Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ryan had long heard about the camp across the pond, a so-called “fat camp” filled with young plus-sized campers trying desperately to lose some weight. The name alone—Lakeshore Wellness Camp—had always sounded like some cruel joke to him, as if tacking on the word “wellness” made it any less of a prison. At Camp Meadowridge, where Ryan worked as a counselor, the kids whispered about the place constantly. It was the butt of every joke, every cruel punchline about the campers’ supposed fatness and unbridled gluttony.

He had forgotten his backpack earlier in the day, leaving it down by the docks after leading his campers on a hike. The sun was sinking low over Long Pond now, the water glinting in the last golden light of day as Ryan made his way down to retrieve it. He expected the dock to be deserted, but as he approached, he saw someone hunched over by his bag. His step faltered.

It wasn’t one of his campers. No, this was someone else entirely—a girl, maybe around his age, digging through the contents of his knapsack like she was on a mission. She was curvy, with thick thighs and a rounded figure that was impossible to miss, and her ponytail bobbed as she rifled through his things. Ryan paused for a moment, frozen in place as he contemplated what he was seeing, his mind filled with a mix of confusion and fascination.

She pulled out a granola bar, tearing into it like her life depended on it. As he stepped closer, the sound of crinkling plastic gave her away. She looked up sharply, her cheeks flushed, crumbs already dusting the front of her shirt.

“Umm, hello?” Ryan started, his voice louder than he meant it to be.

The girl scrambled to her feet, holding the half-eaten granola bar in one hand and looking wildly at him like a deer caught in headlights.

“I—I’m not proud of this,” she blurted out, licking a stray crumb off her thumb, “but I’m so hungry right now; my belly is completely in control of my actions. I need food!”

Her voice was both desperate and oddly defiant, as if daring him to challenge her. Ryan blinked, trying to process what he was seeing.

“Uh, so who are you, exactly?” he asked, gesturing vaguely toward his bag.

She relaxed, just a little, though her cheeks were still red. “Samantha. My friends call me Sam. I’m from, uh… across the pond.” She motioned with her free hand toward the opposite shore, where the trees barely masked the faint glow of lights from Lakeshore Wellness Retreat.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sam,” Ryan said cordially as he extended his hand. “My name is Ryan.”

“Good to meet you too, Ryan,” Sam replied as she hesitantly greeted Ryan’s hand with her own sticky paw.

“You’re from Lakeshore?” Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sam bristled slightly but didn’t deny it. “The fat camp, yeah. I got separated from my group during a run. Ended up here, and, well…” She held up the granola bar with a sheepish grin. “Desperate times.”

Ryan looked at her—really looked at her. Her face was round and soft, with deep eyes that were equal parts mischievous and apologetic. She was beautiful, in a way that took him by surprise. She was undeniably fat, her body full and soft in a way that drew his eyes and refused to let them go. There was a richness to her figure, a natural abundance that he found utterly mesmerizing. The way she stood there, shoulders squared and chin slightly lifted, exuded a kind of quiet defiance that only added to her allure. To Ryan, she was beautiful—radiant, unapologetic, and completely unforgettable.

“You’re really just raiding my bag for food?” he asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Listen, I’ve had nothing to eat today except some nasty wild rice and tea,” she said, her tone edging toward dramatic. “If you were in my shoes, I think you’d do the same thing.”

Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. “Wild rice and tea, huh? I guess I can understand. If I were in your shoes I’d probably want something a little more substantial than some granola bars.”

Sam smirked, taking another bite. “If you had cherry cheesecake in this bag, I would have eaten that too.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. There was something about her—her confidence, her humor, the way she seemed to own the situation despite it being objectively ridiculous—that Ryan found himself instantly drawn to.

“Well, I don’t know if I can get my hands on any cheesecake,” he said, “but if you’re really that hungry, I could bring you something, some real food.”

Her eyes widened slightly, her smirk fading into something softer. “You’d do that?”

“Sure,” Ryan said, shrugging as if it were no big deal. “I mean, it’s not every day I catch someone stealing my granola bars. Might as well make it worth your while.”

Sam stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure him out. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, boy scout. Meet me here after dark, and don’t bring any of that diet stuff. I want the good stuff!”

Ryan grinned. “You got it!”


Later that evening, after all of the other campers had turned in for the night, the moon hung low over Long Pond, casting a silver shimmer across the water as Ryan rowed toward the dock. The lake was calm, save for the soft ripple of the oars breaking the surface. His heart beat a little faster than usual, though he wasn’t sure if it was the exertion or the anticipation of seeing Sam again.

