This choice: "Lookit us, Al. We need to go running." And things happen. I dunno. I trust you. • Go Back... 'Lookit us, Al. We really need to go running.'
Alice couldn't help but be a little hurt, considering that she'd said that literally right after looking her up and down like a piece of meat. But she couldn't disagree. The tightness of her uniform was quickly succumbing to the vastness of her appetite. And though Mel certainly didn't have any room to talk with her little pot belly, Alice was more relieved that she would finally get a chance to work off her paunch than she was offended at Melissa's bluntness.
'Y-Yeah.'
Alice's agreement was hurried and hushed, her head sinking into her shoulders at the preciseness of her friend's suggestion. It was a little hurtful to know that her gain wasn't quite as inconspicuous as she'd liked to believe it was'
Mel clicked her tongue at Alice's abashedness, wrapping one arm around her shoulders in an apologetic manner.
'Sorry Al, I didn't mean it like that.' She hushed as she watched Alice's doe eyes get watery, 'It's just' well I mean you don't have nearly as much to worry about as I do. I mean you've gained like, what five pounds, tops? I feel like you're gonna have to roll me down the track.'
For emphasis, Mel brought one hand down and lightly cupped the surface of her paunch. She looked down at it disapprovingly, her lips tucked tightly into the corner of her mouth.
'Ugh, can we leave now? I wanna run like right now.'
'Homework.' Alice half-apologized with a somber smile, 'I'm free tomorrow though.'
'I'd love to' Melissa laughed a little, Alice noticed that her belly shook slightly when she laughed, 'Let's just hope my stomach can survive that long. One more day on the Ronnie diet and I think I'll bust a gut. Or grow one.'
Alice laughed a little too, holding back consciously so as to help her belly from quivering quite as much as Mel's. As she and Melissa turned away from each other, she remembered the two Ho-Ho packages in her hands. She grimaced, fearing her fate at the hand of even more sugary snacks to tempt her with.
'Oh, Melissa'' Alice whipped back around, holding up a package, 'You never told me if you wanted these or not?'
The fuller freshman winced a little as she thought it over.
'Ah what the hell.' Mel half-groaned as she took the snack cakes from Alice, 'Might as well. What's two more Ho-Hos gonna do to the Vending Machine Queen? Seriously Al you have no idea how tempting it is to live right next to this damn thing."
***
So, late the next evening some hours after classes had let out, Alice and Melissa were to run.
The recent string of bad weather seemed to skip this Thursday. Even as the sun started down, Alice could not deny that it was the absolute most perfect day that either of them could have chosen to run. The sky was clear, and slowly turning orange as the sun began to set, with the pretty mountainous region outside Buttercombe Academy framing the drooping orange sun.
They would have been out there earlier, and most definitely would have been running by now, if there had not been some' complications.
The trip was somewhat long, and very much out of the way. The 'backwoods' weren't wooded or anything, they were just' unkempt. Where the rest of Buttercombe Academy was pristine and perfect (almost obnoxiously so) this area, separated from the main area of the school, had apparently gone somewhat ignored for some time. While this hardly caused much of a problem for anyone trying to get there, it certainly posed some strain for those who hadn't made the trip' in some time.
Alice and Melissa looked positively miserable already. Alice more so than Melissa, her sabbatical from exercise hardly robbing her of strong enough legs to carry around a few extra pounds while the young fashionista had hardly as much experience on her feet. The extra ten pounds or so (give or take) each one carried in their fuller figures hardly helped matters.
Alice had never felt so fat as she did squeezed into her old workout clothes. Her shirt, an oversized white t-shirt she'd packed as flop clothes, had always been somewhat baggy on her. While it still was, it brushed uncomfortably against her newfound pudge with every step'a feeling she thought she'd eliminated some weeks ago when she and Melissa were both in her prime. And her compression shorts were fit to bust, pronouncing a muffin top that might not have been there had she decided to go with looser fitting bottoms.
And with every step she took, Alice was only reminded of how soft she had gotten in the three weeks of laying around she'd done. Almost a month ago, Alice could have made this trip blindfolded. But she was already tired! Her legs ached, filling with lactic acid with every begrudging footfall. Her breathing was uncomfortably heavy for such a light workout already, and was she'
She was already starting to sweat!
She told herself it was just the hot weather, but a nagging feeling at the base of her neck told her distinctly otherwise. That this was just the beginning. In the back of her mind she pictured Mel, out of breath from climbing the stairs back home. Was this how Mel got started? First she got too out of shape to walk off campus, then too fat to walk up stairs? What if that happened to her?! What if'
She shook her head no, refusing to get so far gone. That's why she and Melissa were out here, right? To whip themselves back into shape! No use thinking negatively now when they still had a whole lot of running to do!
'Hey' Hey Al?' Melissa too seemed to be faring unsatisfactorily, not above heavy breathing but far from breaking a sweat, 'You alright?'
'Y-Yeah.' Alice whimpered, 'I'm fine just' let's run a lot today, alright?'
'Well.. yeah, I mean yeah.' Melissa started to say before being befuddled by her own lack of breath, 'Just, I mean' We've gotta work ourselves back up you know. Can't start sprinting after two weeks of slacking off.'
'I guess.' Alice agreed bleakly, fully intent on running until she felt like she was going to puke. And maybe a little after that...
'Hey, look up there...' Melissa stopped suddenly, grabbing Alice's attention, 'You see that?'   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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