Season 2
Monica, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe and Ashley were standing around the kitchen table in Monica's apartment.
"No way." Chandler exclaimed because Monica had just told them all big news.
"I'm telling you, Rachel went to the airport and she's gonna go for it with Ross." Monica replied.
"Oh, my God, this is huge." Phoebe gasped. "This is like bigger than huge, this is like...all right, what's bigger than huge?"
"Um...this?" Joey answered.
"Yes." Phoebe nodded.
"Wow. I mean I can't believe she's really going for it. She's so brave you know, telling your friend you like them in a romantic way after all these years." Ashley said still shocked.
"I'm brave." Joey smirked.
"Joey, we are never going to happen." Ashley assured him.
"Guys, you got new haircuts." Monica exclaimed as she finally noticed.
Ashley grinned and ruffled Joey's hair.
"Hey!" He shouted and ruffled her hair in return.
"Oh, so this is how you wanna play huh?" Ashley asked in a warning tone. "You do know you'll be paying for that later?"
"What are you gonna do, shorty?" Joey teased.
"Okay. That's it!" Ashley shouted and chased Joey who was practically sprinting out of the apartment.
Within a few seconds an out of breath Rachel burst through the door followed by Joey and Ashley who must've caught her on the stairs.
"Airport, Airport." Rachel said still gasping for air. "Ross. Not alone. Julie. Arm around her. Oh...cramp!"
"Okay, I think she's trying to tell us something. Quick get the verbs." Chandler joked as Rachel slapped him on the arm. "Ow." He said.
Rachel angrily pointed at him while following him into the kitchen "You...you, you said he liked me. You, you..." She was interrupted when Ross and his girlfriend, Julie, who he had met in China entered the apartment.
"You slowpokes." Rachel exclaimed as she finished her sentence.
"That's alright, Rach. We got the bags." Ross said sarcastically. "Hi. Hello." He greeted everyone. "Julie, this is my sister Monica, her other roommate Ashley, this is Chandler, Phoebe and this is Joey. Everyone, this is Julie."
"Julie." Rachel said while motioning her arm towards her so that the group would know that's the girl she was talking about previously.
"Oh." Everyone said finally understanding. "Hi." They all greeted her.
"Hi. But i'm not here. You haven't met me. I'll make a much better first impression tomorrow when I don't have twenty hours of cab and plane on me." Julie said.
"And bus." Ross reminded her.
"Oh, my God." Julie laughed.
"You got to hear this story." Ross told the group.
"We're on this bus that's easily two hundred years old. And this guy..." Julie started telling them.
"And the chicken poops in her lap." But rachel finished it for her receiving strange looks for everyone. When she realised what she had done she covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, i'm so sorry. I just gave away the ending, didn't I? It's just I just heard this story in the cab and it is all I can think about.
"This is amazing." Monica exclaimed. "I mean, how..? How did this happen?"
"Well, Ross and I were in grad school together." Julie started explaining.
"But we haven't seen eachother since then." Ross continued. "Well, I land in China. Guess who's in charge of the dig?"
"Julie!" Rachel once again butted in. "Isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick you in the crotch spit on your neck fantastic?"
"Uh, it's an expression" Ashley lied as Rachel once again received strange looks from everyone. Ashley made her way over to Rachel and pulled her in for a side hug.
"We just wanted to say a quick hi then we're going to go see the baby." Ross said.
"And then, we've got to get some sleep." Julie added.
"Yeah. It's really six o'clock tomorrow night our time." Ross told them.
"Okay, well, listen, don't tell us whats going to
happen though, because I liked to be surprised." Chandler joked.
Ross and Julie left after they said goodbye to everyone. Followed by everyone giving sympathetic looks to Rachel.
"Okay, you know what? It's really stuffy in here and I don't know if it's because there was so many people in here or something but it's bad for my asthma, so i'm gonna go out to the balcony for a while." Ashley said.
Rachel and Monica tilted their heads in a sympathetic way as Ashley left.
"I'm going to go check up on her. You know, help her breathe." Joey shrugged and followed her out.
Ashley lifted a cigarette out of her pack that she had sneakily bought previously.
"Hey!" Joey shouted.
Ashley jumped followed by a light scream. "God, Joey you scared me."
"I thought I told you to stop smoking them." Joey said.