She was already waiting for him when he arrived, sitting cross-legged on the dock with a faint smirk on her face. “You’re late,” she teased as he pulled the rowboat alongside the weathered wooden planks. “I thought boy scouts were supposed to be punctual.”

Ryan grinned as he held the boat steady. “Well, I’m not a boy scout, and I had to wait for all of the cafeteria workers to leave before I could sneak in and nab this stuff for you.”

Sam laughed and climbed into the boat, her movements unhurried but sure. The wood creaked slightly as she settled into the seat across from him, her presence filling the small space. Ryan couldn’t help but notice how the boat shifted under her weight, dipping low enough on her side to make him adjust his balance instinctively. She didn’t seem to mind, though, and her confidence only made him admire her more.

He handed her the bag he’d brought—a mix of chips, cookies, and candy bars. Sam’s eyes lit up as she dug into it, pulling out a bag of chips first.

“Oh my God, you’re a lifesaver,” she said, tearing the bag open with practiced ease. “I can’t tell you how sick I am of the crap they make us eat over there: steamed spinach, wild rice, beef bone broth; if I have to eat one more bland piece of grilled chicken, I might actually lose my mind.”

Ryan watched, fascinated, as she crunched into the chips without hesitation. She ate with an intensity that was somehow both ravenous and elegant, savoring each bite as though she was making up for years of deprivation. He couldn’t look away.

“You act like you haven’t eaten in days,” he said with a chuckle.

“Try years,” Sam shot back, though there was humor in her voice. “I’ve been coming to Lakeshore every summer since I was thirteen, and I swear, the food just keeps getting worse.”

“Every summer?” Ryan asked, leaning back slightly as he rowed them toward the island. “What’s the deal with that? Your parents make you go?”

She nodded, pausing mid-bite. “They call it ‘helping me build a healthier future,’ but we both know it’s just a polite way of saying they want me to stop being fat.”

Ryan frowned, unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to press too hard, but he also didn’t want to brush off something that clearly mattered to her.

Sam seemed to sense his hesitation. “It’s whatever,” she said with a shrug, crumpling the now-empty chip bag and tossing it into the boat. “This is my last year, anyway. Eighteen’s the cutoff, so next summer, I’m free.”

“So what are you doing when you get out of here?” Ryan asked, his voice quieter now.

“College,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll be in Boston in the fall. I’m pretty excited about it. New place, new people. No more fat camp.”

Ryan grinned. “Boston, huh? That’s not too far. I’ll be heading back up to upstate New York for school. It’ll be my sophomore year. I somehow managed to survive freshman year, so I guess I’ll just keep going.”

“Upstate New York, huh?” Sam raised an eyebrow. “That’s… what? Three hours away? Four?”

“Something like that,” Ryan said, his grin widening. “Not too far for a visit, if I happen to know someone in Boston.”

Sam laughed, and for a moment, the sound filled the night, blending with the quiet lapping of the water against the boat.

They reached the small island at the center of the lake, a secluded patch of land surrounded by reeds and overhanging trees. Ryan tied the boat to a low branch, and the two of them climbed onto the soft, grassy ground. He spread out a blanket on the soft ground and laid out the rest of the snacks he’d brought, and they sat side by side, talking and laughing between bites.

Sam told him about her family, her plans for college, and her hope that she could finally put the expectations of others behind her. “It’s just exhausting, you know?” she said, her voice softer now. “Trying to be something I’m not, just to make other people happy. I feel like I’m finally ready to live my life the way I want to.”

Ryan nodded. “I get that,” he said. “I think everyone feels that way, at least a little, but I think you’re already pretty amazing just the way you are, Sam. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

She looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she smiled—a real, genuine smile that made Ryan’s chest feel tight in the best possible way.

“You’re not so bad yourself, boy scout,” she said, nudging him lightly with her shoulder.

They stayed on the island until the stars were high in the sky, talking about everything and nothing. When it was finally time to head back, they made a plan to meet again the next night.

“Same time, same place?” Sam asked as Ryan took her by the hand and helped her climb out of the boat, one chunky leg at a time.

“Sounds good to me,” Ryan concurred, wishing to himself that he could wrap his arms around her thick waist and hold on to her just a little while longer. He wondered to himself if he should try to kiss her, but he told himself to slow down and not get too ahead of himself.

“Thanks for the snacks,” Sam said as turned around and looked at Ryan one last time, waving goodbye. Ryan didn’t speak, he just smiled and raised his hand quickly, letting it slap his leg as it dropped back down to his side just as quickly as it had gone up. Then he watched her slowly disappear into the shadows of the dock. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had something to look forward to.