The Caretaker
I hope you like the story, and that you tell me his opinions, through them I know if I'm on the right path.
Remember English is not my native language, I hope the translation is correct, check it, but sometimes I miss some incorrect personal pronouns for the phrase, sorry.
I reiterate, I do not own the characters of Friends I only rely on them for the pure pleasure of writing stories without any economic interest, and Monica and Chandler they inspire me
Chapter 7
On Sunday Chandler left early to play tennis, while he had his job as a caretaker he had not set foot on a court so he decided to spend the day there, he would eat something in the local cafeteria.
During breakfast Phoebe asked Joey about him, Joey told her that he had left early, that he left him a note that he was going to play tennis,
"Is there something wrong?" Phoebe asked.
Joey became uncomfortable, it wasn't a lie, but he couldn't say anything about what he supposed was happening to him either.
"I don't know, I left yesterday and I haven't seen him yet…. why, is something wrong with him?" he said absently
"Maybe it's because of all the beers you had yesterday," said Ross.
"Yesterday? no, I only took one, and I suppose he did too…. "But I don't know, maybe he made the beer wrong," Joey concluded, wishing the interrogation would end there.
Ross was left wondering why Chandler had lied to him about the beers...
And Phoebe, who was attentive to Monica's movements all the time, the sadness on her face, her moist eyes, it became increasingly clear to her what was happening to those two, those months the close friendship they had had been shattered transformed into love and they didn't know how to handle it, neither of them knew what the other felt. She had to talk to Joey, their friends were suffering, they should do something.
On Monday at noon Phoebe, before entering apartment 20 went to 19, Chandler was sitting in the easy chair with his eyes closed and his laptop in his lap.
Phoebe greeted him and he jumped, he had bags under his eyes, he clearly hadn't slept well, and on the low table there were three cups of coffee, which he obviously needed to drink after spending a bad night.
"Hello, I think I woke you up, I was coming to look for Joey, do you know where he is, where he went?"
"I think he had an audition, that was a little more than 3 hours ago, I guess he'll come here later." Chandler answered.
"I'm going to see Monica, aren't you coming?"
"No thanks, I'm working," Chandler replied.
"Yes, I see…." Phoebe said raising her eyes. "Please tell Joey when he comes back to pick me up at 20, I need to talk to him…"
"OK, I'll let he know."
"See you later," Phoebe said.
"Goodbye" he replied.
Phoebe didn't know how to access Monica, when she was stubborn she was just like Chandler, and if she got straight to the point she would deny it until the end of days.
It was noticeable that Monica was not her usual self, she was sad, every now and then she sighed as if she was having a hard time breathing, it seemed like she was listening to her, but the reality was that she didn't pay much attention to her.
In any case, she told Phoebe about the lawyer's proposal that morning, to continue with the criminal accusation against those who attacked her, and try to reach an agreement with Sanders for the compensation that corresponded for his conduct in the face of harassment. She would let him know when they would have a meeting to reach an agreement.
When Rachel arrived, the conversation became a little livelier since she was upset because she couldn't have a date with Joshua.
"Girls, today I felt like a total idiot, I listened to Joey and bought two tickets for the Knicks, the team Joshua told me he is a fan of, you know, two tickets! If a girl gives you TWO tickets, it's obvious that she wants you to go together, but the guy took it "as a courtesy on my part just for him" and to top it all off he told me that they were good for him to take his nephew, you give account! Spend money for him to go out with his nephew!
Despite her low spirits, Monica couldn't help but smile. "Rachel, forget about Joshua, please let it go, if he just got divorced and it seems like it's a tumultuous divorce, he's not ready for a relationship yet, he's not even aware of it happens that someone is interested in him."
"But ... ¡He is so cute!" Rachel said in a cuddly voice and with a puppy face. "Also, every time I set out to go out with a guy, I have succeeded… am I not so sexy anymore? Have I gotten older?"
"Jesus Christ, Rachel, it's not your fault, the guy is the idiot, please forget it," Phoebe told her seriously.
At that moment Joey came in. "Hello everyone, Phoebe told me Chandler that you wanted to see me."
"Yes, I need to talk to you…"
"We can all go down to the cafe while you guys talk," Rachel said happily.
Phoebe made a gesture that said that's not what I want... "Girls, if you want to go down to the cafe, we'll stay here talking."
"I don't feel like going down to the cafe, go ahead," Monica answered.
Phoebe was already getting upset, "Let's see if you understand, I need to talk to Joey alone, or you go to the cafe alone, or we go alone."
"Wow Phoebe, how mysterious you are…" Rachel said with a mocking smile.
"Yes, it is something personal, what do they do, leave or stay?"
