Ashley, Chandler and Joey had been hanging out at the guys place. Ever since her and Rachel had arrived Ashley had found herself creating a better bond with Chandler and Joey out of anyone else in the group.
The three decided to head down to the coffee house where the rest of the group would be.
"Hey, watch this. I bet here to the coffee shop is less than a hundred steps."
"If it is ill give you a hundred bucks, if not you owe me a hundred instead." Ashley bargained
Joey grinned "Deal." As he shook hands with her.
Chandler shook his head at what he thought was a ridiculous deal but decided to let them be.
☕️
Monica, Ross and Phoebe were sitting around the table in Central Perk chatting and arranging a girls sleepover for later. Meanwhile Joey, Chandler and Ashley were still counting the steps.
"95, 96, 97." Joey looked pleased with himself. "See, I told you. Less than 100 steps from our place to here. And Ash you owe me that money."
"Yeah, okay, fine i'll pay up." She said.
"No, you know what? You can just owe me a cup of coffee." He smiled.
"You got way too much free time man." Chandler said.
The trio made their way over to the orange couch.
"Hey, there's the birthday boy." Chandler and Joey greeted Ross.
"Ross, check it out. Hockey tickets, Rangers-Penguins. Tonight at the Garden and we're taking you." Joey showed Ross the three tickets.
"Happy birthday pal." Chandler exclaimed.
"We love you man." Joey hugged and kissed Ross on the cheek.
Ross looked at the tickets.
"That funny. My birthday was seven months ago."
"so?" Joey asked.
"So, i'm guessing you had an extra ticket and couldn't decide who got to bring a date." Ross answered joey's question.
"Well, actually that's where you're wrong." Chandler argued "We originally bought the ticket for Ash because she told us the other day how much she liked hockey."
"Yeah, but then me and the girls decided we wanted to spend the night in." Ashley said "Hey, Mon did you ask Phoebe yet?"
"Yeah, she said she would love to." Monica answered.
Ross looked at the hockey tickets for a second time.
"Oh, my god. Is today the twentieth? October twentieth?" He asked.
"I was hoping you wouldn't remember." Monica said sympathetically.
"What's wrong with the twentieth?" Joey asked confused.
"Eleven days before halloween all the good costumes are gone?" Chandler joked.
"Today's the day Carol and I first consummated our physical relationship." Ross answered Joey's previous question.
Joey still looked confused so Ashley whispered in his ear to help him out.
"oh." he finally understood.
"You know, i'd better pass on the game i think i'm just gonna go home and think about my ex-wife and her lesbian lover." Ross said looking very glum.
Joeys face instantly lit up "To hell with hockey. let's all do that."
"Come on ross." Chandler tried to persuade him. "You, me, Joey, ice, guys night out."
Chandler took it upon himself to pretend to punch Ross in the stomach several times while saying "Come on, what do you say, big guy."
"What are you doing?" Ross asked referencing the fake punches he was receiving.
"I have no idea." Chandler said.
"Come on, ross." It was Joey's turn to persuade.
"all right, all right." Ross finally gave in. "Maybe it will take my mind of it. Do you promise to buy me a big foam finger?"
"You got it!" Joey agreed.
"look, look , look" Rachel chanted from the back of the coffee house. "My first pay check."
The group cheered for her.
Rachel had got herself a job in the coffee shop while Ashley got one in a the laundromat that was down the street from their apartment complex. This was apart of their whole independence thing.
"Look at the window. There's my name." Rachel pointed to where her name had been printed on the enevelope.
"I remember the day I got my first pay check. There was a cave-in in one of the mines and eight people were killed." Phoebe said
"Wow, you worked in a mine?" Monica asked.
"No, I worked in a diary queen. Why?" Phoebe answered as if it was obvious.
"Just the way you phrased it, sweetie." Ashley said to the blonde.
"Oh! isnt this exciting?" Rachel said excitedly. "I earned this. I wiped tables for it. I steamed milk for it. And it was totally not worth it." Rachel's face immediately dropped. "Who's Fica? Why's he getting all my money? Chandler look at that."
