"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Alice was cheering me on as I tried to stomach the large milkshake she prepared for me. Between school and my part time job I didn't have nearly enough time to stretch my stomach, so my growth was still very much limited by my lacking appetite, making the amount I managed to eat on my birthday party to be kind of a fluke. I still managed to grow a bit in the past few weeks, thanks to Alice's milkshakes, though I wasn't sure what my current size was. I didn't want to spend money on bras, mostly because I was optimistic about my growth and I believed I would outgrow them anyway. To be honest, I didn't even have a full grasp on how cup sizes worked, since I never even wore a bra before. I did buy myself a sports bra, assuming it would last longer than a regular one would. The way it felt a bit tighter every week or so made me really happy. The frustrating part was that I wasn't closing the gap between Alice and me. From the way she was spilling out of her bras, I guessed she must have grown at least a cup size herself, even though she wasn't blessed by my family's genetics. Which is why Alice's growth wasn't limited to just her chest, and it was getting quite obvious she was developing a little potbelly. Her soft middle was starting to ooze over the waistband of her sweats more often than not. I kinda felt responsible for her weight gain, because I was the reason why we started ordering more and more food, but since I couldn't eat more than I did, it left us with a lot of leftovers. It wasn't in Alice's nature to waste food, so it only led to her eating more.
With one last swallow I emptied the glass, feeling full. With a satisfied sigh I leaned back, caressing my slightly enlarged middle with my hands. A quick glance at the table told me there was still a lot of food remaining, but I knew I couldn't swallow another morsel.
"Good job on the milkshake! I think I made it extra thick this time." Alice said, patting my shoulder.
"Now that you mention it, it did feel a bit more difficult to swallow."
"Sorry about that." She apologized.
"It's fine, really. The thicker it is, the more calories it has. And more calories means bigger boobs, right? I'm really full though."
"So... you're not gonna eat any more, are you?" Alice asked when she saw the defeated look on my face.
I shook my head. "Sorry."
Alice waved her hand. "More for Alice then!" She giggled, pulling the unfinished plate to her.
I envied Alice's appetite. Even before this all started, it seemed to me like she ate a lot but with the extra helpings she had these days it was no wonder she gained a few pounds. I just hoped she wouldn't wake up one day blaming me for it...
Tired from overeating, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier, until finally they became too heavy for me to keep them open any longer, so I closed them and let Alice's chewing lull me into sleep.
"Oh, shit! Shitshitshit! Oh, shit!" Alice cursed in the bathroom, waking me up.
I groaned in displeasure, feeling broken and stiff from sleeping on the couch. Apparently, we never made it to bed after eating our dinner. Slowly I realized the discomfort I felt from the tightness of my sports bra. Maybe it's finally time to go for a larger one! I thought, my mood improving immediately. I was ready to strip down and start exploring my new expanded chest, but another angry shout coming from the bathroom stopped me. "What's wrong?!" I asked, slowly raising to my feet, groaning like a person three times my age. I really have to stop falling asleep on the couch!
"I can't button my fucking jeans!" Alice cried out.
A chill of terror ran down my spine. She's going to blame me! I reached the bathroom and as soon as I saw Alice's struggle, I knew it was a lost cause. There was no way she was gonna be able to button those jeans. I tried to help her anyway. "Try to lie down on your back. It might help." I said.
Alice nodded. "It's worth a try." She muttered.
I don't think I ever saw her looking so distraught. I bit my lower lip nervously, following after her. "Suck in as much as you can! I'm gonna try to connect it."
Alice's face reddened with effort as her soft belly receded like the sea during low tide. I hope it's gonna be enough! I pulled the two ends together with all my might, but I couldn't manage to push the button through the hole. I tried again putting all of my meager weight into it as well and somehow, I managed to do it, even though I didn't think it was possible. I fell down on my butt, gasping for my breath from the effort.
"You did it!" Alice cried out, although her voice sounded a bit constricted. She rose to her feet, and I saw how big of a muffin top those jeans gave her. "Fuck, these are tight!" She said, giggling in relief. She breathed in and a loud pop sounded.
"Ouch!" I yelped, as the button flew off Alice's pants and hit me in the brow.
Alice let out a sigh. "Fuck!"
Alice was glooming, eating spoonful after spoonful of nutella, her eyes glistening with suppressed tears.
"So, you've gained a few pounds, what's the big deal?"
Alice scoffed. "You never met my family." She took a deep breath and let it out again. "You know how you're the smallest in your family? I'm the opposite. Everyone in my family is skinny and short. I'm the tallest and by far the heaviest. I've been the heaviest since I was 11 and there wasn't a day where I wouldn't hear how fat I'm getting! I was watching how much I eat my entire life and for what?! I'm getting fat anyway! And with Thanksgiving coming up... I won't hear the end of it!"
I knew I should have said something comforting, but that's not what happened. "You're like the last person I would think is watching her weight."
"Trust me, you would notice if I stopped! I'd be as big as Leah if I ate whenever I wanted. If not even bigger!"
I found that hard to believe. Is it even possible to be bigger than Leah? I didn't say it out loud though, instead I moved closer and wrapped my arm around Alice. "Would it be better if I'd go with you? To spend Thanksgiving with you and your family?"
"You would do that? That would be awesome!" Alice almost yelled. "But what about your family? Won't they be against it?"
"Maybe at first, but mom can be pretty understanding. I'll explain the situation and it'll be fine."
Alice grabbed me so tightly that I heard my bones crack. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best!" She cried out.
I like to think I would have said something witty, but as I was caught in the tightest of hugs, all I could do was gasp for air.