Chapter 11 – Long Journey
With Thanksgiving over for another year, Max had spent the remainder of her time in Seattle revisiting old haunts and had taken time to meet up for lunch with some of her friends from her old school. She could tell they were a little surprised at how much bigger she was since September, but besides a few glances at her thicker midsection, they didn't say anything else choosing to simply regale her with tales of what had been happening in her absence.
However, a full nine days since her arrival, it was time to return home as she stood in front of her packed bags checking that she hadn't forgotten anything. 'Hmm, I think I have everything, including some of my old shirts that I promised Chloe I'd bring.' Max thought as she checked off the list in her head of everything she wanted to take back with her.
Satisfied after a moment that everything was indeed packed she focused on getting ready as she would need to leave for the bus shortly. Wandering over to the mirror, Max contemplated what to wear but eventually decided on her pink Jane Doe t-shirt and plain jeans, although, with the recent weight gain over the last week those jeans, which were already 2 sizes bigger than when she started putting on weight, could barely be buttoned up anymore. With the muffin top caused by how tight her jeans had become, it meant her t-shirt was now only just covering her belly, however, as she relaxed her core, her belly spilled out a little more and the underhang was now clearly visible.
Taking a moment to appreciate just how much plumper she was looking, it was clear that she was a lot pudgier around the belly than at the start of her visit home, not to mention her ass too. Stuffing herself at Thanksgiving with second helpings, and even thirds, had done quite a number on her, but she hadn't stopped there. Every day was spent going into the city going from café to coffee shop to fast food joint, before returning home and raiding the cupboards for snacks before dinner with her parents.
Speaking of her parents, they had certainly been a bit shocked by her weight, not to mention how much she could eat now, and although they had kept most of their concern to themselves, her mother couldn't help but comment on her expanded form when she had come downstairs for Thanksgiving dinner wearing a fairly snug shirt and skirt, leading to more than a little embarrassment. But by the end of the week, they seemed to be at a loss, and seeing that Max was otherwise healthy and happy, they gave up asking around the subject not wanting to embarrass her further.
That said, she wasn't exactly going to parade around with her belly on show quite as much as it currently was right now. Grabbing her hoody, which was getting a little snug itself now, Max picked up her bags and made her way downstairs, her belly jiggling as she went. The smells of a cooked breakfast wafting from the kitchen caught her attention as she dropped her bags at the front door. 'I was going to grab something in town but I guess if Dad made breakfast I can get something before I go.' She mused, making her way toward the kitchen.
Once breakfast was over, having quickly finished the small stack of pancakes and syrup prepared for her, and saying goodbye to her parents, Max made her way into town, taking the fairly crowded shuttle bus. As the shuttle drew closer to the downtown area, Max's appetite began to reassert itself having not been completely satisfied yet. She briefly wrestled with her own thoughts telling herself she had just eaten and didn't need to eat more right now, but ultimately her belly won that match and she decided to get off a stop earlier than normal and make her way to the McDonalds on the corner.
Letting her appetite rule her this week had resulted in it growing even more out of control as she realised just how much she had ordered in her food-induced trance at the counter. A couple of breakfast wraps, filled bagels, and chocolate muffins, along with a large milkshake sat in front of her. She briefly thought about taking it to go but with her bags, she wouldn't be able to carry it and eat at the same time which meant she'd have to eat it here.
Having gotten a raised eyebrow from the server when she confirmed the order was to eat in, Max felt her face warm. She had gotten this reaction a few times during the week as her portions increased, but she wasn't quite used to it as normally Chloe would take her to the drive through and they would eat in the truck avoiding any staring eyes as she wolfed down the fattening fast food.
Finding a quiet table in the corner, away from the rest of the patrons, it took her very little time to finish the tray full of fast food, all the pleasure centres of her brain firing as she made her way through the greasy fast food and sugary milkshake. With a decent amount of food in her belly, she felt it begin to swell out making her shirt fit even tighter, her hoody showing the roundness of her gut, and her waistband digging in further. She sat there for a moment or two allowing her food to settle before she had to make a move.
As she made her way down the sidewalk, her full belly weighed her down making the 20 minute walk a lot more difficult than it had in previous days. As she approached the station, her walking paced slowed considerably as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. 'I know I was hardly an athlete, but I am getting pretty unfit...' she thought as she placed a hand on her middle, feeling her tight gut under the snug outer clothing. It was then that she spotted a new bakery that had opened a few doors from where she stood. 'Maybe I can grab some pastries for the journey?" Max thought, justifying buying more food when she had already eaten more than a days' worth of calories for someone her height and weight, 'I mean I will need something before I get back to Arcadia Bay and get lunch at the diner.'
Now armed with a bag full of pastries and other baked goods, Max finally arrived at the bus station after a few more minutes of walking. Checking her ticket, she saw that her bus had pulled up at the stance and some passengers were already onboard while the driver waited by the door. Dropping her bag off in the hold, she was glad to be rid of the pressure on her shoulder from the strap as she rubbed the area where it had been digging in a little.
Finding her seat, she was happy to find that she had the whole row to herself once again and quickly made herself as comfortable as she could be with how tight her jeans were around her waist. Placing her camera bag and the bag filled with pastries beside her she settled into the seat and busied herself by checking her notifications and replying to the various comments on her recent photographs from around Seattle.
The bus engine roaring to life took her attention away from the phone temporarily as she realised they were beginning to move off. 'I better let Chloe know I'm leaving now,' Max thought as she sent a quick text, letting her girlfriend know when she would be arriving back in the Bay, before loading up her favourite playlist and putting in her earphones. Letting the music drown out the noise of the engine and other passengers as she relaxed and stared out of the window at the passing scenery of the city. 'Seattle has been fun to be back in again,' Max thought as she reflected on her time in the there, 'but I'm definitely glad to be going back to Arcadia Bay, and to Chloe.'