chapter 1

The cool fall air was chilly as the leaves began to fall. Alison had just started her freshman year and fell immediately in love with their library after the tours of the campus. She was often found with her nose between the pages of a book, her childhood friend Adora knew this only too well. The two had been fast friends throughout the years and when they were kids no one wondered why, until they grew up that is. They were considered polar opposites nowadays, Adora was chubby as a kid but as she got older she slimmed out and grew taller than Alison. She had become involved with the cheer team around high school as a result. She was the captain by recommendation of their college cheer team now. She had shot up to 5 ft. 10 around her teens and with her nice figure she was a shoe in as a very popular girl that the boys looked at and wanted. Her caramel brown skin was perfect as her dark brown eyes were every bit inviting too. She had shoulder length brown hair she kept back with a red hairband Alison had given her as a birthday gift when they were kids.


Alison on the other hand was a chubby kid who outright just grew taller and wider as she got older. She stopped growing at 5ft. 2 and was at 292 pounds now. She was often overlooked next to her hot friend but Adora never let that get in the way of their friendship. Adora wasn’t shallow and actually cared about her. Alison stood in front of her mirror and looked at her chestnut reddish brown hair; she twirled with the fringe a little. Adora had helped her with her hair and Alison had her hair long and often wore it in a low ponytail and kept her fringe over her right eye. Adora had often said Alison had a cute face, and she had to admit her face wasn’t covered in blemishes as she kept a good skin routine up. She got dressed in the only type of clothing she wore now. She had since high school resorted to just wearing loose sweatpants and loose hoodies over plain shirts.


“Hey you up we have orientation” Adora said as she wandered in and beamed at Alison. Alison just turned and smiled weakly as Adora came over and gave her a massive hug to reassure her friend that this year things would be different. All throughout high school Alison had always been friendless other than Adora, who was thought an odd girl by the other cheerleader girls as she was happily friends with a fatty. Alison had to admit t that she loved to eat and would most likely be fat her whole life, but hated the stigma that came with it.
“Things will be better this year” Adora said as she let go and Alison smiled at her,
“We can only hope” Alison sighed with a small grin.
“No come on positive attitude girl, you are worth being friends with I’m sure you’ll make some new friends now we’re in college” Adora beamed. Alison rolled her eyes but did admit one of the charming things about Adora was her optimism.


They arrived at the college main hall that was packed with people as the teachers were up on stage and sat down as the dean of the college stood there shifting through his papers and trying to sort his pre written speech put. He cleared his throat and the room went silent as he approached the lectern and microphone.
“Welcome all new students to this fine college, we here……”his voice trailed off for Alison, it was the usual stuff about school she had come to expect. She was looking around at everyone else in the room as she saw other members of the library club there.
“Ugh this is so dull…..jeez old man just finish already” Alison heard a high and prickly voice behind her as she turned slightly and saw the thing she hated most. A tall slim girl with artificial blond hair, coated in makeup and dressed like she was better than everyone, showing off her assets and making sure she was getting the attention of all the boys. The girl spotted Alison looking and sneered,
“Well of course they let the odd fatty in, mind your own business tubby” she snapped.


Alison looked back and then heard the girl make comments to her group of fake friends and giggles at her expense. She was already uncomfortable as she tugged at Adora’s sleeve and Adora looked around at the girls, Adora smiled at Alison as the dean finished and the room began to empty. On the way out the same girl pushed Alison over and laughed,
“Stop blocking the doorway wide load and go eat a salad or something” the girl cackled as her and her friends laughed away off to wherever they were going. Alison had tears in her eyes as she stood and before Adora said anything waddled off at high speed towards the dorm. Hiding her tears she closed the door and ran to her room before she grabbed her headphones and buried herself in her music and grabbed a book to bury herself in as well.
“I knew this was gonna be no different” she cried to herself.


