The one with the cuffs

Monica knows her annoying habits, especially now when she doesn't have a job or a boyfriend. They've become her worst enemy to her self-esteem. What's the problem about a little organization?

Ever since she went to visit her parents to get away from Ross and Rachel fighting, her mother has been calling her regularly. They have been talking about everything, it even got Monica to relax and open up about recent things in her life. Her mother had a nice response to everything and they had a laugh.

"Who were you talking to?" Chandler entered her apartment, ever since he was robbed he spent even more time over in apartment 20.

"My mom." Monica stood up from the couch and Chandler studied her for signs of sadness, reeling from self-defense or anger. He took a few tentative steps towards her "Yeah?"

"Yep, Chandler she's been really nice actually. I don't know why, is it okay for me to wonder when she will blow up on me…. I don't know, for wearing the wrong hat or something."

"Oh, we all know how dangerous it is to wear that hat with the wrong bag" He picked up her gray hat and pointed towards her room where her bag hangs.

"Great, next time my mom comes. I'll ask you what socks goes with my necklace."

Monica knew Phoebe would help her out at her mom's dinner, so when Monica asked her they agreed to drive out to Long Island. She had listened carefully to what her mother wanted. It was everything from matching outfits to the amount of guests. Her mother had been in a good mood so she wanted everything to go perfectly. Phoebe showed up in a see-through white long sleeved shirt, following Monica's strict orders. Monica quickly picked up a black vest and a black cardigan so they would match but also to hide Phoebe's very visible underwear. As the two of them packed everything in the yellow taxi and Monica double and triple checked everything they drove to the Geller residence. Monica had bought fake nails last minute to hide the evidence of biting her nails. She nervously touched and pressed them down, the glue didn't work as well as she thought. But it was better to keep them on than to show her mother she still bit her nails.

Judy Geller opened the door and examined Monica and Pheobe.

"Mrs Geller, it's my fault I didn't have the right clothes. Monica made sure I looked as good as I could. Blame me, not her. Oh." Phoebe waved her arms as she studied Judy Geller's facial expression. "Both of you have the same I'm-angry-face." She pointed between Monica and Judy as the two of them stood by the front door.

"Oh get in both of you. It's lovely to have your help. Thank you Phoebe for helping Monica today. I'm thinking, how about Phoebe serving? Yes?" Both of them nodded as they packed up everything they needed.

Monica knew it was too good to be true, her mother didn't believe in her. She shouldn't have shared so much. Her mother will turn everything against her again, like she always does. She was looking for her father, but Jack Geller seemed to be having an important conversation she didn't want to interrupt. She retreated slowly to the stairs and walked slowly up the stairs to her old room. She knows she won't be the perfect daughter, every little detail she made sure of was for her mother. To make her proud, to show her mother she knows cooking. She is good at her job. Her mother can at least give her that. She opened the door to Ross's old bedroom, his was the closest to the stairs. His bedroom was left the exact same way as it was when he left, some of her old swimming medals stood in the shadows of her brother's science medals. She picked up one of the larger ones from 1977. The year before she put the weight on and she stopped wanting to put on a swimming costume. "Pulling a Monica" Monica muttered to herself as she remembered how her mother repeatedly used the phrase. She put the medal back and dusted off the foot on one of Ross's trophies before heading out of Ross's room and into her old room further down the corridor.

She was determined to show her mother that she is good at her job, she has spent enough time with Joey that she could make a dish from things she found in the fridge and cupboard. Phoebe came back with empty trays time after time and she felt her heart flutter each time she saw how much her parents' guests enjoyed the food. Her food.

"Guess who I found in Joanna's office today?" Rachel caught Monica and Phoebe as soon as they entered apartment 20 by the end of the day.

"Didn't Chandler break up with her?" Monica laughed to herself as she encountered the conversation she and Rachel had the day before.

"Don't you remember him with Janice? He can't break up with someone." Phoebe took off her jacket and vest and gave it back to Monica.

"I can understand why Janice and Joanna don't want to break up with him." Rachael started.

"What? Why?" Monica and Phoebe both turned to look at Rachel.

"How did it go with your mom?" Chandler walked back to apartment 20 with Monica.

"Oh, I pulled a Monica"

"I've heard Phoebe use that one today too. Is that a sex thing?" He stopped in the middle of the stairs "You okay?" He ran up to catch up with her.

"Yes, next time remind me why I can't be too happy when it comes to my mother." She turned to look at him again.

"You are an amazing chef, I know that feeding Joey is a full time job on its own. But you are. Don´t listen to your mother". Monica smiled as Chandler squeezed her shoulder as he stood next to her and they walked up the next flight of stairs.