This is my first story, and I hope it is alright. Please let me know what
you think...if no one replies, I won't continue.
This is mostly Rachel in this chapter, but as I go on, it will become R&R....please let me know if you like it.
I only own Betty and Shawn. Everyone else isn't mine, although if you know where I can buy them, let me in!
Katie
Grey Horizons:
The blade was ice cold as it made contact with her pale white skin. She flinched as her arm was overtaken by a burning sensation, but then relaxed once more when she saw the dark red blood spilling down her arm, onto her trembling fingers.
This was it. The moment she had been waiting for. Her chance to escape.
She dug the blade harder, knowing that one tiny cut wouldn't do the trick. She let out a strangled scream as pain seared through her body. She wanted so badly to pull back, take the knife away, but she couldn't bring herself to stop what she had started.
If she was able to do this, there would be no more fighting, no more tears. She'd finally be happy.
As she started to feel weak, she glanced around her room for what she hoped would be the last time. It was the same as any other girl her age would have theirs, yet when she looked around she didn't see happy memories, fun times. She only heard her parent's screams, saw her father drinking, heard her sisters begging them to stop. Well, she was tired of begging, tired of wishing things would improve. She was going to fix her problems the only way she knew how.
Her world faded to black when she heard her mother's shrill scream from the doorway.
~*~
She slowly opened her eyes, her body cold. She wondered briefly if she was dead, but upon hearing the doctors talking with her parents, she decided against it. Noticing that no one saw she was awake, she closed her eyes and feigned sleep once more.
"Name of patient?" One of the nurses asked, filling out some paperwork while the doctor lifted Rachel's arm, inspecting the bandages that were already becoming soaked with blood.
Sandra Green's voice trembled as she said softly, "Rachel Green."
"Middle name?"
"Karen."
"Age?"
"13." Sandra choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what was happening...not her little girl, not her precious daughter.
It was then that Rachel decided to face the music. Her eyes flew open and she pulled her arm away from the doctor who was starting to peel back her bandages with a great deal of pain, "What's going on?"
"Oh, my baby." Sandra sobbed, pulling Rachel into a tight embrace, "What were you thinking? What's wrong Rachel?"
Rachel remained silent, her body stiff. She didn't want to answer any questions. She didn't want to shed light into her mind, especially for the people who were making her life miserable. This had all gone terribly wrong .
~*~
They sent her from her warm home in Houston to her grandmother's house in New York, unable to get her to open up to them, and tired of trying. They were hoping the time apart would calm their daughter down, and maybe someone else would be able to get to the bottom of Rachel's problems.
2 years later, neither had happened.
Rachel laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling in the shoebox of a room she lived in. Her grandmother didn't have enough money as her parents did, something that Betty Green, her father's mother, never failed to point out.
She wondered how long she could get away with staying in bed. For the last three days, her excuse was legitimate, she had the flu, a fever and cough to go with it. But now, she was just stalling before she had to go back to school.
High School was nothing that it was made out to be. The other students were mean, it was 5 times bigger than her middle school, and it was so large that Rachel had to practically run to get to her classes on time. Not to mention the sleazy boys who were always hitting on her.
Her classes were boring, her grandmother chose everything she was taking, and while she learned to cook in home ec, others were having a blast cheerleading, playing an instrument in band, or taking a study hall period. Even though her grades were only average, she was forced into taking advanced Algebra, English, Biology, and History. Her only "fun" time was Gym, and that wasn't much fun anyway. Her teacher was focused on aerobics and basketball, and all Rachel wanted to do was go outside.
A knock on the door turned her frown into a scowl, "Come in."
"I brought you some tea." Betty said sweetly, placing a steaming cup next to Rachel's bed, "Are you feeling better today?"
Rachel shrugged, "A little, but not totally. Thanks for the tea."
"If you're feeling better tomorrow, maybe I can drive you to school instead of you having to walk. The last thing we want is a relapse."
