F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The One With All The Introductions

"Hello, can someone please shoot me in the head?" Chandler snarked, plopping down on the couch in the Central Perk. The rest of the gang, excluding Rachel and Phoebe, looked over at Chandler from their seats with amusement and curiosity.

"What happened, sweetie?" Monica asked, tilting her head to the side to get a better look at him.

"I ran into Janice today." Joey cringed at the news, taking a sip of his ice tea. "How did that go?" Ross chimes in, folding his newspaper to set on the table. "Well, instead of thinking like a sensible human being, I asked her out on a date." Chandler smiled tightly, regretting even getting out of bed that morning.

Rachel walked over with a plate of chocolate cake and a coffee mug. "Ooo, Chandler got a date?" She grinned, setting the plate in front of Joey before sitting on the arm of the couch. "Yeah, with Janice." Joey answered, his mouth already filled with the chocolatey dessert.

"Ooh.. well, that might not be too bad!" Rachel said sympathetically. "Yeah, right. That's like saying a night with a mass murderer won't be too bad." Chandler rolled his eyes and ran his hands down his face. "Dear God, why am I so dumb?!"

  Monica smirked a bit, reaching to her cup and taking a sip of her coffee. "Are ya sure you want the answer to that?" She teased, her lips now forming a grin.

  Chandler gave her a hard stare and before he could respond with his own sarcastic response, Phoebe came rushing in. She was poorly trying to hide a smaller figure behind.

  "Guys, guys, remember how I was homeless when I was younger?!" She beamed, practically jumping with joy. Ross squinted his eyes with a smile, raising his hand to rub at his temples "Yes, I believe it does ring a bell." Phoebe wasn't even phased by his tone. "Okay, well, there was this girl who was like my best friend and would give me food and clothes, and—and,  here she is!!"

  Phoebe pulled the smaller woman in front of her, shaking with excitement. "Guys, this is Jasmine! Jasmine, these are my friends! This ones Ross an-and that's his sister Monica!" Jasmine smiled warmly at everyone with a small wave. "And that's Joey, Rachel, and Chandler!" She finally finished with the introductions, pulling out a chair for them to sit.

  "It's really nice to meet you all. I've heard a lot about you in the past," Jasmine stopped to check her watch. "Twenty minutes!" She laughed. Joey nodded with a flirtatious grin. "Ayyeee... How you doin'?" She blinked in response, not fully catching on that he's flirting with her. "I'm okay, how are you?" She smiled sweetly with a small head tilt.

  Joey re-adjusted in his seat, licking his lips. A grin still on his face as he looked up and saw Phoebe glaring daggers at him. His face dropped. Clearing his throat with a more nervous smile. "I'm good."

Monica chuckled. "So, Jasmine, tell us about yourself. What kind of work do you do?" That caused her to perk up, if it was even possible. "I'm a psychologist! I work at a psychiatric ward for kids under the age of 18." Chandler forced a tight smile. "So, you help a bunch of kids understand their feelings?"

  Jasmine paused, looking over at him with slightly narrow eyes. As if she was trying to look into his soul. "I guess you could say that, yes." Something about that look ran a chill down his spine.

  "Yeah, so we're going to have dinner at Monica's tonight, you wanna come?" Phoebe cut in. Monica looked over at Rachel with raised eyebrows. "I guess I'm cooking dinner tonight."

  Jasmine smiled shyly, looking around at the group of friends. "Oh, well, I don't want to impose.." Rachel shook her head and waved her off. "Honey, don't worry about it. We would love to have you over and it could help us all get to know each other better!" Everyone nodded and chimed in agreement. With a nervous grin, she nodded. "Okay, sure! I don't have work tonight, so it'll be nice."

  After that, the conversation changed to something else. Everyone was talking except for Chandler, who was thinking hard about what to do about Janice all while taking frequent glances at Jasmine.

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  Jasmine fidgeted with a loose thread in her sundress as she stood outside of Monica and Rachel's door. She was silently debating with herself whether or not she should leave or not. On one hand, she hasn't seen Phoebe in years to the point where she was scared that she may have died.. but on the other hand, this meant she had to interact with other people.

  Damn, why did social anxiety have to be such a bitch?

  "Ya know, you have to knock on the door to get inside, right??" A voice said from behind, causing her to gasp and swiftly turn around. Chandler raised an eyebrow, closing his own apartment door behind him. "Ah, yes, I know! I just... can't seem to bring myself to do so." Her voice was shaking as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

  Chandler's blue eyes scanned over her body, taking a small note to himself that she was pretty small for someone in their 20s. "Oh, I get that. Nice to know I'm not the only one crippled with anxiety and self-loathing." He joked and walked over next to her to open the door for her. "After you." He smiled at her, causing her to bow her head slightly at him in thanks before walking inside the girls apartment with a shy smile of her own.

Monica was in the kitchen, bending over to put what looked like a casserole in the oven while everyone else was scattered around at the kitchen table and in the living room.

"Hey, look at who I found!" Chandler spoke up, closing the door behind Jasmine and himself.

"Jasmine!" Phoebe perked up, grinning widely as everyone waved and gave her small hellos. Jasmine bowed her head, feeling a bit more at ease now that she was with someone she recognized.

"Hi, sorry if I'm late." She smiled sheepishly, taking a small step deeper into the purple apartment.  "Oh, no, sweetie, we completely understand!" Rachel waved her off from her seat in the living room.

  "Yeah, Chandler is the one who has no excuse for being late. He lives literally across the hall." Joey teased. Chandler raises his hands and frowned. "Joey, you live with me."

  "Yeah, hut I wasn't late." The actor pointed out, smugly.

  "Wha—" Chandler was cut off by Phoebe leaping up out of her seat and rushing over to Jasmine. "Come sit with me! Oh, sweetie, are you okay? Ugh." Phoebe muttered and started to pick and swat at the air around the smaller woman.  "Phoebe, stop cleansing her aura and let her sit down!" Ross exclaimed. Phoebe was pouted in defeat but lead her to sit next to her at the couch.

  Jasmine smiled apologetically as she sat between Phoebe and Rachel. "Don't worry, Pheebs, you can cleanse my aura later." She patted her friend's thigh, sweetly.

  Monica walked over into the living room with a smile. "So, how did you two meet?"

  Jasmine looked over at Phoebe with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, which threw a few of them off. Not really a look that they expected from her.

  "Do you want to tell them or should I?" She cooed, making Phoebe pause. ".... I was trying to get some food from a corner-store." Now this made Jasmine squint at her friend. The rest of the group started to feel uncomfortable from the sudden, growing tension between the two.

  "Yeah. She didn't have the money to buy anything, not even a Little Debbie cake. So, I managed to get my parents to be okay with me bringing a random, homeless stranger into the house and have dinner with us. Unfortunately, we didn't have any space for her to stay with us, but we made sure to help her out the best way that we could."

  It didn't go unnoticed by the weak smile Phoebe gave Jasmine but they didn't pressure it any further. "That was so sweet of you!" Rachel smiled in disbelief, placing her hand over her heart.

  "Yeah, I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for her." Phoebe said with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with joy.

(A/N wow... it only took me like 10000 years to publish the first official chapter. :'))) sorry it took so long.  a lot of family drama and life attacking me. i hope y'all like it!!!)