♡

THE ONE WHERE ZARA MOVES IN.
EPISODE ONE.

♡

It felt a little weird moving in somewhere without Derek. The two had been together for not even two years with Zara having believed that Derek could have been the one, but Derek had other plans, apparently. Now, here she was moving in with her old college roommate, who was downstairs waiting for Zara in some coffee house.

Zara reached for her leather jacket, frowning at herself in her new bedroom mirror before she left. Monica had offered to stay, but Zara had needed a moment to adjust to her new living situation. Of course, she adored Monica, but Zara hadn't thought she'd ever need a roommate again.

"Zara! Come meet everyone!" Monica said upon seeing Zara enter Central Perk — the coffee house that Monica tended to hang out often. Her hand snatched Zara's, grinning widely as she stared back at the other three. "Guys, this is my new roommate Zara. We used to go to college together."

"Hey," said Zara, offering them a smile.

Monica pulled Zara down to sit with her on the sofa, knowing that Zara was one to put on a stony expression but to be anxious on the inside.

"Hi," answered one, nodding his head. "Chandler Bing."

"Phoebe Buffay," the blonde smiled warmly from where she sat on the floor, offering a cheery wave. 

Zara's eyes slid to the last, widening.

"Hey," he smirked, eyeing Zara with a twinkle in his eye. "How you doing?"

"Joey!" Monica complained.

How you doing?

After all this time, Zara couldn't believe it. A siren echoed in her mind, recalling who exactly Joey was. Zara was furious, hoping that her anger was enough to cover the embarrassment that she still felt from that night.

"You!"

Chandler smiled, facing his friend. "Oh boy, Joey. What did you do?"

"Me?" Joey's eyes widened. "I don't know! What did I do?"

Monica's mouth fell open, looking from Joey to Zara. "No! Not that Joey?"

But Zara doesn't need to say anything as Joey's face transitioned from disbelief to pure horror that caused Zara's stomach to churn. He knew exactly who she was. "You!" Joey said, and then turned to his friend Chandler. Great so did he know too? "It's her!"

"I can see that," said Chandler. "I need just a tad more."

Zara laughed harshly, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm surprised you even remember, Joey."

"Oh, believe me, I do," he reassured her, not that it was reassuring.

"Oh..." Chandler realised, smiling to himself. "Her. Zara. Yes, I'm with it now."

"Okay, I'm lost," Phoebe announced.

Monica glared at Chandler. "Don't smile!" Then her gaze flickered to Joey, shooting him a disapproving look. "I can't believe you would do that!"

"Hold on," said Chandler, tilting his head in thought. "From what I know, Joey didn't do much?"

"As in sex," added Joey, desperately, then realised what he had said. "No, wait—"

"I guess that's true at least," Zara cracked a smile at that, but then the glare Zara sent Joey made the man even paler. "You must have missed out on the part that you ran."

Chandler looked at Joey in disbelief with his mouth hitting the floor. "You ran? Best sex in your life and you run?"

Best sex in his life? Zara's lip curled at that, impressed with herself at the achievement but it didn't make any sense as to why he had fled. The rage still curled deep inside of her with Zara having not made the same mistake since Joey, but that comment still left her a little satisfied.

Joey looked uncomfortable. "Uh..."

"You ran because I cried," said Zara, raising her eyebrows, trying her hardest to not show that she still felt awkwardly embarrassed about the situation.

"God, were you that bad, Joey?" Phoebe asked him, shaking her head.

However, Joey couldn't bring himself to say anything else as he sunk in his seat, not liking the fury of Zara or Monica, who looked ready to strangle him herself. Zara had been embarrassed to cry after sleeping with Joey; the sex hadn't been bad nor had he been horrible, but it was her first one-night stand and the second guy she had ever slept with, so she had been a tad emotional. It had been a foolish mistake: a drunken one that had come too soon after her first breakup.

"Wonderful," summarised Chandler, finding the situation amusing. "Welcome, Zara. I've never known anyone to make Joey squirm so much."

♡

"So, Zara, do you like coffee?" Chandler asked, steering the conversation from the awkward reveal of Joey, who was busy sulking. Zara, however, was determined to not let it show that seeing him had gotten to her.

"Uh, no," said Zara, surprising the group. "It's the worst drink ever."

"Oh no," Phoebe said.

"I'm joking," Zara reassured them. "Get me a coffee or a beer and I'm the happiest girl alive."

