Roxie Bing | she's the one

(1.8) The One Where Nana Dies Twice

"Isn't that ridiculous? Can you believe she actually thought that?"
A silence fell upon the group at Chandler's question. A woman at work had tried to set him up with a man being none-the-wiser about him not being gay.
Rachel was the one to finally answer. "Um... yeah." She shrugged.
Chandler looked offended. "Did any of the rest of you guys think that when you first met me?"
"I did." Monica said.
"Yeah, I think so." Phoebe added.
"I was still waiting for you to come out after I went to university." I shrugged.
Joey and Ross piped up and assured my (now very offended) brother that they didn't think so.

Monica answered the phone a few minutes later and passed it to Rachel, announcing that it was Paolo calling from Rome. She squealed with excitement.
Joey and I sat by Ross by the TV.
"So he's calling from Rome. I could do that. I'd just have to go to Rome." Ross sighed and Joey and I patted him on the back in support.

Rachel rushed over to Monica to tell her that her dad had beeped in and to make it quick.
Monica took the phone.
"Oh, God." We heard her say, and then she looked at Ross. "It's Nana."

We were huddled in Central Perk and Chandler was clearly not letting go of the 'gay' thing.
"Okay, is it my hair?"
"Yes, Chandler. You have homosexual hair." Phoebe said both casually and sarcastically.
Joey and I both chuckled at the same time.

Monica and Ross came in and announced that their grandmother had died twice.
"That's rough." I said.
It sparked a whole conversation about what happens after you die.
Phoebe gave her theory that you're never really gone.
And then Joey piped up.
"See, I don't believe any of that. I think once you're dead, you're dead. You're gone. You're worm food."
Joey caught eye contact with me as I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him.
He immediately tried to backtrack. "So Chandler looks gay, huh?"

"Well, this is depressing." Joey said.
We were stood in the apartment waiting for Chandler to come out ready for the funeral.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" I agreed, leaning back on the counter.
"Yeah. Have you ever been to one before?" Joey asked me.
"What? A funeral? Yeah, my best friend died in the first year of university in a car accident, but I think that's the only one I've been to." I tried to avoid eye contact as the memory and grief still felt raw when I spoke about it.
Joey was silent for a second before grabbing me and pulling me in for one of the tightest and comforting hugs I've ever had. "I'm so sorry you went through that, Rox."
"Thanks, Joe."
We smiled at each other longingly as he pulled away, and the heartfelt moment was interrupted by my brother coming out of his bedroom.
"Are you ready, kids?"
"Yeah." Joey and I both said in unison.

We were walking through the grounds of the church when I heard a suspicious sound.
"What?" Joey asked when he caught me staring.
"Oh, nothing. It's just your overcoat sounds remarkably like Brent Musburger."
"Check it out." Joey said, revealing under his overcoat. "Giants/Cowboys."
I scoffed. "You're watching a football game at a funeral?"
"No, no. It's just the pregame. I'll watch that at the reception." Joey said casually.
"You are despicable, Joey Tribbiani."
Joey smiled, clearly unaware of what the word meant. "You're not too bad either, Rox." He playfully nudged me.
I sighed.