Ella sat in Home Room, bored out of her mind as she listened to her teacher drone on about the event the whole school was talking about.

Homecoming .

The Buffay girl looked around the room to see Alex looking at her before snapping his head back to the front, his face turning a bright read. Jake was asleep and Jenny - who was sitting next to her - was sitting upright in her seat, listening giddily to the teacher.

After what felt like hours, the bell finally rang, signalling that they had to go to second period and Ella and Jenny walked over to Jake and Alex's desk to see the Geller boy still fast asleep.

"Aren't you going to wake him up?" Ella asked Alex.

"You say that like I haven't tried." Alex said, standing up and situating himself next to Ella.

"Here." Ella said, opening her bag and getting out a box of Poppets before shaking them in front of Jake's face, making the boy's head snap up.

"Ooh! Poppets!" He said, taking them out of his best friend's hand, smiling.

"Voila." Ella smiled up at Alex.

"Okay, that's impressive." The Thompson boy smiled down at her.

"Alright," Jenny said, yanking Jake to a stand, "We have French. See you guys later." She smiled before she and Jake exited the classroom.

"So, what class do you have next?" Alex asked as he and Ella started to walk down the hall.

"Free period," Ella answered, "You?" She asked.

"Free period." Alex replied as the two continued to walk, slowing down by the club sign up board.

"You signed up for any clubs?" Ella asked the boy, gesturing to the board.

"Apart from football, no," Alex shook his head, "You?" He asked.

"I wish." Ella laughed.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Huh?"

"What club do you wish you could sign up for?" The boy clarified.

"It doesn't matter." Ella shook her head.

"Ells." Alex said, giving her a look as she sighed.

"Theatre." The blonde whispered, her voice barely audible.

"You're kidding." Alex smiled.

"You know what, forget I said anything." Ella shook her head, starting to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Alex called after her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to face him, "What's wrong?"

"I've been wanting to sign up for the Theatre club for a long time now, and... I guess I just don't want to it alone." The blonde shrugged.

"Well, what if I did it with you?" Alex proposed.

"You'd really do that for me?" Ella asked, eyes full of confusion.

"Of course." Alex smiled down at the girl, before picking up the pen on the board and writing their names down on the Theatre Club sign up sheet.

***

Jake sat at the table at the group's seats in Central Perk, a warm coffee in his hands as Jenny came and sat next to the boy.

"Hey," She smiled at her cousin, earning a small one back, "Where's Ella?" The blonde asked, after looking round and noticing her absence, "Isn't she supposed to be working today?"

"Oh, she's, uh, still at school," Jake answered, "...With Alex."

"Oh yeah, he was talking about that," Jenny nodded, "They're rehearsing for their Theatre auditions tonight."

"She told me that she was too nervous to audition. I mean, every time I even try to convince her to try out, she'd say no." Jake told her, a confused look residing on his face.

"Everybody? Shh, shhh," Rachel's voice grabbed their attention, making them turn to see her and Phoebe standing on the small stage, "Uhhh... Central Perk is proud to present the music of Miss Phoebe Buffay." The brunette announced, making a light amount of applause scatter around the coffee shop.

"Hi," Phoebe said with a small chuckle, "Um, I want to start with a song that's about that moment when you suddenly realize what life is all about. OK, here we go," She played a chord, then the lights went out, blanketing the shop in darkness, "OK, thank you very much."

***

"That was great." Alex smiled after he and Ella had just finished rehearsing their Theatre Club audition song 'I just can't stop loving you'.

"Really?" Ella asked, unsurely, "Cause I feel as though I was a little pitchy." She winced.

"You were great," Alex assured her, "Trust me."

"Thanks." Ella said, looking down, a slight blush grazing her cheeks.

"Right," The boy said, sitting beside her on the piano stool, "Let's go again." He smiled, playing the first note, before the lights suddenly all shut off, encasing them in darkness.

"Oh, crap." The pair whispered.

***

Jake and Jenny sat side by side on the floor by the coffee table of Monica, Rachel and Ella's apartment, the former ripping apart pieces of the bread roll he clutched tightly in his hands, while the latter was doing her chemistry homework, both listening to Monica on the phone with her mother. The pair, Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross chuckling as they did.

"Wow, this is so cool, you guys," Rachel marvelled, staring out of the window in awe, "The entire city is blacked out!"

"Mom says it's all of Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and Queens, and they have no idea when it's coming back on." Monica informed the group, repeating what her mother had just told her on the phone.

"Wow, you guys, this is big." Rachel continued her wonderment.

"Pants and a sweater? Why, mom?" Monica asked the woman on the other side of the phone, "Who am I gonna meet in a blackout? Power company guys? Eligible looters? Could we talk about this later? Okay." She said, before hanging up the phone.

