Beyond Friends Episode Thirty Four "Found out about you"
Guest Stars -
Matt LeBlanc as Joey
Steve Buscemi as crew guy
David Schwimmer as Ross
"I see so clearly now"
"Come right this way guys." Joey said leading them into studio B of Lot Z. "This is the coolest place!"
Chandler, Ross and Rachel reluctantly followed their enthusiastic friend into the studio. Today was the day Joey had long promised he woud take the gang on tour of the studio he called home. He had promised to take them for the longest time but he wanted to make sure the show he was on "Days Of Our Restless Children" would stay on long enough to insure there was a set to even visit. Joey picked today of all days to do it too, the weekend when Chandler, as much as he loved his friends, would have rather watched hockey. After some chiding from Rachel and some pleading from Joey, he relented.
"Over here they do my makeup." Joey pointed over to a small area with chairs and a few mirrors. There was so much makeup on the table it made Rachels dresser look so small, like the sample table at Kmart. Rachel picked up one of the tubes. "Gaza Red", no wonder everyone looked sunburned!
"Not that you really need any makeup." Chandler slyly remarked as they went by the makeup area. He waved to a guy cleaning up some spilled paint near a set. "Hey."
"Hey." The crew guy said.
"I know what you mean."Joey said looking back."But they say anyone looks bad on tv without getting made up first." Joey said as they walked over to one of the main sets. It was the hospital set.
"Days of our lives used this set for the hospital before the hospital was destroyed in the show. I can't remember what the reason was but it was long after my stint, right?"
"Sure." Ross said looking at Chandler who was sitting behind the admitting desk. Rachel studied Ross's gaze and shuddered uneasily. Did the temperature just drop 20 degrees in here or was it just her? Then she noticed the crew guy was messing with the heater and realized it wasnt her. But that didn't make her feel any better. Ever since the no-wedding reception Ross has had a uneasy attitude around Chandler. It made Ross very weird to be around especially these last few days. And Ross wasnt too excited about coming today either.
Joeys voice distracted her from her thoughts.
"I had just the coolest idea this morning."Joey said apparently coming back from talking to the same crew guy that had been everywhere they had been. "I thought that we would look over the script of the next show together. but the crew guy over there doesn't think its a good idea. The studio thinks that just about anyone could sell spoilers to the internet nowadays." Joey grumbled during the last part.
"Oh, big fat bummer." Rachel said looking at Chandler. Neither of them really followed the soap that well. Joey knew they didn't but because he was Joey he decided not to make a big deal out of it.
"Well its just the breaks." Joey said. "The reason we are out here on Lot Z," Joey continued his tour of the studio. "is because we are still pretty low rated. Plus every other good studio is already being used for much better stuff."
"Joey you won an Emmy for gods sake. You should be getting better treatment than this. You should get your own dressing room or something." Chandler said.
"Yeah." Rachel said. "You need to stand up or something, you are the star, you are the reason why the show wasnt cancelled months ago." Rachel looked at Ross. "Right hon?" She asked uneasily.
"Yeah. Sure." Ross grumbled. "I gotta like the bathroom." Ross walked across the lot and disapeared around the corner.
"Whats with him?" Joey asked. "Did a dinosaur wake up and bite him on the ass today? I took a lot of risks to bring you down here today and hes giving me attitude."
"I don't think its you Joey." Rachel said to Joey.
"Yea?"
"But I can't say for sure what it is that is bothering him." Rachel looked over at Chandler who seemed just as mystified at Ross's sudden change in mood.
"Let me take you guys down to the lunch room." Joey smiled as he took Rachels hand. "Today is meatloaf day!"
"What about Ross?" Rachel asked as they were lead out the door. They gathered a golf cart, the same cart Joey used to drive them out there. Joey got in front and Chandler got in the passenger side.
"He'll catch up to us somewhere along the way." Joey said. "Maybe its better hes gone, whatever hes steamed up about maybe he will cool off. Maybe hes more upset about Monicas wedding down the tubes than she is."
"Hmm." Rachel said looking back on the studio as they drove away.
"If you guys behave, I will bring you a couple of souvenirs and show you where John Belushi used to have his dressing room."
Rachel ignored Joeys last comments, thinking about Ross and why his nice guy persona was suddenly just thrown to the side.
Later
Joey treated Rachel and Chandler to lunch. It was lunch where Ross caugh up with them. He apperently had done Joey had predicted he would do, he had calmed down substantially since the last time he was see. He even started to have fun,noting that he would have loved to have played opposite Joey. After that they finally settled into the daily special, the meatloaf Joey mentioned before.
"Now on some days I admit this place can cook bad, there are times we are served what accidentally turns out to be yummy."
"Must have hired Monica as a chef." Ross joshed his kid sister.
Rachel noticed the same crew guy was also now serving lunch. Rachel went up to get some napkins. "You seem to be doing alot of work. How can you do it all?"
"Well," Crew guy said. "The moneys good, plus Parkway studios is too cheap to hire a full staff. Sometimes I'm on the show." He boasted. When he knew that Rachel wasn't a big fan he sighed. "Oh well. Back to the steam grates."
Ross came up from behind.
"Rachel can I talk to you somewhere private?" He asked while gently taking her arm.
"Sure." Rachel said. She looked over her shoulder at Joey and Chandler eating the meatloaf. Not really eating but actually playing with the food. "We'll be back guys."
Joey and Chandler waved without looking up, absorbed in their weird brand of fun. Rachel smiled and turned her attention to Ross who now waited outside. Now maybe she will find out why Ross has been so standoffish these past few days. She approached him and she smield uneasily.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Rachel." He sighed. "Theres no way to say this but I'l just say it." He took a breath and said the three words that would change everything that day.
"Rachel, I know."
Rachel stared at him mystified, unable to think or speak.
To be continued.....season three.