Rachel's eyes lowered. Of course not, then she'd be in the way all day again. "Thanks."
"Let me know if you need anything." Betty said before letting herself out of the room.
Rachel pulled her covers up to her chin, tears in her eyes. She missed Houston, she missed her parents and her sisters, her friends and her peers. When she was sick in Houston, her mother would go to the video store and rent movies, and they'd eat popcorn and watch movies all day. Here, it was resting in her tiny room, staring at the white walls, and waiting for night to come so she could go to sleep.
Her door opened again, and Rachel's eyes flew to it. Her grandmother never came in without knocking. She was surprised to see a classmate of hers in the doorway.
"Your grandmother said I could come in." Monica Geller said softly, "You haven't been at school for a few days, and I was worried."
Rachel smiled, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair, "I've had the flu, but I'll be back tomorrow probably. Thanks for stopping by."
Rachel and Monica had known each other since Rachel moved to New York, they lived not far from each other, and seemed to have every class together. They weren't close friends, but they did talk at school and eat lunch together most of the time. But never in a million years did Rachel think Monica would come to visit her .
"That's what friends do." Monica said, taking a bag off of her shoulder, "Although you may not think of me as a friend in a few minutes. The only way I could talk Mr. Weinburg into giving me your address was to say I was bringing you homework....so I ended up with this week's Biology assignments."
Rachel took the bag, "It'll pass the time."
"My brother was invited to a party this weekend, a bunch of juniors, and he said I could bring some friends if I wanted to...do you think you could come? It's Friday night after the Homecoming game." Monica said, sitting down on Rachel's bed, "I don't know if you'll know anyone, but you know Phoebe in gym? She's going to be there. And Joey and Chandler....I know you've met them at lunch. And Andrew from math, he's one of the football players, so he'll probably be there too."
Rachel cringed, never having attended a single social function since she moved to New York. Of course, being a freshman, you didn't get invited to much. She thought for a moment, then shrugged, "If my grandmother lets, I'd love to go."
After all, her grandmother wouldn't even let her go to the movies, much less a party. And who knows when she'd even get invited to something like this again. What's the worst that could happen?
"Great! I'll see you tomorrow....I've got to get down to the coffeehouse, Phoebe's playing tonight." Monica said as she exited the room.
Rachel fell back against her pillows with a groan. Then again, what if her grandmother did say yes and she'd have to spend a whole night with a bunch of over-sexed jocks from her school? What had she just agreed to?
Rolling onto her side, she rummaged through her bedside drawer, pulling out a bottle of blue sleeping pills. She turned the bottle over in her hands, listening to them rattle against the plastic bottle, a sick sense of calm passing over her. She didn't need to take them, she wasn't in that place again...yet...but it comforted her just to know they were there.
She opened the cap, tilting the bottle so that two pills fell into her hands. Taking a sip of her tea, she took the two pills, hoping she'd fall into a deep enough sleep where nightmares wouldn't plague her anymore.
~*~
In Houston, things at the Green household were reaching an eerie climax. Robert and Sandra had been fighting, and drinking, most of the afternoon. Amy, 16, and Jill, 12, were huddled in a ball, crying softly as the sounds of screams and breaking glass filled the air. A shot when off, then there was silence.
2 hours later, their mother was being arrested, their father dead.
It was raining when Amy arrived in New York, angry at the world. She was sent to live with her grandmother and Rachel, while Jill went to live with Sandra's mother in Florida. It all happened so fast, Wednesday they were at home, Friday they had totally new lives.
"This place is a hole." Amy hissed, slamming the dresser drawer she now shared with Rachel shut, "I can't believe we have to live here."
"Tell me about it." Rachel mumbled, surprised they could even fit another bed into this already cramped room, "She doesn't even own a TV."
"I noticed that." Amy observed, "Jill is so lucky to be living with Grandma Linda in Miami."
"You can say that again." Rachel groaned, "And it just gets worse."
