Chapter 2 - #002 /coinless in miami/

“Earth to Monika...hello?” I snapped to paying attention as my name was called. Across the table from me, Jenifer was nibbling half-heartedly on her breakfast. She sighed a little upon realizing I hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation. In truth I was transfixed by a photo I had spied on the kitchen wall. It was Jenifer, leaning on one of the arcade machines. But it was distracting because she looked, to be frank, pretty dang blubbery. She had gotten bigger since it was taken though which I supposed made sense. The only problem was that it was in complete counter alignment to my memories, of a rather lanky Jenifer ushering me in from the rain. I had always been labeled a bit of an air head but missing roughly a hundred or so pounds of extra flab on a girl was a bridge too far. Not that I had any particularly satisfying counter theories. “Mom was asking you a question” she insisted flatly.

I turned and shot an awarding winning smile to her Mom. A pasty red head with her hair up in a big bun, short and stocky, with a pretty but mature, glasses covered face. She was a little soft all over as well, though less so than her daughter. “I was just asking if you have any work while you're in town?” she asked me sweetly before serving me my part of breakfast. “Haha, yeah, no I’m flat broke” I told them with a smile and without missing a beat. “You say that like it’s something to be proud of” Jennifer said shaking her head slightly. “It is what it is” was the best defense I could muster, and I put it up lazily. With that being the case, I probably should’ve been digging into that breakfast for all it was worth. But I couldn’t help but be a little suspicious of it. Jennifer hadn’t touched hers, despite having the look of a girl who could really put it away. I wondered if maybe there was something wrong with it. Of course, it was unlikely to be worse than what I’d get scavenging. So eventually I relented and dug in. In a sharp contrast to how Jennifer was treating it. The food was gorgeous. The bacon cooked to perfection, with just enough crunch and tear. I pretty much cleared my plate.

“Well, if you’re broke, I don’t suppose we’ll be seeing too much more of you then?” her mom uttered sadly, and I blinked in confusion. “Back in the old days I’d give you a rack of quarters and let you run wild, but honestly the business isn't what it used to be” Jennifers Mom informed me apologetically. “You really don’t have to worry, I always find money when I need it” I mused lackadaisically. It was true for the most part. But It rarely happened at a steady enough flow for me to really enjoy myself. “Well seeing as I don’t have any miraculous powers to conjure money when I need it, I’m going to go to class, and get a degree” Monika informed us both grouchily and heaved herself out of her chair. Her gut bumping the table in a wobbling display as she rose. She had basically left her plate untouched. I noticed her Mom giving the plate a glance. I didn't really have any clever comebacks, so I watched her waddle out of the room. The sight of her oversized rear stretching out those jeans was such a sharp contrast to what I was used to. But a new problem had been brought to my attention that far more easily caught my attention than a supposedly fatter ass. I needed money.

“You know, if you guys are going to stare at my butt, you could at least give me some quarters” I said without making eye contact. I was bent over, reaching underneath one of the vending machines outside the arcade. I didn't even need to check, I was sure someone would be staring. I was tall so my legs and butt always looked great . Even if the price was that my hips occasionally got me kind of stuck. Unfortnatly rather than a surrendering of quarters I heard the sound of scattering and muttered apologizes behind me. “I didn't mean it in, you know an accusatory way y’know, I was serious” I tried to explain but I was sure they were already gone. Besides my voice was muffled by the vending machine. I pulled myself out from underneath it, with nothing to show for my fine work. I had done a pretty thorough search of the place, but it was remarkably well cleaned as far as money went. Though when I thought about it, that made sense given the supposed money troubles they were having. I dusted myself off and brushed my hair a little. I doubted I was going to find much work given my paperwork or lack thereof. I also wasn’t really all that interested in getting a job.

