Hello! Thank you so much to all of you who showed the huge amount of support for this story in only the first chapter. Sorry in advance for the content, but I couldn't make it easy for them or this wouldn't be a drama story.

I know the chapters are a bit short, so I'll think about updating twice a week instead of weakly.

Hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter and that you enjoy it!

Chandler was sitting in his cubicle, looking at the computer, but as hard as he tried, he could not focus on the numbers displayed on the screen. His mind was busy thinking about Monica and how weird she had been acting since she came to his apartment a few days ago when Rachel was out.

They had been watching a movie together, like they had done dozens of times, when she suddenly spaced out. He had asked if she was okay and she had said she was just tired but he knew her best than anyone, and he knew it has just been an excuse. Instead of pressuring her into telling him what was wrong, he let her go, knowing that she would come and talk to him when she was ready to share her problem.

But almost a week had passed and she hadn't come to him yet. In fact, whenever he caught her looking at him, she would turn her eyes, as if she was avoiding looking at him. Was it him that caused her to act like that? He could not think of anything that he had done to upset her to the point where she wouldn't even talk to him about it.

Why was she acting so weird around him since that day? Was it really his fault? Then, he remembered how close they had been sitting on the barcalounger and how they cuddled each other. They had been physically close for years and he knew she thought no big deal out of it. But that day, perhaps she had caught a hint about his feelings.

He didn't deny himself anymore that he had a crush on her. He didn't know when it happened, but it had been a long time ago. He always had thought that Monica was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and everyone knew he had a soft spot for her. But didn't want anyone from their group to find out, so he had gotten pretty good at hiding it, to avoid questions and more importantly, that she would find out too and it ruined their friendship.

He felt a knot form in his throat and an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. If she did find out about his feelings for her, the way she excused herself away from him only confirmed the thought that was constantly on the back of his mind, which he had a slight hope to not be true: she did not see him that way. He was just her best friend and she would never think anything more about him.

"Hey, Bing? Want to go have lunch? You look like those numbers took your soul out of your body"

Chandler looked up, to see his work colleague Ryan staring at him. He couldn't focus on his work anyway, so he accepted his invitation, hoping to distract himself from his thoughts. But it was in vain and when they finished their meal Chandler was already feeling a headache caused by his excessive thinking.

"Okay, who is she?" – Ryan asked, making Chandler look up at him

"What?!" – He asked surprised. How did he know he was thinking about a girl?

"I know that face, Bing. So, who is she and what happened" – He could have lied about his thoughts but instead he found himself sighing and looking at his friend.

"It's complicated" – He answered vaguely, while looking down at the table, not wanting to voice out loud the thoughts that were breaking his heart.

However, Ryan did not let the subject go and eventually Chandler gave in. He needed to talk about it before he lost his mind. And as much as he would have preferred to have that conversation with Joey, maybe it was better to talk with someone outside of their group. So, he lifted his head from the table and told Ryan all about his long-time crush on his best friend, how he thought she had found out about his feelings and how she started to act differently about him since that day.

"Well, I know it's hard to hear, but it does sound like she's not into you. You should try to get over your friend." – Ryan told after hearing the story.

"I know. I had this tiny bit of hope, but now… I don't know if I can get over Monica so easily. We're always around each other" – Chandler responded, with a sigh.

"What if I set you up on a date? So you can have another girl to busy your mind with" – Ryan suggested with a wink.

Chandler was not really in the mood for a date, but he figured his co-worker was right. He needed to get his brunette neighbour out of his mind, so he agreed on the date.

The rest of the afternoon was spent like the morning. Chandler still couldn't focus on his job, as he was still worrying about the same subject. He cast a glance at his wristwatch, to see how many more hours he would have to spend in that semi-closed cluttered cubicle, only to see that his shift was already over. He grabbed his briefcase and was ready to leave when he felt someone calling behind him. He looked back and saw his friend with a blonde girl next to him.

"Hey, Chandler. This is Hannah. I thought you would like to meet her."

Chandler reached his hand to greet Hannah. Her dark blond hair was caught in a ponytail, allowing him to study her face. He thought she was cute but not as beautiful as the girl on his mind.

"What about a cup of coffee? I would like to know you better" – The girl suggested when he did not say anything for a few awkward moments.

So, they went to a coffee house near his office. For some reason, he didn't feel like it was right to go to Central Perk, where Monica could show up. He knew they were not in a relationship, for as much as he wished, but bringing a girl to their hang out place still made him feel like he would be cheating on her. So, he insisted on a coffee house near the office.

They made small talk, trying to know each other. He could see that Hannah was clearly into him, which made him a little nervous like he always got when meeting someone new. After half an hour, he looked at his watch again and realized that it was getting late and he needed to go home. During that half-hour, Chandler decided that Hannah was a bad catch, and perhaps he should give her a chance. So, before he lost his nerve, he turned to her with a nervous smile:

"I really liked today. Maybe we should see each other again. What do you think about dinner on Friday?"

"I would love to. Call me?" – She handed him a paper sheet with a phone number.

"Sure" - Chandler answered before the girl turned back to him and left the coffee house.

He put the paper in his jacket's pocket. He was not looking forward to the date as much as the girl he just asked, but deep down, he knew he had to get over his crush on Monica and he hoped that the date would bring him the closure he needed.