by SithChangeLord » Sun Sep 17, 2023 4:09 pm
Part 3
Natalie woke up depressed again. It was something she was unaccustomed to, taking her previously perky attitude for granted. She reflected this week that most of her happiness was attributed to the comfortable lives they had before. Now that they were struggling with money like others, she felt the extreme weight of her situation.
And regarding her own weight, it was the end of the week, and she was unable to lose any pounds since this predicament began. Worse, it seemed there was no end in sight to this virus situation, with the news always becoming worse. With the death count rising and containment protocols not working, she worried their financial hardships would only be extended.
She felt like for the past two weeks she had done nothing but get fatter and lazier. Even though she was just becoming “more average” as Todd put it—something she considered as his “dismissive optimism”. But Natalie was never just average before. She felt incredibly depressed about losing her figure, now feeling overweight at a mere 134 pounds. Even though she only gained one more pound on her own, the numbers on the scale never lowering gave her a sense of futility.
She never realized how much her confidence and social status depended on being energetic and athletic. She felt like one of her friends who gained the freshman fifteen in college and then never lost it. She knew how that usually went…She used to judge them herself. Now she was mad about being in the same shameful situation.
Many of the objects in Natalie’s life changed with the last 10-pound weight gain. She quickly noticed that her clothes were up to a size 8. However, throughout the week, she had noticed that it wasn’t just the sizes that had changed. Her wardrobe was quite different overall.
Natalie’s clothes were a little cheaper in brand and less stylish than she remembered. That was good in terms of cutting down costs, but she figured she was also less motivated to show off her body. Because of that, she never justified buying the higher-end fashion that’s normally reserved for women with amazing shapes. Not until she dieted down to a smaller size.
She also noticed her athleticwear seemed generic and cheap. It confirmed that she cared a little less about exercise in this life, along with her style.
“I guess my clothes are ‘nice’ at least,” she said to herself. By nice she meant average and clean. Nothing showed off her figure much.
Ever since the last change, she had stuck with an unflattering pair of gray sweats and a variety of T-shirts. Natalie felt too depressed about her weight gain. Hiding it under casual clothes felt normal to her.
Natalie didn’t have to look for proof that she cared less—she knew it. She was unmotivated to workout. Her body felt foreign and weak. She felt heavy and awkward moving. The most exercise she did lately was light jogging on the treadmill. It was only a few miles at a time—a large drop from her previous routine.
Instead, she spent more of her time just lounging. Just trying to find distractions to keep herself out of her own head.
Natalie was trying to balance home life into a scenario she called “comfortable-avoidance-independence” in her head. Basically, they were each settling into their different routines to find comfort independently throughout the day, while managing to avoid each other for most of it. She figured she was the one doing most the avoiding, having good reason for the poor financial situation Todd put them in. But even Todd seemed completely fine entertaining himself throughout the week.
The couple did little to save on costs. Natalie would try eating less by skipping breakfast, then overcompensate at lunch and dinner because she felt starving. She was craving less healthy options each week. Much of it she blamed on Todd and his love for ordering big portions on delivery. Todd claimed he craved the food because he was working out so much and needed the extra protein.
It was true, while Natalie had gained weight and was doing minimal workouts to try to prevent gaining even more, Todd was becoming obsessive about his fitness. He spent nearly three hours a day in the gym. It had only been a few weeks, but she could tell his physique was improving.
Todd frequently talked about his fitness gains. It made Natalie mad, like he was rubbing it in her face. She felt shameful and disappointed in herself each time, but tried not to think about it too much as it only made her more depressed.
Their food choices were not cheap. Neither of them cooked much. Todd still blew money on other small things that added up. At the same time, she could not stand the stress of starting more arguments about little things. She had to let them slide.
*****
Natalie feared the weekend. It used to be her favorite time to enjoy a well-earned break. Now her life was 100% break and the weekend meant they had more bills coming due.
That Sunday morning, Todd fulfilled expectations.
“Babe, try to keep calm, but we’re going to need another week to stretch on money,” Todd said calmly.
Natalie just stared.
“You knew this was coming. I haven’t found other sources of income by neither have you. We’re in the same boat,” he added. “It doesn’t seem we’ll get any kind of welfare or unemployment. They aren’t evicting, but we still have other expenses. You know this, babe.”
