Hello! Hey, look at that, I didn't fall off the face of the planet! I am SO sorry that I haven't updated this in like a month or so. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they are what inspire me.
A few things: Yes, I know the last chapter had very little dialogue. Sorry if you didn't like it, but it was my intention for it to focus on the descriptions more. Also, to the person that keeps e-mailing me asking if this will be a R/R story, yes it will. :) Just be patient, and good things will come. :)
This chapter is shorter than most. The longer ones take me longer to write, and I really wanted to update today. What I want to know is if you guys would like shorter, more frequent updates, or longer chapters with longer waits in between? I'm curious as to which one most people would like, and I'll do whichever you guys all want.
This chapter at first deals with a few things, but there isn't dialogue. You may want to read it though, because it deals with some stuff that happens later on in the chapter, and it is actually very important. There is talking later, though. :) Oh, and the end may leave a few surprised, but I told you I had plans!
Please enjoy, and leave me a review so I can write more!
Like shards of glimmering diamonds, the dew drops formed upon the leaves as a sign of the coming spring. The birds flew from their nests in anticipation of seeking a new haven now that the rains were over. And the sun peeked out shyly from behind the now absent clouds.
A new dawn had risen.
Rays of sunlight filtered through the slits in the blinds, casting a glowing sheen of light from the newly bloomed morning in on the small New York apartment.
A young girl lay in bed, her chest rising and falling like the coming of the tides.
Her eyes fluttered open as noises from the kitchen drifted in and reached her ears. Between consciousness, she could faintly make out whispers of her name.
Do you think Rachel's okay?
Why is Rachel so upset?
Is Rachel mad at us?
It seemed, to Rachel, that she was the topic of conversation that morning.
Really, though, she couldn't blame them after her showcase of emotions the night before.
The tears.
The alcohol.
The forbidden love.
And the pain.
She grimaced slightly as it all came flooding back to her. She hardly remembered details, but Rachel knew she and Gunther had an eye-opening and rather revealing conversation while they sat on the desolate streets and pined over love obstructed. What must they all think of her now?
She didn't even want to know.
Yet still, she forced herself out of bed to greet her friends, ready to tell them how she just drank too much and let alcohol influence her decisions.
As she opened the door from the bedroom she now shared with Monica, she couldn't help but blush. After all, she had behaved rather childishly.
Rachel couldn't help but smile as she entered the room. Something about the air of the morning made Rachel believe that this day was sure to be better than its predecessor.
Ross stared at her as she entered the kitchen, gracefully. Her head was held high, and her blue eyes sparkled with the rejuvenescence of a newborn bird.
No one knew that it was merely an act to cover up her real being.
She was still dressed in her pajamas from the night before, Ross noticed. He watched, tantalized, as Rachel smoothed her hair back. The color matched the drifting particles of sunshine that flew in from the window.
She was vaguely aware that she had the sensation of being watched.
As Rachel titled her head slightly to the left, she noticed Ross's eyes tracing her every curve, every ounce of her body as if it was his to claim once more.
The others were eating breakfast and watching TV, all the while acting as if she hadn't been the topic of conversation only moments before.
Good, thought Rachel. If they don't talk about it, I'm more likely to believe everything's fine.
And yet it wasn't. As she exchanged "good-mornings" and pleasantries with her friends, she could still sense his eyes, following her every move.
For a moment, Rachel got up to get a bowl of cereal. The eyes followed. As she sat back down at the kitchen table and ate her breakfast, the eyes were still watching. And most shamefully and wonderfully of all, the eyes locked on her as their owner kissed Emily.
Feeling slightly mischievous, Rachel moved the fabric of the boxer shorts she slept in higher up on her thigh. Her eyebrows arched in an act of minor seduction; she hoped Ross would notice.
As Rachel peered over her shoulder, she met Ross's eyes. The staring eyes.
He blushed painfully, and whisked those insightful eyes away.
Just like his love.
Even though their private little game had ceased, Rachel felt some comfort in what she had witnessed.
He couldn't help but stare, Rachel thought, and this was good. For her, anyway.
It meant, that even though he was married, and seemingly happily so, a part of him still felt the urge, the animal desire, to gaze upon another woman.
And not just another woman, Rachel thought happily as she smiled sweetly at Emily, whom had just said good morning to Rachel. Her.
This, in turn, made Rachel wonder if he was still in love with her. Not in love, "in love", but she wished to know if feelings still existed.
As the morning went on, Rachel fell back into her funk as she slowly came to terms with what she perceived as the painful truth.
