A/N: This chapter is set at the same time as the first chapter but in Monica's POV. This story is also set in 1979, so there is some outdated thinking regarding females in this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Friends or the characters. I am only using them in the playhouse of my imagination.
Enjoy!
"Dad, wait! I want to go further!" I shouted as I ran backward. That was too close. I stopped near the benches. Perfect.
"Alright, sweetie!" Dad yelled back at me, gave me a thumbs up, and smiled back. When I was ready, I reached out to catch the football, and Dad threw it. I jumped up and grabbed the ball, but not without falling and rolling onto the ground. Yes! I win!
"Touch down!" I yelled, lying on the ground, and pumped my arms out. I love playing catch with my dad. He is usually at work, so I don't spend much time with him. But when he does, I like to beat him in outside games like catch, tag, or hide-and-seek. Or our family favorite- football. Sometimes Ross joined in, but he's no fun. He gets bruised easily and whines whenever he gets hurt or thinks I cheated when I didn't. I just happened to be faster than him.
"Good job, Princess!" Dad clapped and jogged towards me. He smiled proudly. He reached out a hand, I grabbed it and stood up. I turned, and my heart jolted when I noticed a cute boy about my age sitting on a bench nearby. I smiled and waved at him. He waved and smiled back. I blushed, and my stomach flipped like butterflies.
"Picnic's ready!" I heard Grandma cry out from the table. Oh good, I am hungry. My stomach grumbled as I ran to the table; Dad followed me.
I sat next to Grandma as Dad wrapped his arms around Mom, as she was still standing, uncovering the bowl of cut-up watermelons. They shared several kisses. Eww… parents should not kiss. I turned to Ross, and we shared gross-out looks and pretended to gag by putting our fingers in our mouths. I loved that they loved each other. That is what parents are supposed to do. I couldn't imagine parents that didn't love each other. But they kissed too much for my liking. Dad came and sat on my other side. At the same time, Mom sat at the other side of the table with Ross.
"Okay, let's dig in!" Grandma said. I quickly grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a piece of watermelon. We have stayed with Grandma for the past week at her big purple apartment. I helped her and Mom make the picnic food by making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I smiled at myself proudly as I took a bite of my sandwich.
"Did you guys know the word dinosaur came from a scientist named Richard Owens?" Ross said as he munched on a chip. I rolled my eyes. Mom smiled lovingly and put her arm around him.
"Oh, yeah?" Grandma smiled at him and nodded in interest. Dad made a humming noise as he took a bite out of his ham and cheese sandwich.
"Yep, I read it in my new book. From two Greek words 'Deinos' and 'Sauros.'" Ross continued. "Guess what those words mean?" He challenged us. I picked up my piece of watermelon and took a gentle bite over my plate so the juice wouldn't drip down my shirt. I looked down to see if I didn't drip and spotted dirt on my shirt. I pick up my napkin and wipe it up.
"Monica, what do you think it is?" I jumped a little in my seat and looked up; my whole family turned their attention toward me. Ross, of course, was the one that asked the question. "What 'Deinos' and 'Sauros' means?"
"Huh… "I remembered learning about dinosaurs in the third grade. "Ancient and….fossils?"
Ross scoffed and rolled his eyes, "No. 'Deinos' means terrible, and 'Sauros' means lizard. Terrible lizard. Duh." He shook his head.
I stuck out my tongue at him.
"Ross. Be nice." Grandma gave him a stern look. "She didn't know that."
"Monica!" Mom gave me a stern look. "Say sorry to your brother."
That is not fair.
"But he acted like I'm stupid!"
"Monica." She gave me a stare-down. "Young ladies don't stick out their tongues."
I sighed and turned back to Ross, "Sorry," I grumpily said. Okay, I was rude, but Ross always acted like he was smarter than me. Sometimes, I felt stupid around him. And Mom and Dad never got mad at him. He always got away with everything!
"Do you want to read the book after I finish?" Ross asked. So I can be a know-it-all like him? No, thank you. Besides, that book looked so dull. I rather read a Nancy Drew mystery or even a cookbook.