The first week was no better for her either. The girl, whose name was Haley, had begun to target Alison on a regular basis. Adora was trying her best but with cheer practice and other things she was doing with her friends made it difficult as Allison was holed up eating away her depression and was stuck being antisocial. It was bad as day by day new people were jumping on the `take a shot at the fat girl Alison` band wagon that Haley had started. Alison was eating more then she usually did and knew it was going to make things worse. She could tell that she had put on weight this last week if only a few pounds but she didn’t need more fuel for the fire as it were. Haley was of course garnering the most attention as Alison had expected.


Haley was the talk of the campus; she was dumb everyone knew that and wouldn’t have got in without help from her rich daddy. But she felt she owned the place as her dad was on the board of directors for the college. This wasn’t helped that any and all complaints about her seemed to be swept under the rug by the dean and other councillors. Three students had already quit because of her as well.
“Well I think the place is better without these social rejects anyway” she would remark loudly to her ‘friends` as Alison had taken to calling them. They clearly weren’t fond of her but were afraid of being in her crosshairs so played the part well.


Alison was studying when Adora burst in and for the first in a long time saw her in a bad mood as well.
“That damn…..UUHHHH” Adora said as she collapsed on her bed.
“What happened to you?” Alison asked taking her headphones off.
“That Haley, I just put a team together and she storms on the field and has a note saying she’s on the team with no audition or anything. I tried to put in a complaint but nothing, got told to leave it. She already replaced someone and made one girl quit cause she was 2 pounds too heavy for her liking and that apparently made her an obese pig by Haley standards” Adora looked utterly flustered and frustrated. Haley had become a menace on campus to many now but no one could say or do anything without repercussions unfairly given out. One girl had already tried to get her back and had been kicked from college for it with ludicrous accusations about cheating on her entrance exams.


Adora sat up, sighed and smiled weakly at Alison.
“There’s a party this Saturday by the way, only a small one with some of the girls from the cheer team” Adora said as she looked at Alison who knew what was coming next.
“No absolutely not, I’m just going to be the butt of the jokes again” Alison said as she slumped down next to Adora.
“I promise they are all nice, and Haley has not been invited, so just us and a few other friends who are all nice don’t worry” Adora almost sounded like she was pleading. She did want to get Alison out if the dorm room at least.
“UHHH fine I’ll go but don’t leave me on my own okay” Alison said with a heavy sigh. She hated the idea but thought since Haley wasn’t going to be there it might not be so bad.


Alison was standing in front of the house with Adora who had dressed up nicely and had a little make up on. She had found her old burgundy top and hot pants to wear. Alison left wearing an overly large dark blue dress with a black cardigan. It suited her and looked nice Adora reassured her. Alison was highly anxious as Adora approached the door.
“Don’t worry they’ll like you I promise” Adora said with a gentle smile. Alison hated it but she always trusted Adora, she had never led her wrong yet. They entered the place and saw a large group were already up and dancing to the music that was blaring out. Alison saw a few people she had seen before around the campus and even a few from her classes.


Alison headed over to get a drink when Adora went and joined her cheer team friends. They seemed far less fake than Alison thought they’d be. She was looking around and was relieved Haley, true to Adora’s word hadn’t been invited. She sat at a table and heard a few people talking about a show she was a fan of and managed to get involved with the conversation a little. She was beginning to relax more as these people seemed nice and no one judged her for her size or weight. Adora soon wondered over with a couple of friends in tow as she hugged Alison as she saw she was being sociable.
“See I knew you’d find people to talk to here” Adora said as she beamed happily.
“Yeah I’m just thankful that damn Haley isn’t here” Alison sighed as she smiled and saw Adora’s two friends agree with her.
“Yeah us too, man is she sooo full of herself, poor Gina though, so what if she had a sweet tooth and was 2 pounds over 110, she was fine and happy,” the one said as the other sighed and agreed.
“Sorry these are Alex and Willow, two friends off of the cheer team” Adora introduced them, “this is my childhood friend and roommate Alison”


“Hi there” Alison said a little bashfully as Alex and Willow greeted her, Willow had been the one who had given her opinion on Haley out loud.
“Hey there, Adora told us all about you, she was really worried about you after what Haley did on day 1, we all saw, it wasn’t nice either” Alex said as she gave Alison a gentle smile.
“Thanks I’ve always been bullied by people like that” Alison sighed.
“Well we aren’t judgmental like some are, you’d get on with Gina by the sounds of things though, though she has kind of become withdrawn a bit and is stress eating a lot, and that dress looks really good on you girl” Willow said as Alison knew how Gina felt. They heard a bit of a commotion at the door as to Alison’s horror, an uninvited guest had appeared.


