OH! DARLING | joey tribbiani

thirty nine

The boys and Quinn were sitting on the couch, engrossed in the football game playing on the television, while Rachel and Phoebe helped Monica with the Thanksgiving dinner.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes... Argh!" The four sports fans groaned as the football fell through the player's hands.

"Hey, it's your Thanksgiving too, you know? Instead of watching football, you could help," Phoebe told them.

"We know," the boys said in sync.

"Mon doesn't want me in the kitchen after what happened last year," Quinn answered.

"You know, for an Irish person, it's really hard to understand how you could mess up mashed potatoes like you did," Monica pointed a finger at her.

"Hey! It's not my fault! I was PMS'ing and brain fog was the new addition to the list of symptoms that year," the redhead defended herself, turning around from where she sat on Joey's lap to glare at her friend.

"I still can't believe your symptoms can change," Chandler jumped in the conversation. "I thought the ones you got before your first period would be the ones you have for the rest of your life."

"Isn't the female body so fascinating?" Quinn sarcastically said and the two moved their focus back to the game.

After a while, Phoebe decided to join them. "You know, for once I am going to sit down and try to watch one of these things."

But the second she took a seat in the armchair, her four friends who occupied the sofa got up as Ross announced the halftime.

"Hey, who wants to throw the ball around a little?" Joey asked the group. "Maybe get a little three-on-four going?"

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Rachel agreed, jumping on any opportunity that would get her out of the kitchen.

"I wanna play but there can't be any tackling, I'm not trying to break my femur again," Quinn said.

"We'll go easy on each other," her boyfriend assured her.

"Can I play too? I've never played football, like, ever," Phoebe jumped in.

"Great, you can cover Chandler," Joey told her.

"Oh no, I don't really wanna play," the man in question said.

Joey sighed. "Come on man, you never wanna do anything since you and Janice broke up."

"That's not true," his roommate argued. "I wanted to wear my bathrobe and eat peanut clusters all day. I wanted to start drinking in the morning. Don't say that I don't have goals!"

"Chandler, you have to start getting over her, alright? If you play, you'll get some fresh air, maybe it'll take your mind off Janice," Joey reasoned.

"Plus, there's no better way to let out your anger than by..." Quinn started saying but trailed off when she realised she wouldn't be exactly right. "Okay, I don't think American football is as efficient to let out your anger as kicking soccer balls or shooting hockey pucks but sport is still a great way for you to let it all out and get loose."

Chandler pondered on it for a few seconds before conceding. "Alright, I'll play."

"Yay!" The girls and Joey cheered and got up to go change.

"Ross?" Rachel asked her boyfriend.

"What?"

"Want to play football?"

Ross stopped next to his sister at the kitchen table, standing bizarrely. "Um, Monica and I aren't supposed to play football."

"Says who, your mom?" Joey chuckled.