"School?"
"Awful. Grandmother has total control over our classes. Of course, maybe not yours, after all, I'm the one who supposedly needs a 24/7 babysitter. She won't even let me go to the movies. I asked her on Wednesday about a party tomorrow night, and she still hasn't given me an answer." Rachel complained. "Everything's different here."
Amy sighed, stomping to the door, "I'm going to take a shower."
"We won't have hot water until after 9." Rachel warned, "By 5 am, it will be ice cold again."
"7 hours and I already hate it here."
"You get used to it, sadly enough."
Betty walked into the room, "Alright Rachel, dear, I've made a decision on the Geller girl's party."
Rachel shut her eyes, praying that she would say no and she could just sleep the night away. Ever since she heard about her parents, her mood had been from bad to worse. Amy's negative attitude wasn't helping, and she wasn't in the mood to play little miss sunshine with 50 other kids.
"If Amy goes with you as a chaperone, then you can go." Betty said with a smile, "I was unsure about it, but I know how close you and little Monica are."
Betty walked out and Rachel scowled, "How close? We talk at school. If that's close, she may keel over from a heart attack when I have friends that come over and stuff."
"You can't have friends that come over." Amy observed, "There's nowhere to put them. And what's this about a chaperone? I'm only 10 months older than you are."
"How easy you forget, I'm the one who made one mistake and will never live it down." Rachel hissed, kicking the bed angrily, "I don't even want to go to this damn party."
Amy smiled, "Come on Rach, it's a party with football players, how bad could it be?"
~*~
"This sucks." Amy groaned, sitting next to Rachel in the bleachers. The cute guys are all taken, and the ugly ones keep making passes at me."
"Welcome to Lincoln High." Rachel said with a shrug, watching the guys from her school score another touchdown, "The most rotten place on Earth."
"Rachel! Rach!" a voice yelled from behind her. "Rachel!"
"That's Monica." Rachel said before turning around, "Hey! We looked for you earlier, but we couldn't find you guys anywhere."
"Who's this?" Monica asked, motioning to Amy, "I don't remember seeing her around."
"This is my sister Amy, she just moved here from Houston. And Amy, this is Monica, Phoebe, and Chandler." Rachel introduced her semi-friends, "Ross and Joey are playing in the game."
"Well, not playing." Chandler joked, "Ross is on the bench, and Joey's the one making a pass at the cheerleaders."
"Monica and Ross are the ones having the party." Rachel told Amy. She turned to Monica, "It's okay for Amy to come too, right?"
"Of course! The more the merrier. We're going to go down and get some drinks, want anything?"
"No thanks." The Green girls replied in unison, watching as Monica and the group walked off.
Amy turned to Rachel, "She seems nice."
"Yeah." Rachel shrugged, "We've been taking the same classes since I moved here...she's nice and all, but I'm just not into making friends."
"You've got to." Amy said softly, "The world is so lonely when you're alone. You've got to have friends."
Rachel shrugged again, "What do you know? You've always had a million friends, you don't know what it's like not to have to put up an effort. When it's just me, I don't have to please anyone else."
"Maybe that's why you're so unhappy, you don't have anything to strive for."
"I'm not unhappy." Rachel snapped.
Amy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever."
"Just watch the game, okay?" Rachel replied angrily.
~*~
When Amy and Rachel got to Monica's, the party was already in full swing. The Geller's home was full of people, it was like walking through Times Square on a Friday night, there was standing room only.
On the other side of the room, Rachel saw Monica and their group of friends hanging out, laughing and talking about something, causing Ross to act like he was going to hit Joey. She suddenly felt left out, not wanting to intrude on their little group. She turned to speak to Amy, only to find her sister scouting out a group of guys, her down mood having disappeared at the sight of football players.
