F•R•I•E•N•D•S - 2nd generation

The One About The Cafe

"You what?" Erica asked.
"We bought the Cafe!" Monica said. "Me, your dad, uncle Ross, and aunt Rachel."
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Oh, well, when we were younger we all used to hang out here but it wasn't a Starbucks, it was a small coffee place called..."
"Central Perk." Jack, Erica, and Emma said together.
"Yes! It's an important place for us."
"But you don't even live here, aunt Monica." Emma said.
"Yeah... I guess we didn't think this all the way through..."
"But we'll make it work!" Rachel said.
"I already have some name ideas." Ross said. "What do you guys think of 1994?"
"Why 1994?" Chandler asked.
"It was the year that we were all together for the first time. The year when Rachel walked in this door."
"Aww, honey, that's so sweet." Rachel said.
"What about: Cafe Insomnia?" Chandler asked.
"Why?"
"I don't know, maybe because we serve coffee and people drink coffee when they wanna stay awake?"
"I think we should name it Monica's." Monica said.
"Why? Why in earth would we name the coffee house 'Monica's'?" Ross said.
"It's a great name." Monica replied.
"Friends." Alison said. They all turned to her.
"What?"
"I think you should call it 'Friends'. You know, this was kinda of the symbol of your friendship, it could maybe be the symbol of other ones."
"I know what? I like that." Ross said.
"Yeah, I like that too." Rachel said.
"I say we go with 'Friends'." Chandler said and they all looked at Monica.
"Still think that 'Monica's' is our best option. But 'Friends' wouldn't be that bad."
"'Friends' it is." Ross said.
**
"Do you guys wanna watch something?" Emma asked.
"Sure." Erica said.
"Romance?" Emma asked.
"No." James and Scott answered. They looked at Jack.
"What? Some romances are good."
"Drama?"
"Nope." Alison said. "They usually involve little animals dying and I'm having a happy day so far."
"Comedy?"
"I feel like we already watched all of them." Erica said.
"What about a horror movie? We never watch those."
"Not so into horror movies." James said.
"C'mon. It'll be fun." Alison said.
"Yeah." Erica said.
"I don't really mind." Scott said.
"Just nothing with clowns." Jack said. "They creep me out."
"Ah, guys, horror isn't that good." James said.
"Why? Are you scared, James?" Emma asked smiling.
"No! Me? Scared? No. That does not happen."
"Let's watch the movie then."
"Okay... but I call the middle."
They laughed. Emma got the remote and sat on the couch. James sat between her and Jack.
"Okay, here... we... go..."
**
"That's the end?" James asked. "It's not happy."
"Yeah, this usually happens in horrors." Erica said.
"Oh, and James, that's my hand." Jack said.
"Why didn't you say it before?"
They all laughed. The door opened.
"I can't believe this!" Ross stormed into the apartment.
"What happened, dad?" Emma asked.
"It wasn't my fault!" Rachel said. "Who calls someone at eight a.m. for this? Who calls someone at eight a.m. for anything?"
"What happened?" Emma asked again.
"They called this morning to know what name to put on the big sign at the cafe..."
"At eight in the morning." Rachel added.
"I wasn't at home. You're mom got the call. You know what she told them when they asked what to write? She told them 'I Hate Mornings!'"
"It was eight a.m.!"
"So your coffee house is called 'I Hate Mornings'?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, if we want another name we'll have to pay for this one and buy a new one. And they're not cheap." Ross said.
"It isn't that bad." Erica said. "Everyone hates mornings."
"Thanks, Ery!" Rachel said.
"It's kinda funny." Emma said smiling.
"Uh-uh! You should name your drinks with really grumpy names! Like: 'can I, please, have a 'Just Five More Minutes' to go?' or 'I want a 'Shut Up!' and he'll take a 'Hell of Alarm'." Alison said.
"See? It's not that bad! 'Can I have a 'Don't Wake Me', please?'" Rachel said.
"Ok, I think we can work this out. Only for now though. Later we get a new sign."
"Agreed."
"We need to go down there then to solve some more things."
"Ok, bye." Emma said.
"Bye, honey."
They left the apartment.
"Do you guys wanna watch the second part of the movie?" Emma asked.
"This movie has a part 2?" James asked.
"Yeah. Some else moves in the house." Erica said.
"Why would someone do that?"
"Let's watch it." Jack said.
**
"So, you're telling me that this movie has freaking two parts and neither of them has a happy ending?"
"Yep."
"That's awful. I need to use the restroom." James got up and vanished behind the door.
"We should scare him." Scott said.
"This will be so funny." Emma said.
"Let's do it." Jack said.
**
"What do you guys wanna do now?" James asked getting out of the restroom.
