The One With The Invitation

Y'know what? It seems like all of the sudden; so much has happened.

I know. Ross is getting married.

Phoebe is, making people.

Everybody's doing stuff!

And we just sit here. I mean if I die the only way people would even know I was here, would be by the ass print on this chair! Look, we have to do something. Okay? Something huge!

(snaps his fingers) We could climb Mt. Everest!

No-no, not something stupid, something huge.

No-no-no-no-no, I saw an ad for this video, people climb that thing everyday! We could totally do that!

Why not?! I mean it's just, it's just climbing! It's just, it's just steep!

Yeah!

We're going to Everest! Okay, it would be nice to leave an ass print on Everest!

(entering) Hey!

Hey!

What-what's up?

We're gonna climb Mt. Everest!

Yeah baby!

Really?! I looked into that. Yeah, but, I mean it costs like $60,000 and y'know you can die. And, you would die!

(dejected) Yeah, well...

We could get that Everest video though.

Yeah, we could do that without y'know risking our lives at all!

And while we're down at the video store, you know what else we could rent? Die Hard! (Chandler's excited.) Oh, y'know what? I just remembered, that Everest thing is only available through mail order.

(dejected) Oh, well...

So you guys'll stay here and hang out with me?

Yeeeeahhhh.

Yeah. Yeah.

But I'll tell you something. One of these days we're get off of our buts and rent Die Hard again!

Yeah we are!

So what did he decide? Does your Uncle Nathan get an invite or not?

Ohh, God, nobody likes him, and he's so cheap, he'd never fly to London in a million years. Yeah, invite him? Hey, did I do these neat enough? (Hands her some envelopes.)

Yeah, they're fine.

Yeah?

If anyone asks, we'll just say Ben addressed them. (Looking through the envelopes.) Oh! So you invited Rachel then?

Sure. Why not?

Really?

Yeah?

I don't think I'd be comfortable with any of my old lovers there.

Wait-wait-wait, do you, do you think, maybe we shouldn't invite her?

Oh, no-no, y'know I absolutely adore Rachel it's just that, well it might be a awkward for you. But it's absolutely your decision. (Gets up.) More tea?

Yeah sure.

Earl Grey?

Huh? Yeah, fine, invite whoever you want.

I don't want to be single, okay? I just... I just- I just wanna be married again!

And I just want a million dollars! (He extends his hand hopefully.)

Rachel?!

Oh God Monica hi! I just went to your building and you weren't there and then this guy with a big hammer said you might be here and you are, you are!

Okay, everybody, this is Rachel, another Lincoln High survivor. (To Rachel) This is everybody, this is Chandler, and Phoebe, and Joey, and- you remember my brother Ross?

Hi, sure!

Hi.

You know you probably didn't know this, but back in high school, I had a, um, major crush on you.

I knew.

You did! Oh.... I always figured you just thought I was Monica's geeky older brother.

I did.

Oh. Listen, do you think- and try not to let my intense vulnerability become any kind of a factor here-but do you think it would be okay if I asked you out? Sometime? Maybe?

Yeah, maybe...

Okay... okay, maybe I will...

See, I see.... big passion in your future.

Really?

I do.

Oh Ross, you're so great. [she playfully rubs his head and gets up]

It's never gonna happen.

Hey, I have a question. Well, actually, it's not so much a question as.. more of a general wondering... ment.

Okay.

Okay. Umm, for a while now, I've been wanting to, um....

Ohhh!!!! [looking at something behind Ross]

Yes, yes, that's right...

Oh, look at the little cat! [a small kitten is on the roof behind Ross] Look at it!

What? [the cat jumps on his shoulders] Ow!

[singing] I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find...

All right, listen, missy. If you want this cart, you're gonna have to take me with it!

(to Ross) Yes! Did you see that?

You were incredible! Brand new woman, ladies and gentlemen.

I could not have done this without you.

Ok, um, uh, more clothes in the dryer? (Ross turns and bangs his head on an open dryer door.) I'm fine, I'm fine.

You had no right to tell me you ever had feelings for me.

(hurt) What?

I was doing great with Julie before I found out about you.

Hey, I was doin' great before I found out about you. You think it's easy for me to see you with Julie?

The point is I... I don't need this right now, OK. It, it's too late, I'm with somebody else, I'm happy. This ship has sailed.

Alright, fine, you go ahead and you do that, alright Ross.

Fine.

'Cause I don't need your stupid ship.

Good.

Good. (Ross leaves)

Ross do you realise this is the first time in my life I'm doing something I actually care about. This is the first time in my life I'm doing something that I'm actually good at. I mean. if you don't get that...

No, hey, I get that, okay, I get that big time. And I'm happy for ya, but I'm tired of having a relationship with your answering machine! Okay, I don't know what to do anymore.

