chapter 1

“Welcome to Broadening your Perspective,” Professor Jacobson told the packed auditorium. She was a slender and fairly attractive woman, early 30s, but the most striking this was how comfortable she looked in front of hundreds of the university’s new female students. “I’d thank you all for coming but I know that this is a mandatory course. Nevertheless, I think this is a good course, maybe one of the best. Other courses teach you knowledge or, if you are lucky, how to think. This course will change the way you look at the world.

“Once a week, for the next 12 months, we will meet here. I and other presenters will introduce you to new cultures, ideas and paradigms. We will study religions, belief systems, compulsive behaviour, opinions and political systems. You will be exposed to the human condition, the way the your fellow kin see the world and, I hope, learn something from them.

“But that’s not the core part of the course, nor is it the part that is assessed. Together, we will go on a journey. I say ‘we’ and I mean it because I will be undertaking this experience with you. The key to this course is to change, just for a year, one thing about you. By changing the way the world sees you, it will change the way you see the world.

“In one previous year, everyone shaved their head; in another, everyone was assigned a random European accent; in yet another, we all went naked - that one was a favourite of mine, except in winter. And these changes were not done just in the classroom, but rather during every waking moment. You have to live the change for it to be effective.

“No doubt you are all curious about what we will be doing, so I will keep you in suspense no longer. The physical change that will allow you to see the world anew is… we will all become fat. Specifically,” she said, raising her voice over the breakout of hushed whispers, “we will each gain at least 15 pounds per month for the next 12 months. Failure to do so will result in failing this course.

“Are there any questions?”

*

“She can’t be serious,” Lucy said, flicking a dark lock of hair from her eyes.

“Why not?” Lee replied, giggling. She often giggled, confirming her appearance as a bouncy blonde. “What did you think we were going to do?”

“I dunno. I was hoping maybe we’d have to dress as goths or something.”

“Well…” Grace said, “I’m not sure that being a goth is any better than being fat. My sister is both and she seems to enjoy them equally.”

All three of the girls, like most of their classmates, were quite slender. Lucy patted her thin belly. “It’s just such a drastic change.”

“Is it, though?” Grace asked. “Just means that you have to go clothes shopping - and we all know you love that…”

Lucy went quiet, considering this. Lee just shrugged. “I’m getting hungry. I was thinking we order a couple of pizzas…”

“Sounds good,” Lucy said.

“… each,” Lee continued. “Oh don’t look so surprised, Lucy - 15 pounds is a lot in just a month and by the looks of you, you have a decent metabolism.”

The three of them went back to Lucy and Lee’s apartment and got stuck into the pizzas. Lee and Grace managed to finish one each, but Lucy had to stop after just half. “Here, drink some Coke,” Lee said. “It’ll help make your belly expand, plus, hey, free calories.”

*

“So, ladies,” Professor Jacobson started, “today we’ll be exploring ancient African society through their myths and legends and, if we have time, discussing how to apply their worldview to the modern world. But first, two weeks in - how’s the assignment going? Based on how many of you are snacking right now, I’d say pretty well.”

Lucy had noticed that too. Her own belly was feeling pretty full - breakfast had been a feast of pancakes, sausages, bacon and eggs, with two litres of juice. She was feeling tight around her belly (and, she realised with a jolt, in her bra). The thought of more food was not one that appealed to her.

But, she acknowledged, she seemed to be in the minority there. More than half the class was stuffing themselves at that moment, filling the auditorium with slurps, munches and burps. The woman next to her was halfway through a footlong meatball sub, her jeans unbuttoned, her shirt riding up over her swollen belly. Lucy knew she looked similar, though smaller. In fact she was a little worried - halfway through this month, she’d only put on five pounds. At this rate she’d be well short of the 15 pounds required for this month…

*

Lucy was looking at her reflection. She saw herself looking back, standing only in her underwear, all the changes clearly visible. She had a potbelly now, a small layer of fat sitting proudly over her once-flat stomach. Her thighs had expanded, ever so slightly. Most of the weight went to her breasts that were straining against her bra, spilling out over the top. But it wasn’t enough.

She poked her belly as she peered over the scales. “135 pounds,” she muttered to herself. She did the maths, the result not changing since the last time. “I’ve gained 13 pounds,” she said more loudly.

