Chapter 7 - Consequences All Around the Middle

Waking up before everyone else was something Rachel had gotten used to, normally enjoying a moment of peace before having to step out and play the part demanded by the world at large, but this morning, try as she might, she couldn't settle the whirlwind of thoughts. Something in the deep recesses of her mind was tugging at her to get up, to go… go somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, all at the same time. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, and she knew well enough that it rarely led to anything good giving into it, but it clearly wasn't going to fade by itself.

Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then releasing it she made use of a couple mindfulness and meditation techniques she had read about recently. While they didn't quiet the feelings down entirely it was enough for now she thought as she stretched out her arms trying to limber up bumping into the much larger women beside her and eliciting a groan of complaint.

While Chloe's bed was larger than a regular double bed, and certainly much larger than the beds in her either her or Max's dorm rooms, it was fast becoming a tight squeeze for all three of them to fit into whenever they all stayed over, even with Chloe and Max cuddling each other tightly through the night. It also didn't help that Rachel was trying to maintain some distance between them, she didn't want to encroach on the couple's space after all, among other reasons that she was trying to not acknowledge any further.

Shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs and more intrusive thoughts for now Rachel sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The movement causing her shirt to roll up on her fairly pudgy belly. She still felt a bit bloated, but there was an obviously larger bulge of fat around her middle as her fingers sunk in. Frowning she thought back to the last few weeks, ever since that pizza night if she had to say when things had changed. Before then she had been trying to keep her appetite in check, at least as much as she could, and had even been able to lose a few pounds, but she had to acknowledge that all of that had been undone. Chloe was to blame that much was clear, getting her to smoke that weed again, but just how much was the question.

Standing up, she tugged her shirt back down over her belly, wandering over to the scales in front of the mirror. Her reflection showed every pound of her as her sleepwear clung to her curves, the waistband digging into her softening love handles. She was mostly just grateful that she didn't have a double chin, her face only looking a little softer than before for now, but she knew that wouldn't be the case for long if she carried on the way she had been.

'So much for trying to not outgrow even more of my wardrobe' she though as she stepped up onto the platform. The scale slowly turning on and processing before finally displaying the number.

"That can't be right…" Rachel grumbled, stepping off the scale and back on. The same number confronting her again. "This thing has gotta be busted."

"Huh, wha…" Chloe croaked as she peered over at her friend her eyes barely focussing through a sleepy haze, the earlier elbow and now Rachel's complaints waking her up fully, "What's busted?"

"Your scale. It has to be," Rachel continued her complaining to Chloe who was half awake still. "There's no way I've gained that much again already."

The bed creaked as Chloe moved her heavier body to the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under her. The motion also causing Max to stir as she squeaked out a groggy complaint about the brightness as she tugged the duvet cover over her head to burrow in.

"There's nothing wrong with the scale," Chloe shrugged, she knew it was working fine yesterday so there really wasn't much more to say. Scratching her exposed gut, she had given up squeezing into any of her pyjamas a while back, opting to sleep in her boxers and bra, even in the colder weather since her larger size meant she had some built-in insulation against the cold.

"There has to be. There's no way I'm already 190lbs," Rachel complained. It was the heaviest she had ever been and a good 8lbs more than she had been last time she had checked.

"Look I'll prove it if you want." Chloe rolled her eyes as she stood up, pushing herself up to her full height, her gut heavy and bloated looking too from how much they had both eaten before passing out in the earlier hours of the morning.

With a huff Rachel stepped off the scale and stood to the side, gesturing with an after you motion before crossing her arms in across her chest, scowling at the punk. She scuffed her foot as she spoke, frustration at her lack of will power. "We seriously need to stop smoking that stuff, I mean it,"

"No one's forcing you to, dude," Chloe rebutted, she knew Rachel was just grumbling but she wasn't about to be roped into some random fad diet that was in the latest issue of whatever celebrity magazine Rachel was reading this week.

"I know what you've been doing these last few weeks, don't play dumb." Rachel tried to deflect back, but she couldn't claim innocence there with her own actions prior. She'd been the one to start that stupid game in Portland and hadn't spotted that it had been turned around on her until much too late.

"Think you'll learn not to play games you don't like losing at?" The punk teased, a little bit of harshness to her tone, but it wasn't like this was the first time they'd had this argument and Rachel never seemed to learn anything until there were consequences for her too, so she didn't feel too bad about it. Standing on the scale Chloe waited a moment before stepping off to look at the numbers rather than peering over her belly. "See nothing wrong, 261lbs same as yesterday."