After her week of living in a slump and avoiding unnecessary conversations, she just went along with it. She felt defeated.
The couple drove back to meet the old man again. They parked nearby and walked to the back alley. As they approached, they saw a skinny man walking with an obese woman who must have outweighed him by 100 pounds. It was hard to tell with the dim lights, but she looked to be quite plump, weighing nearly 250 pounds. She had a fat face with double chin, big hips, and sizable boobs that looked like they caused back problems. She hardly walked gracefully, in Natalie’s opinion. She was roughly the same height. The unknown couple gave them a silent glance and continued walking past.
Natalie looked at Todd but said nothing. So many thoughts raced through her head. She wondered if this woman was receiving the same kind of “stimulus” they were. How fat was that woman before? How much did she gain? Was it the same arrangement? Did the old man make different deals?
Natalie’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard the old man squeaking out some eerie laughs. He was excited to see them approaching.
“Todd and Natalie, my favorite upper-middle class American couple! Back again this week, I see?” he called out from his cardboard-constructed condo.
Todd was quick to answer, “We still haven’t gotten any government benefits. We haven’t heard anything back. Seems they are just prioritizing the lowest income people first.”
“Do they not need it the most, Todd?” he asked. “You have so much after all.”
“That’s because I worked harder for it. And honestly, no, we’ve paid a fortune in taxes. We should be getting our money back first. It doesn’t seem we will count for any future stimulus, which is ridiculous when you consider what we’ve paid into these systems.”
The old man gave Todd a look but decided not to anger his pride too much more. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future for this couple to get angry.
“Ah, well luckily my alternative stimulus program is still in effect to help prodigiously tax-paying American citizens such as yourself! I imagine you are interested in another stimulus with the same terms?”
“Yes, we—" Todd started but was interrupted by Natalie.
“Does it have to be me each time? Can’t he take some of the weight?” quested Natalie with concern.
“Babe…I think we need to discuss this first,” said Todd seriously.
“Why??? You had no hesitation making me fat if we got some quick money. When I propose making things equal, it requires a discussion?”
The old man started chuckling quietly, unnoticed by Natalie and Todd.
“First of all, you’re not fat. I’ve said before you’re an average weight,” said Todd.
The rage was building within Natalie. “If I’m so average, why have we not had sex in over a week?” she lashed out, after being so meek all day.
“You’ve been miserable and standoffish for a week, telling me you ‘just need space’, and now you’re mad at me for giving me that space?” he argued back.
The old man was taking joy in watching things unfold. While he caused her to gain weight as part of their exchange, their relationship dynamic and arguments were entirely their own doing.
“It’s hard for me, Todd. You have no idea what I’m going through! Maybe if you took a turn, you’d be more empathetic.”
“Excuse me, Natalie. You’ve had no problem spending money that I’ve earned because you want to fit into a higher standard of living. Now it’s your turn to pay and earn some of that when we really need it, but you refuse and want to argue? You want to turn it around on me?”
Natalie couldn’t decide if she should yell or cry. She did not have time though, as the old man interrupted with more laughter.
“Haha, your younger generation keeps me feeling alive! Filled with so much life! So much passion! It is quite entertaining. Quite entertaining,” He chuckled. “I am sorry, Miss Natalie. Only the woman can take the weight gain for this exchange. Those are my rules.”
“You heard the gentleman, Natalie. Those are the rules,” said Todd, quickly agreeing the old man.
Natalie wanted to punch them both, but she knew that would not get them anywhere. Part of her was worried of what this man was capable of, having seen that last couple leave.
“Fine, but I’m not going to be some 250-pound blimp of a woman. This is the last time.”
“Of course, Natalie. Your weight is still entirely your choice after all. If you want more money, the universe demands an exchange,” he said. “Under my rules, indeed,” he added, chuckling more.
“Fine,” Natalie said again, “just give us the paperwork for the same as last time.”
A few minutes later, Natalie signed the addendum and handed it back.
“No offense, but I hope we don’t see you again.”
The old man laughed even harder, practically rolling on the ground. Natalie thought there was something fake about him. All his mannerisms were just…odd.
“Natalie, you are shaping into one of my favorites! I cannot wait to see what happens next in this universe. But do not forget, ultimately only you two shape your paths!”