"I'll stay," Monica said. She didn't really want to meet Chandler, she had to apologize, but she would probably start crying, it was the only thing she wanted to do lately.
"Okay, I'll stay with Monica, you guys go downstairs and when you finish your mystery meeting, go upstairs and we'll order Chinese food," Rachel decided and added, "tell Chandler since we haven't seen him today."
Phoebe and Joey sat at the window table, Phoebe wanted privacy
"Phoebe, what's the matter? You want to talk that the girls can't hear?" Joey said, somewhat surprised.
"You're going to tell me what happens to Chandler," Phoebe ordered.
Joey "I don't know what you're talking about, there's nothing wrong with him"
"Of course, nothing is wrong with him, but he disappeared on the 20th, today I went to look for you and he was asleep in the easy chair and he had bags under his eyes, a sign that he is not sleeping at all, I know that something is happening to him, you know it and it tells me. You're going to say," Phoebe ordered again.
"I really don't know, I know that for a few days he has been depressed, but when I asked him he told me that there is nothing wrong with him, you know that when he closes down he is an oyster" Joey answered.
"Is he very depressed? Phoebe asked.
"Yes, that's what it seems to me, he's in his room or sitting in the easy chair, he's had more beer than he usually does, but I don't know more."
"And you didn't insist that he tell you," Phoebe told him.
"Look …. to have …. I guess that's what's wrong with him, but he didn't tell me anything, and mine is just a guess..." Joey explained.
"Well, tell me your guess…" Phoebe demanded.
"But if I tell you and I'm wrong, everyone will be mad at me…" Joey answered with a scared face.
"Look, I promise I will never tell your assumption to anyone… you trust me, right? well talk
"I think he is in love with Monica…. Since I met him and Monica I always thought that behind their close friendship there was something more, of course on Chandler's side, I never thought that Monica would be interested in a guy like him, and not because he is not handsome, intelligent, hard-working, by far the best person I know, but for his commitment phobias" and continued
"That's why when he offered to be her caretaker, I warned him that such close coexistence could put things on his mind, but he assured me that they were just friends of hers and he wanted to help her."
"Honestly Phoebe, during those months I was worried, Chandler was happy, I had never seen him like this, let's say so "calm", "confident", so comfortable, so attentive to a woman, that I began to think that those feelings that I was afraid they would appear, they definitely did and in a big way."
"When Monica told him that she didn't need him anymore, that's when his sadness began, and when Monica mistreated him the other day, that's when he definitely broke down."
"The last few days, his distance, made me assume something like that, but I also have another assumption, which is almost certain." Phoebe said.
"What are you talking about?" Joey asked.
"Monica has a crush on him too," Phoebe said with a soft smile.
"What are you talking about, Monica in love with Chandler, the commitment-phobia," Joey said in surprise.
"Joey thinks carefully that Monica also seems discouraged, sad, these last few days I'm sure she's been crying, the day she answered you badly was because she was furious with you for taking Chandler on a date, and she treated him was bad when she found out that he liked the date and would invite the girl again, it was because of jealousy."
"And Monica fell in love with him despite his commitment phobia," Joey said.
"You know, I think that living together must have attenuated that phobia a lot, Chandler has been able to prove that he can have a normal and lasting relationship with a woman, and I believe Monica is with the only woman in the world whom he trusts enough not to be afraid of commitment, and he has always loved her, even if he hasn't realized it."
"But I don't understand, if they are so in love, why haven't they confessed it to each other?"
"You know, I think that Monica believes that he only loves her as a friend, and if she had any doubts, the date confirmed that belief, and Chandler believes that Monica only loves him as a friend, and just as you have thought, she would never take him into account for anything. Furthermore, we all know Chandler's low self-esteem, therefore, he will never dare to say anything to her."
"Phoebe, we can't watch them suffer like this without doing anything, if I told Chandler and you tell Monica what the other person feels, let's solve the problem.
"No, we can't approach them like that, let me think of a way to bring them closer, they have to talk and explain to each other what they feel" Phoebe said and she was thoughtful.
"Joey I think we need to talk to Rachel and Ross" quote Phoebe
"You're crazy, telling Ross that Chandler is in love with his little sister, he's going to kill him, he already wanted to kill him when he offered to take care of her, now Ross is going to think that he wants to sleep with her" Joey spoke with his eyes open and shaking head in negative
"Please can you calm down, there is nothing wrong with Chandler being in love with Monica, and even less so if that love is reciprocated, I think everything he did in these months shows that he is a good man, maybe to Ross right away." "The color will rise to his face, but we will make him understand that he couldn't have a better brother-in-law," Phoebe explained.
"Do you think they are going to get married? …. Chandler is getting married? …" Joey said with a shocked face.