"Can I borrow the phone? I want to call my apartment and check on my grandma." Phoebe asked Monica.

"Oh, yeah, can I borrow it after Phoebe? Just so that Jenny and I can call Ella and Alex." Jake asked his sister.

"Sure," Monica told him, before handing the phone to Phoebe.

"What's my number?" Phoebe questioned, making Monica, Rachel, Jake and Jenny look at her strangely, "Well, I never call me."

***

"Hey." Ella smiled, after answering Alex's phone.

"Hey, it's Jenny." Her friend replied.

"Oh, hey, Jen." Ella chuckled.

"Hey, El!" Jake's voice joined the conversation.

"Hey, Jake." Ella chuckled.

"Where's Alex?" Jake asked.

"Gone to find one of the teachers." Ella replied, just as the said boy entered the music room, candles in hand.

"Hey." The Thompson boy smiled.

"It's Jake and Jenny." Ella said, putting the phone on speaker, as Alex sat down next to her, and started lighting the candles.

"So, do you know what's going on?" Jenny asked her twin brother.

"Uh, Mr. Costello said that when the power went out, the magnetic doors when you enter the school locked, which means, we have to wait until the backup power generators kick in before we can leave," Alex explained, finishing lighting the four candles he had been given, "So we'll be at the apartment in, like, an hour."

"Okay, well, text us when you're on you're way back!" Jenny called into the phone.

"Will do," Ella replied, "Bye,"

"Bye." Jake and Jenny said back, before Alex hung up the phone.

***

Jake sighed heavily, making Jenny look up from her homework, annoyed.

"Jake" The girl groaned, "I get that you're upset, but there's nothing that I can do about it."

"Do you think she likes him?" Jake asked his cousin.

"How would I know?" Jenny asked, before gulping.

"Girls talk to each other." Jake shrugged.

"Wow," Jenny said, straight-faced, "How'd you figure that one out?"

Jake sighed, checking his watch, "The doors should be unlocked right about now."

"Then they should be here in about twenty minutes." Jenny calmly told the boy.

"You okay?" Jake asked the blonde.

"Yeah." Jenny muttered, nodding and going back to her chemistry homework.

Joey then entered the apartment, a menorah in hand, the candles lit.

"Hi everyone." The actor greeted everyone.

"And officiating at tonight's blackout, is Rabbi Tribbiani," Ross exclaimed.

"Well, Chandler's old roommate was Jewish, and these are the only candles we have, so... Happy Chanukah, everyone." Joey grinned.

"Eww, look!" Phoebe cried, looking out of the window, "Ugly Naked Guy lit a bunch of candles!"

The group then all got up and looked out of the window, grossed out, before they all flinched.

"That had to hurt!" Rachel cringed.

***

"And then, after we walk around the piano, I could spin you." Alex said, as he and Ella walked up the stairs of the girl's apartment building, coming up to the hallway of the apartment, torches in hand.

"Spin me?" Ella clarified.

"Yeah," Alex nodded, "Like this." He said, before taking the blonde's hand in his, and spinning her underneath his arms, making her laugh.

The door to Monica, Rachel and Ella's apartment then swung open, Jake's head peaking out.

"Thought I heard you guys." The dark-haired boy grinned.

"Is that them?" Jenny asked, coming to the doorway, backpack on.

"Hey Jen." Ella smiled at her friend.

"Hey El," Jenny smiled back, before turning to her brother, "Uh, we have to go. Connor's mom wants us back as soon as possible."

"Oh, uh, okay," Alex nodded, "Bye Jake. See ya El."

"Bye." Jake nodded to his cousins.

"See ya," Ella grinned at them, handing Alex her torch, before the siblings left, "So, wha-,"

Jake cut his best friend off by encasing her in a hug.

"Woah, you alright?" Ella chuckled, hugging him back.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Jake mumbled into his best friend's ear - who chuckled lightly, before grabbing his hand and dragging him inside.

"Hey El!" Everyone grinned.

"Hey." The blonde grinned, taking off her coat and making her way to her room, Jake following her, as the phone rang.

"So," Jake said, closing the door, "How, uh-"

"Jake." Ella said, giving him a look.

"Right." Jake nodded, turning around, in order for her to change out of her cheer uniform.

"What were you asking?" Ella questioned.

"How was it with Alex?" Jake asked.

"What do you mean?" Ella asked, confused.

"You seemed to be having fun." Jake shrugged.

"Jake," Ella said, turning him face her, making him blush at the sight of her in his sweatpants and sweatshirt, "Your cousin and I are just friends."

"Okay." The boy nodded.

