 Rachel debuts in the pilot episode of Friends as a runaway bride who is distraught after abandoning her fiancé Barry Farber ( Mitchell Whitfield ) at the altar . She locates her high school best friend Monica Geller ( Courteney Cox ) , the only person she knows in New York City , who agrees to let Rachel reside with her while she attempts to reorganize her life . Rachel meets and befriends Monica ’ s friends Phoebe Buffay ( Lisa Kudrow ) , Joey Tribbiani ( Matt LeBlanc ) , and Chandler Bing ( Matthew Perry ) , while reuniting with Monica 's older brother Ross Geller ( David Schwimmer ) , who has harbored unrequited romantic feelings for her since high school . Having previously relied on her parents ' money her entire life with a sole goal of marrying wealthy , Rachel attempts to reinvent herself as an independent young woman by waitressing at Central Perk , a coffeehouse where her new friends regularly socialize . 
 Rachel <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>debuts</mark></a> in the pilot episode of Friends as a runaway bride <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>is</mark></a>distraught after abandoning her fiancé Barry Farber ( Mitchell Whitfield ) at the altar . She <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>locates</mark></a> her high school best friend Monica Geller ( Courteney Cox ) , the only person she <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>knows</mark></a> in New York City , <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>agrees</mark></a> to let Rachel reside with her while she <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>attempts</mark></a> to reorganize her life . Rachel <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>meets</mark></a> and <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>befriends</mark></a> Monica <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>’</mark></a><a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>s</mark></a>friends Phoebe Buffay ( Lisa Kudrow ) , Joey Tribbiani ( Matt LeBlanc ) , and Chandler Bing ( Matthew Perry ) , while reuniting with Monica <a href='null_genetive' title='13'><mark>'s</mark></a>older brother Ross Geller ( David Schwimmer ) , <a href='null_relcl' title='14'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='been_done' title='15'><mark>has</mark></a> harbored unrequited romantic feelings for her since high school . <a href='been_done' title='16'><mark>Having</mark></a> previously relied on her parents <a href='null_genetive' title='17'><mark>'</mark></a>money her entire life with a sole goal of marrying wealthy , Rachel <a href='uninflect' title='18'><mark>attempts</mark></a> to reinvent herself as an independent young woman by waitressing at Central Perk , a coffeehouse where her new friends regularly socialize . 
Rachel debut in da pilot episode of Friends as a runaway bride distraught after abandoning her fiancé Barry Farber ( Mitchell Whitfield ) at tdaaltar . She locate her high schoo best friend Monica Geller ( Courteney Cox ) , thdanly person she know in New York City , agree to let Rachel reside with her while she attempt to reorganize her life . Rachel meet and befriend Monica   friends Phoebe Buffay ( Lisa Kudrow ) , Joey Tribbiani ( Matt LeBlanc ) , and Chandler Bing ( Matthew Perry ) , while reuniting with Monica  older homeboy Ross Geller ( David Schwimmer ) , done harbored unrequited romantic feelings for her since high sschoo. Done previously relied on her parents  money her entire life with a sole goal of marrying wealthy , Rachel attempt to reinvent herself as an independent young woman by waitressing at Central Perk , a coffeehouse where her new friends regularly socialize .