Chapter 1: enough is enough

The late afternoon sun bathed the city in a golden hue as Kelly entered the room and dropped her bag by the door. Her workout had been intense but invigorating, pushing her limits and leaving her feeling accomplished. She relished the satisfaction of a training well done.

"Hey, I'm back," Kelly called out as she stepped inside, shutting the door behind her with a gentle click. Her voice echoed slightly in the compact entryway of the college dorm apartment.

"Hi! How was your day?" Jane greeted cheerfully.

"Good, I just finished up at the gym. What about yo—" Kelly's words cut off abruptly, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown as she took in the full extent of the disarray.

Jane was exactly where Kelly had left her that morning: sprawled on the couch, surrounded by a constellation of snack wrappers and empty soda cans. The television screen flickered with the bright colors of some daytime soap, playing to an audience of one. Jane, clutching a nearly empty bag of chips, looked up with a startled expression, her cheeks glinstering from the greasy food, her cleavage filled with crumb and her hair messy due to her shitty routines.

"You're still sitting there? I've been gone all day!" Kelly’s voice rose in incredulity and frustration. Her gaze swept over the mess of snacks, the unmade couch that doubled as Jane’s daybed, the stark contrast to the clean and organized space she tried to maintain elsewhere in the apartment.

Jane, caught mid-bite, seemed to shrink slightly under her roommate's disapproving gaze. "Heh, w-well..." she stammered, her voice a mix of embarrassment and defiance. She attempted a sheepish smile, which did little to mask her discomfort.

As she leaned back, the fabric of her shirt stretched taut across her swollen belly, straining against the curves of her body. With a frustrated grunt, Jane attempted to discreetly pull the hem of her shirt down, hoping to conceal the bulge that spilled over the waistband of her pants.

For a moment, it seemed like she had succeeded, the fabric obediently covering her double belly. But as she settled further into the cushions, the shirt rode up again, exposing her massive form to the cool air of the room. It even triggered a jiggle in her inner thigh.

Jane’s face flushed with embarrassment as she tugged at the hem once more, the fabric stubbornly refusing to cooperate. She felt a pang of self-consciousness wash over her, acutely aware of her roommate’s scrutinizing gaze from across the room.

"And what's with all the snacks!?" Kelly's hand gestured towards the debris of Jane’s binge. Her tone was more of concern now, tinged with the stress of seeing her roommate in this state.

The room hung heavy with the weight of unspoken frustrations. Kelly, still in her gym clothes, stood a stark contrast to Jane’s languid form. It was the physical manifestation of their differing worlds: one of activity and discipline, the other of indulgence and laziness.

Jane’s eyes darted away, unable to meet Kelly’s concerned gaze. She murmured something unintelligible, her fingers tightening around the chip bag as she continued watching her series.

Kelly sighed, the energy of her post-gym high draining away. She knew something had to change, but the question loomed in the air, unasked: How could she help Jane without pushing her away? The thought nagged at her as she began to untie her sneakers, her mind racing with possibilities and the fear of losing the delicate balance of their friendship.

(As with my last story, I give full credit to better-with-salt on deviantart for making an amazing comic which inspired me to write this story, I highly recommend you to check out the account! The original comic is called “tipping the scale” if you don’t want any spoilers I recommend you to read it after you’ve read this story)