Hey guys! Yet another short story from me...I love them hehe! And I write them when I'm stuck on my other ones. So, this story came around while I was listening to the glorious song 'Angel's Son' by Sevendust, hence the title! I love that song (so sad), and I thought this would be a great idea, so please read and review and I hope you enjoy!
I do not own friends/actors/characters/Sevendust but I do own a zest for life...okay, that was dumb
Life was short.
Joey's mother had told him that so many times, but he had never paid any attention to it. Death seemed so unlikely; something that you didn't want to consider. Something that you knew was coming, but didn't want to think about it.
The majority of the world didn't want to die. The majority of the world was terrified of death; terrified of leaving the world before they had the chance to do everything. Before they had the chance to say goodbye.
Joey was part of the majority. He didn't want to die, but instead of worrying about it, he chose to ignore it. Chose to believe that it would never happen to him; that he wouldn't be faced with the prospect of death.
He lived in denial really, but then, didn't everybody?
He had always been taught to listen to his mother, but he hadn't listened that time. He had simply ignored it, and had carried on with his life, pretending she had never said it. But it was true.
Life was short, and he had found that out the hard way.
Life was short, and should have never been taken for granted. People should live out their lives to their full potential; doing everything they ever wanted and desired before it was too late. Before they had their chance taken away from them. You never knew when your time was up.
Joey had never lived his life properly. He had never fallen in love; never committed to a woman. He had never had his big break; never made it to Hollywood. He had never been rich; the only wealth that he had had was his friends and family. But to him, that was enough weight in gold to keep him happy. Friends and family meant more to him then fame and wealth.
But still, he hadn't lived out his full potential.
And life was short.
Life ended in the blink of an eye. In a split second. When you least expected it. Even if you were dying from a long, drawn out illness, it was still a surprise to go. It was still unexpected. It was still horrible.
Life was short.
Joey knew that now. He had learnt that one sunny day in New York. He had figured that out just outside the coffee house. He had been taught that lesson in the worst possible way; his life being destroyed. And he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.
"All I'm saying is that, if Spiderman really wanted to, he could kick Superman's ass," Chandler insisted as he pulled his jacket on.
"No way! There is a reason why Superman is called the man of steel!" Joey exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, is Superman able to shoot web out of his body? No!"
"How would that help? Even if Spiderman did cover Superman with web, he would just be able to break out of it!"
"But in the time Superman took to do that, Spiderman could have swung away!"
"Yeah, and Superman could have easily flown after him! I'm telling you man, there is no competition!" Joey insisted as they walked out of Central Perk.
"Well, I refuse to believe that without seeing actual evidence! I say we get Tobey Maguire and Dean Cain, and make them battle it out!" Chandler said as they walked.
"Well, see that isn't fair, because they don't have any super powers, so it wouldn't be the same," Joey countered.
"No superpowers? Please! Dean Cain was able to get Teri Hatcher and Tobey Maguire was able to get Kirsten Dunst! Don't tell me that they don't have super powers," Chandler muttered. Joey smiled, stopping suddenly.
"I miss this," he commented. Chandler stopped and frowned at him.
"What? Us arguing about superheroes? We do that all the time!"
"No, not that! Us, hanging out! Ever since you started working at Tulsa, I feel like I never see you! And whenever you are home, you and Mon are always trying to get pregnant."
"We see each other," Chandler said softly. Joey just gave him a look. "Okay, so we don't really see each other much, and I'm sorry."
"It's like everything is changing. You and Mon trying for a baby. Ross and Rachel already have a baby. You being in Tulsa all the time…it sucks!" Joey kicked the ground in annoyance.
"I know…but it will only be for a while, and then I'll be back home full time. Then we can spend a lot more time together, like we used to!"
"Yeah but…that's ages away!" Joey pouted and Chandler smiled at him.
"Okay, what do you say I talk to Mon? Try to figure something out, huh? Make some time for you and me?" Joey grinned.
"Yeah!"
"Okay! It's settled then!" Chandler smirked, taking a step back. "Maybe I could just employ Superman to get Mon pregnant to save me some time. He is, after all, faster then a speeding bullet!" Joey laughed.
"Yeah, but I think Monica wants you to be the dad." Chandler's smile grew wider as he stepped backwards off the curb and onto the street.
"Really? Because I think a lot of women would prefer Dean Cain to-"
Joey stared in confusion at the space where Chandler had been standing a split second ago. With the blink of an eye, Chandler had disappeared.
Joey heard screams and shouts and yet he couldn't take his eyes off of the space.
Life is short.
He had learned that on that sunny day.
He had learned that with the passing of a bus; a bus that had interrupted his best friend's sentence. A bus that had taken his best friend away from him; away from all of them. Away from the world.
Joey had never seen that coming; never expected to lose any of his friends, but especially not Chandler. To him, Chandler was always going to be around; always going to be there to hang out with. To talk with. To spend time with. To just be there with, basking in his company.
Joey had never expected to lose Chandler, but then he had always lived in denial.
"C-Chandler?" the word had been ripped from his lips, an action that he could not control. He hadn't even been aware that he was going to speak. He hadn't even been aware what had happened. "Chandler!"
His scream had seemed to resonate throughout the air, louder then any other noise that surrounded him. Time had passed in slow motion, but had gone quicker then he could ever imagine possible. His feet had pounded on the ground as he ran, going by their own without conversing with his brain. His feet had known what his brain did not.
Sixteen feet.
That was how far his best friend had been thrown. It didn't seem possible to Joey, but it was. Sixteen feet away from the space he had stared at. Yet it seemed to take forever to travel that distance.
A crowd had gathered, but Joey had made his way through, quickly yet slowly. Time and stopped then started at the same interval, making Joey's world a confusing place.
Chandler had been lying there, his body broken and bleeding. Joey had dropped to his knees next to his friend, knowing instantly what he didn't want to accept. Knowing that with the blink of an eye, his best friend had been cruelly taken away from him.
Joey had stared down at his friend, unconsciously glad that he hadn't felt any pain. Chandler wouldn't have known what had hit him. That Chandler was in a better place now; that he was an Angel's son now.
But that didn't make up for it; not at all.
Chandler was gone, and as Joey stared down at his best friend in shock, he came to three realisations. Chandler had always been an Angel's son. Life wasn't fair.
And Joey's mother had been right.
Life was short.