"I guess I just never think of money as an issue."

----------

"Oh my God." Joey let out a heavy sigh. "That was amazing." He smiled at me, covered in a layer of sweat and breathing heavily.

"I told you yoga at home could be the best thing in our lives." I giggled. He grabbed my hands and helped me stand up. "Want a protein shake?" I headed over to the kitchen.

"How about a milkshake?" He suggested, making me chuckle. "Or how about just you?" His voice lowered as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Come on, let's go over to Monica's." After we changed out of our workout clothes, we headed over next door. We ended up having pretzels for lunch. Chandler and Rachel were on the couch, Phoebe was sitting on the ground, and Joey and I were sharing the recliner.

"Everybody, say hi to Julie in New Mexico." Ross held up the phone.

"Hi, Julie." Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, and I said at the same time before Ross went back to his conversation with her.

"Hi, Julie." Rachel added in a sarcastic voice, making me nudge her arm. She looked up from the newspaper she was reading.

"While Ross is on the phone, everybody owes me 62 bucks for his birthday." Chandler took out a piece of paper and whispered.

"Um...is–is there any chance that you're rounding up?" Phoebe stuttered out. "You know, like, from 20?" She asked.

"Hey, come on. We've got the gift, the concert, and the cake." Chandler listed out.

"Do we really need a cake?" Joey inquired.

"Look, guys, I know it's a little steep." He explained to them. "But it's Ross." Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe finally gave in.

"Alright? Okay. I'll see you guys later." He headed over to the door and grabbed his coat. "I got to go...do a thing." I quickly stood up and went over to him. 

"Hey, why don't I pay for them? I don't mind it, really." I shook my head and suggested.

"If you want to." He shrugged his shoulders and was about to leave when Ross stopped him. I didn't stay to listen in, so I went back to the others.

"Do you guys want to come over to my place for dinner? I could order something, or we could cook something together." I suggested, sitting down in between Joey's legs.

"Can you believe how much this is going to cost?" Phoebe asked, changing back to the topic of Ross' birthday party.

"You know, I could always pay your guys' part of the money." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'd love to do anything to help out."

"That's fine. We can pay for ourselves." They kind of gave me hard looks.

"Alright then." I rubbed my palms on my jeans. "I'm just going to head to work." I cleared my throat and walked out of the apartment. Later that night, we were out for dinner since Monica received a promotion.

"Here is to my sister, the newly appointed head lunch chef." We raised our glasses.

"Also in charge of purchasing." Monica added.

"Newly appointed head lunch chef also in charge of purchasing." He clarified.

"Who has her own desk when Roland's not there." Monica smiled proudly.

"Uh, lunch chef, purchasing, her own desk when Roland's not there. Here's to my little sister." Ross was getting a little fed up.

"Oh, and I got a beeper." She held up the small black device. The rest of us put our glasses down to look at it.

"That's fine. I'll just wait." Ross spoke up.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry, Ross." We apologized to him.

"Monica." Was all he said before we clinked our glasses together.

"Are we ready to order?" A waiter came up to us with a pen and notepad in hand.

"I'm sorry, we haven't even looked yet." Rachel glanced back at him.

"When you do, let me know. I'll be over there on the edge of my seat." He replied sarcastically before leaving our table.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Chandler ran inside. "Congratulations, Mon." He kissed her cheek before seating down in the last vacant seat. A couple of minutes later, the waiter came back.

"Do I dare ask?" He let out a sigh of boredom.

"Yeah, I'll start with the gazpacho, and then I'll have the grilled prawns." Monica put down the menu on the table.

"Great. Same for me." Ross took her menu.

"And for the gentleman?" The waiter looked down at Joey.

"I'll have that Thai chicken pizza." Joey ordered before whispering something incoherently to him. I rolled my eyes.

"Just order whatever you want, okay? Don't worry about the price." I looked over at Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey kindly. "Could I speak to your manager?" I asked the waiter. A few moments later, Mama Mimi walked out from the back.

"Suparna Bing? I haven't seen you since the launch part of '93!" She laughed and hugged me, kissing my cheeks.

"Mama Mimi, it's nice to see you again. Could you put our table's on the Calvin Klein tab? Katie wouldn't mind." I explained to her.

