Chapter 2:

Chasing a dream

Phoebe and I were really shocked to see Rachel there.

After we overcame our astonishment, the three of us began to dig searching the box. Surprisingly, the box was still there and under perfect conditions.

Mónica - (picking up the box) I cannot believe it! The box is intact!

Phoebe - (exited) what are you waiting for?... open it!...

Rachel - (amazed) I don't even remember what we putted inside…

Mónica - (opening the box) me neither... lest see...

The first thing I saw inside the box was a picture of the three of us when we were little. The picture had been taken during Halloween. It was a photo of mi, dressed as a bride, Rachel as the Wonder Woman and Phoebe as a rock star. When we saw the picture, we laughed really loud for a while.

Then Rachel saw another object in the box. It was a pamphlet about Hollywood with some tourist information. She picked it up and showed it to us.

Rachel - wow... now I remember. This was my wish: Hollywood!. I wanted to move there and to work in the fashion... my dream was to study design in UCLA and to dress the big stars...

Phoebe. that's funny... I want to un-dress them.

Rachel - (laughing) well... I want that too...

Then I saw something else inside the box: a picture of a family that had been taken off from magazine. I picked it up and showed it to the girls.

Monica - Look! ... This was my wish... is the picture of a family... That's what I wanted! By the

time we buried this box I dreamed about finding my soul mate, getting married and having a nice house in North Western for my kids to grow up safely.. I wanted to have four kids: a boy, twin girls and another boy.

Rachel - that's so sweet Mon.

Then I saw something really weird inside the box: someone had putted there a key ring shaped as the earth. I picked it up and showed it to the girls very confused.

Monica – what's this?

Phoebe - (taking it, very exited) that's what I whished for!

Rachel – (mocking her) You wanted a key ring?

Phoebe - no! I wanted the world!… I wanted to travel to lot off places... I pictured my self

getting my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean after having made a great trip around the country. And once I achieved that… Who knows what else might happen?

Rachel - (looking sadly at Phoebe's stomach) I suppose that it will take longer than you though to make that dream came truth.

Phoebe - no... I am going to L.A. on Sunday.

Monica - (shocked) What?

Phoebe - I met to boy that will go to Los Angeles in his car. I asked him to take me with him and

he said yes.

Rachel – are you insane? Are you really going on a trip around the country whit a complete estranger? Being pregnant and all…

Phoebe - look. he seems nice and this will be my chance to make my dream came truth

Monica - But you can't do that... you can't travel alone with to guy your don't know well enough Phoebe - Then you came with me!

Rachel - we can't do that! Is too crazy...

Mónica - I'm sorry... we can't

Phoebe - then don't! no problem... I can perfectly go on my own.

Monica - (protesting) But Phoebe...

Phoebe - Don't worry about me... but think about my proposition anyway... if you two want to came to Los Angeles meet me in front of the Lincoln high school at 9 AM on Sunday.

That night I had a lot of trouble falling sleep. Phoebe was no longer my best friend, but we had

been like sisters during almost our entire childhood. I still cared a lot about her, and I already felt very guilty for abandoning her after her mother's death and for stopping being her friend after she dropped out school. Now, I was going to allow her to go to Los Angeles with a complete stranger.

I was sure that I would never forgive my self if something bad happened to her.

I was so tired, that finally, in the middle of all my thoughts I fall sleep. The next morning my dad woke me up felling very happy.

Jack- (exited) wake up little harmonica... came to the kitchen... I have a surprise for you…

Monica- (still half sleep) I'm going… I'm going… just give me a minute…

I was really curious about that surprise. I hoped it was my graduation present. Ross had gotten a trip to Egypt for his graduation and I couldn't help to wonder where would my father take me. When I got to the kitchen I saw something really shocking: Over the table there was my favorite breakfast, but there were also a lot of papers and pamphlets from different universities. There were also hats, T-shirts and backpacks with the names and logos of the University of Yale, UNYC, UCLA, Princeston and Oxford… in other words: the kitchen table was full with everything a person could buy from the Universities in which I had been accepted.

Monica- (confused) What does it mean, daddy?

Jack- (really cheerful) that is decision day I know that you are having a hard time trying to choose a college, that's why I got all these material to help you decide (Monica was speechless) I know

You didn't see this coming… well… you are welcome…

I couldn't believe it! Not only my parents had forgotten to give me a graduation gift, but they were pushing me to chooses universities, what was very hard for me. My brother Ross had only applied for UNYC and Columbia, because they were closer to our parents. Finally he was accepted in

both Universities but he chose to go to UNYC just to be with his friends. He had been studying

there for a year with his best friend Chandler. Chandler, Ross and Carol (Ross's new girlfriend) where very good friends, and the same morning I was told to choose a college, the three of them went to Miami for summer holidays. Anyway…. The point is that I had easily sent 15 applications and I had been accepted in five universities.

They accepted me in UNYC, that was very close to my parents so I didn't really wanted to go there… I had only applied there to pretend I wanted to stay close to my home.

They also had accepted me in UCLA, Rachel's future college, witch I founded very inconvenient for me since I had always though about the West Coast as an incredibly shallow place.

I had been accepted in Yale and Princeston as well, I liked both of these colleges but not as much as I liked my dream college: Oxford University. Oxford was the reason I had became such a nerd that barely had a social life during high school. I wanted to go there more than anything in the world and I was overjoyed the day I was admitted there. But now that I had all this options I was a little bit nervous because I didn't want to make the wrong one. Finally I asked to my self, Which of this universities would give me what I wanted? I had to pick not only and university, but the place I would have to live for the next two years (that longer would take me to became an international Chef). Which one would it be? UNYC was in NYC, UCLA, in Los Angeles, Yale, in New Heaven, Princeston, in New Jersey and Oxford, in England. Where would I be happier?

England seemed to be the most obvious answer.

To be continued...