Had it been that long? Was he that alone? It sure seemed like it.
Ever since everyone left, he felt like his world had been ripped apart at the seams. They had all said it was going to be the same, just in different places, but it wasn't. Only he knew that. If only they had listened to him for once.
Maybe if they realized that Joey Tribbiani wasn't as stupid as he seemed. Joey wasn't exactly a genius, but he knew what he was talking about when he felt strongly about it, and he felt powerfully about his friends.
As he sat at the counter in his apartment drinking a beer, he wondered how good they actually were now. Was it really worth it to give up everything? Didn't they realize how good they had it before, when they were one big group?
Monica and Chandler were so happy with their life together that they had forgotten about everyone. He hadn't seen them in almost a month. Erica and Jack were adorable children, but Monica and Chandler had changed after having children. It was almost as if they had forgotten the people they once were. They were in love with each other and in love with their children that they had forgotten about everything that they had promised Joey. There were no visits from them. Joey didn't get to go visit them because they were always busy. But worst of all, the room that was meant for him has been turned into a play room. It was like they didn't remember him.
Rachel and Ross moved to a larger apartment. They were engaged, getting married in the summer. Emma was growing up as well. They were so absorbed in being devoted to each other and with their daughter that he barely saw them. It was almost as if were afraid that what happened before Rachel left was going to happen any day now. They were afraid that they were going to lose each other by some strange occurrence that they felt they needed to spend every minute of every day with each other. He could expect a visit from them about every month or so.
And then there was Phoebe. Joey dropped his head as he thought about her. The sunshine in his dark sky. She was the only who seemed to care about him. She was the only one who remembered that Joey was the one who didn't have anyone. Every night, she would call him. And she would stay on the phone for however long he wanted her to. They would talk about random things some times. But by her doing that, it made feel like he was important, and it made him feel like it was old times again. She took this time out her married life to make sure he was okay. She was happily in love, just like the others, but she still cared. If only he had told her…
All of them always said to him, "You'll find someone." He didn't want just someone. He'd been in love. There'd been Kathy, Janine, Charlie, and eventually Rachel. None of the girls he had been with now came even close to these girls.. He had tried so hard to fall in love with anyone he could find. But whoever he tried to click with wasn't right for him. After seeing what he could've had, he didn't want anything else.
As he got up from the chair and placed the beer bottle in the sink, he wondered if he would spend his life wondering what if and thinking I should have. His life seemed like if was turning into one big regret.
He sighed staring out the window. The rain seemed to come down in sheets. Thunder crackled in the sky as the lightening lit up the sky. It seemed as Mother Nature was feeling the same way he was.
He had a good living. He was on Days of Our Lives, for God's sakes. He had a social life, he had friends. How could he just let them all slip away without putting up a fight?
He looked to the TV. It didn't appeal to him. It hadn't appealed to him since Chandler left. And then once Rachel left. There was no one to discuss things with. Life had lost its interest.
As he began to walk to his bedroom, he heard a banging on his door. He turned slowly. Who could want to talk to him at 10:30 at night? He shrugged, figuring they had the wrong house.
As he didn't bother to look through the peephole and just swung the door open, he felt his heart stop for the figure standing there. "Phoebe…" he gasped.
He had never seen her like this before. She shivering uncontrollably as she soaked. Her hair hung down in her face as she looked up at him with harshly blank eyes. "He's gone," she mumbled.
"Who's gone? Pheebs, what's wrong?" he coaxed. He felt his heart shatter for the pitiful woman standing in front of him.
"Mike. He left me," she answered curtly, still no emotion in her expression. There was a slight pause before she continued. I came home today, and found him packing a suitcase. When I asked him where he was going, he said 'Out', and laughed. Usually, I just would've dropped it, but that just wasn't like Mike. I asked him what was going on, and he just started to laugh. He told me he was in love, and it wasn't with me. He said he no longer loved me. I asked him who it was, and all he said was Regina Phlange before he began to laugh more," she stated quietly.
He didn't say anything. All he could think to do was to wrap his arms around her, which was what he did. He held onto her and didn't want to let her go. She began to cry into his shoulder. And they stood in the doorway like that for a while, feeling loved once more.
Once she pulled away from him, he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up," Joey said.
Phoebe shook her head. "No. No, I have to go home. I don't want to be a bother. I just wanted to come and see you," she responded, trying to cover up her lie.
"Phoebe, it's almost eleven. It's pouring rain, and you're extremely upset. I don't want to send you home," Joey answered. "Please stay. I want you to."
Phoebe looked at him. He smiled back. "Okay. If it's not that big of a deal," she muttered. She ran her hand through her matted hair.
"A big deal? Please, it would be my pleasure," he replied with a smile as he ushered her into the house before shutting the door.
