Chapter 3 - winter break

3
Emily did manage to spend the rest of her summer without incident. She worked off the weight from her night of indulgence at the gym and was back at Cheshire before she knew it. The semester went well and her courses weren't too hard. The soccer season was going great too. The one issue was her scholarship. Due to the budget, it was no longer a guarantee she'd keep receiving money. Emily was told that she'd have to keep winning games to keep her scholarship spot. Luckily, that wasn't a problem for her. And as long as she kept the scholarship, she could stay at Cheshire.

On her way back into town for winter break, Emily noticed something strange. All the residents of Tubton were looking a little... well, bigger. Bigger thighs, more muffin tops, even some potbellies were starting to form on everyone in town. In fact, Emily only noticed one or two skinny people on the street. It was strange, but Emily just chalked it up to coincidence. When she got home though, she realized it might have been a bit more dire.

Both her parents had visibly put on weight. Her father's stomach was pushing against his belt and her mother's jeans were straining to hold her thighs in. Emily wasn't sure what'd happened. Her parents weren't gym nuts, but they'd maintained good health. Now, her mom had love handles and a belly. Her parents looked like swollen effigies of themselves
"Looks like you're staying well fed," she said.
Emily's dad laughed and patted his stomach, "I guess it's a little obvious I've been skipping the gym.
Her mother was less amused. "That's no way to talk to your father, Emily!"
Emily smiled. "You aren't off the hook either." She poked her mother's stomach. "Look at that mom bod."
Her mother tried to seem offended, but couldn't help but giggle. "Oh Emily! Where are your manners!" She looked her daughter up and down. "I don't think I'm the one with the eating problem. Look at you, all skin and bones. We'll have to fix that while you're at home."
Emily rolled her eyes.

She'd made plans to get dinner that night with Jessie and her friends. Emily was actually very excited to see them after all this time. She'd missed her Tubton friends. When she got to her cousin's house, she was shocked to see her aunt answer the door. Olive was wearing workout gear that might have fit her a few pounds ago, but now was straining to keep her new pudge in check. Her thigh gap had closed and her legs was beginning to really strain her shorts. Emily thought that pretty soon her belly would burst out of her aunt's skintight shirt.
"Oh Emily!" Aunt Olive exclaimed. "It's good to see you! I was just heading down to the gym. Jessie is inside waiting for you!"
Emily noticed that her uncle too had ballooned. He was downright chubby. Emily waved hello and rushed upstairs. Surely her cousin wasn't like the rest of her family. Jessie had always prided her appearance. She knocked on her door and heard Jessie inside telling her to come in. Emily opened the door and her jaw dropped. As Jessie walked across the room, Emily could see her cousins thighs rub together in the beginnings of a waddle. She was wearing a crop top that exposed the pale pudge around her midsection, and felt it squish against her flat stomach when she hugged her.
"It's so good to see you!" Jessie said when she let go. She paused and studied Emily. Then, her smile broke. "Oh my god. You really noticed didn't you."
"Noticed what?" Emily asked, trying to keep her cool.
"That I've gained weight!" Jessie collapsed on her bed with a solemn expression.
"What? No!" Emily lied as she saw Jessie's thighs spread like dough over the bed covers. "I couldn't tell!"
"Don't lie," Jessie said. "I can see it in your face." She laid back and groaned. "It's the stupid new meal program. We get unlimited access to the dining halls, and I just can't help myself! Now I'm a total fatty."
Emily sat down by her cousin. "Hey, that's not true." It really wasn't. Jessie had put on some weight, but really she just seemed average compared to her former lean body. Emily wasn't shocked that her cousin was fat, just that she wasn't skinny. "And besides, who cares. You still look great."
Jessie sniffed. "I just try to be as good as you are you know? I don't play any sports and I'm not as popular as you are at your fancy school. The least I thought I could do is look as good as you do."
Emily's eyebrows shot up. "What? Are you kidding me? I've always been jealous of how you look! I thought you got it all easily, just good genetics! I've had to work so hard for everything I have and you get friends, a loving family, this whole great life-" Emily cut herself off. Her cousin was jealous of her? She could't believe it.
Jessie just laughed. "Oh man. I can't believe you thought I wasn't jealous of you! I just... I wanted to be as cool as you Emily."
Emily gave a sad smile. "You are Jessie. And your weight doesn't change that."
Jessie smiled back. "Thanks. That... that means a lot." Her phone beeped. "Oh hey! Michael and Cathy are here! Let's go get some dinner!"
Emily grinned, excited to see her friends, and to get something to eat. She was starving.