Alone, she decided to just get something to drink and find a corner to hang out in. She took a cup of punch, taking a sip and moving to the kitchen, where only a few people seemed to be at. Sitting down on a counter stool, she watched as all of her classmates mingled and laughed, her chest aching with jealousy. She pushed her feelings aside, making a bitter face, she didn't want that. She didn't need them to have a good time.
She was lost in thought when he came up to her. It wasn't until his hand brushed hair from her face that she noticed his deep green eyes and his striking black hair.
"Hi, I'm Shawn. I don't believe I've seen you around here before." he said, leaning in towards her, "I would have definitely noticed someone as beautiful as you."
Rachel blushed, feeling her body tingle inside, "I'm Rachel...and....thank you."
"Want a drink?" Shawn asked, taking her glass, "Beer?"
"Whatever." Rachel replied, "Whatever you're having."
Shawn walked over to a cooler nearby, pulling out two cans of beer, "So what's a beautiful girl like you doing hanging out here where there's no one around?"
"Too crowded in there." Rachel said, taking a swig of beer and making a face, "Besides, I don't know anyone."
Shawn took her by the hand, leading her into the living room, "Well, now you know me, and I'll show you everyone who's important."
~*~
"Hey, isn't that Rachel over there with Shawn Miller?" Phoebe asked, "How did she get him to notice her?"
Ross looked over, mildly interested. Shawn was the quarterback on their football team, a senior who was way too interested in drinking and sex for his taste, "He just broke up with his girlfriend, they'd been dating for like 6 months."
"Wow, when she meets guys she really meets them." Monica said with a smirk, "She's got every girl here jealous."
"Didn't you say her Dad died just a few nights ago?" Chandler asked, "How are her and her sister okay right now? I can't stand my dad, but I'd sure be broken up over his death."
Monica shrugged, "She just told me it was coming for a long time, and that they were almost expecting it. She was down when it happened, but maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet....I mean, it's not like they're close, they live thousands of miles away, and I don't know why Rachel wasn't living with them, but it seems pretty bad."
"Was he sick?" Phoebe asked, "Maybe she's really sad and just using Shawn as an outlet for her pain."
"By having sex?" Joey asked, "She can use me as an outlet anytime if that's the case!"
"She's not real emotional." Monica shrugged, "Everyone's different."
Ross watched as Rachel finished her beer, accepting another from Shawn and his friends, "I just hope she knows what she's in for."
~*~
"Want another one?" Shawn asked, sitting outside on the balcony with Rachel, "You seem like you're having a good time."
Rachel nodded, leaning her head back, "I don't go to many parties. It's been great."
"You think maybe we could go see a movie sometime? Maybe go to dinner?" Shawn asked, moving closer to Rachel, "I'd love to see more of you."
Very drunk and not catching onto Shawn's double meaning, she giggled, "I'd like to see more of you too."
He leaned forward, holding the back of her head as he kissed her gently, "Then we'll just have to do it."
Rachel leaned farther into the kiss, her eyes shutting as she moaned, "You're a great kisser."
"Not so bad yourself." Shawn replied, his hands roaming under her shirt.
Rachel knew she should stop him, but she couldn't find the words. It felt so good to be wanted, and she couldn't get her head clear enough to think this through. She giggled as he fumbled with her bra, cursing as she heard her sister's voice calling for her.
"That's my sister." Rachel warned, "I better go."
"No, stay. She won't find us out here....aren't we having a good time?" Shawn asked, "I thought you liked me."
"I do like you." Rachel replied, hesitating as she heard her sister call again, "I don't know...."
Shawn nibbled on her earlobe, "Just a few more minutes."
Moments later, he had her jeans unzipped and his own working their way down.
"We shouldn't do this." Rachel said, suddenly frightened inside of her alcohol induced daze, "We just met."
"We both want it." Shawn replied, kissing her gently, "You know you want it."
"I don't know." Rachel whimpered, trying to make a reasonable decision, but failing miserably as a wave of dizziness washed through her. She picked a really bad night to drink for the first time.
