Sorry this has taken me so long to get up (well actually any of my stories for that matter). I have been quite busy lately, and just haven't had the time to update. Hell, I don't even have the time to browse for updates anymore!! ::cries::
Again, updates will be up when I can get them up. No promises. Well exepct for I promise to update before the end of the school year. Hell, even the end of the calender year.
Chandler sat uneasily in his chair, listening to the steady beat of Landon's music that was blasting in the other room. He sipped his beer absent mindedly, staring ahead at the blank TV screen.
"Dude, what's up with you today?" Joey asked, "You've been like that for hours!"
He shrugged, "It's nothing. You commin' tonight?"
"Yea, Julie cancelled on me," he sighed, "but that means I'm double booked for tomorrow. Julie late dinner, and I wanna say Kelly, but it might be Rae, or Susan, for an early dinner."
"Kelly, Rae, or Susan?"
He winced, "Yeah, it's hard keeping all these woman straight!"
"Kelly's the one that snores, Rae's the dark haired girl, and Susan," Chandler thought back to all of his conversations with Joey, "Susan's the cat girl, I think."
Joey snapped his fingers together, "Right! It's Lindsey!"
"Oh, she new?"
"Yeah, I just met her at the pizza place the other day."
"What about Phoebe?" Chandler asked, remembering Monica's friend from the other day.
"She's this Friday," Joey smiled.
"You mean you don't have your Friday double booked? This is the first time since you've moved in!" Chandler said with mock surprise.
Joey nodded, grinning madly, "I know! Isn't it crazy! But Phoebe's great! I can't wait for Friday!"
"Hey, you know what, how about I call Ross up and tell him to bring Phoebe along too," Chandler suggested, "I'm sure she'd love to come."
"Really?"
"Course man!" Chandler laughed, more at Joey then anything else. "I can't believe it, Joey Tribbiani is crushing on," he paused, "somebody!"
"Ah, shut up!" Joey chucked a handful of popcorn at him, the majority of which missing him, but still, it was the thought that mattered. "So, what movie are we seeing?"
"Why do you actually wanna watch it, cause I was under the impression that you just wanted to make out with Phoebe in the back."
"Funny man, especially coming from the guy that is crushing on his little brother's teacher."
"That is so not true!" Chandler exclaimed, putting his emphasis on the word 'so'.
"It so is!" Joey mimicked Chandler, chuckling a little.
"Whatever man, you wanna make out with a girl at the back of a movie."
"Ah, dude,"
"Shut up!"
Joey just laughed and continued to eat, which would probably be used lightly in this occasion seeing as how he threw the popcorn up in the air, but rarely caught it in his mouth. "So dude, how are things going with that teacher chick, Monica, right?"
"We're friends, what's the big deal?"
"Well, she must have certainly been friendly last night," he arched his eyebrows suggestively, "huh," he chuckled.
"No, it wasn't like that!"
"Dude, I can totally understand why you wouldn't want your brother to know, but seriously! This is me we're talkin' about here! Not some fifteen-year-old kid!"
"Serious, Joe. We just got drunk and traded some sob stories. That was all."
"Okay so you got a chick drunk and didn't do anything?"
Chandler nodded, "She just broke up with her boyfriend, dude."
"And? The downside to that would be?"
"Joey!"
"Hey I'm all about getting laid here, I don't know about you," he paused, then gasped, "You're gay aren't you! Oh my God! I knew it!"
"I'm not gay!"
"Then why didn't you sleep with her!"
"Joe, do you know what morals are?"
"Mor-come what now?"
"Morals, Joe, I don't sleep with women I've just met and intend to continue a friendship with."
"Do you know what a one night stand is?"
"And have you spoken to any of the girls you've done it with afterwards?"
He paused in thought for a moment, his mouth a little open. "Well," he stalled, "Well that's me! Remember I don't have morals!"
Chandler leaned his head back in his chair, "I rest my case."
Monica rushed to collect all of her things before leaving for the day. She never quite understood why she always stayed so late, then again she was easily distracted when one or all of her friends stopped by to chat.
She picked up her small briefcase full of student assignments, then grabbed her coat from the back of her chair, and scooted out of her dark classroom. She walked briskly through the halls, paying almost no attention to other teachers walking past her.
"Miss Geller!" She heard a voice call out to her heartily.
She looked up to see the Principal of the school, Charles Gumpta, standing in front of her wearing the fake smile that he addressed everyone with. "Mr. Gumpta," she smiled back, trying to hide her disappointment. She was going to be late for the movie if she didn't hurry.
"We haven't had a chance to talk yet, haven't we?" He smiled back at her, "And please, call me Charlie, you're an adult, remember?"
Monica smiled faintly, "Of course, Charlie."
"Well, how are you liking things here? I know this was your first teaching job, how goes it?"
"It's fine, and I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I do have some plans with friends tonight and I'd rather not be late," she paused, "Maybe we can do this another time?"
Charlie nodded, "Of course! Feel free in come in any time to discuss your future here."
"Thank-you, Charlie. I'll be sure to take you up on that." She put on her best fake smile, before she started off again.
"Oh and one other thing, Miss Geller," he said darkly, "Keep your personal life at home, would you?"
Monica stopped in her steps, "What?" She asked as she pivoted back around to face him.
"I don't approve of teachers bringing their love lives to school with them. And if you want to keep your job here, I would suggest sticking too that. Are we clear?"
Monica forced another smile, "Crystal."
"Good, glad we got that settled."
