6; the one with the dessert.
"Hey!", Phoebe and Alycia said as they walked into the apartment.
"We found a guy that was selling this cute little turkeys and we had to buy one!", Alycia added as Phoebe put the small turkey on the table.
"Hey, you guys! For my dessert I've decided to make a traditional english trifle", Rachel said, excited for the idea of cooking this Thanksgiving for her friends.
"That's great! Monica what are you doing? You know, in case Rachel's dessert is so...good that I eat all of it", Phoebe quickly corrected herself after noticing her friend's look.
"Nothing", Monica said, shrugging.
"Nothing?", the three girls asked at the same time.
"Sweetie, I trust you", Monica insisted, patting Rachel shoulder with a genuine smile, trully meaning that.
"If I mess this up, there's nothing else for dessert?".
"You're not going to mess it up!", she insisted.
"Ah, thank you. I love that!", Rachel replied. "Quick question. How do you know when the butter is ready?".
"Well, it's done about two minutes before it looks like that".
Rachel turned back to the stove and quickly turned it off so the butter doesn't get completely ruined. She looked really stressed now that she knows this will be the only dessert they have for tonight.
"Relax, it's going to be the best dessert ever", Alycia quickly added, trying to make Rachel feel better.
"Thanks, honey", Rachel replied, giving her friend a quick smile before grabbing the cooking book and reading the receipe again, making sure to get everything right.
Phoebe and Alycia decided to help Monica getting the table ready while their friend cooked.
☀️
"Hi, everybody!", Ross and Monica's parents greeted.
Everyone said a quick hi while Ross and Monica hugged their parents, obviously glad to see them again.
"Look who it is! It's Chandler!", Monica says, bringing him closer to her parents.
"Oh yeah...Chandler", her mom said, not exactly happy to see him. "Ah, Alycia, darling. How are you?".
The woman completely ignored Chandler, focusing on the girl instead. They met her a long time ago when they visited Ross in college. In fact, she met them before meeting Monica.
"Hi, Mrs. Geller", Alycia replied. The older woman wrapped her arms around her. "I'm good. How are you?".
"Oh, we're doing fine", she replied for her husband and herself. "Thank you, dear".
Monica and Chandler exchanged a look, disappointed to see her parents aren't really paying atenttion to her boyfriend at all (which they have no idea about yet).
"Let's have a sit", Monica suggested after her mom pulled away from her hug with Alycia.
The other friends started a conversation on their own as Monica and Chandler talked with the two Gellers in the living room. Eventually, Chandler was back with the group, grabbing Alycia by the arm to take her near the balcony window to talk.
"Whoa, we have secret talks now?", Alycia asked. "Oh! Is this you asking me how to propose?! I've always wanted to be that friend her other friend ask for proposal advices!", she added, whispering the last part so no one would hear.
Chandler gave her a weird look. "Why would I think this is the right place and time to talk about something like that?".
"It makes it less suspicious...right?".
"Okay, I take my first question back. There's one more important", he quickly said. "Why would you think I want to get married? Having a girlfriend is already terrifying to me!".
"Fine, drama queen", Alycia snapped back. "What happened then?".
"Did you know Monica's parents hate me?".
Alycia stared at him for a second, unsure of what to say. "See, I feel like I should say I didn't know".
"You knew?", he said in disbelief.
"Well, Ross told me once when we were in college", Alycia shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me?", he insisted. "Worst best friend ever!".
"I am not the worst best friend ever!", Alycia said in a hurt tone.
"I know. I love you", Chandler quickly replied, sighing. "I'm just upset. I'm sorry".
"I didn't told you because I didn't think it was such a big deal", she replied. "It's not like they still hate you, right?".
"Well, they don't know I'm dating Monica. She didn't tell them because, yeah, they still hate me".
"Damn. What did you do?".
"If I knew I wouldn't have taken the time to have this conversation!".
"Well, first of all, you gotta stop using that tone with me", Alycia started in a warning tone, faking a smile. "And second, whatever it is, it was a very shitty thing to do if they still hate you", Alycia stated the obvious, patting his shoulder before getting back to where everyone was.
☀️
"Aw, look at you! Putting dirty plates in the sink without someone having to get mad at you to do it", Alycia joked at the sight of Joey helping with the dishes. "Before you know it, you might do the laundry one day".
"You're asking too much from me, woman", Joey joked back. He put the last dish on the sink, walking closer to her to hug her, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so happy we're living together".
"Yeah, what took you so long?", she said, making him laugh. "It is really nice, though", she added, still hugging him. "I'm happy, too".
"Hey, what do you guys think?", Rachel asked them since they were next to her on the kitchen. "Isn't it beautiful?".
"Yeah, what is it?", Joey asked, looking the already finished dessert.
"It's a trifle", Rachel replied. "It's got all of these layers. First, it's a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard- which I made from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef stuffed with peas and onions, then a little more of custard, then bananas and then I just put some whipped cream on top".
Joey and Alycia exchanged a look when they heard that Rachel made a dessert with beef stuffed with peas and onions. They didn't know how exactly to ask her without revealing she made the whole dessert wrong. She would feel terrible if she finds out she ruined all the dessert there was for today's Thanksgiving dinner.
"Rach, honey. I think I got things mixed up", Alycia faked a quick chuckle. "You said what before bananas?".
"The beef? It sounded weird to me too, but then I thought...well, there's mincemeat pie. I mean, that's an english dessert. These people just put really weird stuff of their food, you know".