"Yes you did, Joe, but this is a stressful time in my life. My best friend is sad which means i'm sad and you've got me to quit cigarettes cold turkey. I don't know what you expect." She argued.
"Okay. Fine. I understand that but this is not good for you. You have Asthma, Ash." Joey replied clearly very concerned. "I want you to quit and this time i'll help you, you could try the patches."
"You promise you'll help me?" Ashley asked.
"Yes, but you have to promise you'll let me help you." Joey said.
"Fine, but..." Ashley was interrupted when she was stood face to face with Monica who was obviously going to join them on the balcony.
"You told me you quit!" Monica shouted.
"I haven't been completely honest, okay? But Joey here is going to help me quit, i promise." Ashley said.
"I'm so disappointed in you. Put that out and give me the rest of the pack." Monica said sternly.
"Fine." Ashley sighed and handed her everything.
Joey pulled her in for a side hug to show how proud he was of her.
☕️
everyone except Ashley had gathered in Central Perk and were either reading the newspaper or having a conversation with each other.
Ashley entered the coffee shop with a cigarette in her mouth. Even though she promised the gang she would quit Ashley was always the type to keep empty promises.
Gunther spotted her before she had reached the orange couch and immediately noticed the cigarette hanging from her lips. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. There's none of that in here."
"Oh, come on, Gunther. At least let me finish this last one." She argued.
"Okay, but only if you give me a drag." Gunther bargained.
"Of course." Ashley replied.
Gunther took a large inhale and let out a cloud of smoke. "Oh, dark mother. Once again I suckle at your smoky teat." Gunther tried to give the cigarette back to Ashley but was so creeped out by what he had said she decided to just let him keep it.
Ashley walked over and sat on the chair nearest the orange couch where the friends were sitting and took out another cigarette but as she put it in her mouth Rachel took it back out again. This happened over and over again until Ashley finally snapped.
"Okay, that's like the least fun game ever." Ashley said.
"Well i'm really sick of your smoking." Rachel complained. "So I brought something that is going to help you out." She reached into her bag and pulled out a box of patches.
Ashley put the cardboard on her arm and when it slid off she cheekily said "Nope, that patch is no good."
Joey and Monica let out loud fake laughs.
☕️
The whole group were in the girls apartment and were watching a tv show involving a woman and a sock puppet. Except Phoebe who was sitting at the kitchen table playing with a deck of cards and Chandler who was still in his own apartment.
"And lamb chop and hush puppy." The woman from the tv spoke.
"How old is that sock." Ashley snarked. "If I had a sock on my hand for thirty years it'd be talking too."
Ross who had been sitting beside her gave her a deep stare "Okay, I think it's time to change somebody's nicotine patch."
Ashley rolled up her sleeve and held her arm out so Ross could put the new patch on.
Monica ran over to Phoebe from the living room.
"Pheebs, you know what i'm thinking?" Monica said.
"Oh, okay. How...it's been so long it's been since you've had sex you're wondering if they've changed it?" She answered.
"No. Although now that's what i'm thinking." Monica replied.
"So, what were you thinking?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, I was thinking since you gave the guys such great haircuts I thought maybe you'd like to do mine." Monica suggested.
"Oh." Phoebe realised. "No."
"Why not?" Monica questioned.
"Because i'm just...i'm incredibly anal and an unbelievable control freak." Phoebe lied.
"No, you're not." Monica said not realising what Phoebe meant.
"I know i'm not. But you are." Phoebe explained. "And I was trying to spare your feelings."
The phone rang and Joey answered. "Hello?" He said. "Ross, it's Julie for you." Joey threw the phone across the table making Ross leap for it and end up dropping it.
When Ross finally grabbed the phone he said "Hello? Hi."
Chandler entered the apartment and asked "Anybody know a good tailor?"
"You need some clothes altered?" Joey questioned.
"No, i'm just looking for a man to draw on me with chalk." Chandler answered sarcastically.
"Why don't you go see Frankie." Joey suggested. "My family's been going to him forever. He did my first suit when i was fifteen. No, wait sixteen. No, excuse me fifteen. All right, when was 1990."
"Oh, my god. Joe it doesn't matter that much." Ashley spoke clearly irritated.
"We just changed your patch, what's the matter miss cranky?" Joey asked her.
