Oh God, how long has it been? Bet you thought I'd forgotten, hadn't you? :-) As a reward for your patience, a large part of this chapter will be purely cute Ross and Rachelness!
Also, some of these situations (ie: the swimming pool scene) might seem superfluous (unneeded), but, again, they are just to simulate the decisions and thought processes of the average teenager.
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"Topeka? Where the hell's Topeka?" Rachel asked groggily, waking up from her nap.
"It's the capital of Kansas," Ross informed.
"Smartass."
"It's also our home for the next 15 hours or so, so learn to love it," Chandler informed.
"Ugh," Rachel complained, plopping back down in the seat. "Middle America, my ass."
"Come on," Phoebe urged from the middle section of the car. "Open your mind, Rachel! Topeka could be fun! Have you ever BEEN?"
"Well, no..."
"Then how do you know it's not going to be like the most magical place ever?"
"I don't know," Rachel murmured, sitting back up and leaning against the window. She turned her gaze intensely off into the distance, leaning her head against the pane. "I just want to get to California," she whispered. Ross laid a reassuring hand on her knee.
"I hear Topeka has a California Pizza Kitchen," he joked, rubbing her knee. "I'll take you there tonight and it'll be almost as good as the real thing." She looked over at him and couldn't conceal a smile.
"Okay, now you're just showing off."
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"Woah-ho," Joey exclaimed, walking into the lobby of the latest motel and dropping his suitcase instantly at his side. "What a piece of shit," he whispered to Phoebe, regarding the fairly dilapidated decor of the interior of the motel. She nodded in agreement.
"Well, it's no Indianapolis," Ross confirmed, trying to stay positive, "but we'll be out of here first thing in the morning."
"Oh God," Monica whispered to Rachel as she emerged from the bathroom, clasping her arms like she was either terrified or chilly.
"What?"
"I think I'm going to have nightmares tonight," she whined, obviously referring to the state of the bathroom.
"Just don't touch anything," Rachel warned, subconsciously stepping away from the crackling wallpapered wall. She looked up at the ceiling and behind her like she was trying to avoid all contact with anything in the area. "This place probably hasn't been renovated since the Alamo."
"Okay," Chandler interrupted, handing Rachel and Monica their respective keys. "The rooms are paid for. Ross and I are going to get the rest of the stuff out of the car. You guys can head up to the rooms if you want."
"Oh, hey, wait," Monica insisted, grabbing Chandler's arm. "Did the concierge say if there was anything to do around here for fun? You know, like tonight?"
"No, I think we're pretty much out of luck, other than Pay-Per-View and the swimming pool," he answered. Monica and Rachel's faces both dropped disappointedly. "Oh, and a rousing game of Bingo at the senior center across the street, if you're interested." Monica rolled her eyes.
"We'll see you two in the rooms. Come on, Rachel."
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