"Uh, I don't know." Erica said. "Watch something else?"
James sat back on the couch.
"James..." a voice whispered. He looked at the others.
"Yeah, very funny guys, ha-ha."
"What?" Scott asked looking the the TV.
"James..."
"Ok, you can stop. You're not gonna scare me."
"James..."
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked looking at him.
"James..."
"You, guys, are not hearing this?"
"James..."
"Hearing what, James?" Erica asked.
"James..."
The phone rang.
"Oh. That's weird." Emma said. "Can someone take it?"
"Sure." Alison said answering it. "Oh, ok. You wanna talk to him?" She paused. "It's for you, James. Kinda weird."
"For me?"
"Yeah."
James got the phone.
"James..."
"What the..." he looked around. "Who are you?"
"No one. Everyone."
"Is... is this a prank?"
"Oh, no, James. It's not a prank. I'm coming for you."
The lights went off. When they were back on everyone was gone.
"Oh my God! What the hell?"
He jumped on the couch.
"Emma? Jack? Where's everyone?"
"Ah!" They screamed from behind the balcony.
"Ahhh!" James screamed.
Everyone laughed besides James.
"That was not funny."
"Yes, it was." Jack said.
"Very funny." Erica said.
"How did you even do that?"
Emma went to the phone.
"Thanks, aunt Phoebe. It worked. Bye." She hung it up.
"Very funny. Ha-ha. I bet y'all would be as scared as I was. Even more."
"If it makes you feel any better." Scott said.
"Oh, guys, my mom texted me. She told us to go to the coffee house."
"Ok, let's go."
**
"Welcome to 'I Hate Mornings.'" Ross said.
"This place is amazing." Emma said.
"I know!" Monica screamed.
David walked in the door.
"Hey, Ems. Got your text."
"Ems? I'm the only who calls her Ems." James said to Jack.
"Oh, hi, honey."
"What happened to this place? It's away better."
"Well, thank you." Ross said.
"Mom, dad. This is David. David, these are my mom and my dad."
"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs..."
"Geller and Green." James shouted. David and Emma looked at him. "You seemed like you needed a little help, friend."
"Thank you." David said a little uncomfortable.
"Crap." Scott said coming closer to James and Jack.
"What?" James asked.
"She's introducing him to her parents. It's getting serious."
"C'mon what does that guy have that I don't?"
"A date tonight." Jack said and he and Scott high-fived.
"I'm serious, guys."
"They're too." Jack said and high-fived Scott again. "I'm on fire today."
"Maybe I should just give up." James said.
"What? No. You can't. You like her." Jack said.
"What if it's just because I can't have her? I can't mess up our friendship. You know me, Scott. What do you think?"
"I think you're the only one who can possibly know that."
"Yeah..." James said.
**
"I'm gonna go." Alison said when they were back in the apartment. "I have a date with a cute guy that I met at the zoo today."
"Ok, bye, Ali." Emma said.
"Bye."
Alison left.
"I'm gonna take off too. I need to swing by my office and grab some paperwork." Scott said. "Bye, everyone."
"Bye, Scott." Erica shouted from the couch.
"If everyone is going..." Jack started.
"Oh, no. You guys should stay for dinner. What do you think of Chinese?"
"I like that idea." Jack said. "James?"
"Sure."
Erica got up from the couch and got the phone. Emma laid down on the other couch and turned the TV on.
"Ems..." James called sitting by her.
"Yeah?" She asked putting her feet over his legs.
"Are you serious with this David guy?"
"Pretty much. I like him. Why? Jealous?" She asked smiling and looking at him. He smiled. She turned back to the TV.
"Of course, Ems... do you... do you want a serious relationship?"
"Yes. I think so. Why are you asking?" She asked not taking her eyes off of the TV.
"Just that Erica and Jack say that you used to not want them. That you hated them. What made you realize that you wanted one?"
"I don't know. I guess you just feel it." She looked at him. "Oh my God, James!"
"What? What?"
"You're liking someone!"
"No, I'm not."
"Yeah, you are." She said smiling. He looked down. She held his hand. He looked at her. "Look, James, if she's making you question the way you felt about serious relationships, you should give it a shot."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I do." She smiled softly and squeezed his hand.
"The food is on its way." Erica said.
"Great." Emma said.
"Jack?" James called.
"Yeah?"
"I'm not giving up." He said smiling.
"Good." Jack answered the same way.
"What are you guys talking about?" Erica asked.
"Jack made me promise that I was gonna try to learn baseball and I thought it would be awful and I wanted to give up. But I'm not."
"Hum, I tried that once too. I hope it goes better for you."
"Yeah, me too."