Rachel handed the pay check to him.
"Oh. This is not that bad." He lied
The pay check was now getting passed around the group.
"This is basically the same i make at the laundromat" Ashley spoke.
"Oh. You're fine for a first job." Joey said. "You can totally live of this." Ross said
"Yeah, if she never goes shopping again." Ash joked which made joey stifle a laugh.
"Oh yeah" Phoebe reassured Rachel.
"Hey by the way great service today" Ross said.
The whole group agreed and started to leave Rachel generous tips.
"Hockey!" The three guys shouted in unison and left.
Ash left with them as she realised she was late for her shift.
☕️
Monica, Phoebe and Ashley were making drinks in the girls apartment prepping for their sleepover when Rachel had just arrived back from hanging out with her and Ashley's old friends.
"Hey, Rach how was it with your friends?" Monica asked.
"Yeah, i can't believe i missed that over a stupid work shift. I miss the girls so much."
"Oh yeah, well i don't miss them one bit." Rachel said clearly annoyed.
"Woah, sweetie what's wrong?" Ashley asked concerned.
"Well, it's the whole big marriage and Barry situation." Rachel answered as she noticed the jug of mysterious drink Monica was holding. "What's in that?" she asked.
"Well, it's rum and..." Monica was answering Rachel's question but was interrupted when Rachel took the full jug out of Monica's hand, lifted a straw and started drinking.
Ashley made her way over to Rachel to comfort her.
"We thought that since everyone is staying over tonight we'd have kind of a slumber party thing." Monica suggested.
"We got some trashy magazines, We got cookie dough, we got twister." Monica said trying to distract Rachel from her problem but the phone rang interrupting her.
"Oh, and i brought operation but i lost the tweezers so we can't operate but we can prep the guy!" Phoebe suggested.
Monica answered the ringing phone.
"Rach, it's the visa card people." Monica said making her way over the Rachel.
"Oh, god, ask them what they want." Rachel said.
"Could you please tell me what this is in reference to?" Monica asked. "Yes they say there's been unusual activity on your account."
"But i haven't used my card in weeks." Rachel whined.
"Told you she'd have to stop shopping." Ashley mumbled under her breath.
"That is the unusual activity." Monica said.
"Look, they just want to see if you're okay." Monica reassured Rachel.
"They want to know if i'm okay." Rachel started ranting "Okay, they wanna know if i'm okay. Okay, let's see well the FICA guys took all my money. Everyone i know is either getting married or getting pregnant or getting promoted and i'm getting coffee, and it's not even for me. So if that sounds like i'm okay then you can tell them i'm okay. Okay?"
Monica knowing there was no way she could tell the person on the phone that, simply told them that Rachel had left the building, told them to call back later and hung up.
"All right, come on let's play twister." Rachel whined as she was nearly crying.
☕️
An hour had passed the three girls were still in Monica's apartment trying to comfort Rachel.
"You should feel great about yourself. You're doing this amazing independent thing." Monica spoke softly to Rachel.
"Monica, what is so amazing?" Rachel argued. "I gave up, like, everything and for what? and the worst part is I dragged Ashley into it aswell."
"Hey, you know i wouldn't rather be anywhere else." Ashley reassured her.
"You are just like Jack." Phoebe said to Rachel.
The three girls stared at her with puzzled faces.
"Jack from downstairs?" Rachel asked.
"No, Jack and the beanstalk." Phoebe answered.
"Ah, the other jack." Monica said sarcastically.
"Yeah, right" Phoebe said obviously not sensing the sarcasm. "See, he gave up something but then he got those magic beans and then he woke up and there was this big plant outside of his window full of possibilities and stuff. And he lived in the village and you live in the village."
"Okay, but pheebs Jack gave up a cow. I gave up an orthodontist." Rachel argued. "Okay, i know i didn't love him but..."
"See Jack did love the cow." Phoebe interrupted Rachel.
