bruise that almost covered her swollen cheek.
Phoebe yanked her body away sharply leaving Chandler standing alone in shock.
"What the hell happened to you!"
"Who did that?" Chandler gawped at her.
"Noone, it was an accident." She lied.
"That was not an accident, I've seen accidents, and they do not go that colour! Now who has done this to you?"
"Just a guy, please let it go," Phoebe tears made him shut up. He didn't want to pressure her anymore despite how angry and worried he was for her.
He moved slowly towards her and wrapped his arms around her, her back to his face.
She tried to struggle away from him, but he held tighter.
"Shh, its ok im not going to hurt you, I just want to comfort you." Once he had spoken he felt her slowly stop squirming, then her shoulders began to heave, a huge wave of release washing over her.
She turned around in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, her body fitting into his perfectly as he soothed her tears.
After what seemed like an eternity she pulled away, rubbing her eyes and sniffing back more tears.
"Thank you," She gave him a half-smile and sat herself back on the bed and he gave her a nod in reply. He was too busy staring at her to answer in words.
She looked so sad, and went just wanted to see her smile, to hear her laugh.
The room filled with awkward silence as they both mulled over what had just happened.
"Chandler? What's college like?" Phoebe blurted out her question absent mindedly, like nothing had just happened.
"College? Well its pretty boring for the most part, but the parties are pretty good!" Chandler couldn't help but beam when he saw her smile a wide toothy grin. It was just how he pictured it, and it made him feel good inside, much to his surprise.
"Do you have friends?" She continued down her line of questioning sending Chandler yet again into confusion. He couldn't help but find it a weird thing to ask. After all everyone had friends, didn't they?
"Yeah, and great ones at that. They can be a little annoying at times, but I still love them all."
"Tell me about them!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly as she pulled herself further up the bed and made herself comfortable, her arms curled around her knees, which were pulled tightly into her chest.
He paused for a minute and joined her further up the bed, his body stretched out next to her. He could feel this was going to be a long night and wanted to be comfy before he resumed his story telling.
As he finally found the position he was happy in he looked up to see her smiling down at him.
This was the happiest he had ever felt and he never wanted it to end.
But it was going to end, and not in the way he hoped.
~*~
Wohooooo, another one done. So what did you think? Still think Chandler and
Phoebe should be together?
Let me know what you think.
Next Chapter: What happens to Chandler and Phoebe? What's Tony planning? How did Joey and Monica's date go? And will Rachel finally wise up to Jason?
Mwah xxxxx
Someone like you
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
~*~
Time seemed to stand still in the red walled alley that was now her place of work.
No one passed by; there was no usual drunken jeering from inside the bar, and the smoke from the restaurants furnace was no longer billowing out around her.
All there was were Phoebe and her trusty barrel, which she sat on like a porcelain doll, awaiting an approach from a stranger to come and take her away.
In her alone time she began to make up quirky little songs to pass the time, their presence in her head a comfort, which she embraced whole-heartedly.
When she closed her eyes she pictured herself on a stage, with a guitar, people cheering and clapping with rapturous applause as she finished her rendition of bath time blues.
But when she opened them again she was back to that all too familiar alley, and there was no love being thrown her way, instead it was being taken away from her.
Little tears dripped down solemnly onto her tiny black skirt, making the material seem darker in patches.
"Why did no one love her?"
"Was she a bad person?"
First her real Dad had abandoned them all, then her Mom had killed herself, and then when she thought things couldn't get any worse her step-dad had gone to prison for a crime he insisted he didn't commit, leaving her alone and on the streets to fend for herself. Life just kept crumbling away like an abandoned ruin, its walls falling down around her, entrapping her in its stone prison.
Her sister Ursula had moved out to live with friends. But she had no friends to go to. No one had ever tried to get close to her. Everyone at school deemed her weird, and spooky due to her quirky taste in clothes and spiritual beliefs, which she didn't mind telling people about.
It was then the bullying had started. The odd push here and there, the occasional stealing of her schoolbooks when she wasn't looking. Then came the beatings from the girls that she longed to be like, but to be like them would mean denying her true self, something she strongly was apposed to.
"I didn't deserve it," She sobbed as her mind wander back to years previous, and then back again to her current situation.
"Why can't I just stand up for myself!" She screamed out loud, not caring if anyone heard.
Anger and frustration rose inside her, as her curdled emotions strangled her like a noose.
She wanted to hit back, fight, have dignity, but something stopped her.
She wasn't too timid, of that she was sure. But deep down she didn't want to inflict the pain she felt on anyone else. It was too awful, too horrendous, too agonising. She could never make another human being feel like that.
"What's my meaning here on earth?"
