chapter 12

The days past uneventfully after Dolph's departure as Megan's days were shaped by the strict rules and routines of True Directions but there was one crucial difference: Gemma had become civil to her, even bordering on friendly at times.
One night Megan walked into the bathroom to find Gemma and Shannon wearing their regular clothes. Every aspect of Gemma's outfit seemed designed to accentuate rather than conceal her size. She wore a black and white horizontal striped t-shirt and her belly pressed against a tight black high waisted skirt that emphasized her pear shape and revealed the creamy flesh of her thick thighs.
"What's going on? It's almost lights out?" she asked.
"Shh. We're sneaking out. Get dressed," Gemma said, flashing a devilish grin at her.
"But Mary-"
"*** Mary!" Gemma said with feeling.
"No way," Megan shook her head. "There's only four weeks left. There's no way I'm getting thrown out."
"Megan, they're never going to find out about this. Shannon and I have done it like a zillion times."
Shannon rolled her eyes and scowled at Megan. "If you're not going to come at least don't rat on us."
"Come on, we haven't had fun in ages. I think you could do with a little fun," Gemma persisted.
"But what if we get caught...?"
"We won't get caught. Come on..." she took her by the hand and suddenly Megan felt as if the decision had been made for her.

Megan didn't think too much about where they were going or how they would get there as she followed Gemma, Shannon and Andre past Mary's window and out of True Directions but still she was surprised to find a black van waiting for them.
"Hi, I'm Lloyd Morgan-Gordon," a short, pudgy man greeted them cheerfully from the passenger's seat. "And this is Larry Morgan-Gordon. Glad to have you with us."
Larry nodded his greeting. He was a formidably large bear of a man but Megan could see that his face was kind under his bushy eyebrows and graying beard. He had pushed the driver's seat back as far as it would go to accommodate his stomach but still it grazed the steering wheel slightly.
"First time you've all been AWOL?" Larry asked gruffly.
"Larry and Lloyd used to be True Directions coaches," Gemma explained.
"We were among Mary's ranks until we defected," Larry said. "Now we've been glorifying obesity for over ten years."
"We don't expect everyone to want to be fat or do find fat bodies attractive," Lloyd said. "We just want fat people and their admirers to be able to live the lives they choose without fear of the unsolicited opinions, stereotypical judgments and abusive remarks of others."
"Basically we believe that our bodies and desires are personal, private things and shouldn't be held up for public or political scrutiny," Larry said.