"Well at least it's not just me getting fatter," Rachel commiserated to herself.

"Yeah, but unlike you, I don't really see the point in getting wound up about it," Chloe pointed out with another shrug, "I mean so what, why care what other people think?"

"That's not-" Rachel bit back what she was about to say, frustration growing at herself, but before she could continue another grumble was heard from the pile of covers on the bed.

"Is this the sort of argument that can happen in the afternoon instead?" Max groaned out, throwing off the cocoon of covers, unable to get back to sleep after hearing the pair bickering back and forth.

"Sorry, babe," Chloe apologised moving back to the bed as Max dragged herself upright. "I forgot you were still bundled up under there."

The pair embraced as Max's hands caressed the sides of Chloe's belly, pressing herself into her girlfriend to receive a good morning kiss.

"Yeah, sorry Max. We didn't mean to disturb you. I'm just a bit frustrated." Rachel apologised with a sigh, her brows still furrowed.

"What she means is that she doesn't like what the scale said," Chloe added not so helpfully if the daggers glared in her direction were to go by, but she knew if Rachel hadn't already stormed off that there wasn't any real anger behind it now. Although best not to push it too far she thought reeling in any further comments her mind might have been suggesting.

Max hummed empathetically, reaching out a hand to Rachel's arm in a comforting manner she smiled softly. She was no stranger to gaining weight either, with her pyjama top stretched around her middle and the waistband on her shorts rolled over under her pudgy belly and widening love handles evidence of that, it wouldn't be long before she needed to size up again too.

"How about you Max," Chloe grinned down at her with a sparkle in her eye, "Wanna see how you compare?"

"It has been a while since I checked…" Max realised thinking back to when Rachel had all but forced her onto the scale in her dorm room. She'd been a little surprised then, but she hadn't quite mustered the energy to care to do anything about it either.

"Well, up on the scale then, dude," Chloe excitedly encouraged. Curiosity having gotten the better of her as she all but bounced over the scale again dragging Max with her, only letting go of her hand as after she stepped onto it.

"Uh, 168lbs," Max confirmed once the numbers stopped flickering. Definitely heavier than last time and she didn't have the excuse of the munchies to blame it on. Although perhaps she could blame second-hand smoke, that and being around Chloe meant always being around highly fattening food, so she wasn't surprised at all by that number.

She felt Chloe's arms slide round her middle as her larger girlfriend's gut pressed into her from behind. Peppering kisses across her shoulders and neck, whispering in her ear that it meant more of her to love causing her to blush even deeper. Giggling she spun round in the embrace and pulled Chloe down into a deeper kiss as they fell into their own world for a moment.

Rachel turned her attention away trying to distract herself again from her various frustrations, sorting out her clothing for the day proving to be the perfect thing to focus on for the moment. Grabbing the same jeans that she had worn the night before she pulled them on, having to hop a little as she tugged them up, but they still buttoned up without too much of a fight.

They felt tighter than she remembered them being to get into yesterday morning, but she couldn't decide if it was because she was still bloated, or if it was because she was now aware of the extent of her gains and had been in denial about how heavy she was getting until today. After considering her shirt choices for a moment she realised it probably wouldn't make too much difference since they were both the same size, and it felt like a flannel overshirt kinda day anyway.

As she pulled her shirt over her head, she heard the familiar clink of Chloe's lighter being opened and the flint being struck. By the time she had tugged her shirt down past her eyes, she saw that Chloe had used it to spark up a joint that she could only assume the punk pulled from god only knows where as she hadn't even noticed her rolling one.

"Want some?" Chloe offered after taking a deep drag, her lungs filled as she held it for a moment, savouring it before blowing out a cloud of smoke worthy of a dragon. Seeing the look of confusion she explained, "I rolled it last night, but we were kinda blitzed already."

"I dunno," Rachel hesitated, considering the offered joint. She knew if she took it, she was bound to gain even more instead of getting back to her diet. Part of mind reasoning she could always just enjoy this weekend and start again the next week.

"No point in wasting it, and look I promise no more games, no more bullshit, if you promise too, 'kay" Chloe proposed, dropping the antagonistic attitude entirely, an earnest and hopeful tone coming through in its place.

With what was effectively a truce and peace offering all rolled into one Rachel made her decision, the consequences and her other mental hang-ups could be dealt with another day.

"Deal."