Well neither do I!

Is this about Mark?

(shocked) Oh my God.

Okay, it's not, it's not.

Oh my God. I cannot keep having this same fight over and over again, Ross, no, you're, you're, you're making this too hard.

Oh I'm, I'm making this too hard. Okay, what do you want me to do.

I don't know, I don't know. Urrrgh! Look, maybe we should take a break.

Okay, okay, fine, you're right. Let's ah, let's take a break, (goes to the door) let's cool off, okay, let's get some frozen yogart, or something.. (opens the door)

No. (Ross is standing in the doorway.) A break from us.

Do I know why we're rushing?

Yeah, y'know the ah, the girlfriend I told you about last night? (He's frantically throwing the cushions off of the couch looking for her other shoe) Well it turns out she ah, she wants to get back together with me. Oh, I found it!!

That's so great for you guys!

Yeah!

Good luck, with your girlfriend.

Oh, thank you. (She goes to kiss him, but he holds her coat up between their faces to stop her.) Hey, hey. (opens the door, sees Rachel, and hides Chloe behind the door) Rachel!!!!

Hi. Ohhh, you got my message.

Yeah, oh hey, you are right on time.

So what do you say? Can I be your girlfriend again?

Yes, you can, very much.

(seeing the thumbs up) Ahhhh!! (Hugs Rachel tighter.)

(opening the door) Y'know what, I want you to leave! Get outta here!

No!!

Just get out! Now!!

No!! No!! I wanna stay. I wanna talk about this.

Okay! All right! How was she?

Uh-oh.

What?

Was she good?

Don't answer that.

Come on Ross! You said you wanted to talk about it, let's talk about it!! How was she?

She was...

Awful! Horrible!

She was not good. Not good.

She was nothing compared to you.

She, she was different.

Ewwwww!

Uh-oh.

Good different?

Nobody likes change.

What? Okay, okay, okay, okay.

...the way you owned up to everything, it just showed me how much you've grown. Y'know? I mean my Mom never thought this would work out. It was all, "Once a cheater, always a cheater." Ooh, I just wish we hadn't lost those four months, but if time was what you needed just to gain a little perspective...

WE WERE ON A BREAK!!!!!!!

You seem to really like her.

Yeah, I really do. Yeah, but what am I gonna do, I mean we-we both agreed that it was gonna be a two-week thing, y'know no commitment.

Ross, that girl just spent the entire evening talking to your friends, asking to hear stories about you, looking through Monica's photo albums, I mean you don't do that if you're just in it for two weeks.

You think?

Yeah, you got like 14 hours until she has to be at the airport, and you're sitting here in the hallway with a 28-year-old cheerleader with a fat lip.

Hey, you're right.

Yeah.

Ohh, this is soo amazing! I can't believe my brother's getting married! And in London! It's so romantic!

(taking apart the invitation) Hey, pretty smart! Tissue paper! You're at the wedding, you have to cry, "Handkerchief?" "No-no, I got my invitation."

Oooh look! Isn't this adorable, Ross let Ben address mine!

(entering) Hello!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey! Hey, did you get your invitation to Ross's wedding?

(sarcastic) Noo.

Don't worry man, I get to bring a guest. We'll show him.

I'm so jealous you're all going! I can't believe I never knew that you can't fly in your third trimester!

I didn't know that.

I never knew that either.

I knew that! (They all look at him) I sooo didn't know that, but you should see your faces.

(entering) Hey guys! What's up?

Heyyy. (They all try and hide their invitations.)

We're hanging out.

What's this? Is this Ross's wedding invitation?

See, maybe that's the one we should've actually hidden.

Oh, no! No you guys! Come on, you don't have to do that! I'm happy for him! I am! I really-I'm-I'm happ-I'll work on it.

I'm sorry honey.

Yeah.

Rach, you're gonna come though aren't you?

Oh, honey, I don't know. I...

This isn't one of those uh, y'know "If she doesn't come, we-we don't, we don't come?" Right? Because I already bought my ticket...

You know what would be real weird? Is if you weren't there. Just say you'll think about it, okay?

No, I'll think about it. Yeah.

Who's this from?

Oh, that's Ross's.

Oh... (opens it and sees it is a pin) Oh my God. He remembered.

Remembered what?

It was like months ago. We were walking by this antique store, and I saw this pin in the window, and I told him that it was just like one my grandmother had when I was a little girl. Oh! I can't believe he remembered!

Oh, it's so pretty. This must have cost him a fortune.

I can't believe he did this.

Come on, Ross? Remember back in college, when he fell in love with Carol and bought her that ridiculously expensive crystal duck?

What did you just say?

(stuttering incoherently) F-hah.... flennin....

Oh.... my God.

