Pipes? Are you here?
She hesitated a bit before answering. Yeah, in the living room. It was two days after lasagna and making out at Robbies, and Piper was petrified of what she knew was coming. She closed her book and tried to steel herself.
Hey, Kimmy said as she walked into the room. She sat down in the chair across from Piper, fiddling with her ponytail.
Hey, Piper replied. Whats up?
Not too much. I just got back from Guys.
Oh, Piper said nonchalantly. How are things with you guys?
Pretty good, she said. How are things with you and Robbie?
Piper froze. She couldnt reply.
Kimmy was glaring at her like she was a three-headed purple alien. What the hell is going on, Piper?
Wh-what do you mean?
I mean, why the hell didnt you tell me you were seeing that blimp?
I
Guy told me that he was over there the other night and you were there, and hed obviously interrupted something. He said youve been dating Robbie for over a month now. He couldnt believe I didnt know. What the hell, Piper? What are you doing?
I
I
yeah, weve been d-dating, she stuttered, red-faced and squirming under her friends stare.
Why? Kimmy shrieked. Hes gross! Hes the fattest person Ive ever seen in my life, and youre actually, like, voluntarily kissing and touching him! Ew, she finished, closing her eyes. Thats a horrible image.
Piper snapped. That is why I didnt tell you, Kimmy. Because I knew that you would just make fun of me and of him and be a jerk about it.
Okay, Im obviously missing something here. Does he have a lot of money? Is he, like, your sugar-daddy or something? Is he buying you a lot of stuff?
No! Piper shrieked. I like him, Kimmy. I really, really, really like him. I didnt tell you because youre so fat-phobic, I knew youd freak out. And here you are, freaking out.
How can you like such a disgusting blob? Kimmy asked, genuinely confused.
Piper had had it. She took a deep breath before she continued. Not only is he sweet, intelligent, caring, and funny, but I happen to find him incredibly attractive, Kimmy. Hes not disgusting.
Her friend just stared at her, her mouth open in bewilderment.
There, I said it. I like fat guys. I always have, she confessed, a lone tear escaping her eye and trailing down her cheek. But I knew that if I ever told anyone, theyd just make a huge deal of it and make fun of me, and, wow, look, youre doing exactly that. She tossed her book aside and stood up. So, thanks a lot for being such a great, understanding friend. Piper stalked out of the room and into her bedroom, and slammed the door shut behind her.
~*~*~
Robbie sighed contentedly as he chewed. It was fifth period, his lunch, and he was sitting at his desk, chowing down on his homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes, with chocolate cake for dessert. After the incident where hed forgotten his lunch at home, hed been extra vigilant in making sure he remembered his lunch, and remembered to pack enough for his growing appetite. Since hed passed 400 a couple weeks ago, he ate with renewed vigor, being happier and happier to stuff himself at every meal, and it seemed that his appetite had grown even larger. Hed been a little worried that eating that whole pan of lasagna and all that other stuff the other night when Piper was over would freak her out, but with the way theyd made out after dinner, he didnt think he had to be too concerned.
So he shoveled another forkful of meatloaf into his maw, and glanced over at Kelby, who was sketching away at her seat. Lately, shed been skipping lunch more and more to hang out in his room with him and work on extra projects. Robbie didnt mind at all he liked having nonjudgmental company for the period but he worried that she was purposely avoiding eating lunch, trying to lose weight. Hed noticed that shed been looking a little rounder lately, and with her increased size seemed to come more embarrassment for her. She would hunch over when she walked, and he could tell that she was trying desperately to suck in her plump belly all the time. Joey and Eddie had been merciless with her, even though Robbie did all he could to stop their teasing. Hed even rearranged their seats, splitting them up and keeping them as far from Kelby as possible. But just the other day, when Kelby had answered a question about Botero, one of them had called out, yeah, of course the gross fat girl would know about the guy who paints gross fat people. Robbie had immediately sent him to the dean, and Kelby had instantly asked to use the restroom, tears in her eyes.
Hows it coming, Kelby? he asked her, rising from his chair and lumbering over to take a look at what she was drawing.
She instantly reddened. Hed noticed shed been doing that a lot more lately when he spoke to her, too, but he really wasnt sure why. Pretty good, she replied, brushing the little eraser scraps off her paper and leaning back so he could see.
Wow, he said, bending over her to take a closer look. On her paper was the figure of a slender, graceful, winged woman riding a horse through a cracked, ruined landscape. The horse is gorgeous. And the woman is perfect, as usual. Where did you get the idea for this?
I, um
I
she stuttered. He glanced away from her paper and saw that her face was bright pink. Then he realized that his big belly was pressing into her back and side. He instantly took a step back, separating his vast flesh from her.
Sorry about that, he muttered. He smoothed the front of his shirt as she looked over at him, his fingers brushing the buttons on his massive covering only to find that one of them at the apex of his bulging gut was missing. Oops, he mumbled. It must have popped off when hed been eating, the fabric having been stretched to the max. Embarrassed, he glanced at Kelby, wondering what her reaction would be.
And the look on her face was not what he had been expecting. Pure lust screamed from her hooded eyes and slightly parted lips, and he saw her give a little shiver. But she quickly returned her gaze to her paper, keeping her head down.
She has a crush on me
Robbie realized suddenly. She has a crush on me? A big blimp like me? But
if seeing me with a button popped off made her
she
she must be one of those girls who likes fat guys! He couldnt believe it had taken him this long to put it together. Hed honestly thought that she was just easily embarrassed, with the way she was always blushing and stuttering around him. But then he realized that he would often catch her staring at him, and not at his face. That day in the cafeteria when hed seen her looking off into space she hadnt been looking off into space, shed been eyeing his belly when she thought he wasnt looking.
Wow, he thought. I cant believe a student actually has a crush on me. And if she
hmm
Piper blushes and stutters a lot, too
Just then he heard his phone vibrating around on his desk. He excused himself from Kelby and walked over to answer it. Hello? Hey, Guy, whats up? What? What are you talking about?
To be continued...