"Okay, you have to stop the q-tip when there's resistance." Chandler told him while he walked over to the kitchen table.
Ross was still on the phone to Julie.
"Okay, okay, sweetheart i'll see you later." Ross spoke into the phone. "Okay, bye. What?" Julie must've said something on the other end of the call to which Ross replied "Oh, that is so sweet."
The call went on for a couple more minutes and the couple finally said their goodbyes but as both didn't want to hang up on the other they kept saying "No you hang up." Multiple times leading to Rachel finally grabbing the phone and hanging up for them. Ross stared at her but Rachel replied "Oh, i'm sorry, i thought you were talking to me."
"Looks like she's the one who needs her patch changed." Ashley whispered in Joey's ear to which he nodded.
☕️
It was the next day and once again the whole group had gathered in the girl's apartment. Except Rachel who was still in her room from the night before.
Chandler and Joey were standing around the table making food.
"You know, I think i was sixteen." Joey went on still hooked from yesterday's conversation.
Chandler just licked the jam off his finger from the sandwich he just made to show he didn't care.
Phoebe, Monica and Ashley were sitting on the couch and Monica was still nagging Phoebe to do her hair.
"Please. Just a little bit off the back?" Monica asked the blonde.
"Um, i'm still on no." Phoebe answered.
Rachel peaked her head through the side of her bedroom door "Uh, morning." She spoke.
"Hey." Everyone said in unison.
"Do you guys think you could close your eyes for just a sec?" Rachel asked the group.
"Oh, no, no. I'm not falling for that again." Joey said while grabbing his pants and pulling them up so no one could pull them down.
"What's going on?" Ashley questioned.
"Well, I sort of did a stupid thing last night." Rachel confessed.
"What stupid thing did you do?" Chandler asked.
Rachel's door opened fully to reveal a man. "Bongiorno, tutti!" It was Paolo.
Paolo instantly reminded Ashley of jack and because of the fact Ashley was already going through mood swings thanks to her quitting cigarettes, she lifted a glass that was sitting on the table in front of her, threw it across the room and ran into her bedroom.
Ashley never handled breakups well, especially when the relationship was with someone she really cared about like she did Jack.
☕️
After an hour or so had passed Ashley heard a knock on her bedroom door.
"Come in." She shouted.
Joey opened the door gently and stepped inside.
"Sit." Ashley said bluntly.
Joey sat on the edge of Ashley's bed following her instructions.
"What happened out there?" He asked.
"I made it more of a big deal than it really was." She explained. "But seeing Paolo just reminded me off Jack and it made me realise how much i miss him, you know?"
"Look, Ash, you and Jack just weren't meant to be. Jack isn't your soulmate and I don't know who your soulmate is or where he may be right now, but what I do know is he is a lucky guy." Joey tried his best to cheer Ashley up but he was never good with things like this. "Jack may be out seeing the world and he may have moved on, but you, Ash, you are strongest woman I know and I know that you can move on too."
Ashley teared up a bit as she realised just how lucky she was to have a friend like Joey who cared so much about her.
Joey noticed the tears that were gathering in her eyes and he pulled her in for a long, tight hug.
After a minute or two they finally pulled
away. Joey was the first one to speak "If it makes you feel any better Monica asked Phoebe to give her a haircut like Demi Moore and Phoebe gave her one like Dominic Moore."
Ashley chuckled covering her mouth.
"Are you ready to leave?" Joey asked her.
"Let's do it." Ashley smiled.
The two entered to room to see Ross sitting on the chair nearest the window and Rachel sitting around the kitchen table. Joey and Ashley walked over to the couch to sit.
"Hey." Ross smiled.
"Hi." Ashley returned the smile.
Monica's bedroom door opened and Phoebe walked out. Rachel made her way over to the living room.
"How is she?" Rachel asked.
"It's too soon to tell." Phoebe spoke. "She's resting which is a good sign."
"How's the hair?" Ross questioned.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Ross. It doesn't look good." Phoebe answered. "I put a clip on one side which seems to have stopped the curling."
"Well, can we see her?" Joey asked.
"Your hair looks too good. I think it would upset her." Phoebe replied.
"Yeah, that's a fair point." Ashley agreed.
Ross, why don't you come on in?" Phoebe said.