"But, see, it was a plan. It was clear. Everything was figured out and now everything's kind of like..." Rachel stopped because she couldn't think of a word.
"Floopy?" Phoebe suggested.
"Yeah." Rachel agreed.
"You're not the only one." Monica reassured her. "I mean half the time, we don't know where we're going. At some point, it's all going to come together and it's just gonna be...unfloopy ."
"Yeah, like that's a word." Phoebe argued.
"But monica, what if it doesn't come together?" Rachel asked.
"Pheebs?" Monica asked phoebe as she didn't know how to answer the question.
"Well, cause you just like...I don't like this question. You do it Ash."
"Uh, well, why did you ask me i'm in the middle of this whole independence thing too?"
"Okay, see you guys what if we don't get magic beans?" Rachel asked the group. "I mean, what if all we got are...beans?"
☕️
After a couple more hours passed The group were still in Monica's apartment only this time were lying down drinking the rest of the alcohol and eating raw cookie dough.
"Oh, i'm so sorry, you guys." Rachel apologised to the group as she brought them all down and made them realise they didn't know what they were doing in life either.
"No, you were right. I don't have a plan." Monica whined.
The door knocked. They figured it was the pizza they had ordered so Rachel got up and answered the door but only after she had to move Ashley who was lying on her.
"Phoebe?" Monica asked her. "Do you have a plan?"
"I don't even have a pla..." She responded.
"Hi. One mushroom, green pepper and onion?" The pizza guy asked.
"No, No. That's not what we ordered! We ordered a fat free crust with extra cheese." Rachel answered clearly frustrated.
"Wait. You're not G. Stephanopoulos?" The pizza guy asked concerned. "Man, my dad's going to kill me."
Monica hearing the mans name immediately jumped from her chair running to the door.
"Wait! Did you say G. Stephanopoulos?" Monica asked.
"Yeah. This one goes across the street. I must have given him yours." The pizza guy began smacking his head while chanting "oh bonehead, bonehead."
Monica still not believing her luck asked "Is this a small mediterranean guy with curiously intelligent good looks?"
"Yeah. That sounds about right." The man answered.
"Was he wearing a stunning blue suit?" Monica continued.
"And a power tie?" Phoebe walked over from the couch and joined in.
"No. Pretty much just a towel." The man said.
Phoebe and Monica's luck just got even better.
"So you guys want me to take this back?" The pizza guy asked.
"What? Are you nuts? We got George Stephanopolous' pizza." Monica exclaimed.
With that Ashley decided to get up and see what all the fuss is about. While rachel payed the man.
"Uh, Pheebs who's George Snuffleupagus?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, who is this guy? and why is he so special?" Ashley also asked.
"That's big bird's friend." Phoebe joked.
"I see pizza!" Monica shouted as she had already made her way over to the window with a pair of binoculars to stare at the guy she had just drooled over.
"I want to see! Let me see!" Phoebe called whole running over to join Monica at the window.
Rachel and Ashley were still just as confused.
"Hello, who are we spying on?" Ashley asked.
"You know the white house advisor? Clinton's campaign guy? The one with great hair, sexy smile...really cute butt?" Monica tried to explain.
"Oh, him!" Rachel exclaimed.
"The little guy? Oh i love him." Ashley said.
Ashley and Rachel ran over to join the two at the window where Phoebe was looking through a pair of binoculars.
"oh, wait. I see a woman." Phoebe said.
"Tell me it's his mother." Monica pleaded.
"It's definitely not his mother." Phoebe confirmed.
"Oh no." Monica whined.
"Wait. She's walking across the floor." Phoebe explaining every detail she saw. "Shes walking, she's walking, she's going for the pizza. Hey that's not for you b*tch."
And with that Phoebe knew she had said too much and immediately set the binoculars down while the other three girls giggled.
☕️
After some time had past the four girls had made their way onto the balcony still spying on the man who had previously took their pizza but were pretty bummed due to the fact he had shut off his lights.
"Are the lights still out?" Monica asked as she had been inside making more drinks for her friends.
