The One With The Apprentice

"Look there!" pointed Monica, "that's what crazy looks like"

"What do you mean?" I asked craning my neck over the enormous gates of her villa.

"He came to me a few days to learn cooking," she said taking a deep breath.

"Is that a problem?" I said.

"Well, let's just say he wasn't a good apprentice" she suppressed a smile.

"I don't get the joke," I said, "What has he ever done to you?"

"Why don't you let it go? I'm not complaining, am I!"

"Well, he is my best friend you know," I said. Whatever Joey had done, Rachel and Monica did phenomenal work keeping it a secret. Since the incident last week, every time Ross and I walked in on the three, a silence as quiet as a poker game settled in. And every time it ended with either Joey or the girls leaving the room. 

"Come on Monica! It can't be that bad?" Chimed in Ross in an effort to solve the mystery once and for all.

"Did he flash you again!" I asked. 

Monica rolled her eyes and sighed, " Ok, I'll tell you guys but you can't tell Rachel I told you. Oh! Don't cross your fingers Chandler" she snapped at me. 

I threw up my arms in defense and Ross moved his hand in the imitation of the cross over his heart, a beer clutched tightly in his other. 

"Well, It started when you guys were out with that college friend, Brad. It was a lonely night. Phoebe was out of town and it was just me and Rachel. Joey came in asking for ways to occupy his time when you guys were not around. I suggested cooking. Well, first I thought of his chemistry. Flavors and combinations. But he wanted to make a turkey. A Thanksgiving turkey."

"Yeah. I remember I ate the turkey. Took it home and enjoyed it for two days" said Ross with a lazy swig of his beer.

"I gave him the instructions and me and Rachel went for a movie. Leaving Joey alone, in my kitchen with that dead bird. I know I shouldn't have! But you don't know Rachel! She can be persuasive when she wants. Sage talked me into this. God, if I had just listened to my heart!" Ross was staring at her with his mouth agape. "Oh cut the crap!" I screeched with my brows crossed. 

"When we returned, an odd smell engulfed us. It wants too obvious, but my ears prickled. That strange scent lingered. I rushed into the kitchen and took out the turkey. Think strings of the blackest tar were dripping down the turkey's belly. Joey had cooked the rubber gasket of the strainer with the turkey" Ross was now visibly distressed, mouth hanging open, arms limp.

"It was Rachel who feeds it to you." Said Monica backing away from a menacing Ross now inching closer, slowly towards her. 

"You fed me molten rubber?" Screamed Ross!

"Well technically, I scraped most of it out..."

The rest of Monica's words were drowned by the shrieks as the two wrestled on the floor and I called in Joey for a fine gamble. 

"A 100 dollars it's Monica" Said Joey and we roared with laughter!