“Uh Oh” Adora said as they saw Haley strut in like she owned the place with her entourage. They were all like her, as they reeked of artificial friendship and cosmetics.
“Well you hold a party and don’t invite me huh, and is that the whale from the first day?” Haley had a fake tone of shock in her voice, “well thought the place smelled like a pig sty” she cackled high as her friends joined in. The room emptied quickly as not many wanted to stand in her way.
“Well looks like fatty lard whale didn’t stay away from campus” one girl called and Alison’s palms began to sweat. She felt cornered as the girls moved to surround her, Adora, Alex and Willow who had all stayed thankfully were trying to defuse the situation. Adora went to say something before one of the girls moved quickly behind Alison who screamed in shock as the girl felt up her belly and then tore her dress with force exposing her belly and then grabbed a Roll and shook it for all her friends and Haley to laugh at.
“wow look at all this fat, how much must you eat to get this fat piggy” the girl said as they all continued laughing as Alison was crying for help and had tears in her eyes as Adora, Willow and Alex were red faced and angry at the treatment Alison was getting.


Alison was full on in tears before Adora snatched Alison’s hand and pulled her away from the girl and then with Alex and Willow quickly left as they jeered and called names after them. Adora went to calm down Alison but she snatched her hand back and ran off back to their dorm room and slammed the door behind her as she went to her room and cried herself to sleep. She wanted to leave, wanted to disappear and felt lower than she had ever felt. Adora returned a little later and heard her friend crying and felt guilty. She had encouraged her to go even though she didn’t want to in the first place. She sat on her bed in her room heavily as she knew Alison would begin to hate herself more, and she wanted the opposite. Adora had always tried to tell her friend that her size wasn’t what mattered, she had a lovely personality and that was enough for anyone who was worth a damn. But then again she knew it was easy for her to say that, she had slimmed out over the years, Alison was fatter than ever.


Alison holed up in her room for the next two weeks and no one heard a peep form her, she was mostly buried in her music and books. She was waiting for her acceptance to going fully online in her college courses. Adora had hated cheer practice as ever since she, Alex and willow had stood up for Alison, they had been at constant war with Haley. Haley was constantly undermining Adora who was the captain. The coach didn’t care as again Haley’s daddy kept her out of trouble, just to maintain his own image it seemed. Alison was slipping more into a dark mentality as the days went on as she had begun searching for ways to get revenge on Haley. She was even looking at Black magic despite not believing in it. She was scrolling through a few before one caught her eye, a page dedicated to a particular discussion about a local shop that supposedly sold magic items. She read through many comments,



“I bought this mirror to get back at my bully, she became ugly, like hag ugly in months”
“I managed to make my bully soil themselves in front of the whole school”
“I made my boss have such bad luck that they got caught in all their lies”
“I managed to get taller with mine, helped a treat in my confidence”


Alison was growing a little bored until she saw one that really jumped out at her.
“My sister was always the perfect one, I was always a little fat and she was nasty about it, well I turned the tables on her big time with an item I bought, she’s now a whale”
Alison did a double check and read it carefully, so there was a way to make someone fat with magic then, if this lot were to be believed anyway. She scrolled up and managed to find a post about the address, turns out it was not too far away from the campus either which wasn’t bad. Alison stepped out of her room for the first time in two weeks. She went to the bathroom and pulled out the scales. She stepped on and looked at herself in the mirror. As the scales beeped and she stepped off to see the number at 314 pounds. She had been stress eating massively as she looked at her slightly fatter self and made her mind up then and there. She would do this. Haley would know how it felt to be the college whale.