Big man on campus

Chapter 1 - Lunch for One

He was sitting alone at a table in the student center food court. At first, she assumed he was waiting on someone to join him, based solely off the sheer volume of food covering the tray before him. But as she watched, she noticed that he wasn’t waiting, he was eating with too much of gusto for that. She also noticed he seemed to be sampling every fattening delicacy on his overloaded tray. Big bites too. Not the behavior of someone looking to share their food.

Taking in his thick, marshmallow torso stretching the limits of the simple cotton t-shirt he had stuffed himself into, she judged that this type of consumption was habitual. And likely escalating.

Like a spider on a web, she waited until his gluttonous display began to slow down. She knew that he would be caught off guard and much more vulnerable, having already pushed himself to some discomfort. After the last bite of the second double cheeseburger disappeared and he stifled a burp from a pair of hardworking, grease-coated lips; that’s when she quickly moved her lithe frame over to the center of the food court, and with feigned innocence, sat down across her prey.

“All that just for you, huh?” She asked through a smirk.

It took a second to win his attention while competing with that heavily loaded order of chili cheese fries he was just starting to tuck into; but after a lingering moment, he looked up with slight surprise as a glob of chili fell off his fork and onto shirt. She glanced down to the stain on his straining shirt, she smiled at the way it revealed every detail of his soft chest. Her smile deepened as she said “I must have made quite the impression, you don’t look like you miss very often” Her eyes flicked down to the mound of round belly fat as if to emphasize her words. His cheeks seemed to burn as red hot as her desire.

“Um, hi.” He managed at last after getting over his surprise, as well as another mouthful.

“What’s your name big boy?” The crimson of his cheeks deepened at the way she seemed to stress the word ‘big’.

“My name? It’s Declan…” he answered, avoiding eye contact as he subconsciously tried to tug his too-fitted shirt from his billowing middle.

“Hi, Declan. ’m Wendy! It’s really nice to meet you.” She responded with a warm and perky friendliness meant to disarm; to undermine his resistance.

“I know.” he said, “We were in the same group project freshman year.” His words were met with an expression of confusion and searching. “Bio 101. I asked you out… you weren’t interested…”

“No way!” Wendy blurted out as she finally made the connection to the skinny freshman that had asked her out three years ago. She could hardly form a thought as the realization that this boy must have piled on over 100 lbs (in… what? Just a few short years?) washed over her.

Declan began to slowly let his guard down despite the way Wendy’s eyes keeping looking his body over, studying it as if she would be tested after the interaction.

His pudgy face wore a mixture of confusion and discomfort. How much was from being and how much was from the pile of fast food he was systematically packing in, Wendy wasn’t sure. Finally, he spoke, “So what’s up? Why are you… Do you need this table? I’m almost finished.”

He grunted while hoisting his heavy softness up right and felt a slender hand wrap around his arm with shocking speed. “No! Don’t!” she said with more pleading than intended. “I just thought you were cute and I wanted to meet you. Please sit down and finish your lunch.”

This was the first time she had gotten to take in his body up close while standing. Immediately she noticed his shirt had ridden up slightly; revealing a pearly white crescent of belly. She thought she spied a few fresh stretch marks adorning his exposed flesh. She clenched her thighs as she swallowed air.

“Oh no… I… well, I’ll sit down but I think I’ve eaten enough. Sometimes I… order more than I need… eyes bigger than my stomach…” mumbled the obese young man in front of her.

“I don’t think there are any eyes THAT big” she blurted out with a giggle as his embarrassment seemed to flare up and she noticed again that he was subconsciously tugging in vain at the hem his shirt. Worried she was scaring him off she hastily added, “Sorry! I didn’t mean it that way. Just.. I… I… like it. I think you look great, Declan.” Her cheeks now seemed to match his. “Don’t leave, please finish your lunch. If you don’t want it all, then a share it with me!”

He paused and glanced down at the food on his tray. There was still some onion rings, and the meat lover personal pizza. He began to salivate with desire. His belly was full. There was no doubt there, but he had saved his favorite items for last and although full, he wasn’t as full as he was accustomed to feeling after a meal. With a slight nod, he sat back down with a heavy plop of someone not quite used to their own bulk. The with an almost imperceptible reluctance, he pushed his tray over to share, however, as the two chatted, Wendy didn’t eat a bite from Declan’s tray, but she found that somehow it was empty by the end of the conversation.