Shawn pulled out a condom, slipping it on, "Trust me."
This is mostly Rachel in this chapter, but as I go on, it will become R&R....please let me know if you like it.
I only own Betty and Shawn. Everyone else isn't mine, although if you know where I can buy them, let me in!
Katie
Grey Horizons:
The blade was ice cold as it made contact with her pale white skin. She flinched as her arm was overtaken by a burning sensation, but then relaxed once more when she saw the dark red blood spilling down her arm, onto her trembling fingers.
This was it. The moment she had been waiting for. Her chance to escape.
She dug the blade harder, knowing that one tiny cut wouldn't do the trick. She let out a strangled scream as pain seared through her body. She wanted so badly to pull back, take the knife away, but she couldn't bring herself to stop what she had started.
If she was able to do this, there would be no more fighting, no more tears. She'd finally be happy.
As she started to feel weak, she glanced around her room for what she hoped would be the last time. It was the same as any other girl her age would have theirs, yet when she looked around she didn't see happy memories, fun times. She only heard her parent's screams, saw her father drinking, heard her sisters begging them to stop. Well, she was tired of begging, tired of wishing things would improve. She was going to fix her problems the only way she knew how.
Her world faded to black when she heard her mother's shrill scream from the doorway.
~*~
She slowly opened her eyes, her body cold. She wondered briefly if she was dead, but upon hearing the doctors talking with her parents, she decided against it. Noticing that no one saw she was awake, she closed her eyes and feigned sleep once more.
"Name of patient?" One of the nurses asked, filling out some paperwork while the doctor lifted Rachel's arm, inspecting the bandages that were already becoming soaked with blood.
Sandra Green's voice trembled as she said softly, "Rachel Green."
"Middle name?"
"Karen."
"Age?"
"13." Sandra choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what was happening...not her little girl, not her precious daughter.
It was then that Rachel decided to face the music. Her eyes flew open and she pulled her arm away from the doctor who was starting to peel back her bandages with a great deal of pain, "What's going on?"
"Oh, my baby." Sandra sobbed, pulling Rachel into a tight embrace, "What were you thinking? What's wrong Rachel?"
Rachel remained silent, her body stiff. She didn't want to answer any questions. She didn't want to shed light into her mind, especially for the people who were making her life miserable. This had all gone terribly wrong .
~*~
They sent her from her warm home in Houston to her grandmother's house in New York, unable to get her to open up to them, and tired of trying. They were hoping the time apart would calm their daughter down, and maybe someone else would be able to get to the bottom of Rachel's problems.
2 years later, neither had happened.
Rachel laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling in the shoebox of a room she lived in. Her grandmother didn't have enough money as her parents did, something that Betty Green, her father's mother, never failed to point out.
She wondered how long she could get away with staying in bed. For the last three days, her excuse was legitimate, she had the flu, a fever and cough to go with it. But now, she was just stalling before she had to go back to school.
High School was nothing that it was made out to be. The other students were mean, it was 5 times bigger than her middle school, and it was so large that Rachel had to practically run to get to her classes on time. Not to mention the sleazy boys who were always hitting on her.
Her classes were boring, her grandmother chose everything she was taking, and while she learned to cook in home ec, others were having a blast cheerleading, playing an instrument in band, or taking a study hall period. Even though her grades were only average, she was forced into taking advanced Algebra, English, Biology, and History. Her only "fun" time was Gym, and that wasn't much fun anyway. Her teacher was focused on aerobics and basketball, and all Rachel wanted to do was go outside.
A knock on the door turned her frown into a scowl, "Come in."
"I brought you some tea." Betty said sweetly, placing a steaming cup next to Rachel's bed, "Are you feeling better today?"
Rachel shrugged, "A little, but not totally. Thanks for the tea."
"If you're feeling better tomorrow, maybe I can drive you to school instead of you having to walk. The last thing we want is a relapse."
