chapter 5

Through sheer luck I found myself a job for the summer. A desk job that I wasn't, if I'm honest, really qualified for. But Angelica, my employer, seemed to have taken to me. She could see that I was desperate and she agreed to let me fill in over the summer.
She was quite a sight. A woman in her forties as massive as anyone I'd ever seen. Her belly was a huge hanging apron of uncontrollable fat. It hung low enough to cover most of her gargantuan thighs. The natural contours of her face had been subsumed by a sea of flab. Her features seemed tiny as they sat in the middle of that ocean of fat. She worked from a special chair built to hold her weight and her massive derriere. Getting up out of it was enough to leave her face covered in a sheen of sweat.
I was astounded at her size. Often I caught myself staring at her as she slowly waddled through the office.
But she was a nice woman and she took good care of me. It almost felt like she was taking a special interest. Her kindness meant a lot, especially now that the rest of my life was falling apart.
I'd lost my figure. I was a shut in with no social life. I was hiding from my own mom. Food was all that I had to cheer me up. My eating had spiralled out of control. I'd gorge myself until I felt sick to my stomach. It didn't matter if I was hungry or not. I was compelled to eat. My life had come to revolve around food. When I wasn't eating I was planning my next snack.
Mom still called from time to time. I would dread my conversations with her. The thought of talking to her, lying to her, was enough to make my stomach turn. But I did it. I told her that everything was fine. That I'd lost the weight and that I was enjoying my life on campus.
Mom was happy to hear I was doing well. She'd compliment me on losing weight and tell me how proud she was of me.
I hated myself for lying to her. I hated the weak-willed sack of blubber I was turning myself into.
That was when I met Michael, Angelica's son. He was only two years older than me. We'd chat from time to time when he came round the office.
Michael carried a couple of extra pounds but he hadn't inherited his mother's physique. He was a handsome down to earth sort. I soon fell for him. But I never thought that he would ever fall for me. I could hardly believe it when, out of the blue, he asked me out on a date.
Once Michael had convinced me he wasn't joking I agreed to let him take me out for dinner.
As we ate I tried to hold myself back. I didn't want him to think I was a total pig. But, as always, hunger won out over restraint. I gorged myself like the fat glutton I was. Michael didn't seem to mind. We agreed to go out again. Soon we were spending a lot of time together.
Michael never seemed to mind my eating habits. He was never mean to me and he never put me down. He might tease from time to time, but always in a friendly, accepting way. Sometimes I wondered if he wouldn't rather date somebody thinner, somebody who wasn't an obese, out of control glutton. He always smiled and reassured me.
"You're all that I want." He'd say.
The next six months went by in a flash. Though I hadn't quite realised it I'd been eating more than ever. With Michael enabling my appetite and taking me out to eat my body was exploding with fat. Even the roomiest of my sweats were hopelessly tight.
By the time the holidays came around Michael invited me to spend them with him and his family. I was only too happy to accept. I still hadn't told my mom the truth about my figure and I was eager for any excuse to push our inevitable reunion farther into the future. This time I atleast had some genuine good news for her. I had a boyfriend.