Tuesday
" Chandler was so annoying last Sunday," Monica whined.
Central Perk was empty for a change. She and Rachel were out early, thus they had their usual café date.
"I know, he kept on glaring," Rachel chuckled.
"Ugh, Rach I have a problem," she finally said.
"Hmmm?" Rachel replied, sipping her tea.
"I've been late for a week."
Rachel froze, looking at her best friend with her big blue eyes.
"Please don't scare me? Chandler doesn't know about this yet," Monica was flustered.
"Have you taken an early pregnancy test?" Rachel asked her.
"No, I'm too terrified."
"I have two back at my room. Please do me a favor and take it?"
"Why do you have them?"
"It's just customary for a girl with an active sex life to have one, honey."
"But I thought you're not dating anyone!" Monica retorted.
"I had an active sex life."
"With?"
"Monica have you just been born into this world? With your brother…"
"You thought you were pregnant with my brother?"
Annoyed with how slow and detailed the conversation was getting, "Yes Monica. A million times!" she snapped.
Monica smiled, "Aw!"
Rachel just rolled her eyes, sipping more of her tea.
Ah… Pregnancy scares… Rachel didn't have a million, but she certainly had some. Not too many perhaps, but each one of them was unforgettable.
Ross, the supportive guy that he was, was the one who would always buy the home pregnancy tests for Rachel. Although they both didn't experience their 'first time' with each other, it never became an issue between them. In the first place, they weren't having sex… they were making love.
The very first scare was less than two months after they started dating. Rachel went in Ross' room, crying, telling him that she hadn't had her period which was due a week before. It never happened to her that was why she was so petrified. Ross just hugged her and assured her that if something happened, he was there for her… then bam, he said it for the first time- 'because I love you.' She looked at him, saw his honesty and genuineness, and said the same three powerful words in reply.
The second scare was long after that… by then, Rachel wasn't so scared anymore. She knew that if ever she was, he would be there to support her.
The third time, Ross was even suggesting baby boy names just to annoy Rachel. It wasn't that she didn't want to have a baby with him, they were just too young.
Then the last and fourth one happened during the crisis of their relationship. After fighting over time management and everything else and while Ross was experiencing a hell of a life, Rachel suddenly blurted out that she was late. Ross furtively hoped that she was, indeed, carrying his baby because he sensed the break-up that was about happen. Sadly for him, it was just a scare.
"Rach?" Monica spoke, catching her best friend's attention.
"So?" Rachel asked, seeing her peeping from the bathroom door.
"Can you come in?"
Rachel stood up and entered the bathroom, and saw two white plastic stick near the sink.
"I don't know how this works!" Monica was almost in tears.
"Okay," Rachel began, reading the manual, "If there are two blue lines, they indicate that you're pregnant. If there's only one, it's negative."
"Hmmm," Monica picked up one stick, "this one has one line."
"What about the other one?"
"It has a different brand."
"Is it pink of purple?"
"Purple!"
"Mon, they're both negative," Rachel concluded, making the situation much calmer.
Monica deeply exhaled, releasing all her fears and worries. "You looked like you were gonna die a while ago!"
"I was super scared, you don't understand! How come you never told me about your pregnancy scares?"
"I didn't think it would be much of news since they were negative?"
"Well, didn't you panic the way I did? I mean, when I found out how late I was, I had you in mind right away!"
"I don't know… I guess Ross was just so assuring then. I mean, the first time I had a threat, I told him and he said he'd do everything for me. Since then, I felt secured knowing that he's there if ever I was pregnant."
Monica sadly sighed, " Chandler would be the complete opposite of that. He even doesn't want to get a pet for crying out loud!"
Ross sat on his usual spot underneath the tree… but this time he wasn't alone. Sarah Clark was beside him, chatting and giggling at his lame jokes.
"I can't believe I'm going on a double date with Rachel Green," replying to what he just said.
"Why?"
"Won't it be awkward? I mean, she's your ex and she's my friend. I know we're not seriously dating yet or anything, but isn't it just bothersome?"
"She was the one who suggested this date thing so I guess it's alright with her."
"Oh yeah? Alright then, I haven't really talked to her since my cheerleading days. What happened to you two, if you don't mind me asking? I remembered how you guys were… and it was enviable."
"Ack… that was a long time ago."
"Ross, I had my ACL injury just months ago. I distinctly remember you were there in the competition!"
"Okay but don't take it against me, I was unbelievably drunk then…" he paused and sighed, "I slept with someone else."
"You slept with someone else?" surprised with what she just heard.
"Yeah I did," he sadly replied.
"So that rumor was true?"
"What rumor?"
"That you ended up in Lucy Carlton's parents' bed the next day after her party?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh my gosh…"
"Sarah, I didn't mean it to happen. We had a huge fight, then we broke up… I got drunk… next thing I knew was that Lucy's parents arrived and kicked me out of their house."
"Interesting… then what happened?" she asked, glued to his story.
"Then we fixed things between us… but before I could tell her, she found out from other people that I slept with someone," he dejectedly looked down.
"Wow…" Sarah commented.
Ross silently gazed at the sky, remembering that night everything changed.
It was the night before the cheerleading competition, 6 months ago… Rachel and Ross were having an argument in her room.
"I'm sorry, was it wrong to spend time with my girlfriend?" Ross began to raise his voice.
"Ross please. I told you I can't spend time with you tonight. I'm sorry, but the competition's tomorrow and-"she paced around the room, reasoning out.
"And it's more important than this," he cut her, throwing the flowers he had delivered for her.
Rachel started to cry in anger, "What do you want from me?"
"I want your time, Rach. I wanna feel your presence when I need you," he sternly said, recalling his accident two weeks before.
"I'm sorry if I can't give you that but I have responsibilities that weigh heavier, Ross. As much as I want to spend time with you, I can't. A whole dance troupe is relying on me now! It's not that easy…"
"Time just even for one visit? Rachel I was in the hospital for three days… three days yearning not for pain killers, but for you."
"Don't do this, Ross. My competition's tomorrow… all this will end tomorrow."
He looked at her, "I'm tired Rach. I'm tired of fighting; I'm tired of fixing things up then falling back down again…"
"I don't want to fight now. I can't dance without you there tomorrow, Ross," she gazed at him, almost begging him to stop.
"I thought I would die not seeing you that night they rescued me from the car… but I didn't," he bitterly spoke, "what makes you think you won't be able to tomorrow?"
Ross had no intention of deliberately hurting her but his physical impairment was certainly pulling him down. That and his relationship's calamity were making him the worst person on the face of the planet.
Rachel wiped her tears and glared at him, "I'm tired of you hurting me this way."
"We're on the same boat."
"Okay you know what Ross, let's just take a break."
"What?" he asked.
"Let's just take a break… that's where we're headed anyway. It seems like things just aren't working out for us."
"Fine," he said after a long pause, getting his crutches.
Rachel just watched him leave, stunned with his response to what she just proposed.
Reviews?) Will update this fic as soon as possible!
