chapter 3: girthiest greetings

It was easy to see that Stephanie and Ashley were sisters. Same blue eyes, same button nose, same blonde hair, well, Stephanie’s was a bit darker, but when Ashley had still been skinny, people would often mistake the two for twins. The problem was, though, that Ashley hadn’t remained skinny.

Stephanie sauntered over, slim and almost as light as a feather save for the heavy travel suitcase she was wheeling in tow.

“Ashlizzle!” she exclaimed, looking her sister up and down. “You’re looking healthy as ever,” she smiled, saying nothing more.

Ashley returned with a weak smile of her own, “Ha. Yea, sis. You look well too.”

She certainly did. The bottom heavy gene was also apparent in the younger of the two sisters, only where Ashley’s bulbous hips split seams on leggings and jammed doorways, Stephanie’s soft, curvy hips sloped outward alluringly and only accentuated how much her trim waist tapered inward.

Stephanie looked over at Melanie and her face momentarily shifted into an obnoxious smirk.

“And this must be your girlfriend?”

She tried her best to have a confused look about her face as she addressed the two of them.

Mel, of course, didn't miss a beat. Especially after Stephanie's momentary look of confusion was quickly replaced by her trademark shit-eating grin.

Mel's smile was just as wide. "That's cute, 'Lesser Ashley' (Ashley had secretly become less fond of Mel's playful nickname for her sister ever since it began to take on its double meaning). There are easier ways of telling me I look different with my hair short, just sayin."

"Yea," began Ashley, "I guess the last time you s-"

"I'm only teasin you, beautiful person," Stephanie casually interjected. Stepping forward, she stood her carry on up on its own next to Ashley and cheerfully embraced the bovine brunette in a fleshy but loving embrace.

Or at least tried to.

Although only the 'second' fattest girl at the airport that day, Mel's jutting, swollen stomach completely prohibited Steph from doing more than leaning into the shorter girl's bosom and sinking her manicured hands into Melanie's thick, squishy upper arms. Likewise, Melanie was growing so ponderously fat these days she had trouble reaching her arms all that far past her massive belly.

"And I guess you have changed a little in other ways, sweetie," Stephanie added with a wink, lightly patting the protruding tummy keeping her at arm's length.

"Ugh tell me about it," Ashley attempted again, shifting impatiently this time (she had been standing for what felt like fifteen minutes now!), "I think I might have put on some-"

"Tsk- guilty, girl," said Melanie animatedly, completely ignoring Ashley. "But you know how it is when you get a call."

"From who?!" Ashley blurted out maybe a little too loudly, eager not to be left behind as the two fell into their usual synchronized banter.

"From," Steph turned and said in a deep-voiced, poor attempt at an Austrian accent, "Da Hungerrr!!!" Both Stephanie and Melanie burst into uproarious laughter, clearly on the other end of some inside joke that Ashley would never have the context to understand. She could only stand there and chuckle weakly.Even Mel had to silently take note at how much she jiggled lately when she laughed. Or when she did anything nowadays, really. Mel, always one to prioritize comfort over conformity, had finally surrendered to the sartorial demands of her bulging tummy and now took to buttoning her slacks under her belly instead of over, her surging belly fat finally proving too much to contain in even her biggest pairs of jeans. In her skin-tight baby blue t-shirt, Melanie's heaving, single-tiered stomach quivered and wobbled with as much enthusiasm as she had, catching up with her old friend. And kinda accidentally ignoring her best one.

"But you're one to talk about about hunger, Freakazoid (Mel's other passionate nickname for Ashley's baby sister. Two? Ashley didn't even have one!). I haven't seen you put anything in your mouth in like 5 whole minutes," the obese, short-haired beauty said as her much, much leaner friend reached into her hoodie pocket. "How are you not passed out?"

Stephanie grinned sheepishly as she pulled out what she had been storing in her pocket. "You just had to say that right as I was getting these," she said, revealing two rather impressive king-sized candy bars and quickly demolishing one.

"What the hell are-" Melanie began, but it was Ashley's turn to interrupt this time.

"You brought Tang bars?!" She exclaimed, This time definitely too loud.