Roxie Bing | she's the one

(1.9) The One Where Underdog Gets Away

We'd been sat in the coffee shop for the majority of the morning watching Rachel essentially beg customers for advances on her tips out of desperation to afford her Thanksgiving trip.

I'd zoned out and I only zoned back in once Joey arrived, looking significantly different.
"Are you wearing make up?" Chandler asked, clearly ready to mock.
"Yes, I am. As of today, I'm officially Joey Tribbiani, actor slash model."
"That's funny because as of today, I was thinking you look more like Joey Tribbiani, man slash woman." Chandler joked.
"Whatever, Chandler. I think you pull it off." I told Joey and he beamed. "What were you modelling for, Joe?"

Joey explained to us that he'd been modelling for the city free clinic and everyone praised him, apart from Chandler, who was still being sarcastic.

Monica then revealed that the Geller parents were going on vacation this Thanksgiving and Ross took the news sorely.
"How could they do this? It's Thanksgiving." He ranted.
"Okay. How about I cook dinner at my place?" Monica offered.
"Will you make the mashed potatoes with the lumps?" Ross asked.
"You know, they're not actually supposed to have -" Monica started but she was cut off by Ross sighing and throwing his hands in the air in defeat. "I'll work on the lumps."

"Joey, you're still going home, right?" Monica checked and he nodded.
Then she faced Chandler and I who sat beside each other on the couch. "And I'm assuming you two are still boycotting all of the pilgrim holidays?"
"Every single one of them." Chandler responded.

"And Pheebs, you'll be with your grandma?"
"Yeah, but we're celebrating in December because her boyfriend is lunar."
Monica frowned in confusion at her reply. "So, you're free Thursday then?"
"Yeah! Oh! Can I come?"
Monica nodded.

"And Rach, do you still think you're making it to Vail?"
Rachel nodded. "Only one hundred and two dollars to go."
"I thought it was ninety-eight-fifty?" I questioned.
"Well, I broke a cup."

***

Everyone had pooled together to give Rachel the money she deserved to make it to Vail so we all sneakily smiled as she wandered through the apartment door looking disappointed and glum.
She immediately started whinging about how she hadn't gotten the money needed to get her to Vail.

"Rach, here's your mail." Monica waved an envelope at her.
"Thanks. You can just put it on the table." Rachel shrugged off.
"No. Here's your mail." Monica insisted.
"Thanks. You can just put it on the table!"
Monica sighed. "Would you just open it?"
Rachel gave in and opened the envelope and looked at us with pure joy as she pulled out the money.
"Oh my God! You guys are great!" She beamed.
"We all chipped in." I told her.
After a few seconds, Chandler looked at me and asked, "we did?"
I nodded. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Here you go, Bings. I got your traditional holiday feast." Monica told Chandler and I as she started pulling items out of a shopping bag. "Here's your tomato soup, your grilled cheese fixins and your family-sized bag of funyuns."
Chandler and I grinned and high-fived.

"Okay, what is it with you two and this holiday?" Rachel asked curiously and everyone groaned.
It was obvious Chandler had told the story before, and now I was here to tell it with him.

"Okay, I'm nine years old." Chandler started and I went and joined him by his side. "We've just finished this magnificent Thanksgiving dinner. I have a mouthful of pumpkin pie. And this is when our parents decide to tell us they're getting divorced."
"Oh my God." Rachel empathised.
"Yeah, so it's very difficult to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner once you've seen it in reverse." I added.

***

All of us apart from Joey were gathered in the coffee shop laughing.
Joey had ended up being the model for VD for the city clinic and the poster advertisement was being displayed everywhere.

He walked in sheepishly and we tried to hide our laughter.
"So I guess you've all saw it."
"Saw what?" Rachel acted innocent.
"No, we're just laughing. You know how laughter can be infectious." I commented and everyone failed at keeping their laughter in.
Joey looked completely unimpressed.

***

We were gathered in Monica's apartment helping her prepare the Thanksgiving dinner when Joey walked in looking glum.
"Set another place for Thanksgiving, my entire family thinks I have VD."
"Oh, honey." I walked over and rubbed his shoulder.
"You don't have to pretend you don't find it funny." He muttered.
"Thank God." I grinned as I burst out laughing, while Joey rolled his eyes.

Thanksgiving dinner was in full swing when Joey guilted Monica into making another type of potato - tater tots, and it wasn't long until Phoebe added onto the guilt and persuaded Monica to make a fourth kind of potato.

Rachel walked out from her bedroom with her packed stuff in tow with a beaming smile on her face.
"Goodbye, guys. Thank you for everything." She came in and hugged us each individually until Chandler sprinted in and interrupted.

"The most unbelievable thing has happened!" He announced. "Underdog has gotten away!"
"The balloon?" Joey questioned.
"No, the actual cartoon character." My brother replied sarcastically and I rolled my eyes. "Of course the balloon! It's all over the news! I'm going to the roof, who's with me?"
Everyone immediately jumped up.
"Oh, I can't. I've got to go!" Rachel said.
"Come on, an eighty-foot inflatable dog loose over the city? How often does this happen?" Chandler convinced her until she dropped her luggage and headed out after us.

The six of us - minus Ross - made our way back to the apartment after watching the loose balloon.
"Why are we standing here?" Monica asked as we all halted outside of the door.
"We're waiting for you to open the door." Rachel answered. "You've got the keys."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."

This began a long argument of who said they had the keys before they left, and no one was willing to take responsibility.

"You should have had the keys!" Rachel yelled.
"Why?"
"Because!"
"Why?"
"Because!"
"Because everything is my responsibility?" Monica yelled. "Is it not enough that I'm making Thanksgiving dinner for everyone? Everyone wants a different kind of potato, so I'm making different kinds of potatoes. Does anyone care what potatoes I want? No! No! No!" Monica continued to yell as her voice broke and the tears came.
"Okay, the door is open." Chandler interrupted her cries.

We all ran into the apartment to be clouded in smoke.
Rachel ran straight to the phone only to slam it down a minute later.
"Oh great, the plane has gone, so that means I'm stuck here with you guys!"
"Hey, this is nobody's first choice! We all had better plans." Joey shouted back.
"Then why was I busting my ass to make this delicious Thanksgiving dinner?" Monica yelled even louder.
Everyone shouted over each other and Chandler and I glanced at each other and grinned.
Once everyone had silenced, they noticed us smiling.
"Now this feels like Thanksgiving." I said as I nudged my brother.

No one had spoken for nearly an hour.
Everyone was clearly sulking and down about the whole Thanksgiving situation, and everyone was still bitter from the argument.

"Oh my God." Phoebe said from the window seat.
"What?" Rachel groaned.
"Ugly Naked Guy is having Thanksgiving dinner with Ugly Naked Gal!"
Everyone sprinted to the window and leaned on each other to see.

"It's nice that he has someone." I said after we'd watched him for a while.
We all stared at each other before hugging one another.

A/N: okay, I'm sorry it does me so long to update this chapter, and it's not even that good!
I've been super anxious and dealing with a lot of stuff and I've got some medical tests next week that I'm worried about SO it'll be Monday 29th June for an update now!
Please comment if you like. This fic is getting no feedback and I neeed it 😂