Every man stared, some more than others. Any feelings he had for her would be strictly sexual. Nothing more.
Nothing could compare to the amount of pain she was experiencing. No feelings, good or bad. No seduction, no love.
Only pain.
-------
The sun was dying. For the length of its entire life, it had lived in harmony with the moon.
But times were changing.
Daylight was crowned by the sun's graceful strides across the pastel blue sea.
All the birds knew not to look at the sun directly, for She was far too gorgeous. Every time, dependable as clockwork, She would rise from the ashes and burning flames. Then, she would become one with them, and all at once form a creation more terrible and wonderful than before.
But like all great mysteries, she had a secret. The whole time everyone thought she was so brave for rising from the ashes, no one knew the truth.
For the sun was merely the essence of the ashes.
-------
Ross looked down as he spoke in a soft, ashamed voice. "It scares me, man. I mean, the whole time Emily and I were eating dinner, she kept asking me what was wrong."
Chandler nodded in understanding, awaiting the real reason his friend had wanted to talk.
"Ems dressed up, and don't get me wrong, she looked good." He looked up at Chandler, and his eyes proved Chandler right: He was terrified of what he was about to say. "
"Well, what is it?" Chandler cleared his throat.
"That whole time I was with Emily, I just couldn't stop thinking about how damn good Rachel looked this morning."
------
Monica looked concerned at her dear friend who had requested a "girls-talk" after their dinner that night.
Smoothing back her hair, Rachel looked straight at Monica.
"Something's bothering me, Mon."
Monica chuckled softly. "Yeah, sweetie, I somewhat figured. It's still Ross, right?"
"Yeah, but, I mean..."
"Yeah?"
"Well, this whole time that I've still been in love with him, he's never really you know, looked at me."
"What?"
"Oh, no, I mean, he's looked at me before, but not in the way I saw him this morning. That whole time I was eating breakfast, I felt his eyes on me. It's like he was realizing something."
"Sweetie, I don't think he's still in love with you...All men stare..."
Rachel shook her head slowly. "Yeah, Mon. But not like this."
"Well, even if he was feeling something, whatever it might be, you can't do anything here. I'm sure he was just, like, looking at you to make sure you're okay from last night."
Crickets chirped in the distance, which was a sound not commonly heard in New York. Long Island, yes, Rachel thought, but not New York. Those insects were the sounds of her childhood. It looks as if the man of my childhood and better part of my adulthood is back to haunt me.
Monica continued talking, but Rachel chose not to listen. Monica's words danced in taunting circles around Rachel's head. "Even if he does feel a little something, it's probably nothing. Every man falters, but you have to be the responsible one here. You can't do anything, you know."
Rachel smiled and nodded along with Monica as she pretended to listen. Can't do anything, Rachel thought. We'll see about that...
------
Later that evening, when everyone went to their respective bedrooms to retire, two friends remained. Together they sat on the couch in Apartment 20, and neither felt any desire to leave.
"I talked to Ross tonight", Chandler continued, "and he was pretty confused."
Monica felt the corners of her mouth turn downward. Maybe Rachel was right about him. "What was wrong with him?"
"Oh, nothing really. He's just weirded out, you know, seeing Rachel again and all."
Monica stared quietly out the window, not wanting to wake the apartment's other occupants. "Yeah, she's feeling kind of the same..."
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be that in love?" Chandler's eyes sparkled. "I mean, to the point where your heart is breaking for the other person?"
She laughed. It was cute when he got to talking about relationships and stuff. Neither of them had been particularly lucky in that area. "I don't know about the heart-breaking stuff, but I'm sure it'd be nice to be in love."
"Well, we're sure not going to find that soon, are we? I mean, look at us! Here we are, just sitting around here, drinking the night away." He winked at her.
Monica breathed a sigh of relief once she realized he was only kidding. "Yeah, well, I just keep telling myself one day I will find it..."
They continued talking, but Chandler watched her carefully. She was beautiful. Everything about her was. Her long, slender fingers, her dark hair, the way she wrinkled her nose when she was appalled, and her eyes. Those dark blue eyes, four of five shades lighter than his own, had seen pain.
As Chandler continued talking, Monica surprised herself with her own thoughts and feelings. This whole time she'd been looking for love...maybe it had finally found her.
When Chandler finally left for his own apartment, Monica curled up on the window seat and watched the city life below. She couldn't believe how struck she was with a single thought that kept entering her head, and wasn't leaving any time soon.
She never noticed how blue his eyes were.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about...all of this. Oh, and for anyone who cares, I HAVE been working on Love at First Sight...yay me, lol...Thanks!