"Nonsense! It'll be on the house. Anything for my favorite employer." She smiled up at me since I was a bit taller than her. "Treat them right." She said to the waiter before heading to the back. After the waiter got their proper food orders, everyone looked at me in shock.

"What?" I furrowed my brows, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my seat.

"How did you...what just...huh?" My brother's jaw was dropped like the rest.

"Oh, Calvin Klein held a launch party here, and Mama Mimi and I have been keeping in contact since. She apparently recognized me from the Madonna video. So yeah." I replied.

"Remind me to take you out for food more often." Rachel stared at me in bewilderment.

"It's not that big of a deal." I waved them off. Soon, we were finished with our food. Sadly, Ross wanted everyone to pay me for the dinner.

"Alright, for the six of us, that makes...28 bucks a piece." Ross calculated.

"What?" Joey almost spit out the bite of the breadstick in his mouth.

"You're right. Monica shouldn't have to pay for her celebration dinner." Ross pat his little sister's shoulders. "That makes...an even $33.50."

"This is completely unnecessary, you guys. Mama Mimi said it's on the house, and Calvin Klein's not going to make me pay. But if they do, that's fine." I tried to stop them. 

"No, we are not going to let you do that, right guys?" Chandler looked at the others. But of course, we ended up getting into an argument. Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey were upset that they think we don't understand that they don't have as much money as we do. What made it worse was that it was a really awkward fight.

"I guess I just never think of money as an issue." Ross shrugged his shoulders. 

The next day, Monica, Chandler, Ross, and I tried to surprise the three with birthday plans for Ross that the four of us would pay for. However, they seemed very annoyed.

"Could you be less enthused?" Ross mimicked my brother's catchphrase. 

"Look, it's a nice gesture. It is, but it just feels like...charity." Joey let out.

"Charity? We're just trying to do a nice thing for you guys." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"But Suparna, you have to understand, your guys' nice thing makes us feel about this big." Rachel showed with her fingers.

"Actually, it really makes us feel this big." Phoebe stood up and made the already small gap between Rachel's fingers smaller.

"I don't...I don't understand." Ross furrowed his brows. "It's like we can't win with you guys."

"If you guys feel this big, maybe that's not our fault. Maybe that's just...how you feel." Chandler shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh. Now you're telling us how you feel." Joey stood up and let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"We never should have talked about this in the first place." Rachel got up from the chair.

"Alright, I'm going to pass on the concert 'cause I'm just not in a very Hootie place right now." Phoebe held her hands up and walked away.

"Neither am I." Rachel grabbed a drink from the fridge.

"Me, too." Joey put his hands on his hips.

"But guys, we already bought the tickets." Monica spoke up.

"Then you'll have extra seats, you know, for all your tiaras and stuff." Phoebe responded.

"Why did you look at me when you said that?" Chandler pointed a finger at her.

"So, I guess now we can't go." I glanced back at the others.

"Come on, you can do what you want to do." Rachel scoffed slightly. "We always have to do everything together?" She added.

"You know what? You're right." Monica smirked challengingly.

"Okay, fine." Phoebe squinted her eyes at us.

"Fine." Ross crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine!" Joey yelled.

"Do whatever you guys want. I am staying out of this." I tossed my concert ticket aside and went into my apartment. 

For the first time ever, I locked the door behind me. Monica, Chandler, and Ross ended up going to the concert. I could hear Joey's games from my apartment, so I could tell Rachel and Phoebe weren't having fun. I made myself a gigantic pot of mac and cheese and watched Dirty Dancing and The Breakfast Club on repeat. The next day, I saw the entire gang at Central Perk, but I really wasn't in the mood for any more awkward fighting.

"Hey, what can I get you?" Rachel asked me, but I headed over to the bleached blonde guy, Gunther I think is his name.

"Hi, can I get cup of hot chocolate to–go?" He gave me a slightly weird look when I asked for that drink. Guess they don't get that order much. Once I paid, he handed me my drink. "Happy birthday, Ross." I nodded my head and turned towards the door. But I stopped when I heard that Monica got fired from her job.

"It'll be alright, Monica." I turned around to see everyone forget about the argument and just comfort our friend. I smiled to myself and realized we need each other. We're one big family.

"Want some coffee? It's on me." I smiled down at her, joined them at the little table. Everyone looked up at me.

"She's back!" They cheered.