The four laughed in relief as Zara was aware that they tended to hang out here a lot together. Desperately, Joey scrambled to get Zara a cup of coffee as she pressed her lips together, hating to admit that she enjoyed seeing him squirm too. The rest of the friends found it entertaining, at least.

"One cappuccino with extra chocolate sprinkles," Joey said, handing Zara the cup with a nervous smile. "Please don't throw it on me."

Zara raised an eyebrow. "Don't tempt me."

Joey decided to sit back down.

Chandler was laughing. "This is going to be so much fun."

Zara rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her coffee as the conversation spiraled with the three wanting to get to know Monica's new roommate properly. The conversation came to an end about Zara's family, to which she had no one as Zara had been nothing more than a foster child and she wasn't going to mention who her birth parents were (even Zara wished she could forget). However, they became interested in the revelation that Zara taught the Kindergarten year at a local school.

"Huh," said Phoebe. "I wouldn't have expected you to be a teacher."

"What did you think I do?" Zara asked, curiously.

"I don't know," Phoebe realised. "You seem a little scary, so maybe a cop or... I don't know!"

"Zara's great with kids," added Monica.

"Do kids not... cry when they see you?" Chandler asked.

Zara smirked. "Are you intimidated by me, Chandler?"

"No, not at all," he spoke a little too fast. "You just have this vibe..."

Zara had a certain vibe about him too that she couldn't quite work out yet and didn't want to question. However, this was a conversation that happened often: Zara knew she looked a little stormy and tougher than anyone expected, and she did have a tendency to be mean, but she was trying her best not to let that show too much. Joey, however, was making that very hard.

Fortunately, the conversation shifted so that Zara could start to get on with them a lot better. Particularly when Monica's brother — Ross — arrived, who Zara had met before and had received the rundown on what was going on in his life (Zara would defiantly have to keep her mouth shut with how vulnerable he was). 

"Hi," Ross sighed, clutching his umbrella.

"This guy says "hello"," said Joey. "I want to kill myself."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Monica took her brother's hand. "You remember Zara, right?"

"Hi, Ross," Zara attempted a cheery smile. "How's married life treating you?"

Monica shot her glare, to which Zara shrugged but appreciated the few sniggers around her.

"I feel like someone reached down my throat," answered Ross with Zara regretting to ask now. "Grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth, and tied it around my neck."

From where Chandler now sat, he raised his hand that held a plate of cookies. "Cookie?"

"Carol moved her stuff out today," Monica told them.

"Oh..." everyone replied, unknowing what else to say.

"Let me get you a coffee," Monica said to Ross.

"Thanks," Ross replied, sitting between Phoebe and Zara as Phoebe started fussing with Ross, earning a series of protests from the depressed man. "Stop cleansing my aura. No, just leave my aura alone, okay? I'll be fine, all right? Really, everyone. I hope she'll be very happy."

"No, you don't," Monica called back.

"To hell with her," Ross corrected himself. "She left me."

"And you never knew she was a lesbian?" Joey questioned.

"No, okay?" Ross started getting angry. "Why does everyone keep fixating on that? She didn't know. How should I know?"

"Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian," said Chandler as everyone's attention fell on him. "Did I say that out loud?"

Zara cracked a smile as Monica handed Ross his coffee as the three then shuffled for her to sit down with them again.

"All right, Ross, look," said Joey. "You're feeling a lot of pain right now. You're angry. You're hurting. Can I tell you what the answer is?"

"To run?" Zara guessed.

"What? No!" Joey shook his head, not catching what she had meant. "Strip joints!" Everyone around him looked exasperated at the suggestion. "Oh, come on! You're single!"

"See, but I don't want to be single, okay?"

Neither did Zara as she sunk down on the sofa with her mind tumbling back to Derek. Together, they had agreed on a future that he no longer wanted apparently and now here she was sat in a café with an old tragic one-night stand and a load of strangers — at least she had Monica.

"I just, I just, I just want to be married again!"

At that, Chandler became distracted by something as they all turned to see a bride had come rushing in. The girl looked panicked, freaking out as if she was searching the coffee house for her lost groom. Honestly, Zara was a little amused with how the day was going.

"And I just want a million dollars," declared Chandler, hoping for the same.

Monica had stood, approaching the bride. "Rachel?"

