chapter 3

3.
Tom drove his rickety Civic a half hour to the supermarket, beaming the entire ride. His worry about chubbing up paled behind the idea of getting rid of Jasmine for good. In a way, Tom figured Anice had wanted to get rid of her sister for awhile now. She never was any good at saying what she wanted. That knowing look she gave him when the bet was proposed practically said as much.

‘I’ll give my sister a lesson and a good kick to her rear. She needs this.’

Tom giggled as he shifted into park. If this little bet was Anice’s indirect way to make her sister spread her wings, he would indulge her. And Tom had to admit, a part of him was excited. He couldn’t remember ever eating as much of whatever he wanted all the time. After decades of steadfast exercise and dedication to good eating, Tom warmed up to the idea that this might be the break he needed.

Going through the grocery store, Tom felt like he had entered a bizzaro version of Supermarket Sweep. Everything he had rejected for being too high in calories, sugar, carbs and fat was thrown into the cart in excess. Chips, burgers, snack cakes, sugary cereal and tubs of ice cream all went in. Tom was slightly mortified by the look the cashier gave him on the way out, but he wouldn’t be doing this again, he figured, so Tom just smiled and rolled his cart of gluttony back to the Civic, which only made it an inch off the ground with the new load.

“Jasmine better be getting ready,” Tom muttered to himself, “I’m going to enjoy watching her squirm when she sees all this!”

***

Anice smiled as she watched Tom pull up the gravel driveway. Jasmine was behind her in the living room, struggling to do a set of jumping jacks as a cheap edm tune blared in the background. Everything had gone delightfully to plan so far. Tom and Jasmine hated each other enough to play her little game, and now the pieces were in motion. It wasn’t perfect though, Anice had to do some damage control the morning after.

“You’ve done it now!” wobbly, curvy Jasmine cried, “I’m going to force your stupid boyfriend out of this house, and he’ll be a giant whale when he’s waddling out that door!”

Anice needed to stifle a moan.

“Good!” she shot back with feigned cheeriness, “we’d both like to see you healthier. I’m sure Tom can handle a few pounds.”

Jasmine looked bewildered.

“So, if I won the bet and stayed-” Anice laughed, with a purposeful harshness.

“Please, I doubt you would ever actually lose a full hundred pounds, sis. No, I think you could at least manage a couple dozen. Then you’ll fail like I know you will, and Tom won’t be able to lose in time, and you’ll get to stay.” Anice then added with extra certainty, “I promise you that.”

A look was exchanged between the two, one Jasmine had never seen on her sister before.

“What are you doing here, Anice?”

Anice grinned just as Tom opened the front door. He had three bags in each arm, chips and packages of bacon flying out at each step.

“Babe! Can you help me with the groceries? I kinda went overboard. Can you believe how cheap bacon is?”

Jasmine blinked, and it was like her sister was a different person. Anice’s grin spread wide and sinister. She looked eager, like a wolf hunting her prey.

“You sit that butt down and get munching!” Anice called back, “can’t have you burning calories moving all those boxes.” To which Tom giggled. She shot Jasmine a strange smile and whispered.

“Do some small workouts, but don’t lose anything until the month is over. Okay?”

Anice spun and left her sister bewildered in the living room. The obese girl shifted back and forth on her heels, aware that something was at play she wasn't sure she wanted to know about.

“Whatever,” Jasmine spat, unpausing her workout video, “if I can punish that smug boy I don’t care what Anice is up to. I will get him fat, and out of this house.”