Mel
A few things: Yes, I know the last chapter had very little dialogue. Sorry if you didn't like it, but it was my intention for it to focus on the descriptions more. Also, to the person that keeps e-mailing me asking if this will be a R/R story, yes it will. :) Just be patient, and good things will come. :)
This chapter is shorter than most. The longer ones take me longer to write, and I really wanted to update today. What I want to know is if you guys would like shorter, more frequent updates, or longer chapters with longer waits in between? I'm curious as to which one most people would like, and I'll do whichever you guys all want.
This chapter at first deals with a few things, but there isn't dialogue. You may want to read it though, because it deals with some stuff that happens later on in the chapter, and it is actually very important. There is talking later, though. :) Oh, and the end may leave a few surprised, but I told you I had plans!
Please enjoy, and leave me a review so I can write more!
Like shards of glimmering diamonds, the dew drops formed upon the leaves as a sign of the coming spring. The birds flew from their nests in anticipation of seeking a new haven now that the rains were over. And the sun peeked out shyly from behind the now absent clouds.
A new dawn had risen.
Rays of sunlight filtered through the slits in the blinds, casting a glowing sheen of light from the newly bloomed morning in on the small New York apartment.
A young girl lay in bed, her chest rising and falling like the coming of the tides.
Her eyes fluttered open as noises from the kitchen drifted in and reached her ears. Between consciousness, she could faintly make out whispers of her name.
Do you think Rachel's okay?
Why is Rachel so upset?
Is Rachel mad at us?
It seemed, to Rachel, that she was the topic of conversation that morning.
Really, though, she couldn't blame them after her showcase of emotions the night before.
The tears.
The alcohol.
The forbidden love.
And the pain.
She grimaced slightly as it all came flooding back to her. She hardly remembered details, but Rachel knew she and Gunther had an eye-opening and rather revealing conversation while they sat on the desolate streets and pined over love obstructed. What must they all think of her now?
She didn't even want to know.
Yet still, she forced herself out of bed to greet her friends, ready to tell them how she just drank too much and let alcohol influence her decisions.
As she opened the door from the bedroom she now shared with Monica, she couldn't help but blush. After all, she had behaved rather childishly.
Rachel couldn't help but smile as she entered the room. Something about the air of the morning made Rachel believe that this day was sure to be better than its predecessor.
Ross stared at her as she entered the kitchen, gracefully. Her head was held high, and her blue eyes sparkled with the rejuvenescence of a newborn bird.
No one knew that it was merely an act to cover up her real being.
She was still dressed in her pajamas from the night before, Ross noticed. He watched, tantalized, as Rachel smoothed her hair back. The color matched the drifting particles of sunshine that flew in from the window.
She was vaguely aware that she had the sensation of being watched.
As Rachel titled her head slightly to the left, she noticed Ross's eyes tracing her every curve, every ounce of her body as if it was his to claim once more.
The others were eating breakfast and watching TV, all the while acting as if she hadn't been the topic of conversation only moments before.
Good, thought Rachel. If they don't talk about it, I'm more likely to believe everything's fine.
And yet it wasn't. As she exchanged "good-mornings" and pleasantries with her friends, she could still sense his eyes, following her every move.
For a moment, Rachel got up to get a bowl of cereal. The eyes followed. As she sat back down at the kitchen table and ate her breakfast, the eyes were still watching. And most shamefully and wonderfully of all, the eyes locked on her as their owner kissed Emily.
Feeling slightly mischievous, Rachel moved the fabric of the boxer shorts she slept in higher up on her thigh. Her eyebrows arched in an act of minor seduction; she hoped Ross would notice.
As Rachel peered over her shoulder, she met Ross's eyes. The staring eyes.
He blushed painfully, and whisked those insightful eyes away.
Just like his love.
Even though their private little game had ceased, Rachel felt some comfort in what she had witnessed.
He couldn't help but stare, Rachel thought, and this was good. For her, anyway.
It meant, that even though he was married, and seemingly happily so, a part of him still felt the urge, the animal desire, to gaze upon another woman.
And not just another woman, Rachel thought happily as she smiled sweetly at Emily, whom had just said good morning to Rachel. Her.
This, in turn, made Rachel wonder if he was still in love with her. Not in love, "in love", but she wished to know if feelings still existed.
As the morning went on, Rachel fell back into her funk as she slowly came to terms with what she perceived as the painful truth.
Every man stared, some more than others. Any feelings he had for her would be strictly sexual. Nothing more.