"Oh, God, Monica. Hi. Thank God," she hugged Monica. "I just went to your building and you weren't there and then this guy with a big hammer said that you might be here, and you are!"

"Can I get you some coffee?" A barista asked.

"Decaf," Monica suggested.

"Okay, everybody, this is Rachel," Monica came over, introducing her friend to the group. "Another Lincoln High survivor. This is everybody. This is Chandler. And Phoebe. And Zara. And Joey. And you remember my brother Ross?"

"Sure," Rachel answered, moving to hug him but was stopped by Ross's umbrella opening up. Instead, he sat down in the seat that Joey had just been sitting in, who moved around to make space for Rachel to join them.

Zara shuffled, offering Rachel a tight-lipped smile as she avoided sitting on the many thrills of the dress. Both Phoebe and Zara exchanged a look as Monica perched on the edge of the sofa.

Rachel seemed familiar to Zara, where she assumed that they must have crossed paths before at college if Rachel had visited Monica.

"So, you want to tell us now or are we waiting for four wet bridesmaids?"

"Oh, God, well, it started about a half-hour before the wedding," begun Rachel with Zara listening, truly interested in the tale. "I was in this room where we were keeping all the presents and I was looking at this gravy boat. This really gorgeous Limoges gravy boat. When all of a sudden..." she paused, accepting her coffee. "Sweet and low?" Then she turned back to the group again. "I realised that I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry and then I got really freaked out and that's when it hit me: how much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head."

Zara struggled to hide her laughter as she leaned her elbow on her knee, using her hand to cover her mouth before Rachel could see.

"I mean, I always knew he looked familiar, but..." Rachel paused, handing Zara a sugar that she furrowed her brows at. "Anyway, I just had to get out of there and I started wondering, why am I doing this? Sugar, please," Rachel looked at Zara, who frowned before handing the sugar back to Rachel. Ross, however, stood up as if eager to help Rachel with her struggle. Rachel continued: "and who am I doing this for? So, anyway, I just didn't know where to go and I know that you and I have drifted apart but you're the only person I knew who lived in the city."

"Who wasn't invited to the wedding," added Monica.

"Oh, I was kind of hoping that wouldn't be an issue."

♡

The group sat watching the television screen, unaware to what the show was saying. So far, Zara had found her first day in the apartment rather chaotic (she loved it). But she had recently learnt that Chandler and Joey lived next door, so she wasn't too happy about that.

"Now, I'm guessing that he bought her the big pipe organ and she's really not happy about it," said Monica, staring at the screen.

From where Zara sat, she leant forward as she squinted at the screen, trying to see if Monica was right or not. Really, she should be unpacking her boxes before Monica ended up paranoid with all the mess, but she was too curious to see what was happening with Rachel.

"Daddy, I just...I can't marry him," Rachel now said while on the phone. "I'm sorry. I just don't love him. Well, it matters to me."

"She should not be wearing those pants," Chandler said, staring at the girl on screen.

"I hope she falls," Zara added as Joey said: "I say push her down the stairs."

The two exchange a look, glaring at each other.

"Push her down the stairs!" They all chant. "Push her down!"

Zara cheered along with the others, laughing as the girl tumbles.

"Come on, daddy, listen to me," Rachel continued. "All of my life everyone has always told me you're a shoe," the group turn, suddenly interested. "You're a shoe. You're a shoe. And then today I just stopped and said: what if I don't want to be a shoe? What if I want to be a purse? Or a hat? No, I don't want you to buy me a hat. I'm saying that I am a hat...It's a metaphor, daddy!"

"I'm starting to think she should have just married the guy," Zara mumbled.

"You can see where he'd have trouble," Ross pointed out.

"Look, daddy, it's my life," Rachel told him. "Well, maybe I'll just stay here with Monica."

Zara's eyes widened at that, staring at her friend.

"Well, I guess we've established she's staying here with Monica," she said, not seeing a choice in the matter. "Unless... is that a problem with you, Zara?"

"Not at all," Zara said.

"Well, maybe that's my decision," Rachel said to her father. "Well, maybe I don't need your money. Wait, wait! I said maybe!"

Her father hung up as Rachel looked around, panicking at the situation she was in. All Zara could see was a little entertainment within the apartment and the possibility of the bills being cheaper with a third person.

But she never planned on being that supportive, not as she decided to join Chandler and Joey for some lunch over helping Rachel calm down. Phoebe seemed to have a talent for helping as she started singing My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music.

