2; the one with the empowering novel.
"Ow!", exclaimed Monica, walking out of her bedroom.
"What's wrong?", asked Rachel.
"I don't know, my hand hurts", she replied. "Maybe it's because...I'm engaged!". The group faked a laugh at her joke, already used to hearing that. She's still not over the fact she is soon getting married, but everyone decided to let her be and enjoy one of her biggest dreams is finally coming true. "How long before that starts getting annoying?".
"Starts?", Phoebe asks sarcastically.
"So, let's actually get started on the wedding plans" Rachel suggested shortly after.
"Already?", asked Chandler. Monica rushed to get something, visibly excited to start organizing the wedding.
"Yeah. We have a lot to do. We have to think about the flowers, the catering, the music".
"I have a few thoughts on that".
"Oh, Chandler, too many cooks", Rachel quickly replied.
"Take it from me. As the groom, all you have to do is show up and try to say the right name", Ross commented.
Monica eventually came back with a book on her hands, putting it on top of the kitchen table. It was a big purple book with white decorations all over it.
"What in god's name is that?", Chandler asked.
"The wedding book? I haven't seen that since the fourth grade", Ross says, taking a better look at it.
"This baby has got everything. Take, you know, locations for instance: first organized alphabetically, then geographically, then by square footage".
"That is so smart!", complimented Phoebe, earning a quick thank you from her friend. "Break it off", she mutters, faking a couch. "Break it off now".
☀️
"Hey", Alycia greeted everyone, noticing Monica and Rachel still reading the wedding book while Chandler just listened to them. As soon as she talked, a very worried-looking Joey stood up from the couch. That's when she noticed he was also there.
"It was the duck!", he exclaimed, earning a confused look from everyone.
"What? What did the duck do?", she asked, worried.
"Oh, so you haven't been in the apartment lately".
"Joey", she started in a warning tone. "What did he do?".
"I- It was- Well, he didn't get sick and it was immediately found and properly cleaned up".
"Joey Tribbiani, you either get your ass up and clean after the duck or-".
"Technically, it's not even my fault", he argued, standing up from the couch to walk towards the door. "He ate your face cream".
"The one you wanted to use last night and left on the table by the couch to which the duck has easy access to?".
Joey was quiet for a second before walking out of the apartment, knowing he couldn't argue any longer about who's fault it was that the duck was sick. Alycia sighed, walking to the table to sit down next to Chandler.
"Seriously. What do you see in him?", Chandler asked sarcastically, earning a look from Alycia, already upset to hear the duck got sick and Joey did nothing about it.
"Hey, did you finish the book I lend you?", asked Rachel shortly after, deciding to change the subject.
"Almost, so don't spoil the end".
"Just allow me to say, what happens on those last twenty pages...", she trailed off, smirking.
"Better than chapter nine?".
"Chapter nine is a joke compared to what's waiting for you", Rachel replied, earning a surprised, yet excited look from her friend.
"Last time I saw someone this excited about a book was when Ross bought tue Evolution Encyclopedia with those 3D creatures inside that popped up when you opened the pages", Chandler pointed out, giving them a confused look.
"Ah, I wish this one had 3D pop-ups", Rachel commented, earning a quick laugh from Alycia before they focused on the wedding book again, reading everything Monica listed there.
☀️
"Hi".
"Oh, hi. Did you clean after the duck already?", Alycia asks, walking inside the apartment after spending some time helping Monica and Rachel pick a few things for the wedding while Chandler just sat there to listen.
"Yeah. I'm, you know, sweeping now".
She stared at him, confused. "Why did you say sweeping so suggestively?".
"I don't know", he shrugged, walking up to her. "Does it turn you on?".
"No", she replied, more confused than before. "And I'm kinda glad it doesn't".
"What if I was sweeping a chimney?".
Alycia turned to look at him again, trying to figure out what he was doing. "Should I be concerned?", she joked, heading inside the bathroom.
"Where are you going? The vicar won't be home for hours", she heard him saying, making her walk out of the bathroom as soon as she heard that.
"What?", she asked almost immediately, hoping she misheard him.
"Oh, you heard me...Zelda", he replied, referring to the novel once again. Alycia gasped, not believing he was able to find it.
"You read the book?".
"Yeah!".
"What are you- what are you even doing reading books?!", she snapped, visibly embarrassed. "And how did you find it?".
"I went to the guest room to take a nap because the duck got sick in our bedroom and I was too tired to clean. I found the book under the pillows", he explained. The fact he was enjoying this so much made her even more upset and uncomfortable. He wasn't supposed to find it.
"I-", she tried, not knowing what to say.
"You got porn!", he chuckles.
"Okay, it's not like that! Rachel recommended me that book and it's actually really good. I'm not ashamed of enjoying an...empowering novel, okay?. It is so much more than just an erotica, it explores female sexuality and self-confidence", she snapped, trying to justify and defend the fact she was caught reading those types of books.
"You got porn", he repeated, still finding it hilarious. Alycia decided to ignore him and walked inside their bedroom, closing the door behind her. She cringed, watching the duck as he threw up on the floor next to her, quickly leaving the room. "He did it again", she explained, visibly disgusted.
☀️
"He found the book and started making fun of me", Alycia complained, resting back on her friend's couch.
Rachel scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's unbelievable that men can just go about their business being complete pervs about women's bodies but when we try to have a little fun ourselves, we're freaks!", she commented.
"Yeah", she agreed. "I know he'll let it go eventually, though".
"I hope he does", she replied. After a brief pause, Rachel decided to continue. "I don't want this to sound the wrong way, but you could use this to your advantage".
"What do you mean?".
"Oh, you know. Wouldn't it be fun to have a little roleplay?".
"I- no", she quickly replied, feeling very uncomfortable to talk about this with Rachel.
"What? You can't tell me you don't find roleplaying sexy!", Rachel argued in disbelief.
"I just don't want to talk about me and Joey in that way with you!".
"Please, we've seen each other half naked and Joey probably pictured that already before you guys started dating", she pointed out. As disturbing as it was, Alycia couldn't really argue about that. "Come on. What is your roleplay fantasy?".
"Uh, I don't know...", Alycia replied. "I really like Star Wars", she shrugged, finding nothing else to say.
"Yeah, that one's fun", Rachel nodded.
It took her a moment to understand what she meant until she finally remembered Rachel used to date one of the biggest nerds in the planet who would totally have a sexual fantasy about Star Wars.
"Of course", was all she said, earning a chuckle from Rachel.
☀️
W
hen Alycia walked upstairs and inside her apartment, she was met with Joey casually sitting in the couch with a helmet on and long socks over his pants. He looked absoloutely ridiculous and, like many other times before, she had no idea what he was doing.
"Hello, Zelda", he greeted.
"How long have you been sitting there waiting to say that?", she quickly asked. "And why the hell are you dressed like that?".
"I'm the vicar!", he exclaimed.
"Do you even know what that is?".
"Like a goalie, right?".
Alycia rolled her eyes, walking up to him to take his helmet off before sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Could you please forget about that stupid book already? It's not funny anymore".
"But I thought this turned you on!".
"Honey, the book narrates two people doing it inside a barn and you're here dressed like a low-budget hockey player", she pointed out. "Besides, you can turn me on without having to copy the story".
Joey smirked. "Yeah, I know".
"So are you going to let this go?".
"Sure. The book was too complex for me, anywhere. Used too many weird words".
"Like vicar", she joked, standing up from his lap. "I have to admit, talking all about the book does kinda put you in the mood, don't you think?", she asked, standing at the entrance of their bedroom.
Joey got the hint immediately, putting his helmet back on and rushed inside the bedroom, following after her.