The One After the Reunion

Chapter One

April 9, 2021

First day on the set of Friends: The Reunion

DAVID

Stepping inside stage 24 for the first time in 17 years affected me more than I anticipated. The set of the show I worked on for the best 10 years of my life stands before me, seemingly untouched by all the changes the world has undergone. There's Apartment 19 - Chandler and Joey's with the La-Z-boys, the foosball table, and Hugsy on the couch. Wow!

I know it's only a replica of the original set but it's just as good.

There's the hallway, and the other apartment across, where we spent the majority of the time filming in if we weren't in Central Perk. Look at the kitchen, the couch, Monica's TV, the purple wall! It feels like being transported back in time. All those years we spent rehearsing in this very spot with the rest of the cast and the crew, like one big family.

"Wow! I mean. This is beautiful!"

I reach the coffee shop set. I unhook my backpack and place it on the couch. I look around, take in every detail; memories flooding in my mind uncontrollably.

"Aw, man! So many different episodes flashing in my eyes. Lisa playing guitar up there. Jen and I, our first kiss. The pilot - opening the umbrella."

It's like watching a slide show in my head. Memories I didn't know I still have plays like a familiar movie. I feel my heart starting to get heavy as my eyes follow suit.

"Where is everyone? I wanna see everyone." The call time was 8 AM. It's almost an hour in the make-up trailer and I made sure to come in half an hour early so I can see all the other 5 actors step inside the stage one by one. I missed these people so much. The last time we were all in the room together was dinner at Court's house one night in October 2019. That was a great night that ended far too quickly than we all would've liked. I know no time is long enough when you're with your favorite people.

Not much time has passed since I arrived, Lisa comes in. She's possibly the closest friend I have among the five. We have stayed in touch with each other throughout the years: gave advice, told stories, and met up in L.A. once in a while.

She opens her arms and goes for a hug. I can sense the excitement in her voice when she says, "This is all I care about. Hi!" "Hi! Oh my god." I give her a tight one. It's quick but we do the sort of dance people do when they hug someone. It's fortuitous that she's the next to arrive. After the internal mess I was starting to become earlier, she's a serene presence I'm grateful to have by my side right now.

We walk around the set and talk about scenes we remember. We both notice the beam in between the kitchen area and the living room in Monica's apartment. That was later removed as it often got in the way of the camera shots. It's a little crazy remembering small things like that. They're not something you can recite to someone off the top of your head but when faced with it, you can discuss it in more words than you yourself expected.

Suddenly, there's a chuckle on the far end of the studio. "I hear someone," I said to Lisa. We both take a peek to see who it is. "She's starting to cry," Lisa says.

"Floosh!" Jen calls out to Lisa.

"Joo!" Lisa replies.

Smiling, I take a bit of a step back. I didn't expect her to arrive next.

Lisa walks up to her and I'm five steps behind. As they hug each other, I can see Jen's getting emotional quickly. She's always been the fastest to cry among the five of us.

Her eyes lock into mine. I notice a smile on her face before it was lost behind Lisa's shoulder and she looks away. I stand there, hands in my pockets, heart beating fast. It's amazing how someone's presence can incite all these emotions within yourself you didn't realize were still there in the first place.