"No, thank you." I politely replied.
"Okay. You're welcome to it any time."
Mom smiled adoringly at Ross. "Aww. What a sweet brother you are."
I held back an eye roll. Well, Ross is a show-off. I knew what he was doing.
"My Harmonica is doing well with the football. "Dad smiled proudly, put his arm around me, and tugged at my ponytail. I smiled back as I felt my cheeks burn. "I think she will be a football player one day."
Ross laughed so hard that he choked on the lemonade he was drinking then, and Mom giggled.
"Oh, Jack. You know girls aren't football players."
"I know that. But I know Monica can do anything she puts her mind to."
I can? I thought back to how peaceful and happy I felt when making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or when I helped Grandma make the chocolate chip cookies. Or when I made a treat to cook in my Easy Bake oven, I felt excitement when it made a ding sound. It's not only because I am excited to eat the yummy brownie but also because of the feeling that I did something. The feeling that I made something good and…perfect.
"I think so, too." Grandma put her arm around me and smiled. I felt lighter at Dad's and Grandma's words. I looked at Mom, but she was paying attention to wiping up the lemonade Ross had spilled all over his face and shirt.
"Mom. Do you think so, too?"
Mom turned to me and smiled. "Yes. Of course you can, honey."
I smiled and turned back to my plate to finish eating my food. When I was finished, I was still hungry, and I spied the bag of potato chips by Ross.
"Ross, can you give me the chips?"
"Sure." Ross shrugged and held the bag to me, "want me to pour out some for you?"
"Sure. Thank you."
Ross kneeled on the bench, leaned over the table to reach out to my plate, and gently tilted the bag onto my plate. Then he sat back and put the bag back to where it was.
"Want some watermelon?" I asked him.
"Sure."
I grabbed a piece from the bowl, put it on a napkin, and passed it over to him.
"Thank you." He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He's okay sometimes.
"That's nice." Grandma smiled at us both. "It's good to be kind to your brother or sister."
I ate my chips and looked around the park; I saw the boy I saw earlier still sitting on the bench. He looked lonely… I wonder if he is hungry. I grabbed another napkin and put a cookie on it. And ran over to him.
"Hi, do you want a cookie?" I asked, smiling, and held out the cookie to him.
"Huh... sure." the boy smiled back at me. Grabbing the cookie from my hand. I sat down by him as he took a bite. His eyes light up. ""Hmm, this is good! Thanks."
"Welcome, and thank you. I help my grandmother make them." I love making people happy. I smiled back.
"You should be a chef or a baker when you're allr grown up!"
"Well, thank you… I love helping in the kitchen and playing with my Easy Bake oven," I smiled, feeling my cheeks burn. I imagined myself in a big white hat at a restaurant, stirring something in a big pot on the stove while ordering the other chefs around. I felt a swell of excitement. Huh? Maybe... that did sound awesome. I turned my attention back to the boy. He seems nice and lonely. Maybe he needed a friend?
"I'm Monica. What's your name?"
"Chandler!" I heard someone behind us shout out loud, and the boy turned to the voice, and his eyes widened as a lady walked fast toward us with an angry gaze in her eyes. Chandler? Is that his name? Never heard of that name before.
"Huh… Sorry, I need to go!" t boy said quickly, running over to the woman I guessed was his mother. I watched them as his mother dragged him away, yelling at him. He turned his head back over his shoulder with a sad look. I smiled and waved at him. I felt sad myself. He smiled, waved back, and then looked to the ground as they walked out of the park. I slumped in my seat and frowned at the cookie that the boy dropped. I would have like another friend. Oh well.
"Monica!" I heard Ross shout as he ran over to me while tossing the football between his hands. "It's football time! What are you doing?" he curiously looked in the direction where the boy and his mother were walking away.
Oh yes! Football! I smiled, feeling excited again. I stood up, grabbed the football from his hands, and ran.
"Hey!" Ross whined and chased after me. "Monica!"
I giggled and threw the ball to the ground when I got to the other side of the park. And I danced around. "Touchdown! And you're out!"
Thank you for reading. I hope you like it. Any feedback is appreciated.