soulmates. ― chandler bing

― 03 | TOO EMOTIONAL

ONLY TWO DAY HAD GONE BY, when the thing happened. The thing that changed everything. Actually, the day was the Thursday, but it all started on the morning of Ross and Rachel's anniversary, which was a Wednesday. Rachel had just left for work, when my brother stormed into our apartment, with roses in his hands. He exchanged a look with us, realizing that he had just missed her. "She just left, hasn't she?" I nodded a bit sad. Their first anniversary. That's actually incredible. After that childhood, that big crush. He couldn't talk about anything else but her. And now? They were dating, for one year alread–

          The door opened and Joey and Chandler interrupted my thoughts. "Morning guys!", Joey looked at Ross with these roses in his hand. "She just left, huh?" My brother rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me, Joe! Very helpful!" Joey smiled proudly, "Pleasure." Ross' look was priceless and I couldn't help myself, but chuckle. Ross sat down next to Monica, who poured milk in the bowl in front of him. Maybe I am only imagining, but we actually breakfasted in our apartment twice after that thing on Monday. I don't know if we did it because of me, but I enjoyed it. "And the worst thing about this is, that she spends more time with that Mike-guy than with me ... on our anniversary!", Ross cried. Chandler cleared his throat, "I'm pretty sure his name is Mark!" He got a death glare from my brother. Monica took his hand and told him to stop worrying about Mark. That he was just a guy from work. "Yeah, but a guy from work who flirts with my girlfriend!" I smiled a little and hugged him from the backside with a cup of tea in my hand. "It's alright, Ross. Rachel loves you, okay? She will come back after work and you two will have a nice anniversary!"

          He turned around and looked at me. "Just a nice one?" I giggled slightly, "A brilliant anniversary! Alright?" My brother nodded and turned back to continue eating his cereals. However, there was no place for me left to sit in the kitchen, so I made my way to the couch. I took another sip from my tea as Joey sat down next to me. "Hey Joe!", I paused to take a look around. "Did you find out anything interesting?" Eventually Rachel and I had annoyed Joey long enough, that he had promised us, he would try to find out who Chandler was trying to impress. It made me think about him more than I wanted. "Well ...", he started uncertain. I looked at him a bit shocked. "Well?", I said with risen eyebrows. He turned around to look where Chandler was standing. But we were save, he was just talking to my sister. "Well, perhaps I did find something out. Though, perhaps I promised not to tell anyone."

           My excitement strictly reduced. "But Joey ..." His eyebrows went up quickly, "Hey, I said perhaps. Do you actually listen? Maybe I am lying, who knows?" I took another sip from my tea, still looking at him as sad as possible. He was not the only actor in this room. "I'll tell you ... later, alright?" I smiled, "Thank you, Joe!" I kissed him on his check, jumped up and ran in the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Did I just kiss Joey on the cheek? Am I in a sitcom or what. How can I do something like that, but not being able to start a conversation with Chandler. Oh ... Chandler. Am I even ready to know who he loves? Okay, my goal is not to think about him for the rest of the day. Joey won't tell me anyways. His heart is too golden for that. I bet he is a really great friend to Chandler. I mean ... in general. Not to Chandler. I am not thinking about him. But yes, Joey is sweet. He actually really is. And handsome. "Wait. No. Brain, stop it!" Why are boys so complicated. Why can't they just say what they want, do what they should, love who they are supposed to–  A knock on the door interrupted my little panic attack. "Hey, are you okay in there?" It was Monica, who then slowly opened the door. "I thought I've heard your voice?" Before I could say anything, she had already started hugging me. "What happened?" Only then, I noticed the tears in my eyes.

CRAP, I WAS TOO EMOTIONAL.

         

          "No, nothing. I am good, really I'm fine. Just a little walk through emotional hell." She looked at me very strictly. "You sure?" I nodded and hugged her another time. It took a while till I got out of that bathroom, it felt like I had been there for hours. As soon as I left, I noticed that I was really hungry, and that I had really been in there for hours. A look at the clock told me it was already one pm. "Ross left an hour ago, Chandler left some time ago  as well and Joey ... well Joey is still sitting on my couch, eating pizza." Monica informed me, standing in the kitchen cooking, obviously, because what else would she do. "Joe, why are you eating, when Mon is cooking?" I walked over to him and took a slice of pizza. "Don't! It's not that I want to eat this. I got a casting for this pizza commercial and I am trying to look like it tastes ... not like plastic!" But it was too late for me. I had already taken a bite. "This is ... disgusting."

✤

JOEY HAD LEFT for his audition leaving Monica and me in our apartment. "Mon, why do we only hang out here? And not at Phoebe's or Chandler and Joey's? I don't even know where Phoebe lives!" Monica put the lunch she made on two plates, for us two eat. "You're right, you don't know any apartment yet! I mean, I can't show you Phoebe's apartment. That would be a long walk and I don't to be late for work at Moondance Diner. But I guess, the guys won't mind if I show you their apartment real quick. A little appetizer before lunch!" I chuckled about her bad joke, but nodded, because I really wanted to see where Chandler lives. Monica said, I should follow her. I closed the door behind us and stepped into the hallway. When Mon tried to open their door, it wouldn't open. "Did they really? No. We need a key. They usually never lock their door. Come on!", she sighed. "Why do they have to make this so complicated, Jesus Christ!" We stood there clueless for half a minute, till my sister suddenly gasped. "Wait!", she smiled brightly. "I have an extra key for their apartment somewhere in the kitchen!" I turned around to open our door again, but that did not work either. "Uhm ... Mon, do you have a key with you?" She shook her head, "No ... why?" I heard the panic in her voice. "Well, I cannot open the door. I think it locked itself when I threw it in the lock."

          After thirty minutes sitting helplessly in the hallway, we heard someone coming up the stairs. "Eve? Mon? Is tha– What are you doing here?" It was my brother, finally someone. "Ross! Thank god you are here. You have a key for our apartment, right? Please tell me, you have it with you!" He gave me the flowers he had brought, to check his jeans pockets. "Voilà!" He hold our little door key in his right hand. "Wait, if you are locked out, that means that Rachel is still not home. Where is she?" He sat down on the couch, waiting for something to happen. Monica grabbed her plate with cold food, starting to eat while she walked over to the couch, "She is where I am supposed to be ... at work!" Then she checked her voicemail, because she had nearly freaked out, when we heard the phone ring through the door. "Wait, Ross. Rach has left a message!", she took another bite before continuing. "She says, you should call her–" Our sister hadn't even finished her sentence, as Ross had already jumped up, waiting that she would pass him the phone. She was leaning against the table, waiting and eating, same as I. Rachel picked up and my brother's face light up. We listened to their dialogue, well the monologue.

❝ HI HONEY!
Hi. What's going on?
Ugh ... what? Do you ...
How about I come up there?
Yes, okay. No, it is okay.
Yeah, see you then.
Yeah, I love you too, bye, YEAH BYE. ❞

         

He sighed, Mon and I exchanged a worried look. My brother did not say anything. "So...?", I whispered. "Yeah, well, I won't see her like the rest of the wee–", he stopped abruptly. "Maybe I'll ..." Ross turned around and left. Just so. "Well, I'm curious how that will end!", she murmured before she got ready for work.