The Friend Zone

Kristen and Josh have now been roommates for five days. Kristen knows that this is a bad idea because the arrangement feels so natural, and she enjoys spending time with Josh. They develop a routine of eating together, watching TV, and walking Stuntman Mike. Kristen knows that she really likes him, and she feels guilty about her attraction given that Tyler will soon come home to live with her. She doesn’t even like to talk to Tyler on the phone if it takes away from her time with Josh.

One day, Kristen is watching Josh work in the garage when Tyler calls. Kristen goes outside to talk to him. He asks if the police officers caught whoever was trying to break in and wants to know if Josh is keeping his hands to himself. She honestly tells him that Josh is respecting her boundaries, and she privately wonders if Josh ever thinks about her the same way she thinks about him. Tyler changes the subject to tell her a funny story about one of his Marine friends, and Kristen starts to feel better because she enjoys the story and remembers how much she likes Tyler. She tells him that she can’t wait for him to come home because she misses him. She is determined to make things work with Tyler because she already knows that there is a crucial reason a relationship with Josh would never work.

Josh has not touched Kristen since he gave her a piggyback ride on the night they put toilet paper on Brandon and Sloan’s house, but he is always thinking about being closer to her. Kristen has given him no indication that she is physically attracted to him, and she had no problem explaining their roommate arrangement to Tyler because Josh apparently poses no threat to their relationship. Josh respects their relationship but knows that he is falling in love with Kristen and that it will be painful for him to leave when Tyler comes home.

On the day of Brandon and Sloan’s invitation-stuffing party, Kristen gets her hair done. When Brandon sees her, he is taken aback by her beauty. She usually wears sweatpants and t-shirts around him, and he has never seen her dressed up. She asks him to zip up the back of her dress, and he thrills at the touch of her skin. Josh believes that Kristen seems cool and composed, while he is overwhelmed by his attraction to her. He picks up Stuntman Mike and pets him, and Kristen comments that she cannot believe how much her dog likes him because he doesn’t like anyone, especially Tyler.

Kristen also thinks that Josh looks handsome that night, but she tries not to let it show. She is finally starting to admit to herself that she is more attracted to Josh than she is to Tyler. As the invitation party dinner goes on, Sloan remarks that Josh has been looking at Kristen all night. Kristen and Sloan retreat to the bathroom to discuss this privately. Sloan is excited about Josh’s evident feelings for Kristen; she imagines the four of them going through adulthood together and having families side by side. Kristen breaks down and admits that she really likes Josh too, but she also says that they could never be together.

At this point, Kristen finally tells Sloan that she has scheduled a hysterectomy to help with her painful menstruation, which means that she will not be able to have children. She could have a child via surrogacy, but this solution would cost over $30,000. Sloan offers to be a surrogate for her, but Kristen reminds her that Tyler doesn’t want kids, so, with him, her medical condition would not be the problem that it would be with Josh. Sloan believes that Kristen is settling for Tyler and doesn’t love him. Kristen regrets confiding in Sloan before the wedding because Sloan clearly feels heartbroken on Kristen’s behalf. Kristen asks Sloan to just listen and support her. Sloan hugs her and agrees.

After Sloan and Brandon’s dinner party, Kristen suggests to Josh that they get tacos on their way back to her house. Because they took an Uber to the party, Sloan loans them her car, which is very old and has a host of mechanical problems. On the way, Josh tells Kristen that the person trying to break into her house has been caught; it was a teenager who was drinking beer in her yard and wanted to steal more alcohol. Josh believes that Kristen looks disappointed when she hears that the intruder was caught, because that means that their roommate arrangement serves no further purpose. Josh reflects that the arrangement has to end in a few days anyway because Tyler is coming home soon.

To Josh, the taco stand looks like it is in a dangerous part of town, but Kristen insists that it is perfectly safe and has the best tacos. They eat in the car, but when Josh puts the key in the ignition, the car won’t start. They call a towing company but must wait in the car in a seedy parking lot late at night. Josh offers to give Kristen a foot massage, and as he does, they both become more aware of the sexual tension between them.

When the tow truck arrives, the man says that Kristen will have to sit on Josh’s lap because his dog is in the truck, too. Kristen does so under protest, and their attraction grows amidst this new level of forced proximity.

When they are walking back to Kristen’s house, Kristen listens to a voicemail from Tyler, who tells her that he has decided to reenlist in the Marines and will not be coming home after all. Kristen had already warned him that if he reenlisted, their relationship would be over, so he knew that his voicemail would be tantamount to a break-up.

After Kristen hears this news, she races to Josh to tell him. One of the barriers that has been keeping them apart has just disappeared, and they rush to sleep together for the first time, unable to deny their intense attraction. Afterward, Josh wants to snuggle with Kristen, but she makes it clear that they cannot begin a romantic relationship. Instead, she suggests either a “friends with benefits” situation or nothing at all. He agrees, but they still fall asleep in each other’s arms that night.

When Josh wakes up in Kristen’s bed the next morning, he is thrilled that they have taken their relationship to another level. He is more than ready to be Kristen’s boyfriend if that is what she wants. When they are eating breakfast, however, Kristen makes it clear that she does not want him to be her boyfriend. She reiterates that they will only be friends who have sex, not romantic partners. If Josh cannot handle that boundary, they will have to go back to being just friends. She even suggests that he date other people to make their sexual encounters more casual.

Josh is confused about Kristen’s coldness and feels that the introduction of sex into their relationship has paradoxically made her put even more distance between them. Though she says that they are “friends with benefits,” she does not seem to be as much of a friend as before. Josh is hurt, but he hopes that she is just trying to take things slow because she and Tyler have only just broken up.

He goes into work at the fire station and tells Brendan and Shawn that he slept with Kristen. Shawn, who has made his crush on Kristen very clear, is jealous but also teases Josh about her refusal to have an exclusive relationship with him. Brendan reassures Josh that she probably just needs some time.

Josh has a 48-hour shift at the fire station right after they sleep together, and Kristen misses him while he’s gone. When he returns, she pretends that she doesn’t care whether he is there or not, and she doesn’t eat the burrito he brings for her even though she is touched that he thought of her. Kristen also refuses to hang out with him on the couch, and Josh is hurt. He goes to work in the garage, and they do not speak for several hours. When he comes back in, he tries to hang out with her again, but she says she has plans.

Kristen showers, gets dressed, and puts makeup on before she leaves. She ends up going to Sloan’s house and telling her everything that happened. She admits how hard it is for her not to tell Josh that she is in love with him. Sloan listens but feels that Kristen is trying to be too rational about this situation when she really needs to follow her heart and be honest about her feelings. While Kristen is crying and explaining her situation to Sloan, Brandon opens the garage door, and Kristen sees that Josh has come over and has been in the garage with Brandon. Brandon asks if Josh can stay for dinner, and Kristen runs to the bathroom.