chapter 1 - year one part 1

Softening Standards
Chapter 1 - Year One

"I present to you for the first time ever - Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Cuthbert!"

Jeremy and Chloe married in August after an unusually brief courtship of only one year. The two young lovers were both 22 years old, fresh out of college, and about to start their respective careers - Jeremy as a software engineer and Chloe as a middle school reading teacher. Because of religious reasons (mostly their parents' insistence) the couple had never actually lived together. In fact, Chloe spent her college years living at home in order to save money, depriving her of any independent living experience. She was therefore understandably anxious, yet excited, about adjusting to living with her new husband. Moreover, she had no idea what her new job would be like and whether she would get along with the teachers or students. After all, middle school kids can be incredibly cruel.

However, Chloe had a number of strengths. She was incredibly kind and gave off a "heart full of gold" vibe. She held conventional attitudes on most social topics and styled herself in demure fashions, preferring not to stand out in a crowd. Chloe was also very approachable, often sporting a genuine smile, she stood at an unimposing 5'2'' with vibrant strawberry blonde hair that went just below her shoulders. She lacked muscle tone, a product of her athletic inexperience, however, she maintained the same healthy weight for a number of years, hovering around 125 pounds. Chloe carried most of her weight in her midsection, hips, and butt, while her breasts were a modest B cup. Her face was on the roundish side and she had full, freckled cheeks, soft green eyes, and a cute little nose.

If Chloe had any weakness, it was that she held herself to such high standards and overvalued other people's opinions of her. She was a people-pleaser and the idea of being seen as anything less than a perfectly well-mannered lady filled her with anxiety. Jeremy both appreciated and disliked this aspect of Chloe's personality as it made him feel more respected but made her more restrained. He hoped that she would learn to loosen up a bit and become more comfortable in her own skin as they began their new lives together.

Neither Jeremy nor Chloe had any significant cooking skills, so the young couple frequently ate at restaurants. Having just bought a new house in a suburban neighborhood, the two were eager to explore their new surroundings. Chloe's favorite food was pizza, by far, and so they set out to find a regular pizza joint. Their search ended after a dinner at "Frank's Pizza".

Chloe had just finished her third piece of pepperoni. "This place is fantastic. Their pizza is just the way I like it."

"Then have some more, we still have another three pieces here" replied Jeremy.

"No, no, I shouldn't. We'll take the rest home" said Chloe, rubbing her small belly to indicate her fullness. In reality, she wasn't fully satisfied and secretly wondered what Jeremy would think of her if she indulged in at least one more piece. However, she was too demure to act on her secret desire.

As they were leaving, Chloe spotted a poster for the "King Kahuna Challenge". The poster read:

"Try the King Kahuna Challenge!
Finish a 27" 1 topping pizza (your choice) in less than 90 minutes. Winners are awarded a free t-shirt and a free meal. Only for serious lovers of Frank's Pizza!"

"Wow, that's huge! As much as I love pizza I'd never be able to do that. You'd probably have to roll me out of here after just 10 minutes if I ever tried" laughed Chloe.

"Well maybe if you start training now you'll stand a chance in a few years!" joked Jeremy.

It was a silly notion that such a petite woman like her could eat a 27" pizza in one sitting. But even though Jeremy was obviously just being playful, that fact that he even considered it worth joking about kindled a strange thought in Chloe's mind: "What if I actually could do it?" She quickly pushed away the fanciful idea, telling herself that her husband likely wouldn't find such a gluttonous act endearing.

A few weeks later, Chloe began her new position at William Taft Middle School. The school had a reputation for being one of the better city-schools in the district, but it still had a number of students with behavioral issues. Maintaining behavioral standards in the classroom, rather than actual education, sometimes seemed to be Chloe's primary responsibility. Some days were simply exhausting and venting in the teacher's lounge was often necessary.

It was there that Chloe met Lisa Thoreaux, a 28-year old English teacher who had been at WTMS for the past 5 years. Lisa had short brown hair and was about 5 inches taller than Chloe. Her arms and legs were thick trunks of flesh and the rest of her body seemed to bulge and swell in various directions. On this day she wore a dress that flaunted her tremendous curves; it hugged her skin tightly, giving form to her sizable belly and hefty breasts. However, her most prominent feature was her large bubble butt. Chloe estimated that she was probably pushing 200 pounds. Being a relatively outspoken and extroverted person, Lisa struck up a conversation with Chloe upon seeing her enter the teacher's lounge. The two bonded quickly over their respective classrooms unruly behavior and then got to know each other more personally.

"So you're married? How long's it been?" asked Lisa.

"Just three weeks actually. It's been a bit of an adjustment for me to move straight from my parents to living with Jeremy, not to mention starting a new job and having a new house. I feel like such a big girl with so many responsibilities!" replied Chloe.

"Well if you want my advice, be careful or you might end up literally being a big girl. I was in a similar situation as yours when Mike and I got married 5 years ago. Next thing I knew - BAM! It was our first anniversary and I was 30 pounds heavier" she patted her large midsection for emphasis. "Yeah, domestication sure did a number on me. I realized that I really loved food and I just stopped caring as much about what others thought of me. I porked out, big time, and it was fun. Plus, I think my man appreciates my growing 'assets', if you can believe it. He loves spoiling me and is always saying how he only wants me to be comfortable. Truth be told, I guess being a fat and pampered wife isn't all bad!"

Chloe was aghast that Lisa was so forthcoming about something that should have made her feel so embarrassed. Did Lisa have any sense of propriety or did she simply not care? Clearly, it wasn't a big deal to her and she even seemed to flaunt the fact the she had let herself go.

"Aww c'mon, you're not fat. You look really good!" said Chloe almost reflexively.

"Chloe, I used to weigh 135 pounds 5 years ago. You don't need to patronize me; I've become a fat girl. I used marriage as an excuse to indulge but I don't regret doing so. Like I said, it's not the worst thing in the world. Who knows, maybe you'll experience it yourself" she said with a wink and laugh. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to prep for 6th period."

As Lisa exited the teacher's lounge, Chloe remained amazed at her new colleague and friend's candor. She was also intrigued at how Lisa managed to be so unconcerned with what others thought of her. Her attitude obviously helped her to exude self-confidence and she also seemed so satisfied. Chloe wondered how she could obtain those things for herself. She decided that she could learn a lot from Lisa and wondered what changes this new school year would bring.