"Why does the idea bother you so much?" The blonde asked.

"Because you're my best friend," Jake told her, "I just want to protect you."

"I'm fine," Ella hugged him, "I promise."

***

The eight friends were sitting around the coffee table talking, Jake and Ella sitting on the floor, sharing a bowl of popcorn between them, Ella with her legs draped over Jake's.

"Alright, somebody." Rachel said.

"OK, I'll go," Monica stepped up, " OK, senior year of college... on a pool table."

"Whoooaa!" Everyone said.

"That's my sister," Ross said.

"OK... my weirdest place would have to be... the women's room on the second floor of the New York City public library." Joey confessed.

"Oh my God!" Monica exclaimed, "What were you doing in a library?" She asked.

"Pheebs, what about you?" Jake questioned his best friends sister.

"Oh...," She thought, "...Milwaukee."

"Oh, yeah, weird place." Ella nodded.

"Um... Ross?" Joey asked.

"Disneyland, 1989, 'It's a Small World After All'." Ross said.

"No way!" Everyone gasped.

"The ride broke down. So, Carol and I went behind a couple of those mechanical Dutch children... then they fixed the ride, and we were asked never to return to the Magic Kingdom." Ross told them.

"Oh, Rachel." Phoebe gestured the brunette to go.

"Oh come on, I already went." Rachel said.

"You did not go!" Monica exclaimed.

"Come on!" Everyone encouraged.

"Oh, alright. The weirdest place would have to be...," She sighed, "...Oh, the foot of the bed,. She confessed.

"Step back!" Ross cried.

"We have a winner!" Joey shouted.

"Meanwhile, we are both still virgins." Ella muttered to Jake, who blushed.

***

After getting bored of the adults talking about sex, the pair of teenagers had moved to the boy's apartment.

"The two virgins playing Jenga in a candle lit apartment." Ella sang, placing a block on top of the tower that they both sat next to, across from each other.

"You should audition for Theatre with that." Jake smirked, making the blonde chuckle.

"Were you alright back there?" Ella questioned.

"Hm?" The boy asked, taking out a block, putting it on the top.

"When they were talking about the weirdest places," Ella clarified, scanning the tower for a block, "You seemed uncomfortable."

"Oh, uh, you know, I-,"

"Jakey." The girl cut him off, picking a block, as the tower started to wobble, accompanied with a look.

"How am I supposed to lose my virginity anytime soon when I've never even had my first kiss." The boy shrugged.

"That's ridiculous." Ella said, putting her block on the tower.

"Why?" Jake asked, "You're closer. You had your first kiss at that party last month, and loads and people like you."

"Okay, first, a truth or dare kiss doesn't really count," Ella told him, "And what do you mean? Who like me?" She scoffed.

"Just- people." Jake shrugged.

"How about this," Ella started, taking her best friend's hands in her own, "If by this time next year we are both single and still virgins, we have sex." She proposed.

"W-What?" The dark-haired boy spluttered.

"Well, think about it," Ella shrugged, "Who else is better to lose it to than your best friend."

"Okay," Jake nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that."

"And as for your first kiss," Ella said, before leaning over to him and placing a sweet, lingering kiss on the boy's lips, "Check." She whispered, pulling away.

"You're my best friend." Jake muttered to her, blushing furiously.

"And your mine," Ella answered back, "It's your go."

"Right." Jake chuckled, slowly pulling out a block, making the tower topple over.

"Yes!" Ella cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "I am victorious!"

***

Jake and Ella decided to re-join their friends, who they found sitting around the coffee table.

"Hey." They all greeted, as the pair sat with them - Ella on the arm of the chair Phoebe was sitting on, as Jake sat next to his brother.

"Hunka hunka." Ella whispered to her sister, looking at Paolo.

"Oh, look look look. The last candle's about to burn out!" Phoebe suddenly cried, "10, 9, 8, 7...,"

***

"...Negative 46, negative 47, negative 48....," Phoebe continued to count down, a long time later.

Ella leant forward blew the candle out, the room going completely dark.

"Thank you." Ross sighed.

"Thanks." Phoebe nodded.

"Kinda... spooky without any lights." Ross smirked.

"Bwah-hah-hah!" Joey then suddenly pretended to manically laugh, everyone starting to intimidate him.

"OK, guys, guys? I have the definitive one," Ross silenced the group, "Mwwwooooo-hah-hah...,"

The lights then suddenly came back on, and Rachel and Paolo were making out, making Ross clutch his chest.

"Oh.. oh... oh." He trailed off.

"Hey Ross," Joey walked up to his friend, "This probably isn't the best time to bring it up, but you have to throw a party for Monica." He said.