I was too busy planning the wedding with Monica for the whole of the next week so I didn't see much of the gang except for the instances that I stopped by Central Perk between the hours in the office and the hours with the wedding planner. Come Friday, I was there in Central Perk with Ross and Rachel until 4:30 struck and I stood up to leave.
"Well you've been a busy bee," Rachel commented as I put on my coat. She'd left Ross on the couch to finish his crossword.
"Have I?"
What was I supposed to be? Idle? We were planning our wedding. I had to be busy.
"Joey misses you, Chandler," Rachel said quietly.
"Oh? Since when?" I hadn't really been thinking of Joey the past couple of days. Monica kept me busy.
"Since you've started ignoring him,"
"When did I do that?"
"Chandler, we eat breakfast in your place everyday, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you even notice us when we're there?"
I couldn't believe what she was accusing me of. Of course I hadn't been ignoring them! Just that morning I said 'Hi' to both of them. That wasn't 'ignoring'.
"I said 'hi' to you this morning," I told her.
"No, you said, 'Hi, Mon,' then you two kissed," Rachel replied.
Wait a minute…
"Rach, you aren't jealous, are you?" I asked cautiously. I watched her eys grow wide.
"What? No, you pig!" she slapped my shoulder. "This is about Joey! I couldn't care less if you ignore me because Mon's my best friend and she definitely doesn't pretend I'm not there…"
"I don't pretend Joey's not there!" I exclaimed, hurt by her remark. Why would I do that?
"Well you're doing a good job acting like you are. Chandler, Joey's your best friend. You never see him anymore. Ever since you and Mon became serious about each other, you…I dunno…drifted away…"
I didn't have time for this. I was running late and Rachel was still hurling accusations at me. I wasn't drifting away! I'd just been busy. I'd been busy for a while before and that never hurt our friendship…
"I've got to go. I'll talk to you later…"
"Chandler!"
I went out of Central Perk in time for a cold fall wind to slap me in the face. I shivered, shoved my hands deep into my coat pockets and started walking. I was about to cross the street when I heard someone call my name.
"Hey, Chandler! Hey, man!"
I turned to see Joey jogging towards me, this huge grin on his face.
"Boy, am I glad to see you," he said breathlessly. "I was afraid you were going somewhere again,"
"Actually…" I started, but Joey interrupted me before I could finish.
"Hey look," he reached inside his coat and go out three Knicks tickets then waved it in front of my face. "Best seats in the house. For you, me and Monica,"
"Joe, Monica doesn't watch sports, you know that,"
"Yeah, but how else can I get you to go? Besides, she might as well get used to it 'cause you're gonna be needing someone to watch the games with you after you guys get married and all…"
I noticed a hint of something else aside from excitement in his tone, though I couldn't get what it was. He was still grinning though, and it was pretty genuine. I knew he had something against the wedding…well, he used to. Was he accepting the fact now? He didn't look like he was faking it that he was happy for us.
"C'mon, man, last game. Last game with Joey, c'mon," he pleaded.
I relented. I felt sorry for him.
"When is it?" I asked.
"6:00,"
"Tomorrow?"
"No, today,"
I could feel my stomach sink with disappointment not for me, but for Joey. I knew he wanted to go so badly, but there was no way I could come.
"Oh no," I said. "Joe, I can't,"
His face fell.
"Why not?" he said, the excitement gone from his voice.
"Because…I have to meet up with Monica and the wedding planner right about…oh, I dunno…now?" I looked up at him from my sides to see his reaction.
His arms fell to his sides and after a moment gave me a toothless smile.
"It's okay, buddy, you go on and plan your wedding," he told me in a very Joey manner.
"You could take Ross," I offered. "He'd want to go to the game…a-and Rachel…or Pheobe. Or even Gunther!"
I felt guilty, but not that much. Monica would have hated the game and would torture me endlessly while it would go on. It was nice of Joey to think of her when buying the tickets though. I'd thought he was still jealous of Monica for 'taking me away'.