While Joey sat on the couch listening to the hum of the shower, he wondered how in the world this had happened. How could a woman like Phoebe, who was beautiful, intelligent, quirky, sweet, compassionate, and fun to be around, be dumped like a discarded piece of trash? Joey seethed as he thought about Mike. He remembered when he threatened Mike about ever hurting Phoebe. God he wished he kept that promise.
It was just so difficult to see her. She had always been so upbeat. Seeing Phoebe sad was like seeing the world ending. She had wanted someone to love her. That was all she wanted for most of her life. Why couldn't she meet someone that could just make such a wonderful woman happy?
"Hey," she said quietly as she walked out of his bathroom in his sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her damp hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. She was glowing. He just wanting to go and tell her everything. But he knew he couldn't. He turned and motioned silently for her to come sit down next to him.
She curled up to the left of him. She ran her fingers up and down her leg absentmindedly as she stared at the floor. He watched her as she spaced out. Her eyes focused on the floor so hard as if it were going to get up and start to dance.
"How could he? What did I do wrong?" she asked as she turned to Joey. "Was I somehow not a good enough person? Didn't I do enough?"
Joey opened his mouth as he tried to think of words to say to her. "Phoebe, don't ever think that you aren't good enough for anyone. Mike was a jerk. You're amazing, he just didn't realize the true beauty of that," Joey answered.
Phoebe pulled her feet under her and laid her head on Joey's shoulder. "But I loved Mike with all of my heart, Joey. He was my whole world. If I couldn't manage to stay in love and manage to remain in the one long-term relationship I've ever had, how can I know that I will ever have one again?" she mumbled into his shoulder.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "You just have to believe that that one day, you'll meet a man who will be there when you need him. And you'll love him more than you ever loved Mike. And if you work your charms on him, you won't have to worry about the relationship part, because he'll love you as much as you love him," he replied.
Phoebe couldn't believe what was coming out of Joey's mouth. It was so intelligent, so passionate. She could tell that he wanted her to be happy. And right now, that was all she wanted: happiness. She looked up at Joey as he continued to talk. She tried not to listen to what her head was saying to her, but what her heart was saying was drowning it out.
"You'll know it when you find your someone. He'll be the one you run to when things get rough in your life," he continued. As he thought about the last line, he wished he hadn't said it.
Phoebe froze at the last line, lifting her head. She stared at him for a moment. He took his eyes off her. "What did you mean by that?"
"Nothing. It didn't mean anything. Forget I said it," he responded. He got off the couch and began to pace. How could he let that slip out so easily?
Phoebe jumped off the couch. "Well, it obviously did mean something because there has to be some reason for why you said it. Joey, why did you say that? Is something wrong? Are you trying to say something to me?" she exclaimed, showing the most life he had seen tonight. She stormed over to him so that she was looking him in the face.
Joey didn't say anything. He just gave her a sorry look. What happened next would never make sense to Joey.
Phoebe grabbed his face in her smooth hands She pushed her lips onto his. He kissed her back. It was what he had wanted for so long but had been too scared to say.
He pulled back after a few minutes. "Wait, why are you doing this?" he asked uncomfortably with his trademark uncomfortable smile.
"Because you and I both want it, don't we?" she answered, shaking her head. He smiled before resuming.
When Phoebe woke up in the middle of the night, she was wrapped in Joey's protective arms, along with a thin sheet.
This was what she wanted. This was happiness. She had found her someone. She didn't need to go back to what had happened with Mike, or why he left. She was in love now.
"Why are you awake so early?" Joey asked sleepily. The small alarm clock next to Joey's bed was flashing 4:57.
"Oh, just thinking about things," she mumbled as she turned to face Joey. He smiled at her.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her as he grabbed her hand in his.
She nodded. "Thanks to you."
Joey felt his cheeks redden. "Erm, Pheebs, listen, there's something I've wanted to say to you for a really long time," he muttered, hoping it was the right time for this.
Her face became serious. "Anything. What is it?"
"Well, ever since the whole gang went our separate ways, I realized that I made a huge mistake. And I could never let myself let it go until I got over it," Joey paused.
Phoebe placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Joey, just tell me. What was this mistake you made?"
"That I never should have let you go," he replied. "Phoebe, I-what I'm trying to say, I guess, is that I love you."
Phoebe was silent. Not good for Joey.
"I knew I shouldn't have said anything," Joey said, turning over.
"No," Phoebe answered simply.
"No what?" Joey asked.
"Don't be upset. I'm glad you did. Joey, I have always loved you. Always. I just could never bring myself to tell you," Phoebe muttered.
"So, that means…" Joey asked, a smile growing on his face.
"Yeah, I guess that's what it means," Phoebe said. And for the first time that night, she smiled.
blech. corny. feedback please.