Monica hurried into her apartment, slamming the door shut as she breezed through. She was late. She was going to make them all late.
"Wow! Where's the fire?" Kip yelled out, amused by her antics.
"Don't you guys have your own apartment?" Monica breathed out, looking at Kip, her brother, and Phoebe with an annoyed look on her face.
"Well, we were supposed to meet here for the movie at six, which it is six-o-one now, so," Ross said slowly back to her.
"Whatever, I got held up. Stupid Mr. Gump or whatever his name his! Chuck or whatever!" She slammed her collection of papers down on her kitchen table, and ran into her room.
"Wooh, wooh, Mon, Charlie Gumpta talked to you? That's not good! He doesn't talk to any of the teachers unless they're in trouble! He's like the human version of the devil or something!" Phoebe exclaimed, her eyes bulging. "What did he say?"
"That he wanted to welcome me," Monica shouted out from in her room, "And then he told me to keep my love life separate from my work life!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kip asked, "The guy sounds bonkers to me."
"No, no, Richard came in today. Some words were said, and then I sent him away."
"Oooh, so that's what the students are all talking about, I thought I heard something along those lines, although I haven't quite perfected my teen lingo yet." Ross commented, "Damn, I can't believe you actually bet out me and Rach at the gossip mills."
Monica reemerged from her bedroom wearing a new shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans. "Alright, you ready, Ross?" She asked, as she slid on her coat.
"Pheebs is coming too, Joey called and invited her along."
"Where are you guys all going, and who the hell is Joey?" Kip asked, his tone growing agitated.
"Remember Chandler Bing?"
He nodded sternly.
"Joey's his roommate, and Phoebe's new love interest."
"You guys are spending more time with that loser?"
"What do you mean?" Monica asked, her tone defensive.
"That Chandler guy, he sounds like a complete loser. I don't see why you guys want to hang out with him so much."
"Well somebody sounds jealous," Phoebe muttered.
"Whatda mean? What do I have to be jealous of! The guy is a complete pity case, he walks around telling everyone about his brother and that girlfriend of his or whatever."
"How do you know that? He mentioned the Richard thing because I happened to be dating Richard and the topic came up. And his brother, he was just explaining."
"Yea, dude, what's your problem? If you wanna come to the movie, you're more then welcome." Ross said, his eyebrows raised in confusion.
Kip rolled his eyes, "Don't you guys get it? I don't like Chandler. He sounds like trouble to me, and annoying to boot."
"Look, we gotta go, we're late as it is," Monica said uncomfortably, "See ya later, Kip."
"Yeah, we might get some dinner or something after the movie, so I'm gonna be home late. I'll try not to wake you up, man." Ross smiled awkwardly, "See ya."
"Say 'hi' to Rachel for us, kay!" Phoebe smiled energetically, practically bouncing out the front door in her excitement.
Monica chuckled lightly at her friend's antics, "Try not to be too obvious now, Pheebs." She mused as she walked out the door, Ross in tow.
"See you all later," Kip mumbled, "Have fun." Something told them he was being sarcastic when he said that.
The cab ride was deathly silent, Monica would thought it to be death had Phoebe not been smiling, but some things you just have to overlook when drawing conclusions such as that. She couldn't help but think about that day in general. It seemed that nothing was like it was before she took this teaching job.
Before she was happy. She had Richard, and she didn't question. Because she was in love. And she had thought that he had shared that love with her, but apparently he did not only share it with her, he shared it with Kathy as well.
And seeing him, it nearly crushed her. It was hard enough the first time hearing those words from his lips, but a second time was the equivalent to ripping out her heart and stomping on it while it still beat.
Then there was the matter of Chandler. He could make her laugh, even during the wake of her broken heart. And as much as he tired to discredit himself, he had a way of saying the right things at the right time. At least to her.
"What was his problem?" Ross broke the silence, his voice angry and annoyed. "It's not like we meant to exclude him or something. Like Chandler's taking his place."
"What do you mean, 'Chandler's taking his place'? Has he said something to you?" Monica asked, her mind thinking a mile a minute.
"No, no, but he's been acting strange ever since we started hanging out with him again. I haven't seen him since college, and he was my best friend then. It's not like I'm just going to ignore him! And Pheebs, you're dating his roommate!"
"And Chandler's my friend, we get each other. I don't understand what his problem is."
Phoebe gasped, and clamped her hand over her mouth.
"What! Pheebs? What is it?" Ross asked, his tone worrisome.
She shook her head quickly, "I can't say it. I promised I never would."
"What did you promise, Pheebs? What's the big deal?" Monica asked, wrinkling her face together in confusion.
Phoebe sighed slightly, "I promised Kip."
"Phoebe, it's okay, you can tell us. We're Kip's friends as well, remember?" Ross said slowly, "I can't believe he told her something and not me! His roommate!" He mumbled at Monica angrily.
"But,"
"Pheebs, it's okay. How long did you promise him, anyways?"
She thought about it for a moment, "About five years ago, maybe."
"Phoebe!" Monica chuckled a little, "He probably doesn't even remember telling you, so it won't matter if we know as well."
Phoebe nodded slowly, "Alright, but you can't tell him I told you!"
"What is it, Pheebs?"
She looked at Monica sternly, "Mon, he's in love with you."
Well, there we have it. The next installment in my AU Friends saga. Now, off to my math homework! Until I get distracted again....hmm....::looks over shoulder, DDR looms in the distance::....
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