Rachel's eyes lowered. Of course not, then she'd be in the way all day again. "Thanks."
"Let me know if you need anything." Betty said before letting herself out of the room.
Rachel pulled her covers up to her chin, tears in her eyes. She missed Houston, she missed her parents and her sisters, her friends and her peers. When she was sick in Houston, her mother would go to the video store and rent movies, and they'd eat popcorn and watch movies all day. Here, it was resting in her tiny room, staring at the white walls, and waiting for night to come so she could go to sleep.
Her door opened again, and Rachel's eyes flew to it. Her grandmother never came in without knocking. She was surprised to see a classmate of hers in the doorway.
"Your grandmother said I could come in." Monica Geller said softly, "You haven't been at school for a few days, and I was worried."
Rachel smiled, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair, "I've had the flu, but I'll be back tomorrow probably. Thanks for stopping by."
Rachel and Monica had known each other since Rachel moved to New York, they lived not far from each other, and seemed to have every class together. They weren't close friends, but they did talk at school and eat lunch together most of the time. But never in a million years did Rachel think Monica would come to visit her .
"That's what friends do." Monica said, taking a bag off of her shoulder, "Although you may not think of me as a friend in a few minutes. The only way I could talk Mr. Weinburg into giving me your address was to say I was bringing you homework....so I ended up with this week's Biology assignments."
Rachel took the bag, "It'll pass the time."
"My brother was invited to a party this weekend, a bunch of juniors, and he said I could bring some friends if I wanted to...do you think you could come? It's Friday night after the Homecoming game." Monica said, sitting down on Rachel's bed, "I don't know if you'll know anyone, but you know Phoebe in gym? She's going to be there. And Joey and Chandler....I know you've met them at lunch. And Andrew from math, he's one of the football players, so he'll probably be there too."
Rachel cringed, never having attended a single social function since she moved to New York. Of course, being a freshman, you didn't get invited to much. She thought for a moment, then shrugged, "If my grandmother lets, I'd love to go."
After all, her grandmother wouldn't even let her go to the movies, much less a party. And who knows when she'd even get invited to something like this again. What's the worst that could happen?
"Great! I'll see you tomorrow....I've got to get down to the coffeehouse, Phoebe's playing tonight." Monica said as she exited the room.
Rachel fell back against her pillows with a groan. Then again, what if her grandmother did say yes and she'd have to spend a whole night with a bunch of over-sexed jocks from her school? What had she just agreed to?
Rolling onto her side, she rummaged through her bedside drawer, pulling out a bottle of blue sleeping pills. She turned the bottle over in her hands, listening to them rattle against the plastic bottle, a sick sense of calm passing over her. She didn't need to take them, she wasn't in that place again...yet...but it comforted her just to know they were there.
She opened the cap, tilting the bottle so that two pills fell into her hands. Taking a sip of her tea, she took the two pills, hoping she'd fall into a deep enough sleep where nightmares wouldn't plague her anymore.
~*~
In Houston, things at the Green household were reaching an eerie climax. Robert and Sandra had been fighting, and drinking, most of the afternoon. Amy, 16, and Jill, 12, were huddled in a ball, crying softly as the sounds of screams and breaking glass filled the air. A shot when off, then there was silence.
2 hours later, their mother was being arrested, their father dead.
It was raining when Amy arrived in New York, angry at the world. She was sent to live with her grandmother and Rachel, while Jill went to live with Sandra's mother in Florida. It all happened so fast, Wednesday they were at home, Friday they had totally new lives.
"This place is a hole." Amy hissed, slamming the dresser drawer she now shared with Rachel shut, "I can't believe we have to live here."
"Tell me about it." Rachel mumbled, surprised they could even fit another bed into this already cramped room, "She doesn't even own a TV."
"I noticed that." Amy observed, "Jill is so lucky to be living with Grandma Linda in Miami."
"You can say that again." Rachel groaned, "And it just gets worse."
"School?"