"Yeah." Rachel replied with a blunt tone.
"Well, maybe they're napping." Monica suggested in hopes she would acctually believe what she said.
"Oh, please." Ashley gave a dry laugh. "They're doing more than napping."
The other three girls didn't like her positive attitude and all told her to shut up in unison.
Monica handed out to fresh drinks to the girls.
"So...what do you think George is like?" Rachel asked.
"I think he's shy." Monica answered.
"Yeah?" the girls asked.
"I think you have to draw him out. and then when you do, he's a preppy animal." Monica continued.
They all giggled with excitement.
☕️
Twenty minutes past, the girls were still on the balcony but this time sharing confessions with each other.
"Okay, i got one." Monica said. "Do you remember that vegetarian pate i made that you love so much?" She looked Phoebe. "Well unless goose is a vegetable."
Phoebe's face immediately turned to disgust.
"Okay, fine, fine." Phoebe said. "Now i don't feel so bad about sleeping with Jason Hurley."
"What? You slept with Jason?" Monica exclaimed.
"You'd already broken up." Phoebe tried to reason with her.
"How long?" Rachel asked.
"Just a couple hours." Phoebe laughed.
Yeah, well stay away from any of my ex boyfriends." Ashley laughed along with Phoebe.
"Okay, okay i got one." Rachel said. The valentine Tommy Rollerson left in your locker was really from me." Rachel exclaimed.
"Excuse me?" Monica shouted.
"If it makes you feel any better Mon, the valentine from Charlie Helms in Rachel's locker was from me. I couldn't take anymore of her whining about him in the halls."
Rachel looked hurt but knew she deserved it so brushed it off.
Phoebe noticed movement in the guy's apartment they had been watching.
"Oh, god there he is, there he is." Phoebe shouted.
"Where?" Monica exclaimed.
"Right where we've been looking all night." Phoebe answered Monica's stupid question.
"Oh, he's so cute." Rachel said.
"Oh, George, baby, drop the towel." Monica pleaded.
Seconds later they were all chanting "drop the towel, drop the towel."
He finally dropped the towel and all four girls immediately said "wow." in unison.
☕️
An hour later the guys had arrived back from their hockey game and decided to play some twister with the girls. Ashley and joey sat on the couch as they watched the rest of the group play.
"So how was your game?" Ashley asked.
"It was a total bust we spent most of it trying to comfort Ross, and to make it even better during the game the hockey puck hit Ross right in the face so we had to take him to the hospital."
"Oh, that explains the whole stuff on his face." Ashley said pointing to what the hospital had given him for his nose.
"Yeah that's it." He answered. "What'd you girls do?"
"Well it started by us comforting Rachel but then a whole pizza fiasco happened which left us staring at this guy all night. It's kind of a long story." She answered.
"Both nights were a total bust huh?" Joey asked.
"Sounds like it." Ashley responded and Joey pulled her in for a side hug.
"Want to join in on the game?" Ashley asked.
"Let's do it." He answered.
The phone began to rang and as Chandler was already over at it he picked it up.
"Okay, Ash right hand blue." Ross told her.
Joey realising the position this left him and Ashley in he gave a smirk.
"Joey, stop checking me out." Ashley complained.
Joeys face instantly dropped "What? how did you know?" He asked.
"It's like a woman's sixth sense." She replied like it was nothing.
"Rachel it's the visa card people." Chandler said as he was still dealing with the ringing phone.
"Will you take my place?" Rachel asked Chandler.
She meant her place in the game but Chandler joked and took her place on the phone.
"All right. Yes this is Rachel."
The group stifled a laugh while Rachel ran to Chandler and grabbed the phone.
"Hello? Oh, yeah, I know I haven't been using it much." Rachel said to the person on the phone. "Oh! Well, thanks but i'm okay, really. I've got magic beans." She smiled realising what an amazing friends group she has.
With that whole twister game fell apart and everyone fell down.
Authors note:
I hope you enjoyed the second chapter :)
Please let me know if you have any suggestions at all to make this book better </3