Nothing could compare to the amount of pain she was experiencing. No feelings, good or bad. No seduction, no love.
Only pain.
-------
The sun was dying. For the length of its entire life, it had lived in harmony with the moon.
But times were changing.
Daylight was crowned by the sun's graceful strides across the pastel blue sea.
All the birds knew not to look at the sun directly, for She was far too gorgeous. Every time, dependable as clockwork, She would rise from the ashes and burning flames. Then, she would become one with them, and all at once form a creation more terrible and wonderful than before.
But like all great mysteries, she had a secret. The whole time everyone thought she was so brave for rising from the ashes, no one knew the truth.
For the sun was merely the essence of the ashes.
-------
Ross looked down as he spoke in a soft, ashamed voice. "It scares me, man. I mean, the whole time Emily and I were eating dinner, she kept asking me what was wrong."
Chandler nodded in understanding, awaiting the real reason his friend had wanted to talk.
"Ems dressed up, and don't get me wrong, she looked good." He looked up at Chandler, and his eyes proved Chandler right: He was terrified of what he was about to say. "
"Well, what is it?" Chandler cleared his throat.
"That whole time I was with Emily, I just couldn't stop thinking about how damn good Rachel looked this morning."
------
Monica looked concerned at her dear friend who had requested a "girls-talk" after their dinner that night.
Smoothing back her hair, Rachel looked straight at Monica.
"Something's bothering me, Mon."
Monica chuckled softly. "Yeah, sweetie, I somewhat figured. It's still Ross, right?"
"Yeah, but, I mean..."
"Yeah?"
"Well, this whole time that I've still been in love with him, he's never really you know, looked at me."
"What?"
"Oh, no, I mean, he's looked at me before, but not in the way I saw him this morning. That whole time I was eating breakfast, I felt his eyes on me. It's like he was realizing something."
"Sweetie, I don't think he's still in love with you...All men stare..."
Rachel shook her head slowly. "Yeah, Mon. But not like this."
"Well, even if he was feeling something, whatever it might be, you can't do anything here. I'm sure he was just, like, looking at you to make sure you're okay from last night."
Crickets chirped in the distance, which was a sound not commonly heard in New York. Long Island, yes, Rachel thought, but not New York. Those insects were the sounds of her childhood. It looks as if the man of my childhood and better part of my adulthood is back to haunt me.
Monica continued talking, but Rachel chose not to listen. Monica's words danced in taunting circles around Rachel's head. "Even if he does feel a little something, it's probably nothing. Every man falters, but you have to be the responsible one here. You can't do anything, you know."
Rachel smiled and nodded along with Monica as she pretended to listen. Can't do anything, Rachel thought. We'll see about that...
------
Later that evening, when everyone went to their respective bedrooms to retire, two friends remained. Together they sat on the couch in Apartment 20, and neither felt any desire to leave.
"I talked to Ross tonight", Chandler continued, "and he was pretty confused."
Monica felt the corners of her mouth turn downward. Maybe Rachel was right about him. "What was wrong with him?"
"Oh, nothing really. He's just weirded out, you know, seeing Rachel again and all."
Monica stared quietly out the window, not wanting to wake the apartment's other occupants. "Yeah, she's feeling kind of the same..."
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be that in love?" Chandler's eyes sparkled. "I mean, to the point where your heart is breaking for the other person?"
She laughed. It was cute when he got to talking about relationships and stuff. Neither of them had been particularly lucky in that area. "I don't know about the heart-breaking stuff, but I'm sure it'd be nice to be in love."
"Well, we're sure not going to find that soon, are we? I mean, look at us! Here we are, just sitting around here, drinking the night away." He winked at her.
Monica breathed a sigh of relief once she realized he was only kidding. "Yeah, well, I just keep telling myself one day I will find it..."
They continued talking, but Chandler watched her carefully. She was beautiful. Everything about her was. Her long, slender fingers, her dark hair, the way she wrinkled her nose when she was appalled, and her eyes. Those dark blue eyes, four of five shades lighter than his own, had seen pain.
As Chandler continued talking, Monica surprised herself with her own thoughts and feelings. This whole time she'd been looking for love...maybe it had finally found her.
When Chandler finally left for his own apartment, Monica curled up on the window seat and watched the city life below. She couldn't believe how struck she was with a single thought that kept entering her head, and wasn't leaving any time soon.
She never noticed how blue his eyes were.
Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about...all of this. Oh, and for anyone who cares, I HAVE been working on Love at First Sight...yay me, lol...Thanks!
Mel