"Maybe I'm here for people to take their problems out on me?
My stepfather did it, so did Ursula, the school kids, and now Tony."
"There was a time when I was happy,
But now im here and,
This song is crappy,
I sit here all day in the rain,
I need men to give me money,
I want a man to call me honey,
Why wont someone take away the pain?"
Her singing was barely perceptible as she sobbed painfully into her hands.
Her crying so loud she didn't hear the footsteps approach her.
"Hey, we meet again! And here's the guy I promised you!" Jason was face to face with Phoebe, so close she could feel his breath on her.
She prised herself down from her barrel and stood with her body touching Jason's.
"You got me a hooker!" Chandler screamed, hidden behind his friend so that Phoebe couldn't see him, only hear him. His words making her feel more ashamed than she already was.
"Hey man calm down, its not as bad as it sounds. Its about time you got over this fear of women you seem to be holding on to and enjoy yourself! Life is too short to be a virgin this long, and look, your practically being offered it on a plate! How often does that happen!" Jason had turned to his friend, and placed his hands on his shoulders trying to convince him, but Chandler just looked mad.
"Jason, I…" Jason ignored him and turned away back to Phoebe and handed her an envelope filled with cash.
"I hope there's enough in there, I didn't get the opportunity to ask what you charged, but im sure Virgin Boy can give you extra if needs be. Oh, and I took the liberty of booking you into the Broadway motel around the corner. It's booked under the name Bing. Oh and sweetie, be gentle with him," He laughed and walked away leaving a very nervous Chandler and Phoebe standing in front of each other, both looking down at the ground searching for words, each hoping the other would make the first move.
"Do, em, do you want to leave now?" Phoebe plucked up the courage to speak and let her eyes drift from the floor and onto the eyes of a stunned looking Chandler.
Her words had jolted him to look at her and he couldn't believe his eyes. She was just like the woman in his dreams.
"She's so beautiful!" He exclaimed into himself, finding it hard to believe. All the hookers he had ever seen on TV had been trashy looking women, unkempt and sleazy, but she was so different. She had a certain look of innocence in her eyes that he couldn't help but feel drawn to.
"Eh, yeah I suppose," he stuttered unintelligibly, clearly embarrassed, but very much in awe.
Chandler turned and walked off towards the motel that he had often passed on his way to the club he frequented with his friends at the weekends, and Phoebe followed him unsurely, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on the back of his head, the memory of his face clear in her head.
He wasn't like she imagined at all. She had expected a guy like Jason, all cocky with a smart mouth just waiting to degrade her, but he hadn't, yet anyway.
"Here we are," Chandler said without looking at her, unsure if he could really go through with this, but thought it a little too late to back out now, morals or no morals.
"We have reservations for Bing," Chandler could feel the receptionists eyes check him over as they approached the front desk, and then move over to Phoebe, whose attire gave the game away. The embarrassment he felt made his cheeks blush red, knowing that the man he had never met was standing there judging him.
He then surprised himself by worrying if Phoebe was feeling the same way. Why did he care about her feelings so much? He didn't know her after all.
"She's just a hooker." The second he let that thought enter his mind he scolded himself for being so nasty.
"No, she's a human being, and she deserves respect, despite what she is." He corrected himself.
"Yes Mr Bing. Here are your keys. You're in room 214, on the left. Have a nice evening," He smirked at them both and gave Chandler a sly wink that made him nearly trip over his own feet.
Both wandered over to the door in silence and Chandler turned the key in the lock to let them into the room.
He switched on the light and surveyed its small surroundings.
There were two single beds, separated only by a bedside table with a lamp on top and telephone directories underneath, even although there was no phone.
The sheets were decorated in a floral pattern, which clashed with the rooms other décor and two different paintings adorned the walls above each bed.
He heard Phoebe close the door over behind her and turned to finally look at her.
She stood with her back against the door and let her eyes fall swiftly back to her feet when she saw him spin around to face her.
"Have you, eh, done this before? I mean, not that I think you are, eh, inexperienced, its just, you look a little shy," He had felt the need to say something, but the minute the words started to come out he regretted every last one of them. He hadn't even been thinking about how many times she had done thing kind of thing before…or maybe he had subconsciously? All he knew was in his mind the only thing he could think about was how beautiful and captivating her eyes were, and he wished she would look up so he could see them again.
His wish was granted sooner than he expected. Her eyes met his and she paused in her rely, for the first time noticing how handsome her "client" really was and it made her forget what he had just asked.
"Eh, oh yeah, I mean no. I have done this before, sort of." She felt her cheeks burning as his eyes continued to bore into hers; a look of awe on his face that she could not decipher and it was beginning to scare her.
