The Seven Of Us

Chapter 1

*currently set in 1993*

"Yes, Mother, I'll remember to call you every week like I promised. Gotta go now, have to unpack some more, talk to you later. Love you, byeee, bye, yes, bye, uh huh, bye, bye, I SAID BYE MUM, sorry, now goodnight!" I hung up on my overly protective mother as she continued to plough me with a million questions. 

'Oh it doesn't matter, I'll call her back later' I thought as I started to feel bad for yelling like that. I couldn't help it really, I had to start unpacking all my things into my new apartment or it'd never be finished in time to go to sleep. However, I knew that Mother couldn't help it either, her last baby just moved out to live on her own in a whole new state all because of a job offer. A life changing one at that. I finally got to pursue my dreams of being a chef at Iridium, a restaurant nearby the new apartment.

A few minutes go by and my best friend, Carol knocks at the door. I had called her to help me unpack everything. I say she's my best friend but we secretly date behind the back of her husband, Ross. I may have only lived in the city for a matter of days but Carol and I have always been best friends from when I lived in New York as a child, long distance though since my family moved to a different state when I was 14. Now I'm 23, back where I was originally raised and very happy about it too.

Anyways I go to open the door and am immediately greeted with a bone crushing hug, I forgot how tight Carol's hugs are.

"LAUREN oh my gosh I've missed you so much I haven't seen you face to face in YEARS!!!! I've got a whole bunch of stuff planned for us to do over the weekend!!!"

"CAROL I'm so excited to see you too!!! But you may need to calm down a little... and I can't wait to see what you have planned for us buuuut first things first I need to get all this unpacked so" I reminded her.                                                                                                                                                                         "Oh right! Haha..."

Carol is the same age, with wispy blonde hair a few inches past her shoulders unlike my hair which is straight and brunette but around the same length. She's a little taller than me, I'm 5'4 and she's 5'6 and we both have blue eyes yet hers are a brighter blue than mine. I really like her and she really likes me too, but she's married and I don't want to ruin or complicate anything, and if I'm being honest, she needs to tell Ross the truth about her sexuality because the longer she waits the more it'll hurt him. She's my only friend in the city though, hopefully I make more at work.

*A few days later, in the kitchens at work*

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry it's my first day on the job I know I'm clumsy I promise I didn't mean to bump into yo-" I say, being cut off by a busy (and from the sounds of it, stressed) chef.     "It's fine, it's fi-  oohh there's marinara sauce on the floorrrr! CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE CLEAN THIS UP?? And honestly don't worry about it, everybody makes mistakes especially on the first day. I can help show you around and stuff if I get a chance today. Also here's my card with my number on it if you have any questions or anything outside of work! I'm Monica Geller by the way, what's your name? "

"Hi, I'm Lauren Jones. Thank you so much for being so understanding and helpful! I really thought I blew it on my first day for a second there, so glad I didn't. I've been waiting for a job like this for ages." I gratefully replied.

"No problem, I've gotta go make some more marinara sauce but I'll talk to you later! Bye"

*Later that same evening*

I sit down on the sofa and look at the business card Monica gave me this morning. 'Should I call her? I'm gonna do it. What if she thinks I'm weird and lonely and desperate for friends... no Lauren you are not going to overthink this, just call her.' 

I type in the number and the phone starts to ring.

'Why did I just do tha-' she picked up. Oh god she picked up. 'Talk, Lauren, talk'

"Hey, I was just wondering if it would be possible for us to have lunch one day this week?"...