Chapter 1 - seeing your double

We could have been sisters. Maybe even twins. We had the same blond hair, similar green eyes, just about the same height. Even our faces were pretty similar, the smiles were nearly identical.

Only she was really fat.


This all started when I stopped in to a McDonald's about 30 miles from my college, I was on the way home after visiting friends. I hadn't eaten at McDonald's since my Happy Meal days, even then I just wanted the toy, but I was starving. That was when I saw her. The counter girl who looked like a fat version of me. I didn't even order anything, I just watched her for a bit. I wondered what her life was like. Eventually, I think she saw that I was staring at her and I left.

But I couldn't stay away. I'd find myself taking the interstate and coming back to that McDonald's over and over again. Sometimes, she wasn't there and I'd just sit and eat my salad in the parking lot and drive home. When she was there, I'd sit and watch her. Look at the acne that covered her face, my skin was like that as a teenager, it probably still would be if I hadn't started using face wash daily. Her big belly, hanging over her tight, already unflattering uniform. Her tree trunk thighs, her huge breasts. I was actually jealous of those breasts, I had some rather tiny boobs myself. Every so often, she'd walk out to the tables and clean them off and I'd get the best view of her body, she jiggled so much, even with the slightest movement.

My body was very different. Thin with decent muscle tone from pilates. I wouldn't say I was a model but I had good skin and good hair and definitely had my share of admirers. I could turn heads is what I'm saying.

One day, I saw my fat double carrying a tray of food out, I thought she was probably dropping off an order to a table. Instead she sat down across from me.

"So are you like my long lost half sister or something?" she asked.

"No, not that I'm aware of," I said.

"Oh, my father was out of my life when I was pretty young. I figured maybe you were from a family he started somewhere else. If you aren't a relative, then why the Hell have you been staring at me for the last month?"

It was actually two months but I wasn't going to correct her.

"You look so much like me. I guess it just kinda fascinated me," I said.

"That's weird. You are weird. You know that, right?" she said.

We sat there and chatted as she munched on a quarter pounder and McNuggets while I slowly ate a salad. Her name was Stephanie, she was raised by a mom who had mostly checked out by the time Steph was 16. Now, Steph was on her own, working at McDonalds and trying to go to the small community college in her town while paying for everything, including her apartment. She ate most of her meals at McDonalds because her manager never charged her, hard to turn down free food. She never worked out because she couldn't afford a gym membership.

Very different from my life where my parents paid for everything - tuition at a non-inexpensive state university, rent in a nice roommate-less one bedroom apartment, healthy food, a gym membership. What if my life had been like Steph's? Would I be like her? Would I be her? The thought made me shiver... but not exactly out of fear.

Steph gave me her number and I asked her to meet me after she got off work a few days later. I sat down with my salad, she had her tray of a burger, nuggets, fries and a soda. This was my chance to make my offer.

"Would you like to eat healthier than this? Lose some weight?" I asked.

"Sure," she said.

"What if I helped you pay for good groceries and gave you a list of exercises you can do, most of which require no equipment?" I asked.

She was suspicious.

"What do you want from me?"|

"Just write out what you would be eating this week normally," I said and then my voice got quiet, "I want to eat like you."

"Want to take a vacation to fat girl city? You are definitely weird. Alright, when do we start?" asked Steph.

"Now! Let's trade trays," I said.

Reluctantly, she passed me her tray. She slowly ate my salad and I dove in on her 2000+ calorie tray. So rich, so salty, so fatty. My belly was as taut as a drum as I stuffed in the last few fries.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Not as hungry as I thought I would," said Steph, "How about you?"

"Not as overstuffed as I thought I would."