Larry and Lloyd dropped them off at a small club with a neon sign outside that said simply: "Feed". Andre separated from them almost as soon as they entered the club. He was clearly in his element, wearing a tight leopard print t-shirt and a pair of hot pants that didn't leave a single bulge or fold of flesh to the imagination. Megan surveyed the room and was struck by how many other fat people there were in the club.
"What is this place?" Megan breathed.
"It's for people like us," Gemma said. "Come on, I'm going to get you a drink."
"I don't drink!" Megan protested but followed her reluctantly to the bar anyway.
The drink Gemma gave was not alcoholic, it was the thickest, richest hot chocolate she had ever tasted. It was almost more chocolate sauce than hot chocolate.
They stood in silence for a while sipping their drinks. If Megan didn't know better she would have thought that Gemma looked nervous. She was about to say something when one of the few thin women in the club appeared by her side.
"Hi, I'm Beth."
"Megan."
"You look a little hungry, Megan," Beth said. "Would you like to come downstairs with me for something to eat."
Megan hesitated but Shannon gave her a little push towards Beth. "Of course she'd love to go with you."
Before she could protest Beth had taken her hand in her firm grip and was leading the way.
Megan's eyes grew wide at what she saw when they descended the stairs. She saw a fat woman sitting at a booth, her enormous stomach bared as a man simultaneously fed her and massaged her taut stomach. There were several other fat people restrained in chairs and moaning in pleasure and pain as their huge appetites were pushed to the limits by their feeders pouring gallons of thick liquid into their throats through funnels.
"What's going on?" Megan gasped.
"They call it the Feeding Room," Beth smiled at the look of fear in Megan's eyes. "This is fairly tame, there's more extreme stuff in the next room. But I think we'll start you on something a little gentler, shall we?"
She led her to a booth and made a signal to a waiter who promptly appeared with a plate stacked high with cookies, a large jug of milk and a glass.
"You like cookies?" she asked.
Megan nodded shyly.
Beth lifted a cookie to her mouth. Megan took a modest bite washed down by a sip of the milk. A month of abstinence at True Direction made the cookie taste so amazing that it was almost intoxicating, it was soft, chewy and packed with gooey chocolate chips. Megan found herself licking every crumb for her lips and, gaining confidence, she ate the rest of the cookie from Beth's hands in a single bite.
"That's good," Beth whispered in her ear. "I knew as soon as I saw you that you were starving."
She blushed but still she ate four more of the cookies in quick succession and quickly gulped down a glass of milk while Beth whispered words of encouragement to her. God, she had almost forgotten how good sugar and fat could taste and she found herself ravenous for more. However, too soon she found herself becoming full; her time at True Directions had caused her stomach to shrink and she had eaten too quickly.
Beth noticed her struggling. "Poor piggy, such an eager little glutton. You're not full already, are you."
The word 'piggy' sent a hot sensation up her thighs and seemed to renew her hunger. Beth's hand reached for her shirt and pulled it up to reveal her distended belly.
"Better?" she asked, massaging Megan's belly gently.
She nodded but could say nothing because Beth had already lifted another cookie to her lips.
"My, what a cute little belly you have," Beth said, suddenly gripping it almost possessively and giving it a little shake. "I think you need to eat a lot more of these cookies."
Megan suddenly became aware of familiar voices and looked up to see that Gemma and Shannon were also in the Feeding Room. Gemma sat on one of the force feeding chairs, her wide ass spilling over its sides. She had not allowed Shannon to restrain her but still she sucked so hungrily on the feeding tube that her cheeks bulged with the thick liquid that Shannon poured into the funnel.
Megan continued to eat the cookies as if on autopilot. She barely heard a word Beth said to her and her eyes remained fixed on Gemma all the while. Shannon caught her looking and gave her an almost triumphant smirk. She reached down to unzip Gemma's skirt to free her belly from its restrictive bounds and kissed the exposed flesh.
"I-I've got to go." Megan suddenly cried, pushing past a bewildered Beth and barely caring that she had knocked over the milk glass in her haste.
She pushed through the first door she could find, barely caring where it would take her and found herself in an alley outside the club full of old crates and empty beer kegs. She sat on a stack of crates, hot tears stinging her eyes against the cool night air.
Moments later Gemma joined her in the alley. He cheeks were pink, she was breathing heavily and a little of the feeding liquid stained her shirt.
Megan turned her face away, wiping away her tears in a few quick swipes with the back of her hand.
"Hey," Gemma she said. She tried to smile but only looked confused and a little sad.
"Hey," Megan muttered.
There was a long silence between them.
"So you and Shannon looked pretty close," Megan said eventually.
"Yeah, well we're old friends."
"Is that why we came here? So you two could be together?" she was trying to keep her tone indifferent but she could here her voice rising shrilly in her her ears.
"We're just friends," Gemma insisted "Maybe she wants something more than that but I don't. I don't like her that way."
"So when she kissed you, that meant nothing?"
"It didn't. I didn't kiss her."
"It doesn't matter."
"Why are you freaking out then?"
"It's none of my business," Megan shook her head. "Do what you want."
"You want me to do what I want?" Gemma said quietly, taking a step forward.
"I could care less," she said but her voice cracked and she could feel fresh tears springing to her eyes.
"What I really want?"
"***!" Megan cried with passion, she stood up to leave but Gemma caught her in a kiss.
She gave in to the kiss for a moment but forced herself to break away from Gemma's embrace. "I'm not supposed to like you."
"But?" Gemma asked, her expression half fearful, half hopeful.
"I wanna do that again," she said bashfully.
They kissed again. Megan could feel Gemma's plump fingers stroking her face and her hands instinctively sought out the larger girl's soft belly to caress.