“That’s okay,” Lee replied. Her face was a little rounder and her shirt was straining a lot more, her navel visible where the cloth was stretched. She had reached her goal weight yesterday. “You can gain two pounds in a day. Come. Sit.”

Lee went to the fridge and returned with a large cheesecake. “I dunno, Lee. I’m not all that hungry.”

“That hardly matters,” she replied with a bright grin. “You get started on this while I see if Grace wants to help out.”

Lucy picked up a spoon and started eating. This cheesecake was rich and sweet, almost velvety in texture. She hadn’t been hungry but now she realised that she would have difficulty stopping. Lucky that stopping wasn’t an option.

By the time Grace arrived, wearing jeans that were struggling to contain her enhanced booty and carrying a bag of food, Lucy was scraping the last remains of the cake into her greedy mouth. She leaned back with a sigh, savouring the pleasant glow that seemed to fill her more than the food was. “Damn, Lucy, who knocked you up?” Grace asked, pointing at her swollen belly. “Well, if you’re eating for two… here, I brought burgers, chips and milkshakes.

The three of them stuck in, focusing on keeping Lucy well-fed. Half an hour later, Grace unbuttoned her jeans, Lee moaned as another handful of chips disappeared into her mouth and Lucy reached for her third burger. “Ooof, I hope this is making me fat enough,” she said between mouthfuls. Lee giggled.

Turns out it was. The first weigh-in was a tense time. Professor Jacobson, bursting out of a slim suit, supervised the staff as the students, also bursting out of their clothes, were weighed and checked off the list. Most women were taking advantage of some last minute “cramming”, shovelling whatever food they could find into their faces to bring their weight up as much as possible.

“I passed!” Lee exclaimed afterwards, munching on a chocolate bar. The others smiled and nodded in agreement. “Come on, let’s go celebrate. I’m starving.”

*

Lucy stopped at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. It was somewhat funny how out of shape she was. Then again, she was almost 40 pounds heavier than she had been. It was bound to take its toll. She grabbed a roll of fat hanging off her belly - her round, prominent belly. She hadn’t eaten that much today (a rare occurrence, but not unheard of. Some days, her stomach just seemed to need a break). Even so, her belly bulged forward, forcing her shirt to ride up even more than her fully stuffed belly had as little as a month ago.

Was she seeing the world differently? She supposed she was. Once upon a time she would have taken those stairs two at a time; now, her slow amble at worn her out. Did that mean she was rounding out (mentally, that is - she was obviously rounding out physically)? She didn’t know.

She entered the apartment. Lee was on the couch in her underwear - unlike Lucy, she clearly had been eating. She was surrounded by empty food containers and her bulging stomach was sitting heavily in her lap. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lucy was holding a box from the bakery. “What have you got for me?” she asked.

“Eclairs, mostly,” she replied. “Also some croissants and loaves of bread. Feel like egg sandwiches for dinner?”

“Sounds fantastic,” Lee replied with a dreamy look on her face. “Make plenty. I want to see you burst the button on those jeans.”

Lucy grimaced. “Won’t take much - these are really tight. Dunno what I was thinking - jeans are not good when you are gaining weight.”

“I dunno. I think you look hot.”

Lucy blushed, disappearing into the kitchen. She fished a dozen eggs and a tub of butter from the fridge. This was a favourite meal of hers - easy to cook and very satisfying. Soon the air filled with the sizzle of pops of frying, one of the greatest sounds in the world. Soon she was carrying over her “sandwiches” - an optimistic name for a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and half a dozen eggs on a plate, not that it made it any less satisfying.

A few mouthfuls in, Lucy realised just how hungry she was. She had felt content, almost full, until the food was in front of her - now, she was ravenous. Food flew into her mouth for half an hour, before a clinking sound broke her trance. “Oops, there goes your button,” Lee smiled. Lucy wriggled out of her jeans before diving back into the food.

They leaned back, mopping up the last of the grease with chunks of bread. They both burped, then giggled. “That was delicious!”

“Thank you. What do you want to do now? Go see a movie? Go to a restaurant?”

“Nah. Walking is becoming more and more effort. Besides, every restaurant within walking distance of the university is always packed.”

“True,” Lucy replied, thinking back to her own battle with the stairs. “So… what, then?”

Lee smiled. “There’s ice cream in the freezer…”