Chapter 1 (Full)

My sweaty body was bathed in a neon pink hue from the nearby vending machine as electronic doors shuddered to a close behind me. A sports bra and short shorts clung tightly to my fit frame as I dripped onto the linoleum of the foyer. If I rung out my pony tail, I swear I’d be standing in a proper puddle.

I caught my breath against the banister of the nearby stairs. I’d pushed my poor body a little too hard. being new to the area I hadn’t realised how much distance my planned jogging route would actually cover till I’d put it into practice. The sun had set by the time I was back. I’d have to change my plans. First things first though it was time to get up the stairs to my flat and cool off.

As I was about to climb the stairs the rhythmic hum of the vending machine caught up to my brain. I stopped. I’d never had one anywhere I’d lived before. Vending machines were for college campuses or subway stations. How amazingly convenient to have one right here.

I turned back and stepped up to the big box. I’d always been a bit of a short girl and the large candy pink vending machine towered over me. For a second I could imagine it falling over and crushing me. I thought of myself as a cardio nut, but there was no way I would be able to lift that thing off.

Nevertheless, I wiped the sweat from my cheekbones and stared past the glass to the drinks and snacks inside. I had to wipe the thick glass as my hot breath fogged up my view of the food.

I was impressed just how much variety was inside. Protein bars, chocolate bars, cookies, pop rocks, cheese and cracker punnets. Tons of refrigerated fizzy and energy drinks. Rows and rows of them, only just kept from spilling by curved plastic spirals. Weekly restocks, the machine said.

I slipped my card from a bum bag. Not much room in my running shorts and sports bra if I needed something, so I annoyingly had to carry a bag with me. The machine had a touch screen which I tapped firmly. It told me that I could add multiple options, get something for a friend!

I lived alone, but I could get more than one thing, right? Awesome. I felt my lips moisten slightly as I stood by the refrigerated glass. What should I get?

Looking through, I could get a variety of things, they had some orange juice, which would probably have good vitamins (though honestly what is the odds there are even real oranges in it??). Fizzy caught my eye. Some cool carbonation on my tongue would be sick right now.

But what else? I could grab a muesli bar, but they had a lot of chocolate too. After that run I had earnt something delicious. I ordered a soda and a packet of peanut butter cups. The machine began to vend, I watched the curving spirals deposit the food and drink in a pull-out tray for me.

I grabbed them out and caught my reflection in the glass. A girl holding a lot of calories. Almost unconsciously I saw myself opening the packet of butter cups right there and then. The metallic packaging crinkled and then silently split open. My hot fingers quickly smeared with chocolate as they grabbed a butter cup. I bit into the creamy peanut butter and felt it mingle with the chocolate on my tongue. I watched myself gulp it down in the reflection. Then I reached for the second in the pack.

That’s when I heard a cough.

I spun around in complete shock. While I’d been ogling my options a guy had come down the stairs and been waiting patiently for the vending machine. He smiled a little sheepishly and told me not to rush.

I was so horrified I crushed the other chocolate butter cup in my fist. Oh my god how embarrassing.

I told him not to mind me being such a pig, and quickly bolted up the stairs. Now, maybe I imagined it, but I could’ve sworn he said something as I disappeared up the steps, but surely not?

He said that it wasn’t such a bad thing.

When I got up two stories and reached my room, I realised the chocolate and peanut butter was still smeared over my hand. Probably should’ve just washed my hands but I licked it all off as I put down the soda and hurriedly grabbed the keys from my bag to open my door.

Inside I slipped into the shower in my bathroom and let out a deep breath as the warm steam filled up the space. My adrenaline was through the roof and it wasn’t from the run.

This feeling was strange and new, but I felt exhilarated. Getting something to eat after a run was natural, why did it feel like I had been caught doing something taboo?

I sucked the last specks of sugar from my fingers before the water could wash it away and cracked open the soda right there in the bathroom. The warm water cleaned my slim frame of sweat, but even as I did so I felt a tightness in my stomach as the rich sugary soda quenched my thirst. I wasn’t finished until the drink was consumed and I’d crushed the tin.

The excitement of that evening led to a change in me. I ran a lot less the following week, if there was even a sign of rain or the humidity in the air was too strong, I’d pass. Back home I’d run every day, but now in the city I had to self-motivate and I wasn’t feeling very motivated to run.

Rather than going out for groceries I’d go down to the vending machine for snacks whenever I felt even slightly peckish. I was quietly eager to see if I’d run into the guy I saw that other night again, making a habit to eat at least one chocolate bar at the machine before going back up the stairs.

A lot of my stuff remained in boxes from the move, while my couch gathered a small collection of brightly coloured wrappers and soda cans. I tried to keep it varied, and I wanted to try out all the different options in the machines. I started getting pop rocks in addition to the chocolate bars as the crackling candy felt especially fun in my mouth as I watched TV and sipped my soda.

Technically I was meant to be attending campus at a nearby college, but with all the bad weather I elected to study remotely on my laptop. At first, I did this at the couch but it began to feel more comfortable just working from bed, though I did notice that I had to be careful, as I was beginning to get smears on my sheets from all my treats. They did give me a lot of energy though, and so despite playing hooky I was keeping my grades up.

It was around this time that my first results were coming back from assignments, that I noticed my abs were beginning to play hooky as well. A layer of fat was pooching out over my short shorts where my hard stomach used to be. I couldn’t lie to myself, this was an obvious consequence of being so lazy and not getting groceries, but it still was a little bit confronting.