"I helped," Phoebe summarised.

"Congrats," Zara said with a smile and then took a bite out of the sandwich she made.

"Okay, look, this is probably for the best, you know," Monica told Rachel. "Independence...taking control of your life."

"And hey," Joey sat down on the back of the sofa. "You need anything, you can always come to Joey. Me and Chandler live right across the hall and he's away a lot."

Zara rolled her eyes. "Couldn't wait five minutes, could you?"

"Stop hitting on her!" Monica complained. "It's her wedding day!"

The buzzer sounded with Chandler moving to answer it. "Please don't do that again. It's a horrible sound."

"Uh, it's — it's Paul."

"Buzz him in," Monica said.

"Who's Paul?" Joey questioned.

"Paul the wine guy Paul?" Chandler realised.

"Oh, the date!" Zara remembered, grinning, having told Monica to go since Zara would just be unpacking anyway.

"Maybe," said Monica. "And it's not a real date, Zara."

"Wait a minute," said Joey. "Your not a real date tonight is with Paul the wine guy?"

"He finally asked you out?" Ross added.

"Yes!" Monica sounded happy as Ross hugged her, placing a kiss on her head.

"Ooo this is a dear diary moment," Chandler joked.

Zara laughed. "Ten bucks he stays the night."

"I'll take that action," said Joey, grinning.

Zara glared at him, then shrugged, liking the thought of taking his money more than anything. "Sure thing as it'll be the only action you'll be getting."

"Rach, wait," Monica realised, ignoring the two. "I can cancel."

"Please, no, go!" Rachel told her. "I'll be fine."

Monica turned to her brother. "Ross, are you okay? I mean, do you want me to stay?"

"That would be good," Ross answered with Zara biting back her sigh, finding him a little childish.

"Really?"

"No! Go on! It's Paul the wine guy!"

Monica answered the door, unknowing that the group followed as Zara leaned behind Chandler, eager to see the guy. "Hi, come in," she told Paul. "Paul, this is...everybody. Everybody, this is Paul."

There was a chorus of greetings with the mention of Paul's name again as Zara shot Monica a wink with a silent understanding that she found Paul attractive.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," Chandler added after. "Paul, was it?"

"Sit down," Monica told Paul. "Two seconds."

"I just pulled out four eyelashes," Phoebe announced next to Zara. "That can't be good."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Zara told the girl. "You have a hundred more."

Paul, however, was looking around curiously as Zara knew they were probably a sight to see.

"So, Rachel, what are you up to tonight?"

"Well... I was kind of supposed to be headed for Aruba on my honeymoon," Rachel said. "So, nothing."

"Right," Ross suddenly got sad. "You're not even getting your honeymoon. God... no... Aruba. This time of year, talk about your...big lizards."

"Ross, just stop talking," Zara advised. 

"Anyway, if you don't feel like being alone tonight," said Ross, carrying on. "Joey and Chandler are helping me put together my new furniture."

"Yes and we're very excited about it," Chandler said.

Zara frowned. "That's a shame, I could have used some help."

"Well, actually, thanks, but I think I'm just going to hang out here tonight with Zara," said Rachel, standing. "It's been a long day."

"Oh, sure," Ross said. "Okay, sure."

"Pheebs, you want to help?" Joey asked Phoebe.

"I wish I could but I don't want to," answered Phoebe. "I'll be happy to help you, though, Zara."

Zara laughed at that, liking Phoebe more than ever.

♡

That night, Zara had unpacked by herself while crying with the thought of Derek being too much. Zara couldn't understand how he could go from loving her to feeling nothing at all and now here she was crying over him while he was moving in a brand new girl.

However, the next morning, Zara emerged without a slither of heartbreak (she was not going to let anyone else see). Her favourite leather jacket and boots had been replaced with a flowery dress that she even matched with a scrunchy.

"Oh, hello," said Chandler. "I don't think we've met. You must be Zara's twin?"

"Ha-ha," Zara rolled her eyes, placing her jacket on the back of the sofa. "This is my uniform, I guess."

Rachel held up a cup for Zara. "Coffee, Zara?" 

The two guys both looked at her with wide eyes, mouthing for Zara not to take the cup. Zara ignored them, accepting the cup as she took a sip before spitting it back into the china cup. Luckily Rachel had turned back to the stove.

"It's great, isn't it?" Joey said.

