Chapter 19

"Um, excuse me. There are supposed to be two more."

The vendor looked down at the two tubby teens, one of whom was already digging into her flimsy paper plate. Her dark hair fell over her once pretty face. The guy laughed.

"No offence lady, but the Eif-funnel Cake Tower is meant to feed a family of four. And you got one each!"

The blonde crossed her arms, which impressed the vendor - he didn't think she could reach around her belly to do that.

"I paid you for four. I want what I paid for, I didn't ask for your input."

She had a point. He turned around and poured the batter into the hot oil, stacking it high like a famous French landmark and smothering it with whipped cream and powdered sugar. He tried to figure out what to say. These kids couldn't be older than 20, and one of them probably weighed twice as much as he did. It was a waste, the brunette was pretty as all get out above the neckline. Clearly her stupid fat friend had corrupted her and blown her up just to feel better about her own fat ass --

A loud burp rippled from below the food truck. Casually, the vendor glanced over his shoulder and saw that the brunette had already finished her funnel cake, and was throwing the polished remains into the trash.

She came forward and leaned against the counter. Sweetly, and seductively, she whispered. "Sorry about my friend. She gets cranky when she's hungry. Do you mind maybe dropping an extra dollop of Nutella on the next one...for me?"

Melissa shuffled her weight so that her cleavage snuck into view. It was deep, thick, and ready to be gawked it.

For an instant, the vendor felt a rush of attraction - which was bizarre. He swallowed and nodded and dropped a healthy splotch on either mountain of fried confectionary goodness. Melissa took them from his hands, winked and waddled off into the crowd. He watched her shuffle away, curious about her tactics of seduction.

Kennedy slurped and munched as they walked, nearly winding herself. Mel was lifting the plate to her mouth, biting away at the funnel cake with great gusto.

"Okay," muffled Kennedy. "So we've hit the taco stand, the ice cream stand, the deep-fried chocolate bar stand, the chip truck, the ramen bowl, and now the funnel cake. What's left on the list?"

Mel held up a sticky hand with a crumpled piece of paper. "We still have to get through the hot dog stand, the burger joint, and pretzel place."

Mel clocked something for the first time in her life. As she was walking and reading, she felt the weight of her gait lean back on her hips like that of a pregnant mother. She was walking belly first, the lower of her back curved out to balance the weight proportions. Her food baby was turning her into a happy young mother.

"Let's do burger, pretzel, hot dog." Kennedy said, huffing and puffing as she searched for a place to sit. "You want the rest of this?"

Without answering, Melissa took her plate and tipped the crumbs into her mouth. "Should we try a ride?"

Kennedy stopped and looked at Mel with a furrowed brow. "I will throw up."

Melissa laughed and smacked her friends backside playfully. "You just know you couldn't squeeze yourself in the seats."

They both ploughed through a traditional deluxe charbroiled burger, and split a plate of sliders. The pretzels were bigger than their heads. As they sat at the flimsy makeshift picnic table, the effects finally began to catch up.

Kennedy was stifling burps and rubbing her tummy. "This is too much."

"It's only 8:30pm. We still have time to recover before the grand finale!"

Loud monster trucks roared in the distance, and the crowds suddenly turned their heads and headed towards the sound. "See? The show is starting. It'll be way less busy and we can take our time without the stares."

"Okay good, cuz I gotta untie this sweater." Kennedy pinched at her sweat top, which was wrapped around her waist to conceal her busted up bottom half. "It's digging into me like a fucking belt from Grade 9."

"Yeah," Mel cooed, touching her own swollen orb. "That's why I went loosey-goosey, keep things flowy and relaxed."

"You don't have the thunder thighs I do. That dress would be a t-shirt on me." Subtly, Melissa crossed her knees and squeezed her thighs against her underwear line. The thought of a dress being a crop-top on her was ... invigorating.

The mass exodus for the truck show was nearly complete when Melissa saw her. Strutting down the laneway, perky B's in full display, Daisy Dukes hanging off her lithe hips, pony bouncing back and forth: Rebecca Neilson. She was from Mel's hometown, they were friends growing up and confidantes in high school. She looked like the front of a Sports Illustrated issue.

Melissa's heart raced, and without thinking, she leaped up and bounded towards her, waving her hands.

Rebecca clocked the fatty who was swinging her arms and beaming. She stared as she strutted, and then glanced over her shoulder. She didn't know this girl? It must have been someone else.

Rebecca blew right past Melissa and disappeared around a corner.

"What...the fuck...was that?" Kennedy said, holding back a laugh and then letting go of a burp.

Mel turned around, pink and blushing. "I knew her. We went to school together. I was literally at her sweet 16 last year."

Kennedy's jaw dropped. "Are you saying..."

"She didn't recognize me."

Like cradling something precious, Melissa held her hanging belly. Her fat arms ballooned as they were pressed together. Had she become a whole other person?

"I mean, Mel - there's practically two of you where there used to be one of you."

Melissa panged for a moment. The tears began to sting. But she held back. But still...what had she done to herself?

"Hot dogs will solve this. Come on. We're on borrowed time now, our last hurrah is running short."

Melissa grabbed her garbage and walked off with Kennedy. "I think I need that thing now."

Kennedy reached into her purse and pulled out the hipflask of vodka. In sheer embarrassment and perseverance, Mel downed most of the booze in a single go. Kennedy had the final sip, after all, she was driving.

"HOT DOG TIME!" Mel said as she wobbled off toward the stand. The two girls were alone in the empty fairgrounds while the main event roared in the distance. They agreed to divulge in a hot dog eating contest. They ordered 8 each, and whoever polished them off first was responsible for dessert on the way home.

Melissa inhaled them. She didn't even taste them. She needed to bury the pain she was feeling, pack her gut with a pleasure so undeniable that she couldn't feel the hurt that was creeping into her heart. Kennedy struggled and stopped at 5.5.

Melissa ate hers, too.

Now nearly 10pm, the show was set to wrap up soon. "Let's get the hell outta here."

Kennedy waddled, undoing her sweater from around her waist and untucking her belly so the world could see it stick out forward. Her exposed ass and glorified gut were soothed in the cool air. Mel watched from behind as she looked at her friend - she tried to remember the "skinnier" version of Kennedy, a meagre 80lbs lighter from the following September. She was bodacious then, but now, she had officially signed her lease on fatness.

Right before the exit, they found it. A MASSIVE platform with a digital scale. Kennedy, in her haze, walked right past it. Mel cried out and said, "Hey! Stop!"

Kennedy turned and looked. She watched as Mel, taking off her shoes, stepped onto the giant industrial scale read out. The red numbers instantly flashed upwards, landing at ...

272lbs. Kennedy's jaw dropped. That had been her starting weight in September!

Melissa cheekily flashed Kennedy her belly and boobs from under her dress. "Your turn!"

Kennedy climbed aboard, watching the numbers relentlessly shoot skywards.

344lbs. Fuck.

Mel jumped on with her. A carny cried from the booth, "Careful, it only goes to 800lbs!"

The number whirred to 616lbs.

Mel's hands found Kennedy's waist, and the fold in her lovehandles.

She imagined the big red ERROR sign that would max out this industrial scale with the two of them on it...400lbs apiece...or, one of them more and the other less...

"Hey." The brunette beauty breathed. "I have an idea, before we go home."