Hello! Sorry, I didn't post last week, but I was travelling and didn't bring my computer with me so I couldn't post. To make up for it, I did a double update today, so see you next week! :D

Ross closed the book when he finished his school work for the day. He looked at the clock on his desk and realized it was almost dinner time, so he headed out to set the table. Ross closed his bedroom door and walked out. But when he passed through Monica's bedroom, something caught his attention: through the slightly ajar door, he could hear his sister giggling, which he hadn't heard in a while.

"Oh my god; no way!"Ross heard the second, familiar voice laughing.

Instinctively, Ross stood by the door, carefully to not be caught.

Monica and Rachel were sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. Both girls were laughing together like they always did. Rachel's blonde hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she wasn't wearing any makeup like she usually did. Nonetheless, Ross still thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. Seeing them together made Ross smile. He was happy for his sister for having her best friend back, but a part of him was also joyful because that meant Rachel would be hanging around more.

"Darling, what are you doing up there?" His mother's words interrupted his thoughts, and Ross turned around with a fast jump.

"I…I was going to call Monica for dinner!" Ross tried to sound convincing, but his words stumbled a bit.

By that point, Rachel and Monica were already standing by the door, looking at Ross and Mrs Geller.

"Nice try, nerd," Monica said to Ross. "Next time, I'll make sure the door is closed". Then, she walked past him.

"Hi, Rachel…" Ross said, slightly embarrassed, to the girl that also walked past him.

A while after, dinner was over, and Rachel was sitting in the living room, waiting for Monica to finish helping clean the table. Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence by her side.

"I can keep you company while you wait," Ross offered awkwardly.

Rachel looked at Monica's brother, wondering what would be worst: wait for her friend alone or deal with Ross's flirting attempts. She didn't want to seem rude at his house, so she politely accepted his offer.

"So... did you like the food at dinner?" He asked, trying to find a topic to start the conversation.

"Yes, the food was good. Especially that almond cake for dessert." She asked, not knowing what more to say.

"Speaking of nuts," Ross added, "Did you know that the pine cones are not a fruit? They actually are modified wood scales that protect the seeds, which are the pine nuts."

Rachel nodded, faking interest in what Ross had just said. When she didn't say anything more, he continued:

'"And, speaking of that..."

"Ross, Stop it! You're boring Rachel to death."

Rachel felt relieved when she heard Monica's voice behind her, scolding her brother.

"Hey! I was not boring her. I was sharing an interesting fact with her; Right, Rachel?" Ross complained.

"Well..." She started, thinking if she should lie to him or tell him the truth and hurt his ego. "It was kind of interesting..."

"She means that you're a nerd. Now let go before we die of boredom." Monica interrupted.

Right after, both girls went upstairs to Monica's room.

"Ross is so annoying!" Monica exclaimed as soon as the door was closed.

" I don't think he wanted to make me uncomfortable. He's just too awkward at making small talk," Rachel offered. She usually wouldn't defend Ross, but she figured he was just trying to be nice to her.

"I swear he can drive me crazy sometimes," Monica complained. "Don't worry, Rach. He's just like that because he has a crush on you. He'll stop when it fades."

"I hope so," Rachel said to close the conversation. "Where were we before dinner?"

And just like that, the conversation went back to their usual gossip. After all, the girls had a lot to catch up on.

The next day, Rachel sat in her bedroom reading old entries in her diary. She felt the sadness sting when she read all she had written about Liam. She had had boyfriends before and broke up with them, but she felt different about Liam, even though they hadn't dated for too long.

A tear ran down her cheek, and instead of trying to wipe it off, she let her emotions set free and started to cry. The night before, when she had been at Monica's house, she hadn't felt so miserable. Perhaps that was why she instinctively went there first. Because she knew that her best friend would make her laugh and forget about her heartache, even if only for one night. She hadn't realized how much she had missed Monica until they talked and laughed again like they hadn't done in a while.

Rach was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear her bedroom door open.

"OMG, Rachel? Why are you crying?" Her older sister Amy asked.

"Nothing, Amy; please go away!" Rachel yelled to her sister, being caught off guard.

She didn't like to show her weak side to her sisters; or anyone, in fact. She needed to maintain her "prom queen" image so everyone would be so focused on her perfect image that they wouldn't remark on her flaws. Especially Her sisters. They were older than her, popular, and always looked perfect, and Rachel envied them. Since she could remember, her sisters had been her role model while growing up, and she wanted to be like them.

"Oh, come on. I'm your older sister. Is it about your boyfriend?" Amy insisted. Rachel didn't really want to talk to her sister about her failures.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore." She answered coldly while fresh tears ran down her face.

"Oh, breakups. Yeah, they suck," Amy said. "But you don't need to be so dramatic about it. Just find another cute football player, and soon you'll forget about that one. Just like I did with Adam."

After she finished talking, Amy left the room. Anger replaced Rachel's sadness. There it was, Amy, with her perfect boyfriends and perfect life. How could she not understand how heartbroken Rache was? Had she never felt that miserable? She had just left without bothering to comfort her, and Rachel wondered if Amy cared about her feelings.

Rachel did sometimes hate her sisters. They made her life even harder than it already was by setting too high standards for her. And that was one thing she was actually jealous of Monica and Ross. They claimed they hated each other, but it was clear that they shared a special bond. Rachel had witnessed them mocking each other several times. However, she had also noticed how Monica was comfortable being herself in front of his brother. And Rachel knew that they always were there for each other when one of them needed it. She envied their relationship.

She needed to keep her perfect facade, but she realized that she also needed some part of her life to be true. So, Rachel decided she would pretend she was fine in front of her sisters and everyone at school. But she would rely on the only escape of her life, the person with whom Rachel could be herself without having to hide her emotions. After all, she knew that Monica would always be there for her.