SF Chapter 67: Friends Pilot IV
After finishing their coffee, Chandler stood up from the table.
"All right, kids, I gotta get to work. If I don't input those numbers," he paused, "it doesn't make much of a difference."
"I need to go too," Joey spoke as he also said goodbye.
"So, like, you guys all have jobs?" Rachel asked her friend and Daniel, who had stayed behind.
"Yeah, we all have jobs. See, that's how we buy stuff," Monica replied a little sarcastically.
Noticing the blonde staring at him, Daniel revealed, "I'm a writer. Yesterday, I was drawing for my book."
"Wow, I didn't take you for a writer..."
"An actor or model, right?" He smirked.
She retorted, "more like a comedian."
"Rach," Monica cut in, forcing a tight smile. "I'm happy you two are already becoming friends, but just so you know, my cousin is seventeen."
"He is SEVENTEEN?" Rachel yelled in surprise. "I thought he was a bit younger than us, like twenty-one or twenty."
"And you were flirting with me?" she frowned.
Monica looked at him stone-faced. "Dani, you were hitting on her?"
"No!" he denied immediately. "Oh, well, maybe a little at the end. But it was more out of habit, not entirely on purpose," he added, unfazed.
His cousin slapped his arm.
"Hey, but she was the one who threw herself at me on the couch!" he pointed a finger at Rachel.
Like in a horror movie, Monica slowly turned to her friend.
"Oh, you little-" Rachel clenched her teeth at the boy before defending herself. "I saw you and Paul. I didn't want to ruin the mood. I wouldn't go for a bean sprout."
"Yeah, right," Daniel scoffed. "If I were a little more of a scumbag, something could've happened yesterday."
"In your dreams," Rachel retorted.
He snapped his fingers. "Nah, my dreams had another girl. But go ahead, take the line."
"Oh, ho-ho, Mr. I'm-So-Full-of-Myself."
"Can I really leave you two alone?" Monica narrowed her eyes at both.
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Monica went to work, while the duo remained seated at the kitchen table.
The atmosphere became a little awkward, but Daniel was acting completely normal, typing on his computer, much to Rachel's annoyance.
She eventually asked, "How do I get a job?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me? I'm probably the worst person here to ask about that. I've never even gone to a job interview or anything like that."
"Although I did help a friend get hers - basically by talking to some of my dad's friends."
He thought for a moment. "I have a few contacts with some executives because of the movie I made. I could probably get you something, even if it's at the bottom."
"You made a movie?" Rachel asked in disbelief. "Which one did you make?"
"Mean Girls. It's in theaters right now," he continued typing, jotting down some ideas he had for Percy.
She screamed, "Mean Girls?" Then she rushed to grab a magazine. "You mean this movie?"
On the cover were Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams dressed as Regina and Cady, the film's main characters.
"Yep. The magazine's mine, by the way. I bought it to see what they're saying about it..."
"Oh my God! You really did this?" Rachel asked, still in shock. "I might go watch it today..." she muttered.
That made him stop. "You haven't seen it? Barbarian. Absolute barbarian."
She deadpanned at him.
After a moment, she grew curious and asked, "You said you write books - what are they called?"
"Wimpy Kid and Percy Jackson."
She just nodded, as if she might have heard of them somewhere before.
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In the afternoon, the group gathered at Central Perk, with only Ross arriving later.
"Of course it was a line," Joey said, laughing and spreading his arms at their friend's innocence.
Monica had found out that Paul was a player, and that he had used the same fake story with other girls as well.
"Why? Why would anybody do something like that?" she inquired, annoyed.
"I'm pretty sure the answer is to get laid," Daniel said, putting on a fake thoughtful expression.
His cousin shot him a glare.
She sighed and went to sit beside him. "I just thought he was nice, you know?"
"I can't believe you didn't know it was a line," Joey laughed again, making Monica shove him off the couch.
Then Ross walked in looking completely unmotivated by life. "Hi," he said, almost muttering.
Chandler looked around and then at his friend. "Is it me, or does anyone else have a sense of déjà vu?"
"Yeah, in a few minutes, some crazy chick is going to come running in wearing a wedding dress," Daniel agreed.
Rachel leaned closer to his face, glaring at him.
And Monica, as always, was the one who went to comfort her brother. "What now?"
"Carol's pregnant," Ross revealed.
His sister blinked, then stuttered, "Well, what-? What...?"
"Yeah. Do that for another two hours... you might be where I am right about now."
"How do you fit into this whole thing?" Rachel asked this time.
"Well, Carol says she wanted me to be involved. But if I'm not comfortable with it, I don't have to," he replied. "Basically, it's totally up to me."
"Carol is so great. I miss her," Phoebe said with a soft smile, making everyone glance at her out of the corner of their eyes.
"What does she mean by 'involved'?" Chandler stepped closer. "I mean, presumably, the biggest part of your job is done," he pointed out.
Daniel also chimed in, "If it's anything like my brother, there's still the alimony part."
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After the whole Ross situation, they had dinner at Monica's place, and most of them eventually left.
Daniel stayed behind since Monica was talking to his sister on the phone.
"Yes, he's actually been behaving, Claire, somewhat," Monica said onto the phone, pushing her cousin face aside as he kept trying to listen in on the conversation.
They talked a little longer until she handed the phone to him.
"Hey, Sis, already miss me?" Daniel spoke cheerfully.
"Not really. It's been peaceful around here," Claire commented flatly from the other end of the line.
"I doubt it. Did you hear me? I doubt it!" he repeated. Then he continued, "I'll be back in two weeks, probably."
"But I'd love to stay. The adults here are all dysfunctional - I feel right at home!" he laughed, while Rachel and Monica exchanged tight, forced smiles. "Bye, Sis."
Needless to say, he was immediately confronted by two annoyed women.
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