"Fantastic," Zara summarised sarcastically, forcing a smile as Rachel faced them happily. "Best cup of coffee ever."

Monica then appeared from her bedroom, practically glowing as they all greeted her with a cheery "morning". Following behind was Paul as Zara smiled smugly, holding out her hand for Joey.

At that distraction, Zara placed the cup on the table before offering Joey a smirk. "Pay up, Joey."

Joey sighed, reaching into his pocket as he slapped a handful of notes into Zara's hand.

"Morning," Paul greeted them.

"Morning, Paul," said Joey, grinning.

"Hello, Paul," added Rachel.

"Hi," said Chandler. "Paul, is it?"

Zara smiled at them both. "Good date, then?"

Monica saw Paul out with the four hurrying to see, where Chandler and Joey moved the table so that they could peep on the couple better, catching the two kissing before Paul left.

Then she returned, appearing all dizzy with the spell of her date.

"That wasn't a real date," Joey said. "What the hell do you do on a real date?"

"Do you even know what a real date is, Joey? As to me, it seems like a disaster if it's anything like your one-night stands?" Zara questioned, picking up her coat and bag again.

"Hang on," said Rachel. "Have I missed something?"

"Shut up and put my table back," Monica told them.

"Okay," Joey agreed, sulking over Zara.

The two guys pulled the table back in place.

"All right, kids, I got to get to work," Chandler announced. "If I don't input those numbers...it doesn't make much of a difference."

"Yeah, I gotta go," added Zara. "The kids and I are making finger puppets today."

"Puppets?" Rachel questioned, confused. "So, like, you guys all have jobs?"

"Yeah, we all have jobs," Monica answered. "See, that's how we buy stuff."

"Yeah," Joey said. "I'm an actor."

"That makes sense," Zara mumbled.

"Wow," Rachel was impressed (how typical). "Have I seen you in anything?"

"Oh, I doubt it," Joey said. "Mostly regional work."

"Joey's as much of a failure as an actor as he is in bed," Zara announced, grinning at the sight of his scowl.

Rachel stared between the two. "Wait, you guys..."

"Oh, they did," Chandler told Rachel, smirking.

"Joey's been in a few things, you might catch him in the wee ones production of Pinocchio," said Monica, trying to divert the conversation from being about Joey and Zara to avoid any confrontation.

"Look, Gepetto, I'm a real life boy," Chandler continued.

"I will not take this abuse," Joey decided.

"Shame," Zara called after him, grinning. "As I was just getting started, Joey."

"I'm sorry," Chandler said, then started singing a Pinocchio song as he did the dance moves, following after Joey with Zara shaking her head as she laughed.

Rachel stared after them in disbelief.

Zara, not wanting to be late, said goodbye before following out after them.

♡

"Of course it was a line," Joey told Monica once they had all finished with work later on. Apparently, Paul the wine guy, wasn't very nice and played Monica into having sex with him.

"Why would anyone do something like that?" Monica exclaimed, outraged by it.

"I assume we're looking for an answer," said Ross. "More sophisticated than to get you into bed."

Monica deflated. "Is it me? Is it like I have some sort of beacon that only dogs and men with severe emotional problems can hear?"

"It's not just you," Zara reassured Monica. "From what I've learned: men are dicks."

There had been a few woman in Zara's life, too — less problematic, but she still hadn't had much luck. Zara had simply given up on love all together. Men, though, were the worst (look at Derek and Joey).

"All right, come here, give me your feet," Phoebe told Monica.

Monica sat down on the sofa next to Phoebe as she placed her feet on the table for Phoebe to start massaging her friend. Zara took Monica's hand, offering her a reassuring squeeze.

"I just thought he was nice, you know?"

Joey laughed. "I can't believe you didn't know it was a line."

Monica pushed him off, making Zara's day at that moment as Joey tumbled to the floor. Then, Rachel came running in with a bag as she excitedly wanted them to guess what she had brought.

"You got a job?" Ross guessed.

Rachel scoffed. "Are you kidding? I'm trained for nothing."

"That's a surprise," said Zara.

"I was laughed out of twelve interviews today," Rachel continued.

"Yet, you're surprisingly upbeat," Chandler pointed out.

"You would be, too, if you found Joan and David boots on sale. Fifty percent off."

Monica took the box, opening them up to reveal the gorgeous boots. Zara didn't want to know how much they were, even with the sale price.