"I think so, I repeat, during these months when I entered apartment 20 and saw them together, doing whatever, they were a couple, they behaved as a couple, not as friends, if Chandler loves Monica as we think he does I don't think he is afraid of her."
"And after talking to the other two, what are we going to do?" Joey said.
"Four heads are better than one, I have a slight idea, but together we can perfect it. We could meet at the cafe next to The Angelika, so we don't run the risk of Monica going down to Central Perk, and although Chandler hasn't been going lately, just in case it's better to meet somewhere else. "Now we tell Ross and Rachel that we will meet there tomorrow after work to talk."
The next day the four friends met at the cafe.
"You might know what's been going on between you two lately, so much mystery, meeting here instead of Central Perk," Rachel said with annoyance.
Joey looked at Phoebe, he preferred her to do the talking.
"We're meeting here because we don't want Monica or Chandler to know about this meeting," Phoebe explained.
"Why? Ross asked.
"Both of you listen to what I have to tell you and try to pay attention, don't interrupt or go crazy" and after a stern look at each one he continued.
"You can't have failed to notice that Monica and Chandler's mood these days is a disaster. "Monica looks sad, she rejects our invitations, and it's not because of her leg, because she's fine now, it doesn't hurt, and the reaction she had with Joey and Chandler is not like her."
"True, that day after breakfast she went to her room, she didn't want to have lunch, she said her head hurt, and when she left the room in the afternoon her eyes were wet, the truth is that I didn't pay much attention, I was focused on the subject of Joshua, I should have asked her what was wrong, I was very selfish," Rachel said, saying those last words with a clear feeling of guilt.
Phoebe continued "For his part, Chandler almost doesn't come with us, Joey is clear that he is depressed, he is in his room or in the easy chair and he drinks too much beer."
"Yes, that's true, on Saturday when I went to look for him to come watch the movie with us, I found him in the easy chair and the low table was full of empty beer bottles. He told me that they had drunk them with Joey, but then Joey told me that he drank just one" said Ross looking at Joey.
"Exactly, he never drinks more than two or three beers, but now he drinks many more, and he sits all day, all droopy, sad and depressed, he is not writing, remember how enthusiastic he was while taking care of Monica" Joey explained.
"Well, Joey and I have come to the same conclusion, they are in love with each other and can't bring themselves to talk," Phoebe said with a soft smile.
"Chandler in love with my little sister, I knew, I knew that nothing good would come of that care" Ross said with his face already red.
"Ross, you're not reasoning at all, Chandler loves her, I think he has always loved her without being aware of it, but think about everything he cared about her these months, everything he did for her. We are all friends, right? We all love each other as friends, but in a similar situation none of us would have thought of giving up work just to take care of any of us" and Phoebe continued
"Ross, he is your best friend, you know what a good person he is, generous, loyal, just think about the boyfriends Monica had, clearly this one surpasses them by far…" Phoebe continued
"But this doesn't end there, what happens with Monica, for Joey and I it is clear that she also loves Chandler, none of us, not even your Ross, became that close to her, when he proposed to take care of her and her face lit up, remember, she was furious with you Ross and your mom, but when Chandler spoke she changed her mood."
"Besides, all these months you couldn't have failed to notice how happy they both were, how well they got along, they were two souls who were a couple."
"And if it's like you think, why didn't they confess to each other?" Rachel said, knitting her eyebrows.
"Rachel, I'm sure Monica thinks Chandler only wants her as a friend, that's why she reacted like that against him and Joey at breakfast, she's mad at Joey for taking Chandler on a double date, and she was jealous of Chandler when he said "That would come out again," Phoebe explained.
"Monica must be sure that Chandler doesn't want anything deeper with her, plus she knows about his fear of commitment."
"But precisely, since she is going to fall in love with a man who is afraid of committed relationships, she fell in love with Richard and look how she fared, he didn't want children and Chandler doesn't even want to get married," Ross protested.
This time it was Joey who spoke. "Ross, you know Chandler, in the face of any challenge he tends to have low esteem, he believes he doesn't deserve Monica, he believes they are in different galaxies, and unfortunately one day I agreed with him on that, I blame myself for it, Chandler is afraid of talking, being rejected and losing the friendship with Monica"
"In a word, they are going to continue suffering without confessing anything, that's why I think we have to do something," Phoebe explained.
"What? "We can tell each of them that the other loves them," Ross said, doubting his proposal.
"I said the same thing and Phoebe almost killed me" Joey said smiling.
"Guys, we have to get them closer somehow, and force them to talk," Phoebe said.
"how? Rachel asked.
"I have a prototype idea, but we all have to complete it," Phoebe said with a big smile.