*****
The two got in their car and left. A few minutes later, Natalie noticed Todd was taking a different way home. She looked over but didn’t say anything.
“Let’s stop arguing, babe. I think we should celebrate getting through another week without this virus. It feels like a Wingstop night!” said Todd.
His comments only made her madder, but she felt so hopeless, especially after their last fight in front of the old man. She turned away and sat in silence. Wings and fries sounded good. Her stomach was rumbling at the thought.
*****
Once at home, Todd unloaded the wings on the kitchen counter and started loading up his plate.
“It’s almost midnight. Are you going to right eat now?” she asked.
Todd took a long pause before responding.
“Yes, Nat. I’m starving. Do you really need me to watch it happen each time? I think you know what to expect.”
“Enjoy your food, Todd. I’m just going to be in the bedroom getting fatter to pay for it!” she yelled out, holding back tears.
She went back to the master bathroom and tried to calm down.
“Five minutes,” she said to herself, seeing it was 11:55.
Part of her thought she was acting overly emotional and even erratic. She wondered if her thoughts were justified, as she let her tears dry up.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Her phone beeped that it was midnight. In a split second, her body had gained 10 more pounds of fat. She the version of herself in the mirror, now 10 pounds heavier. She didn’t want to look too closely yet. She instead walked to the scale, feeling a bit more jiggle in her thighs and ass on the way.
144 pounds.
She had now gained 32 pounds of fat. She was almost in the overweight category for her height. Many people were desperate to be that skinny. Natalie just felt defeated and continued her routine of collecting stats. This time she did not want Todd’s help.
She grabbed the measuring tape and started recording her figure. Her bust was now 35 inches. A small change that felt very foreign to her, having grown up without excess curves. Her waist was up to 27 inches.
I never imagined I’d be so thick. I’m getting dangerously close to 30 inches.
She literally shuddered at the thought of it. Her face felt bit of jiggle, now that it had some added mass to her cheeks. This was something she never felt before, having such a tight and angular face previously.
She then moved down to her hips, where she was shocked to find them just past 39 inches.
“Almost 40 inches around,” she mumbled to herself. She felt numb and in shock.
She went to the mirror to look more closely. Her added thickness was apparent, especially now that her narrow waste was replaced with an average one. Her hips were especially wider, as that seemed to be where much of her excess weight was heading. She turned to the side to look at her ass, which was noticeably larger. Instead of being a firm gym booty, she seemed to be getting a regular fat bottom. She poked it and felt her finger move a light layer of flab instead of any tight muscles. In fact, her entire frame seemed to have less muscle and tone, giving her a softer look all around.
Another place she noticed softness was on her face. She hesitantly took a closer look.
Her face changes stayed tolerable previously, but it was bound to get fat like the rest of her. She finally was getting a chubby face. She could see the softness in her cheeks. She poked them. She saw the slight double chin. She pushed her chin down and looked up to see how much fat was really there, with neck fat being so foreign to her.
“I might as well look that fat anyway,” she said, further hate to her change in appearance.
Natalie walked to the closet. Again, her clothes looked slightly cheaper. She investigated the tags and found she was a medium shirt size. That didn’t seem so bad. She was surprised to find so many of her bottoms were size 10 and worn. A few newer items were size 12.
“Great, in my new life I’m someone who is now growing into a size 12. Thanks so much Todd!” she said aloud, knowing he probably wouldn’t hear her anyway. He was eating.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought.
“I don’t want to eat too late. I’ll never lose weight that way.”
She was already feeling down from wearing size 8 clothes earlier. Now she was grabbing size 12 sweatpants and a plain T-shirt.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like what she imagined she might look like if she “let herself go”. Or became a fat wife. Or a stay-at-home mom. Ideas like that popped into her head.
“Yup, I’m a fat wife. At least I look…comfy?”
She moved the fabric around. She certainly felt comfy. In a way, it felt like something more natural than the clothes she used to wear.
“This is OK for around the house at least. I just need to stay under this size,” she thought to herself.
Having calmed down about her weight a little and changed into comfy clothes, she felt ready to return to Todd. Her stomach was still rumbling.
She walked out to the kitchen, hands in the pockets of her loose sweatpants. Her clothes were obviously much larger, but baggy enough to hide her true shape.