But at the same time, standing there in that Arcade while other people were playing was pretty close to torture. The sight of them getting beaten in places I wouldn’t have. Or watching them enjoying the thrill of trying out a new game for the first time. The place had a real electric energy to it. Even if the real heyday of the arcade scene felt like it had passed a year or two prior. The only thing I felt the place really needed was some cute girls. Then it would be downrightly heavenly. Which meant that when Jennifer got back from class the place would become Heaven itself. The only issue was that it was a few hours till that was going to happen. And I was bored. The more I listed to the noises and watching the thrills and excitement, the more antsy I was getting. As I leaned against one of the arcade machines, a thought did occur to me. There was one machine that was free for me for me to play. It hadn’t been very good. No scantily clad girls, or aliens to blow up. I played it anyways though. Cause at that point I mostly just wanted the dopamine rush of playing with a joystick or pushing something's button.

When I entered the back room and found it plunged in total darkness I wondered if I was out of luck for a change. But after actually stepping into the room, I noticed the familiar dull glow begin in the corner of the room. “That’s really freaky you know that” I told nobody in particularly as I pushed through the arcade machine graveyard. The L.B.L UP A machine greeted me there. It felt better than it probably should’ve to hold a joystick in my hand. I had gone up a layer on the tower, I figured because I had beaten the previous layer and the score now read 100. The new one had a new objective, “Raise someone's score to higher than 250” it informed me. I entered in Jenifer's name again, after all I knew her score was already in the 200s. I used the plus command to push it up to 250 and the game locked up again. I didn't get it. But I felt my itch to game was a little scratched. Of course, the real benefit it had was that I’d finally have confirmation of the one theory I thought was impossible.

I knew I had to check as soon as possible. Was she going to somehow be even fatter than she had been. Was it possible that a lone arcade machine had caused a skinny girl to become a 250lbs wobbling waddling fat girl. I wanted to know, desperately. I’m usually pretty laid back, but I imagine I probably looked like a golden retriever. Subconsciously waving my hips from side to side as I waited for her to return to the arcade from what I’m sure was a boring day of college class. But eventually other sights caught my view. The Arcade was actually right by the beach on the boardwalk, it was a great position for people watching. Or unapologetic voyeurism if your yours truly. I couldn’t help but notice an unusually high number of beach babes. There wasn’t a one piece swim suit to be seen, just bikini’s and people with pretty nice midriffs. One pair walked past and I heard them chatting. “Did you see that girl in the red-t-shirt, wow she was a real Clydesdale” “Yeah I didn't even know they made stuff that size” “That’s what junk food will do to you” they chattered amongst themselves. I couldn’t help but chuckle finding the interaction pretty funny.

“Must be nice to be able to wear a bikini” a familiar voice said and I practically hopped out of surprise. It was Jenifer of course. But more of her than had left breakfast that morning. By a significant margin, her big flabby belly now hung down to her thighs. Bared by jeans that had clearly shed an important button at some point. The thickness of her thighs forcing her into a wider stance, and with how tight her skinny jeans were I could see every gradation of softness in their blubbery widths. This was a big girl from her chubby cheeked face down to her chair exceeding tush. The Arcade Machine was almost certainly responsible. Not that she had noticed. “You could wear a bikini like those girls to y’know” I told her nudging her belly a bit with my elbow. “No offence but that’s a little rich coming from a girl as easy on the eyes as you” she told me with a sigh. I smiled a little. There was no questioning I was pretty blessed. But I really did think there was something awfully cute about how round she was.

“Even if someone’s a weirdo like you are, the type of people, they’re looking to impress certainly aren’t.” she muttered and piqued my curiosity. I didn't mind the weirdo comment, it was a factual statement, and a badge I wore with pride. It was more a question of who they were trying to impress. “I mean big butts are in so I’m sure one or two beach bros...” I started to say testing the water. “First of all...not butts as big as mine, that freaking jiggle, secondly it’s not bro’s their after it’s amateur photographers.” she explained as if I was a complete dummy for not knowing that already. “They pay money to take pictures of hot girls and put them up on the internet” she explained, and I couldn’t help but snort a little. “They pay money!” I said more than a little confused. “Yeah, everybody seems flush with cash these days except...us...wait...what’s that look in your eye?” she asked me with a hint of paranoia. I didn't really get the process. There wasn’t easy access to the internet for a girl in my situation. But if the implication was that I’d be paid just for lying on a beach. There was no way I’d pass up that opportunity.