Chapter 13 - lightbulbs

Even before filming had finished, the first publicity stills of the movie were being distributed. And the media reaction was nothing short of explosive. Everyone had seen them.

Zayla’s rapid weight gain was the focus of talk shows, blogs and even comedy sketches. In just a single picture, Zayla had set the world alight; her massive beer-bellied tummy and ginormous, blubbery rear, with thick, wobbly thighs, and even cellulite to match. Close-up shots of her face were shown, displaying the massive changes to her cheeks and new chin. Rumours had spread from the set and it was clear that the media was going with the angle of Zayla having been overzealous in her attempts to gain weight for the part. Some were even claiming that she was now stuck in a cycle of weight gain.

Zayla poured over everything that was written, as greedily as she devoured her food. Every single shot of her that was published was placed with a comparison picture from Zayla's peak fitness, less than a year earlier.

For most actors, all of this attention would have driven them to despair. They’d have been on a crash diet and kitted out their home with the ultimate gym equipment so that they could shed the pounds. But that wasn’t what was happening to Zayla. Instead, she was being driven absolutely wild by it all; hornier and hornier every single day. She'd been exposed. Now everyone could see her as she really was. She was the fat girl at long last.

But now Zayla had been given orders by her management to stop going out in public. IN the weeks since the movie wrapped, she’d been captured, more than a few times, heading out for food in the middle of the day. The current look was damaging to her profile, they stated emphatically; highlighting the fact that, despite all the current media attention, Zayla had no work lined up after her obligations with this movie were done with. One point rang out loud and clear from them though: Zayla had to shift all of this weight before the movie’s publicity tour began in six months’ time. And there was no room for compromise.