Walk of shame

Chapter 2 - Beverly Hills

I woke up super early this morning - way before my alarm! I couldn’t force my eyes to sleep all night! Today is going to be the best day ever! I’m going to the Friends stage to watch the reunion being filmed!! 🤩 Im so excited that I can hardly wait! I have watched every episode at least once, but mostly twice. I even had a friends birthday party last year - it was awesome!! 🥳

I already got dressed and ready. My mom is making me wear a dress, which is fine I guess. She lets me add my own style to it so I put on my black pants underneath and my jean jacket too. I think it looks cool. I like being unique and having my own style. My mom calls me a free spirit. She is the same way. She taught me that it doesn’t matter what other people think. Not many people at my school are like that but I think life is lots more fun that way 🌺 

I think Phoebe is that way too. She’s so funny and goofy and doesn’t even care. I relate to her a lot. But Dad says she’s ditzy and I’m not ditzy. I’m really smart and make good grades. I love writing stories and poems and using big words that other people my age don’t understand. I’m not trying to show off or anything… I just want to be intelligent. My parents want me to go to a really great college when I’m older like my dad. He went to Northwestern - it’s in Chicago 🌆 You have to be at the top of your class to get in, and Dad says I won’t just get in because of who he is. Some kids at school say that I’m famous because of my dad but I don’t feel that way. I feel like everybody else. That’s how my parents want it to be and I like it that way💪 

Anyway, I’m up so early that it’s still dark outside! 💫 I’m just sitting in the living room at my grandparent’s house waiting for everyone to wake up. They have a really awesome fish tank with lots of saltwater fish that I could stare at for hours! 🐠 I’m also writing in my journal on my iPad because Dad says that will make me a better writer! 🤓 I hope he wakes up soon 😴

Oh wait.. it’s only 4:00am 😵

I wonder what it will be like at the Friends stage today. To see Central Perk and the purple apartment and Huggsy the bedtime penguin pal??? 🐧 I can’t wait! My dad says that I met Lisa when I was really young but I don’t remember her. Dad has had some zooms with her and has let me pop in and say hi. She is really nice and really funny. Lisa is his closest friend. Dad says they’re a lot alike. She is very different than Phoebe though. I have never met the rest but I feel like I know them. Partly because I watch them on the show, but also because my dad has talked about them for forever. They are all friends in real life! 💖

My dad talks to Matt all the time. He says he always makes him laugh, and sometimes he laughs so hard that he cries 😂 They have so many inside jokes.

CC is also someone I’m excited to meet. Her real name is Courteney, but I have never heard my dad call her that. I think she’s a really great actress. Not just as Monica, but also on Scream. My parents don’t know that I watched it!!! 🤫She is also a great musician - I love watching her sing and play the piano on Instagram! 🎶 I’d love to be able to do that someday!

I don’t know much about Matty - dad doesn’t say much about him. But he has told me a few stories from a long time ago and apparently he is just like Chandler - full of jokes and sarcasm😍 

Then there’s Jen. I think I’m most excited to meet her. I’m not sure if she is anything like Rachel or not. But Rachel is my favorite character on the show. She’s very beautiful and really funny and I love that she owned her life and accomplished so much, starting from nothing. Rachel Green is total goals 🥰 

My dad doesn’t say much about Jen - it’s kinda weird. I think he used to love her.. in real life, not just as Ross and Rachel. I may be 10, but I’m pretty smart. I know what it means when a guy  fidgets when he hears a girl’s name. He always makes a funny face and gets quiet. Then he tries to change the subject. I’m pretty sure they have been having lots of zooms and FaceTimes lately 🧐 I have never seen her on his screen because he always closes the door, but I’m pretty sure it’s her voice! It’s pretty easy to recognize after all. Sometimes they sound sad or angry, but most of the time they sound super giggly when they talk. I wonder if my dad loves her again? 💕

That’s weird to think about.. but it’s also kinda cool. I love my dad and want him to be happy. My mom has seemed mostly happy since my parents got divorced, but he has seemed lonely 😞

So many times when his phone buzzes and he looks at the name, he gets a big smile on his face 😊 I want him to be with the person that makes that happen. Maybe I’m crazy, but I have a feeling deep down that it’s Jen 🙂

Uh, be right back. It sounds like there’s someone outside the front door. I really shouldn’t have watched that Scream movie…. 😱😱 

———————-

She heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. She cautiously approached the door, a little scared, but mostly curious. 

As soon as she got to the door, it opened. She was shocked to see her dad standing in the door way, looking equally surprised to see her. His hair was sticking up in all directions and he looked sleepy. She noticed that the buttons of his shirt were off by one, leaving the bottom edge to hang down uneven with the other side. He looked like a mess!

“Cleo! What are you doing up?!”

She looked him up and down. 

“I woke up early and got ready because I couldn’t sleep. But dad… maybe I should be asking you the same thing!”

“Sweetheart, I was on set working on some things and lost track of time.”

“Come on dad. I may be ten, but it’s 3:00 in the morning, your hair is messed up, and you can’t stop smiling. I know you just did the walk of shame.”

His jaw dropped as he marveled at his daughter’s quick wit. He wasn’t sure if he should be proud, upset, or embarrassed.

There was no escaping this one. She caught him red-faced and red-handed. 

“Cleo.. what am I going to do with you? You should really be in bed.”

She grinned at him and shook her head. 

“Stop making excuses dad. I know that face! It was Jen, wasn’t it? It had to be!”

“Wh-what?” All capabilities of forming words were gone. He couldn’t hide it - he was over the moon for that woman and she had captivated every part of his soul. He had always been a private person but this time….this time he wanted to shout it from the rooftop. 

But he was in the company of his ten year old daughter, so all he could do was attempt to mask the smile that refused to leave his face”

“Yeah… nice try dad. Now the reunion is going to be even more fun! Please go try to get some sleep so you don’t have bags under your eyes tomorrow!…

On second thought, they might hide that cheesy grin on your face!”

She shot him a wink and a smile and turned on her heels as she sauntered off confidently towards her bedroom. 

She sure was going to give him a run for his money…