"Awful. Grandmother has total control over our classes. Of course, maybe not yours, after all, I'm the one who supposedly needs a 24/7 babysitter. She won't even let me go to the movies. I asked her on Wednesday about a party tomorrow night, and she still hasn't given me an answer." Rachel complained. "Everything's different here."
Amy sighed, stomping to the door, "I'm going to take a shower."
"We won't have hot water until after 9." Rachel warned, "By 5 am, it will be ice cold again."
"7 hours and I already hate it here."
"You get used to it, sadly enough."
Betty walked into the room, "Alright Rachel, dear, I've made a decision on the Geller girl's party."
Rachel shut her eyes, praying that she would say no and she could just sleep the night away. Ever since she heard about her parents, her mood had been from bad to worse. Amy's negative attitude wasn't helping, and she wasn't in the mood to play little miss sunshine with 50 other kids.
"If Amy goes with you as a chaperone, then you can go." Betty said with a smile, "I was unsure about it, but I know how close you and little Monica are."
Betty walked out and Rachel scowled, "How close? We talk at school. If that's close, she may keel over from a heart attack when I have friends that come over and stuff."
"You can't have friends that come over." Amy observed, "There's nowhere to put them. And what's this about a chaperone? I'm only 10 months older than you are."
"How easy you forget, I'm the one who made one mistake and will never live it down." Rachel hissed, kicking the bed angrily, "I don't even want to go to this damn party."
Amy smiled, "Come on Rach, it's a party with football players, how bad could it be?"
~*~
"This sucks." Amy groaned, sitting next to Rachel in the bleachers. The cute guys are all taken, and the ugly ones keep making passes at me."
"Welcome to Lincoln High." Rachel said with a shrug, watching the guys from her school score another touchdown, "The most rotten place on Earth."
"Rachel! Rach!" a voice yelled from behind her. "Rachel!"
"That's Monica." Rachel said before turning around, "Hey! We looked for you earlier, but we couldn't find you guys anywhere."
"Who's this?" Monica asked, motioning to Amy, "I don't remember seeing her around."
"This is my sister Amy, she just moved here from Houston. And Amy, this is Monica, Phoebe, and Chandler." Rachel introduced her semi-friends, "Ross and Joey are playing in the game."
"Well, not playing." Chandler joked, "Ross is on the bench, and Joey's the one making a pass at the cheerleaders."
"Monica and Ross are the ones having the party." Rachel told Amy. She turned to Monica, "It's okay for Amy to come too, right?"
"Of course! The more the merrier. We're going to go down and get some drinks, want anything?"
"No thanks." The Green girls replied in unison, watching as Monica and the group walked off.
Amy turned to Rachel, "She seems nice."
"Yeah." Rachel shrugged, "We've been taking the same classes since I moved here...she's nice and all, but I'm just not into making friends."
"You've got to." Amy said softly, "The world is so lonely when you're alone. You've got to have friends."
Rachel shrugged again, "What do you know? You've always had a million friends, you don't know what it's like not to have to put up an effort. When it's just me, I don't have to please anyone else."
"Maybe that's why you're so unhappy, you don't have anything to strive for."
"I'm not unhappy." Rachel snapped.
Amy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever."
"Just watch the game, okay?" Rachel replied angrily.
~*~
When Amy and Rachel got to Monica's, the party was already in full swing. The Geller's home was full of people, it was like walking through Times Square on a Friday night, there was standing room only.
On the other side of the room, Rachel saw Monica and their group of friends hanging out, laughing and talking about something, causing Ross to act like he was going to hit Joey. She suddenly felt left out, not wanting to intrude on their little group. She turned to speak to Amy, only to find her sister scouting out a group of guys, her down mood having disappeared at the sight of football players.
Alone, she decided to just get something to drink and find a corner to hang out in. She took a cup of punch, taking a sip and moving to the kitchen, where only a few people seemed to be at. Sitting down on a counter stool, she watched as all of her classmates mingled and laughed, her chest aching with jealousy. She pushed her feelings aside, making a bitter face, she didn't want that. She didn't need them to have a good time.
