chapter 6

Scott started eating the pizza, barely pausing between bites. He tried to fight it but the feeling was too strong: he had to keep eating. He had a slice in each hand and was alternating between the two. It took him almost no time at all for him to finish the whole box.

Scott didn't even think twice about picking up Ryan's box. He was already a little full but Scott picked up a slice of Ryan's stuffed crust meat feast with double cheese. It was thick and heavy on his tongue as he chewed but Scott didn't care. He couldn't care.

Three slices in, Scott began to feel his jeans digging into his bloated belly. He reached down to unbutton them so he could keep eating. His flesh felt firm under his fingertips as he scrabbled to grasp the button. Finally, he got it to release and Scott sighed in relief as he crammed another slice into his mouth.

Scott wasn't sure he was going to make it through the whole second pizza. His stomach ached with fullness and he was beginning to slow down. Every bite hurt, he wanted to stop but he couldn't. He rubbed at the bulge of his belly to try to relieve the pressure. He felt it rumble under his touch.

When he had two slices left, Scott had to stop. He could barely breathe. Luckily, that meant he could stop. He let the pizza box slide to the floor and laid back, trying to find a position that was comfortable under the weight of the food in his belly.

The next few hours were a blur. He drifted in and out of consciousness as he watched videos on his phone. He dreaded the moment that he knew was coming; it wouldn't be long until he was reaching for more food.

Scott fell asleep on the sofa. It was probably a good thing; sleep gave him more time to rest. When he woke up a few hours later, his instincts made him feel like he hadn't eaten in months.

The two remaining slices of pizza were gone in minutes. Scott struggled to his feet, still full from before him nap. His eyes fell on the bag of pastries and his heart sank. He needed to do something but in the meantime, he had plenty of food to keep himself busy.

Scott stuffed himself over and over, until the sun came up and he felt like he was going to burst. Scott pulled himself off of the couch and walked slowly over to the bathroom. He was tired but he needed to shower and get ready for the day. He had a class that he couldn't afford to miss. Scott got in the shower and angled the water away from his body. His whole body ached; his belly felt swollen beyond belief. He could see himself in the mirror as he let the water trickle over him. His stomach was rounded all the way up to his ribs.

Scott wondered how he was going to be able to get through an hour lecture without losing it. After his shower, he made a plan.

He put two pints of ice cream into the microwave to melt them a little before pouring them into a bottle he usually used for his protein shakes. Scott got dressed whilst snacking on some leftover doughnuts and then packed his bag.



He stopped on the way to pick up a few breakfast muffins from the cafeteria. He forced them down, knowing that the longer he stayed full, the longer he'd have control. Scott walked to class a little self consciously; his clothes felt tight and he knew his bloated stomach must have been sticking out.

Once he was seated, Scott got his notebook out and put the bottle of melted ice cream next to it. Throughout the lecture, he tried not to think about it until he had to. Before long, though, Scott felt his stomach begin to rumble.

He reached over to the bottle and popped it open. Nobody paid him any attention because it was normal for people to bring protein shakes to class. He drank some of the melted ice cream down slowly, feeling it slide down his throat. He bit back a moan as he felt his already full stomach push outwards toward the desk in front of him.

Miraculously, he managed to keep his cool through the lecture by keeping himself full of ice cream.

After class Scott walked slowly to his car. He drove down town and parked in the KFC parking lot. It wasn't far from the hypnotists office and he knew parking there would be murder. He ignored the enticing smells coming from inside and walked past it and down the street.

Scott's heart sank when he turned the corner. The store was gone. The restaurant on the left was still there. The bookstore was now a deli. The store front between the two was blank. The window was dark and a large "Out Of Business" sign hung slanted near the top. He hadn't even thought about that as a possibility but he guessed it had been a long time since he'd been there. Scott tried not to panic as he walked back to his car.

When he got back, he just sat in the parking lot for a while. His mind was racing as he gripped the steering wheel. The business card. He knew Phoebe had given him a business card at some point... He tried to think about where he could have put it. He wanted to go home and tear his place apart to find it but his body wouldn't let him. He was hungry.