chapter 2

This was bad. She tried to keep going forwards, but her bum could not fit through the opening. Breathing in did not help, the more she struggled, the more her belly came out from her top. She was starting to get out of breath and sweaty. How could something so stupid happen to her?

Even worse. The buzzer for the front door went off. The pizza was here. She could not be seen like this. She dug her nails into the carpet and tried to pull. It buzzed again and again. She felt the stress sweats running down her face and frizzing up her hair.

The buzzing stopped. The delivery guy must be going away.

Che jumped up shocked. He wheezed, panted and choked. His heart was suddenly racing. He heard the buzz again. He looked around confused and felt faint, then he realised he was still in his sauna. This was the worst thing that could happen, especially being so dehydrated after a long run. He quickly rolled out. Panting and sweating profusely he felt the cooler bathroom air bring him back awake. Naked he stumbled to the intercom and pressed the button to open the front door on the ground floor.

Panting for breath and still trying to cool down, he managed to tie his hair in a bun and wrap a towel around his waist. He felt so dizzy and lights flashed before his eyes. As footsteps came up the stairs he leaned against the front door to his apartment and peeked put through the spyhole. It was just a delivery guy. Probably not for him although his mind was still foggy.

The door knocked. Che opened quickly. "Delivery for Ellie."

Che stared at the order. Two pizza boxes and a bottle of sweet looking, hydrating lemonade. "Um. She's upstairs in number three."

"No answer from that number."

Che eyed up the lemonade. "Okay, she might have gone out. I'll bring it up."

The delivery guy nodded and handed him the packages. Che took them inside. He put the pizzas down and stole the lemonade and in almost a single gulp had finished the entire litre bottle. Panting again and feeling a little guilty for stealing her drink albeit slightly more conscious from getting sugar and water.

He picked up the pizza boxes, sighed, stifled a burp and went out again to deliver the boxes to the flat upstairs.

Ellie panicked. She heard the delivery guys footsteps going to the flat below and now footsteps coming up the stairs again. She had loosened her legs a little bit and managed to push off from the sofa, this just pushed herself plus coffee table further into the middle of the room. She basically wanted to cry.

Che knocked on the door. "Um. Hi. I'm you're downstairs neighbour. I got a pizza delivery, I think it's for you."

There was no answer. Ellie tried to hold her breath to stay completely silent.

"Is everything alright? I heard you walking about earlier."

That's all she needed. Her neighbour telling her she was so fat that he could hear her stomping around all night. Go away. Go away she thought.

He knocked again and felt a creak. The door was not locked.

Shit shit shit shit. Was all Ellie could think to herself as she heard the same creak. Don't you dare come in you nosy bastard.

Che pushed the door open a little and put his head through. It was the same tiny flat layout as his, but slightly girlier looking, with flowery paintings on the corridor walls, where his were left blank. "Hi. Ellie, was it? I'm coming in." He was still feeling a bit faint and now was genuinely a little worried.

Ellie wanted to die. She heard him knocking on the kitchen door and opening it.

Che could not help but admire how immaculate the kitchen was, not a thing out of place in here, but no sign of his neighbour. Closing the door slowly he walked back down the corridor and checked the empty bedroom. Nope, nobody here. He opened the next door into the bathroom. There was a pile of clothes and towels on the floor. Someone had been home tonight.

Ellie now just rested her head on the floor. That was it, she was doomed. Some stranger was walking around her flat and she was stuck inside the coffee table, about to be seen as the world's stupidest fat bitch. This was agony. Then it came, the moment of dread, the living room door knocked.