(seeing Ross come off the plane with another woman.) Oh my God.

Well, Ross and I were in grad school together.

But we haven't seen each other since then. Well I land in China, guess who's in charge of the dig.

Julie! Julie, isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?

Oh, that is so sweet.(listens) No, no, ok, you hang up. Ok, ok, one, two, three.(He doesn't hang up and motions for Rachel to be quiet.) Well you didn't hang up either.

She didn't hang up either...

Ok, no, no, you hang up. You, you, y-(Rachel grabs the phone and hangs it up for him.)

(on phone) Ross, hi, it's Rachel. I'm just calling to say that um, everything's fine and I'm really happy for you and your cat...(cut)...I am over you. I am over you and that, my friend, is what they call closure. (She hangs up and tosses phone in the ice bucket.)

Rach, I got a message from you.

Oh my God. Oh my God Ross, no, hang up the phone, give me the phone Ross, give me the phone, give me the phone, give me the. . . (She jumps the couch and lands on Ross's back, finally getting the phone from him. Ross has a confused expression on his face.)

You're over me?

Ohhhhhhhh God. (climbs off his back)

Wha... you're uh, you're, you're over me?

Ohh, ohh.

When, when were you... under me?

Well, basically, lately, I've uh, I've uh, sort of had feelings for you.

OK, I need to lie down.

He broke up with Julie. Well, go hug her, for god's sakes.

Really?

Really. It's always been you, Rach.

Oh, god.

Ohhh.

I've no idea, could be. Listen, I'm sorry I had to work tonight.

Oh it's OK. You were worth the wait, and I don't just mean tonight.

Ah, oh God. Oh, honey, oh that's OK.

What. Oh no, you just rolled over the juice box.

Gunther! Gunther. Gunther, please tell me you didn't say anything to Rachel about me and the girl from the Xerox place.

I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to?

Y'know, hey! You're the one who ended it, remember?

Yeah, because I was mad at you, not because I stopped loving you!

You still love me?

Noo.

What does this mean? What do you, I mean do you wanna, get back together?

Noo! Maybe! I, I don't know.

What?!

I just, I feel, I-I just...

Y'know I can't believe I even thought about getting back together again! We are so over!!

(starts to cry) FINE BY ME!! (he opens the door and traps Chandler behind it)

And hey! Just so you know, it's not that common! It doesn't happen to every guy! And it is a big deal!!

I KNEW IT!!!!

Rachel's coming up the path. Doesn't she look pretty. Jack... (Rachel enters with a huge nose)

Oh my God.

You know what this is, this is us getting ready for the prom.

Oh.

You know what, you guys, we don't have to watch this.

Oh yeah we do. C'mon.

Get a shot of Monica. Where's Monica.

Wait, how do you zoom out? (zooms out and we see an extremely overweight Monica eating a big sandwich) There she is.

Shut up, the camera adds ten pounds.

Ahh, so how many cameras are actually on you?

Oh, dad, turn it off.

It is off. Right Ross? (pans over to see Ross with an afro and moustache)

Lookin' good Mr. Cotter.

I can't go to my own prom without a date, I can't, it's too late.

If you're not going then I don't want to go either.

(to Ross on the stairs) I have a wonderful idea. You should take Rachel to the prom.

Y'know what? I think we've seen enough, let's turn it off.

No, no, no.

OK, fine, well I'm not gonna watch, alright.

C'mon kid, let's go.

Ahh, are you hadsome.

Let's show 'em.

(walks down the stairs and grabs the flowers out of the vase on the endtable) Okay dad.

(going downstairs) Rachel, ready or not, here comes your knight in shining-Oh no. (Chip has shown up and the four are leaving.)

Bye.

Oh, dear. Jack, how do I turn this off?

(to Ross) I can't believe you did that.

Yeah, well.

See, he's her lobster.

(seeing the decision) Nooooo. You're really not going?

Yeah. It's just gonna be too hard. Y'know? I mean, it's Ross. How can I watch him get married? Y'know it's just, it's for the best, y'know it is, it's... Y'know, plus, somebody's got to stay here with Phoebe! Y'know she's gonna be pretty big by then, and she needs someone to help her tie her shoes; drive her to the hospital in case she goes into labour.

You don't have a car. And your license expired.

I know. (Starts to cry) Yeah, see, there's so much to do and I have so little time to do it in.

All right, check it out. Check this out. It says here that there's a place you can go to rent videos of all the museums! (Reading from the book.) "It's almost as good as being there."

It's better! You can't go to a museum in your underwear!

Well, You could, but... probably just the one time.

I bet we could get videos of all the sites, get a VCR in our hotel room... we'd never even have to go outside!

If we do that, we gotta get Die Hard.

Oh-ho! I bet the British version is gooooood!