"I see", Alycia nodded, not knowing what else to say.
"Oh! Can I borrow some rum from your place?", Rachel asked to which they both agreed. "Thanks. And while I'm there don't you dare sneak a taste".
Joey and Alycia laughed awkwardly at her joke before she got out of the apartment to get to theirs.
"This can't be right", Alycia started, looking at the cooking book that was next to the dessert.
"I know! And only one layer of jam?".
"The pages are stuck together".
"Chandler!", Joey exclamied.
Alycia put the book away for just a second as Chandler was walking over them after Joey said his name. "I just considered breaking up with you just for that mental image you just gave me", she warned, but decided to get back to reading the book than saying anything else.
"What did I do now?", Chandler asked when he's next to them.
"Nothing. Rachel mixed recepies and put beef on the dessert", Alycia explained, reading the cooking book. "She made half an english trifle and half a shepherd's pie".
"We have to tell her", Joey said.
"No, we can't! She was so nervous because it's the only dessert. She's going to feel so bad if she finds out she screwed up".
"So...we should eat it, vomit, and then we tell her?", Chandler asked.
"We'll find a way to eat that thing without her knowing she made it the wrong way, okay?", she insisted. "Maybe...maybe it doesn't taste that bad".
"It has beef in it, Alycia", Chandler said, pointing at the dessert.
"Hey, what's wrong?", Ross asked while walking up to them.
"Rachel did a dessert but she messed it up and put beef in it", Alycia explained. "We can't tell her she messed up because she's going to feel really bad".
"Oh, but then everyone will make fun of her for it", Ross points out. "And well, no one will be able to actually eat it".
"How about we tell everyone about it and make them pretend they like it", Joey suggested. "We won't be hurting her feelings, and no one makes fun of her!".
"You're more than just a pretty face", Alycia nodded at his idea. "Okay. You distract her before she gets back from our aparment and we'll talk to everyone".
☀️
Everyone sat at the table with the dessert already served. Everyone knew about the beef and decided to play along to make Rachel think she didn't mess it up.
"So, Rach, it's a traditional english trifle, right?", Phoebe asked.
"Yeah".
"Did you make it with beef or eggplant?".
"Beef".
"Oh, you know I don't eat meat. I can't eat it!", Phoebe quickly said, walking away to the guest room.
"Monica, I want you to have the first bite".
"Really?", she asked. Eventually, she took the plate and was going to eat only the cream that was on top.
"Hold on, you only got whipped cream in there", Rachel stopped her. "You have to take a bite with all the layers!".
Monica took a bite and was having a hard time eating it. She decided to copy one of Joey's acting tricks he showed them earlier, rubbing her belly as if she was loving it.
"It's really good", she said. "It's so good that I feel so selfish being the only one eating it! I think everyone should taste how good it is, especially Ross".
Everyone started eating it, pretending to enjoy the dessert.
"It's so good, that I'll enjoy this in the balcony", Chandler said while standing up. "So I can enjoy the view whilst I eat it".
"I need to call my best friend Mary from Monica's room", her mom said.
"I'll help you dial", Mr. Geller stood up too, following after her.
"And I'm going to the bathroom...so I can watch myself as I eat it", Monica quickly said, standing up too.
Alycia noticed there was no other lie to come up with to get rid of the horrible dessert. "I think Monica's idea is so good that I have to try it in my apartment", she faked a smile, knowing what she said was really stupid. She walked out to her bathroom and when she got back, she noticed only Ross and Joey were still seated at the kitchen.
"Are you really eating that?".
"Yeah", Joey simply replied. "Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Beef? Good!".
She was about to say something when Monica walked up to them. "Okay, Ross. You need to tell them".
"Yeah, about our parents", Ross started. "I was thinking of maybe writting a letter".
"Okay, that's it. You had your chance", Monica said, turning around to look at her parents. "Mom, dad. Ross smoked pot in college".
"You're such a tattletale!", Ross exclaimed before walking up to his parents and sitting down in front of them on the coffee table. "You remember that time you walked in my room and smelled marijuana?".
"Yes", they said, looking at Chandler.
"I told you it was Chandler who was smoking, but...it was me. Sorry".
"And dad, you know that mail man you got fired? He didn't steal your playboys, Ross did!", Monica added.
"Yeah, well, Hurricane Gloria didn't break the porch swing. Monica did!".
"Ross hasn't worked in the museum for over a year!".
"Monica and Chandler are living together!".
"Ross married Rachel in Vegas and got divorced, again!".
"I love Jacques Cousteau!", Phoebe said too.
"I wasn't supposed to put beef in the trifle!", Rachel exclaimed, reading the cooking book.
"That's a lot of information to get in thirty seconds", Mrs. Geller sighed. "Alright. Rachel, no, you weren't supposed to put beef in the trifle. It did not taste good. Phoebe, I'm sorry, but I think Jacques Cousteau is dead. Monica, why you felt like you had to hide the fact that you are in an important relationship is beyond me".
"And we kind of figured about the porch swing", Mr. Geller added.
"And Ross", his mom turned to look at him. "Drugged, divorced...again".
"I, uh...I got tricked into all of those things", Ross tried to defend himself.
"Why are we still here?", Alycia turned to look at Joey.
He shrugged, both standing up to leave. However, Joey decided to get back to the kitchen before the two could leave.
"Is there any dessert left?", Joey asked Rachel.
"Mine is in the apartment, you can have it", Alycia replied, receiving a smile from Joey as they walked across the hall to their apartment.