Ross gave a look to everyone to which everyone just shrugged. Phoebe went back into Monica's room and Ross followed behind her.
"Well, how are you doing?" Joey asked Rachel.
"I'm okay." Rachel lied.
"Oh, that bad, huh?" Joey said.
"What?" Rachel asked in defence.
"Look, Rach, I can sense when woman are depressed and vulnerable. It's one of my gifts." Joey confessed.
"That's true." Ashley agreed while pointing at him.
"Sit." Joey commanded while patting the seat next to him.
Rachel sat and sighed. "Oh, guys, when I saw him get off that plane with her I really thought I had just hit rock bottom. But today, it's like there's rock bottom, fifty feet of crap, then me."
"You got to tell Ross how you feel." Joey told Rachel.
"Joey is one hundred percent right. I mean, how will he ever know how you feel if you don't tell him." Ashley said.
"How can i just tell him? What about Julie?" Rachel argued.
"What about her? They've only been going out for two weeks." Joey said.
Ashley lifted the newspaper off the coffee table and hit Joey's arm with it because he didn't realise that's how long Ashley and Jack went out for.
"Oh, Sorry." Joey apologised while wrapping his arm around Ashley and rubbing her arm gently. Ashley lay her head on his shoulder as a way of showing she forgave him.
"I don't know." Rachel went back to the previous conversation.
"Look, Rach, Rach i've been with my share of women. In fact i've been with a lot of people's fair share of women." Joey grinned. "But the point is, i've never felt about anyone the way Ross felt about you."
"Really?" Rachel asked and Joey nodded.
"Wow. Joey really is out here saving woman's problems today." Ashley smiled.
The apartment door swung open to reveal an angry Chandler who then slammed the door shut again.
"Yo, paisan." Chandler shouted and Joey. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Joey stood up and made his way over to Chandler.
"Your tailor is a very bad man." Chandler told him.
Ross finally left Monica's room and made his way over to Chandler and Joey's conversation.
"Frankie? what are you talking about?" Joey asked Chandler.
"Hey, what's going on?" Ross asked them and touched Chandler's shoulder. Chandler noticed this and immediately backed away from him.
"Joey's tailor..." Chandler started explaining. "Took advantage of me."
This struck Ashley's attention and she turned her head from the tv to watch the guys.
"What?" Ross asked.
"No way." Joey exclaimed. "I've been going to the guy for twelve years."
"He said he was going to do my inseam. Then he ran his hand up my leg and then, there was definite..." Chandler stopped.
"What?" Ashley urged for him to finish.
"Cupping." Chandler finished.
"That's how they do pants." Joey responded completely oblivious.
Chandler glared at him.
"First they go up one side, they move it over then they go up the other side they move it back, and then do the rear." Joey went on.
Joey now received looks from all three of them.
"What?" Joey asked. "Ross, will you tell him? Isn't that how a tailor measures pants."
"Yes, yes, it is." Ross looked at Chandler but then turned to face Joey. "In prison. What's the matter with you?"
"What?" Joey asked still confused. "That's not?" Joey raised an eyebrow once he figured it out. "Oh, my god."
☕️
An hour had passed and Monica had finally left her bedroom. Ross, Chandler, Phoebe and Monica were sitting around the kitchen table and Joey and Ashley were sitting on the couch.
"Even Mary Tyler Moore would have been better." Monica spoke referring to her haircut.
"Well, I like it." Ross said but received a glare from Monica. "Yeah, I do I think it's a ten." Ross joked.
Chandler laughed hysterically.
"Thank you." Monica smiled dryly. "My hair is very amused.
"Oh, come on, Monica. Things could be worse. I mean, uh...you could get caught between the moon and New York City." Chandler continued to joke. "I know it's crazy, but it's true."
Monica got up and left. "Thank you." Phoebe said sarcastically and followed Monica into her bedroom.
Joey was still caught up on the whole tailor situation. "Hey, Ash." He said.
"What's up, Joe?" Ashley asked.
"When the doctor does that hernia test..?" He questioned.
"That's okay, sweetie." She reassured him.
Authors note: This was the longest chapter i've wrote for this book. Do you prefer longer or shorter chapters?
I hope you're enjoying season two so far and if you have any episodes you would like me to do specifically please let me know :)