She noticed the unusually large amount of food on the counter.
Todd did not acknowledge her entry. She had to get his attention.
“Jesus, how many wings did you get? This doesn’t look cheap either.”
“Oh hey, Nat,” he finally turned to look at her. He took a long pause to analyze the woman looking at him from the kitchen.
Without remarking on her appearance, he turned his head back to the TV and continued talking.
“I got 5 dozen wings,” he said taking a bite, “Chicken is one of most cost-effective ways to get my protein intake actually. And I’m not selfish after all, right? I want to pick places you like too. Otherwise, it would be nothing but protein shakes and chicken breasts.”
“I guess,” she mumbled, “--Did you get my fries?”
“Yes, your empty carbs in the bag there.”
Natalie was starving and ready to eat to relieve some of her stressful feelings. She didn’t want to argue about weight, or sex, or money tonight.
She started opening all the food boxes and the bag of fries. The food smelled much better than she remembered. It was making her salivate on top of what already felt like starvation. She loaded up her plate with a dozen wings to start. She felt like that was a realistic amount she could eat, having gone so long without. She then decided, in order to save on trips, to pile it with the French fries on top. She added fry seasoning salt and topped with the cheese sauce. She grabbed the plate.
“Wow, this was heavier than I expected.”
She sat down by Todd with a plop on the couch. Her plate was heavy and almost shook enough to cause concern from the force of sitting down.
He looked at her profile and the size of her plate but turned back to the TV.
She already felt self-conscious enough to respond.
“I’m saving on trips. I’m starving from basically fasting all day. Besides plenty of protein, like you said.”
“I didn’t say anything. You’re being a little paranoid. Let’s just chill tonight,” Todd replied.
Natalie was tired of arguing and her hunger was only gnawing at her more.
She dug into the food, rapidly getting through the fries in just a few minutes. Within the next 30 minutes she finished the dozen wings from her own plate, along with 2 cups of ranch dip. Never had she eaten so much so quickly before. Even though she felt starving, she now felt she overdid it, as her belly was uncomfortably stuffed.
Not being too much into Todd’s Netflix choices, she spent most of her time scrolling through her Instagram. Instead of her normal fashion, athletic, and business influences on her feed, her content was more travel, food, and mental-health/self-help videos. What an odd mix. But as she scrolled through, it felt like a normal and comforting evening for her. Her only urge to stop was a sweet-tooth feeling, brought on by scrolling her feed. She returned her to the kitchen and got a decent portion of rocky road ice cream.
Todd again said nothing, yet Natalie felt self-conscious again. She felt a little nervous about him noticing how hungry she was.
This stressful feeling built up in her chest. She felt like her concerns were causing her a panic attack. She was worried about it until she let out a burp. Suddenly her chest felt relief and the stressful feelings faded.
Quickly those feelings were replaced with new ones of embarrassment. She didn’t think she had burped around him like that before. She quickly made up an excuse.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I’m lactose intolerant? Don’t usually have ice cream.”
“I think you had too many things that don’t go together. Hot wings, ranch, fries, cheese sauce, and ice cream? I’ve been giving you space, but don’t give up your whole diet babe. Let me know if you want help with your routine. I’ve really got a good system down.”
Natalie rolled her eyes and tried to come up with a good argument.
“I’m getting my new routine going this week and don’t need any help. And that combination of food is just normal stress eating. It’s a girl thing. You wouldn’t get it.”
“A pregnant girl thing,” he thought to himself as he returned to his show.
Natalie wanted to tune out Todd. He was just dense in her mind. This was still his fault after all.
Natalie had a surreal feeling about life. Like she was living as a different person. She was lounging in loose comfy clothes for mid-size people, pigging out on enough food for two people, covered in fatty sauce, topped with a side of ice cream. A large binge. She justified it by not eating all day. Behind that she justified it was just a stress response. But behind that, where her real deep worries gathered, she feared this was the new her—someone who overindulged on fatty foods.
“No. I’ve got to stop thinking that. Stress is the cause. That and not eating all day. I’m going to crack down next week.” She concluded in her head.
Determined for the next day, she went to bed on her very full stomach.
(Would you rather have more dialogue or move the plot along? I left this story sitting for so long, I might as well ask.)