Was he going to hurt her?
Was his shy demeanour just a ruse?
She felt her legs begin to tremble, her knees almost knocking together, and a look of dread on her face that did not go unnoticed by Chandler.
"Hey are you ok?" Chandler watched on as Phoebe's legs began to buckle beneath her and her back slid as though in slow motion down the door.
He felt all the emotions of nervousness and fear that had been dominating him since her had arrived at the motel leave him immediately as he ran to her aid, terrified for her well being.
"I'm fine, I'm just a little scared and…" She cut herself off quickly, trying to get back onto her feet.
Chandler tried to wrap his arm around her in comfort, but she pulled away sharply and moved towards one of the beds to sit down.
"Listen, if you don't want to do this I understand. I never wanted to go through with this in the first place, I just didn't want to seem like I was rejecting you, you looked so fragile." He felt his heart melting as he realised just how lost she had looked in that alley earlier, and his own feelings of anger towards his friends set up had overshadowed how sad she appeared.
The same look of sadness was reappearing as Chandler continued to justify why she shouldn't be doing this.
"I'll take you back to where you work and make sure you are ok if that's what you want?" He watched for a reaction, but when he didn't get one he continued.
"Phoebe? Just go home, its ok. I really don't mind. I can stay a virgin a little longer, it wont harm me, I don't think." Chandler tried to joke, and paused to see if laughed but instead she was crying.
"I'm just going to go. You don't need me here hassling you." Chandler turned to walk to the door and felt hands on his shoulders.
"No, please stay. If you go he will hit me again, and I can't deal with that again. Please, I need the money." Phoebe's wet eyes pleaded with him, her words shocking him to his core.
"Who will hurt you?" Chandler demanded to know, anger swelling in him till he felt like her would burst. Who could possible hurt someone like her? So innocent and sweet.
"No one! I didn't mean to say that, just forget it," She turned her face to right trying to get away, but Chandler now had a hold of her arms.
He removed one hand from her arm and ran it through her long blonde hair, brushing if away from her face, where he could see underneath well plastered make-up, that Tony had had earlier left discreetly by her bed, was a large black bruise that almost covered her swollen cheek.
Phoebe yanked her body away sharply leaving Chandler standing alone in shock.
"What the hell happened to you!"
"Who did that?" Chandler gawped at her.
"Noone, it was an accident." She lied.
"That was not an accident, I've seen accidents, and they do not go that colour! Now who has done this to you?"
"Just a guy, please let it go," Phoebe tears made him shut up. He didn't want to pressure her anymore despite how angry and worried he was for her.
He moved slowly towards her and wrapped his arms around her, her back to his face.
She tried to struggle away from him, but he held tighter.
"Shh, its ok im not going to hurt you, I just want to comfort you." Once he had spoken he felt her slowly stop squirming, then her shoulders began to heave, a huge wave of release washing over her.
She turned around in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, her body fitting into his perfectly as he soothed her tears.
After what seemed like an eternity she pulled away, rubbing her eyes and sniffing back more tears.
"Thank you," She gave him a half-smile and sat herself back on the bed and he gave her a nod in reply. He was too busy staring at her to answer in words.
She looked so sad, and went just wanted to see her smile, to hear her laugh.
The room filled with awkward silence as they both mulled over what had just happened.
"Chandler? What's college like?" Phoebe blurted out her question absent mindedly, like nothing had just happened.
"College? Well its pretty boring for the most part, but the parties are pretty good!" Chandler couldn't help but beam when he saw her smile a wide toothy grin. It was just how he pictured it, and it made him feel good inside, much to his surprise.
"Do you have friends?" She continued down her line of questioning sending Chandler yet again into confusion. He couldn't help but find it a weird thing to ask. After all everyone had friends, didn't they?
"Yeah, and great ones at that. They can be a little annoying at times, but I still love them all."
"Tell me about them!" Phoebe exclaimed excitedly as she pulled herself further up the bed and made herself comfortable, her arms curled around her knees, which were pulled tightly into her chest.
He paused for a minute and joined her further up the bed, his body stretched out next to her. He could feel this was going to be a long night and wanted to be comfy before he resumed his story telling.
As he finally found the position he was happy in he looked up to see her smiling down at him.
This was the happiest he had ever felt and he never wanted it to end.
But it was going to end, and not in the way he hoped.
~*~
Wohooooo, another one done. So what did you think? Still think Chandler and
Phoebe should be together?
Let me know what you think.
Next Chapter: What happens to Chandler and Phoebe? What's Tony planning? How did Joey and Monica's date go? And will Rachel finally wise up to Jason?
Mwah xxxxx