FRIENDS Til The End

Chapter 1 - The One With The Beginning of The End

It's about eight o'clock in the morning... only few minutes before I get in my car and drive to the place with lots of things unknown. I'm going to college! I'm scared as hell but what can I do? This is compulsory mainly because of my dad.

I look around my room and I can't help but shed a few tears. All right, you may be thinking that it's overly dramatic given that I'm only going to college. But it's not that. It's the photo I suddenly see as I move my eyes. That photo with a couple, hugging each other like they don't ever want to let go, with two girls and a guy looking at them like idiots. That couple's my parents. The onlookers? Me and my sibs.

It's been years since we were all together in one room. But it still hurts. Because no matter how much I wish and hope for it, and whatever I do, I know that I can never turn back time and change things anymore. It suddenly feels like an iron fist is holding my heart as I remember that day where it all started... the beginning of the end...

Four years ago...

Rachel was seated at the couch with her head on her hands, not knowing what to do with what just happened. Suddenly, two of her three children arrived.

"You had no right to do that!" Emma came in the room yelling, apparently at no one. Emma was her middle child, but she was actually her first-born. Rachel had no idea that Emma would grow up a bit boyish because of her, being involved in fashion. Emma did anyway.

Rachel looked outside and she saw her stepson, Ross's son with his first wife, approach. "Look, I was just trying to protect you." It was Ben, calm as ever, looking like her father more and more as days passed by. He was working and living in L.A but was with them for a vacation. He remained close to the family.

"No, you weren't! You hit him because you hate him, not for me!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Rachel already decided to chime in. Usually, when her 15 year-old daughter and her 22 year-old stepson had a fight, she just shrugged it off since they'd eventually kiss and make up. But she heard the word 'hit' and she knew something was really wrong this time. "Hit?" She looked at Ben. "What happened?"

"She hit my friend just because he hates him!" It was Emma who answered.

"He was making passes at you! What did you expect me to do??"

"He was not---"

Suddenly Emma and Ben were talking simultaneously.

"Okay, stop... Can both of you just stop for a while?" Both did. "As much as I'd like to settle this, the noise is really killing me. Look, why don't you just both go to your rooms? I'll just let your father handle this. I don't feel well." Rachel started to move away.

Emma and Ben looked at each other. "H-hey Rach, are you okay?" Ben said worryingly.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just... go to your rooms." She paused. "And please... stop yelling at each other."

When Emma and Ben were sure that Rachel couldn't hear them anymore, they started to bicker again... but because of what their Mom just said, this time, a whole lot softer.

"It's your fault!" Emma said first.

"How can that be my fault? You were the one who came in here, shouting like a maniac, telling her about the hitting-"

"I cannot believ-"

"What's going on?" It was Ross, who came out of nowhere.

"Oh god, Dad!" Emma said, startled. "Will you stop doing that?? You scared me!"

"What did I do?" Emma hugged and kissed him. "Seriously, what's going on? You two fighting again?"

"It's-" Emma started to talk but Ben cut her off.

"It's nothing. We're fine. But I don't think Rachel is."

"Why? What happened to her?" He suddenly looked worried. "Where is she?"

"Relax, nothing happened," he paused a bit. "Well, none that we know of. But she didn't look fine. I think she went to your room."

Back to the present time...

When Dad was out of our sight, I didn't know why I suddenly felt like there was something wrong. Sure, there were a lot of times when I went home and Mom looked like she'd kill any of us anytime because of stress due to work or Dad. But there was something that day that told me nothing was normal. I didn't know why. All I knew was that my instincts were always pretty good.

The next thing that happened, I didn't know until Dad told me. When he did, I thought that it was already the most painful thing that could ever happen to me. I was wrong.

Ross and Rachel's Room

Ross slowly went in and he found Rachel sitting on their bed with her back on him. "Honey? I'm home..."

Rachel turned to him. "Hi..."

Ross went near her then gave her a hug and kiss. "What's going on? Ben and Emma told me you didn't look fine." Sure enough, she didn't.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired. How was work?"

"Same old stuff. You? Got off early?"

"Yeah, there was nothing much to do. You wanna eat dinner?" Rachel stood up.

"Sure." Rachel started to walk towards the door. "Rach?" Rachel stopped without looking at him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She took a deep breath, looked at him for only a split second then turned her gaze away again. "Yes, I'm fine, Ross."

Ross was doing all he could to make himself believe that she really was fine, that she was just tired, but he had never seen Rachel this way ever since they knew each other. He knew something was wrong and he was starting to worry.

He thought for a bit before deciding to talk again. "I don't think you are..." Ross felt like it was a whole minute before Rachel answered when it was only about five seconds. He saw her bow before she did.

She slowly looked at him before shaking her head. "Okay. I'm not... I'm not okay."

Ross immediately stood up and went near her. "Why? What's wrong? Are you sick?" He was about to feel her temperature but she jerked away from him. "W-what's wrong, Rach?"

Rachel looked at Ross for a split second, took a deep breath then looked away before answering. "I want a divorce."