"Oh, how well you know me," Chandler joked.

"They're my new I-don't-need-a-job, I-don't-need-my-parents, I've-got-great-boots-boots," Rachel said, holding them up proudly.

"How did you pay for them?" Monica asked.

"A credit card," answered Rachel.

"And who pays for that?"

"Daddy," Zara sang, grinning teasingly.

"Um... my father," Rachel agreed.

That revelation led to the group sitting in the kitchen with a pair of scissors on the table, along with all of Rachel's cards from her purse. Zara sat down opposite Rachel, rather eager to see the cards cut up.

"Come on," encouraged Monica. "You can't live off your parents your whole life."

"I know that!" Rachel said, frustrated. "That's why I was getting married."

"Give her a break," Phoebe said. "It's hard being on your own for the first time."

"Thank you," Rachel appreciated it.

"You're welcome. I remember when I first came here," Phoebe continued. "I was fourteen, my mom had just killed herself and my step-dad was back in prison. I got here and didn't know anybody. And I ended up living with this albino guy, who was cleaning windshields outside port authority, and then he killed himself. And then I found aroma therapy. So, believe me, I know exactly how you feel."

Zara's eyebrows had risen throughout the story, realising that she and Phoebe were alike in a couple of ways. However, the blonde's words left the table speechless.

"The word you're looking for is..." said Ross, taking Phoebe's seat. "Anyway."

"All right," Monica held up the scissors. "You ready?"

"I don't think so," Rachel realised.

"Come on," Ross told her. "Cut. Cut."

The word escalated into a quiet chant as Rachel started to cut her cards. They then cheered, proud of Rachel as Monica stood to hug her.

"Welcome to the real world," she told Rachel. "It sucks. You're going to love it."

The group hung out after with Zara talking to them in-between getting her stuff sorted. A knock on her door sounded with Zara turning to see Joey standing there, looking a little terrified. Zara accidentally knocked over her books, sending them tumbling to the ground with a crash.

"That's a lot of books," Joey commented.

"Not really," Zara said, hoping he didn't see the number of children's books Zara owned. She had started a collection for the children at school; these ones were too old for her Kindergarten class, but they were research for Zara's book that she might one day write. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk about what happened," said Joey, nervously. "You know, about that night."

Zara stood up, crossing her arms as if to build up her defence. "What about it?"

"Well..." Joey sounded a little lost. "Was I really that bad?"

Zara felt her mouth part in surprise before it closed with her teeth grinding together in anger. Out of everything from that night and his main concern was if he was good or not at sex? Zara had cried, crumbling apart before him to the point that he had run and all he cared about was the sex?

"Was you bad?" Zara repeated, laughing harshly as she stepped towards Joey with him now crumbling in fear. If he wanted to act like that, then she would make him believe that it was the sex she had cried about. "God, Joey, where do I even begin? It was so bad that I couldn't even sleep with another man for months after. You were so awful that I haven't had a one-night stand since!"

"Oh," Joey frowned, not liking that and he probably believed that this was a first for him. "What... what did I do so wrong?"

Zara let out a huff, pushing past him as she picked up the pack of cigarettes on her bedside counter. Everyone was silent, sitting in shock as Zara stormed through the living room and headed to the balcony. Facing away from them, Zara stared out across the city as she lit her cigarette, hating the fact that she was crying again.

Men were ridiculously stupid. Yes, Zara was pissed with Joey for what happened, but it was years ago and she had been over it. Zara had found Derek the following year and that had been it for Zara. Now, however, she hated that she was here with him; it was a reminder of how much Zara had failed at finding love. Why wasn't she good enough?

"Hey, Zar," said Monica, wrapping a blanket around her friend. "I'm sorry about Joey."

"Why should you apologise?" Zara said, blowing the smoke away from Monica as she knew her friend didn't like smoking. "He should be the one apologising."

"I know," Monica agreed. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but I'm here for you." Zara attempted a small smile, finishing her cigarette, and then Monica wrapped her arms around Zara, gently brushing Zara's hair away from her face as if to soothe her. "It's going to be okay, sweetie. You have me. You have us. Derek's the one that's missing out."

If only Zara could believe that.

♡

What did you think?? There's so much drama! It'll be a bit like enemies to friends for Joey and Zara in season 1! Future chapters will be between 1-3 episodes per chapter that will depend on how long they get.