After a few weeks without running, I decided to go out again despite less-than-ideal weather. I found myself getting out of breath faster than I expected, and walked half the route. I noticed as well that men seemed to be paying more attention to me on my run than I had got in the past. I even had someone wolf whistle at me. Frankly there was no excuse for that sort of behaviour when dating apps exist in plenty and I don’t know what they planned to achieve. However, it did remind me of the guy who first caught me at the vending machine. He seemed sweet and if I hadn’t misheard him, he didn’t mind me having my sweets too.

Back home I find myself squeezing the small bits of chub that were building up on my hips. Was I okay with this? I was okay with this. I chugged an extra big soda can from the vending machine, one hand on my belly as I did so. I let out a belch and a small giggle. If I wanted to be a piggy girl then that was my choice and I would not be judged for it. This was fun.

I started wearing my sports bra a lot less often and traded in my short shorts for some comfier sweat pants which dug less into my belly. As it got bigger, I noticed my thighs started to touch too. I was getting squishier all over. My laptop rested nicely on my lap and thighs as I studied in bed, and I let the wrappers pile up in my sheets. It became a very mechanical process, write a little, have a treat, write some more, have another sweet, repeat. Rather than getting up to take rubbish to the bin I'd just drop it off the side of my bed. I was eating any food that could spoil as soon as I got it, anything left was simply the tins and wrappers.

As I got some bars from the vending machine I noticed my reflection in the glass, a girl carrying a lot of calories. Then I grabbed the bars from the pull-out tray and split open one of the bars and ate it with a sneaky satisfaction. Surely, I’d be caught again soon. I patted my belly where it rolled over my track pants.

It was at this point I noticed there was an elevator in the foyer too, I didn’t have to go up and down the stairs every time I wanted something. I’d never lived in a building with an elevator before so I’d never thought of it as an option if I’d really wanted to.

Part of me wondered why I even bothered exercising in the first place, I had more time for study and with all the modern conveniences why ever need go out without a specific reason in mind. If I was going to be going out it would be for something special.

A few weeks later I went out and got a nose piercing, it hurt a lot at first but looked so cute glittering with pink gemstones. I also began wearing my hair up in pig tails rather than the low pony I’d adopted since middle school.

I went for a dentist appointment to get my teeth cleaned, as I’d noticed my sugary habits were catching up with me. I wore an extra baggy shirt so my belly wouldn’t poke out when I was laid back in the dental chair. The appointment went great, though the dentist told me I would need to cut back on sweets or come back for appointments at least every 3 months. Well at least it would be another excuse to get out of the house every couple of months.

I leaned in to look at the options in the machine, they’d added a couple of extra ones. As I did so I felt my belly touch the cool glass. It was a new feeling. I’d never in my life to have my stomach touch a flat surface before my boobs did. I flushed hot at the thought. My hand lowered down and gave my tummy a bit of an appreciative squeeze. It looked positively plump and pink in the neon light of the vending machine. I’d need new sweat pants soon as my ass and belly were really stretching them out now.

I’d been in extra smalls my whole life but it was definitely time now for mediums and a few larges. While the belly was the part of me getting the biggest, I was getting hips, ass and breasts. Even my arms were getting thicker, and under my chin I felt the beginning of a second chin. My cheek bones had been completely submerged in a new softness. I was properly chubby these days.

I noticed I had got a lot clumsier too, bumping into doors and even people on the street when I thought I’d fit through gaps in crowds, but I took up a bit more space now.
It was a marathon not a sprint, a continual process of getting more snacks and gaining more chubby treats to play with.

The process was very gradual, so I had avoided getting any tiger strips, my skin remained smooth but soft. The main drawback was my flat was becoming constantly full with trash. Exercise for me now involved gathering it all up every fortnight or so.

I also had to be careful with washing as almost everything I owned had at least one chocolate smudge on it. If a chocolate bar I got had melted I’d just split open the wrapper and suck the warm chocolate goo straight off the wrapper. I was shocked (and a little impressed) at how much of a slob I was becoming. I was glad for the elevator when I was bringing washing back from the laundromat, as I was usually out of breath by the time I reached the building.

I was tempted to begin going to courses in person as the next semester began. With my new chubby body, I wondered how people would treat me. They would never assume I’d been a sporty girl and I could find friends who also enjoyed snacking and lazing about.

I played with the soft under belly sticking out from under my stretching and stained cotton t-shirt in front of the vending machine. I gave my belly a quick rub as I drank some chocolate milk, enjoying the cool creamy milk and sweet sugary calories on my lips.

I heard a cough behind me and almost choked to death.

There he was, he had the same goddamn sheepish grin on his face. I kind of stumbled and fell back against the vending machine. It wobbled, but when it tried to go forward my weight pinned it to the wall and it settled down.

Phew I thought, taking a breath. Then I realised I was still blocking the machine. My cheeks flushed hot. Clumsily I moved out of the way; did he remember me?

He walked forward and ordered a soda, remarking on how this machine always seemed to be out of items. My cheeks flushed hotter.

He asked if I wanted anything else. I was a little taken a back but nodded. He got me some peanut butter cups; he definitely remembered me! I said thank you and took the butter cups from him, my soft fingers just slightly touching his firm hand.

I thought to run up the stairs in embarrassment but then realised that probably wouldn’t go great. We stood there for a moment.

Both of us stood there, bathed in the pink neon glow of the vending machine. For a moment there was silent, only the rhythmic humming of the machine. Finally he found his courage and shakily asked for my number. I giggled a little and said sure.

It seemed that being a pig certainly hadn’t been a bad idea.