Chapter 1 - part 1 page 1

Mia was on the couch when she heard her dad come in, as she often was nowadays. Her degree was not treating her well, which wasn't a surprise in hindsight; four months in a class was hardly long enough to learn the very basics of computer science, and her job opportunities reflected that perfectly. She'd gotten a promising job early on, lost it to downsizing, and had been practically beached ever since. She'd been doing her best to get her name out there, but going so long without so much as a nibble was really suppressing her motivation.

What four months was plenty of time for, however, was developing a fast food habit and gaining 25 pounds on top of her already generous freshman fifteen.

Mia smoothed her hands over her shirt, making sure her belly was covered before her dad walked into the kitchen. Thankfully, it was. Her older shirts were starting to ride up her belly even if she hadn't moved at all. She convinced her dad to give her some money a few days ago for new ones, but only enough to afford a couple. She still had to make do when they were dirty.

"Hey," her dad said as he appeared in the kitchen, clunking some grocery bags onto the dining table. "Had a feeling I'd find you here." He was grinning, but Mia flushed and said nothing. She got up to help put away the groceries. Peeling down one bag, she saw the frozen dinners and cans stacked neatly inside. No wonder I'm getting so fat, she thought - if it's not Mcdonald's or burger king or Wendy's, it's TV dinners or ravioli. That didn't explain how her dad managed to stay so wiry, though.

"So," he said. "D'you remember your cousin Jaye?"

"Oh." Mia remembered Jaye. Vividly. They'd seen each other a few times as kids, but the only time she'd seen her this decade was at a family reunion last year where they awkwardly greeted each other and didn't talk anymore. Jaye was one year younger, two inches shorter, and roughly three Emma Watsons prettier than than Mia. Instead of pale, freckly skin like Mia had, Jaye's skin was smooth and flawless and sun-kissed. Instead of Mia's weird green eyes, she had shiny slate-colored ones with carefully plucked eyelashes and eyebrows. The only thing that really gave away their relation was their curvy hips and flowy blonde hair which, though Mia considered her saving graces from ugly duckling territory, were for Jaye just the cherries on top.

"Kind of, I guess," she said.

"Yeah," he replied. "Well, I was on the phone with her mom on my way home. Both of them think it might be better if she stay somewhere else for a while."

Mia froze halfway through stashing the TV dinners away. "Here?"

"Sure. I think she's just bored in the country. Needs some city life for once, y'know?"

"No" was her first thought, but slowly she finished putting away the food. "Can we afford another person living here? What does uncle Jack think?"

"Personally," her dad replied, tossing the empty bags under the sink, "I think Jack just doesn't want to listen to them fight anymore. And we can afford it fine, but at that point the sooner you find work the better."

"Mm hmm. But where will she sleep?"

"Up to you." They walked to the couch and sat down. "You'd get more privacy if she was sleeping out here, but you know how cold the living room gets in the winter."

Screw how cold the living room gets in the winter. Maybe if Mia spent more time in her room, they'd barely have to interact at all.

"Alright," she said. "As long as she's in the living room."

**

Jaye arrived two days later, looking obnoxiously perfect despite having been on the bus for nine hours. Mia didn't know why she bothered to come with to pick her up from the station. To make her dad happy, she guessed. The way he'd been talking about it, he expected Mia and Jaye to become instant best friends. Mia imagined things going much differently - to the tune of Jaye taking over the house and forcing her to become a recluse in her room... probably getting even fatter in the process, with her luck. Seriously, she had to get her weight under control. She was doughy even before college, but in eight months since she started she was now uncomfortably straddling the line between chubby and fat. Having a skinnier, prettier girl around couldn't possibly help, unless she managed to somehow channel her jealously into drive to get in shape instead of another reason to stress eat.

Which she doubted was possible. Just thinking about stress eating made her want to stress eat.

"There she is," her dad said, enthusiastically pointing to her. Jaye glanced around and caught sight of them, and jogged her way to the car. Her petite body didn't jiggle at all, unlike Mia. The last time she moved any faster than a walk, she felt like a water balloon stuffed into a pair of sweats. She was wearing a babydoll tee with a scarf and leggings that showed off the flare of her hips. Her hair blew into strands in the wind , and she swept it gracefully out of her eyes as she approached. It also pressed her shirt against her tummy, outlining her belly button and showing how flat and smooth it was. "Pop the trunk, hun," her dad said as he got out. She did so, then got out with her dad.

"Hi guys!" Jaye stuck her arm out and waved, bouncing the last few steps up in front of them. "Thank you so much for this." She meshed her hands together over her heart as she said "so". Mia almost wanted to be sick, she tried so hard to look like a perfect angel.

"Oh sure, sure," Mia's dad said. "Let me grab that for you..." Jaye handed off her suitcase and he bustled off behind the car, leaving Jaye and Mia alone for a moment.

"Hi," Mia said, as politely as she could manage.

"Hey." She smiled convincingly, but Mia noticed her eyes flicking downwards. She'd made a point of wearing one of her newer shirts, so her belly was less prominent than usual, but there was no way Jaye didn't notice that she'd put on weight.

"Come on, girls!" Mia's dad opened his door and leaned against it. "You must be starving, Jaye. Should we stop for food?"

"Oh, that'd be awesome, if it's no big deal." She went around the car towards the rear driver-side door. "I ate on the bus, but that was hours ago."

Mia wasn't about to complain about getting fed. She already had lunch, but that was hours ago too... as long as she rounded an hour and twenty minutes up to two. It'd be rude to not have something anyway, she reasoned with herself.

"Sit in the back," her dad said before she opened her door again. "Keep your cousin company!" She glanced over to the back seat, where Jaye was still looking annoyingly perfect, but it wouldn't kill her to do it... probably.