She was lost in thought when he came up to her. It wasn't until his hand brushed hair from her face that she noticed his deep green eyes and his striking black hair.
"Hi, I'm Shawn. I don't believe I've seen you around here before." he said, leaning in towards her, "I would have definitely noticed someone as beautiful as you."
Rachel blushed, feeling her body tingle inside, "I'm Rachel...and....thank you."
"Want a drink?" Shawn asked, taking her glass, "Beer?"
"Whatever." Rachel replied, "Whatever you're having."
Shawn walked over to a cooler nearby, pulling out two cans of beer, "So what's a beautiful girl like you doing hanging out here where there's no one around?"
"Too crowded in there." Rachel said, taking a swig of beer and making a face, "Besides, I don't know anyone."
Shawn took her by the hand, leading her into the living room, "Well, now you know me, and I'll show you everyone who's important."
~*~
"Hey, isn't that Rachel over there with Shawn Miller?" Phoebe asked, "How did she get him to notice her?"
Ross looked over, mildly interested. Shawn was the quarterback on their football team, a senior who was way too interested in drinking and sex for his taste, "He just broke up with his girlfriend, they'd been dating for like 6 months."
"Wow, when she meets guys she really meets them." Monica said with a smirk, "She's got every girl here jealous."
"Didn't you say her Dad died just a few nights ago?" Chandler asked, "How are her and her sister okay right now? I can't stand my dad, but I'd sure be broken up over his death."
Monica shrugged, "She just told me it was coming for a long time, and that they were almost expecting it. She was down when it happened, but maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet....I mean, it's not like they're close, they live thousands of miles away, and I don't know why Rachel wasn't living with them, but it seems pretty bad."
"Was he sick?" Phoebe asked, "Maybe she's really sad and just using Shawn as an outlet for her pain."
"By having sex?" Joey asked, "She can use me as an outlet anytime if that's the case!"
"She's not real emotional." Monica shrugged, "Everyone's different."
Ross watched as Rachel finished her beer, accepting another from Shawn and his friends, "I just hope she knows what she's in for."
~*~
"Want another one?" Shawn asked, sitting outside on the balcony with Rachel, "You seem like you're having a good time."
Rachel nodded, leaning her head back, "I don't go to many parties. It's been great."
"You think maybe we could go see a movie sometime? Maybe go to dinner?" Shawn asked, moving closer to Rachel, "I'd love to see more of you."
Very drunk and not catching onto Shawn's double meaning, she giggled, "I'd like to see more of you too."
He leaned forward, holding the back of her head as he kissed her gently, "Then we'll just have to do it."
Rachel leaned farther into the kiss, her eyes shutting as she moaned, "You're a great kisser."
"Not so bad yourself." Shawn replied, his hands roaming under her shirt.
Rachel knew she should stop him, but she couldn't find the words. It felt so good to be wanted, and she couldn't get her head clear enough to think this through. She giggled as he fumbled with her bra, cursing as she heard her sister's voice calling for her.
"That's my sister." Rachel warned, "I better go."
"No, stay. She won't find us out here....aren't we having a good time?" Shawn asked, "I thought you liked me."
"I do like you." Rachel replied, hesitating as she heard her sister call again, "I don't know...."
Shawn nibbled on her earlobe, "Just a few more minutes."
Moments later, he had her jeans unzipped and his own working their way down.
"We shouldn't do this." Rachel said, suddenly frightened inside of her alcohol induced daze, "We just met."
"We both want it." Shawn replied, kissing her gently, "You know you want it."
"I don't know." Rachel whimpered, trying to make a reasonable decision, but failing miserably as a wave of dizziness washed through her. She picked a really bad night to drink for the first time.
Shawn pulled out a condom, slipping it on, "Trust me."