"Yeah, maybe," he said. He sighed and returned the tickets inside his coat pocket. "I'll see you later,"
"Okay, Joe, I'll see you later," I started walking again.
"Hey, don't forget to call me if you need anything, okay?" he called out. "Whatever it is, you name it,"
"Yeah, I won't forget," I said absent-mindedly. My eyes and attention were already on my watch. Monica was going to kill me…
"Chandler! Hey, Chandler, watch out!!"
The next few moments happened very quickly, but at the same time very slowly. I was still walking, still looking at my watch, when somebody suddenly shoved me to the adjacent sidewalk and I fell, face-first, on the ground. My palms cushioned my fall and I felt one of them getting cut as I landed. I couldn't see what was going on behind me but then there was a screech, a thud, then a high-pitched scream. It was as if all of time had stopped after the scream died down. I couldn't move. I was there, lying frozen on the ground, scared of what the hell I would see once I turned around.
What the hell just happened?
"Oh my God!! Oh my God!!"
I could recognize that voice anywhere.
No.
I forced myself to stand, then turned around and hurried to where a crowd was forming. My ankle hurt me. I must have twisted it on my way down.
I pushed the people aside for me to see. I couldn't breathe when I saw it. I really couldn't. It was like somebody had gotten a hold of my lungs and wouldn't let go.
"No…" I whispered, which soon escalated into a full-blown "NO!"
Rachel knelt on the ground, sobbing, with Joey's head cradled in her arms. Ross stood behind her, pale and shaking, with a distraught look on his face. I limped towards them and got on my knees.
"No…no Joe, no…" I said, tears already brimming my eyes. "You crazy son of a bitch, you shouldn't have done that…"
Joey lay on the ground, still breathing and his eyes half-open but shaking badly. His face was so pale and blood and glass were everywhere. Rachel kept sobbing over him.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" she wailed. "Somebody please call an ambulance!!"
"Ch-Chandler, I-I'm cold," Joey shivered. Immediately, I got my coat off and draped it over him.
"Don't talk," I was shaking as badly as he was. "J-Joey, just stay awake for us. Just stay awake i-in time for help to come,"
"I can't…" he almost sobbed. "Everything h-hurts…"
"You'll be okay, I swear, buddy, I swear to God…" I lifted my head and yelled "HAS ANYBODY CALLED AN AMBULANCE YET??" in a panic.
"They'll be here soon, honey, don't worry," Rachel said, trying to keep her voice calm. "They'll be here…just please, stay awake…"
"No, NO, JOEY!!" I yelled as I saw his eyes close. "I'll buy you a lifetime supply of Playboy, Knicks tickets and sandwiches, just please, Joe, hang on…"
My voice grew weak. I held his hand and watched his every breath come and go.
"You're not going to die here…not here…not now, I need you Joey. Don't go, I'll never forgive you if you go…"
My tears came before I could stop myself. Rachel held onto me with her free arm.
"Oh my God…oh my God, Chandler, he's gone…I can't believe he's gone…" she whispered mournfully.
No.
"NO!" I exclaimed. "He can't be gone! H-He's my best man…he's my best friend…he can't be gone…"
I looked at him and I didn't need a report to confirm what Rachel had just said. He looked as if he was sleeping, only he wasn't breathing anymore and a huge cut was on his forehead.
"Damn it, Joey!" I yelled at him. "Damn you! Damn it…damn it…"
Rachel caught me and I sobbed on her shoulder.
"I'm so so sorry, Joe…I'm sorry…"
We sat there until help arrived. No one survived the accident. Both the driver of the cab and its passenger was killed. Half of me wished he were alive so I could beat him senseless and yell at him. The other half of me wanted to beat myself for not being more careful.
I couldn't say anything more about the passenger, though. I don't know if the world was against me that day for it to be so coincidental.
The cab, of course, just had to be the same cab that was carrying the wedding planner.
This isn't the end, though. More soon!