chapter 1: big surprise for the parents

The first day of summer break, Friday evening, and Janie’’s taxi driver pulled up her parent’s mansion. She unwrapped her 10th chocolate bar, her emergency stash, and chomped on it, nervously she hadn’t told her parents yet about her changed figure.

The taxi driver looked in his review mirror, disgusted seeing this blob eat like her 100th bar in his van.

“Alright miss, we’re here.”

Janie shove the remaining chocolate In her mouth. She got her wallet and paid the driver, and with his help, got her luggage from the cab and then walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and stepped in.

“Janie, is that you?” Mia called from the dining room, where she was getting dinner ready. She couldn’t believe a whole school year had passed. She was excited to see her daughter. They’d talked on the phone every two weeks but seeing her in person didn’t compare. She walked into the foyer and her mouth dropped. Standing before her was not her slim daughter.

Instead she saw an obese girl. A girl with double chins, puffed up cheeks, inflated arms and thighs. The maxi dress she was wearing could not hide the girl’s three belly rolls.

“Hi mom,” Janie said meekly.

Mia stood there for a full minute, shock before walking to her daughter.

“Janie?! Is that you??”

She watched in disbelief as this blob in front of her nodded her head, her chins shaking. The poor girl had no neck.

“What happened to you?!” Mia pokes Janie’s largest belly roll, not believing this. “Please tell me you are wearing a fat suit!”

“Mia, what’s going on?” Carson, Janie’s dad came into the foyer from his office and stopped in his tracks.

“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry I gained some weight during the school year” Janie said, trying to hold back tears, shame coming over her.

“Some?! Some?!” Mia shouted, now grabbing Janie’s belly and shaking it. “You gained more than some! At least 100lbs! You are the size of a whale!”

Carson came to his senses and walked to his wife, taking her hands. He then put both his hands on Janie’s round belly, feeling it’s heft.

“Janie, how did you gain this much over the year??”

“I don’t know. I just ate. School was stressful and hard, I use food to cope.” Tears rolled down Janie’s face. Her mom snorted. “You think school’s hard? Trying being fat! That’s hard!” She jabbed her finger in Janie’s stomach and Janie yelped.

“ I had planned this elaborate dinner for you. You will only have a salad instead. I’m making an appointment with the doctor on Monday morning!”
With that, Mia stomped out of the foyer entrance. Janie was still crying. Her dad patted her belly, gave a small smile. “It will be ok, Tubby,” We’ll figure this out. With that he took her bags and brought them upstairs to her room.

Janie took her eleventh chocolate bar and ripped open the wrapper, drowning her feelings in the sweet chocolate.