Healthy And Wide Ch 04

The evening slowly turned into night, and I found myself lying in bed with a phone in my hand, listening to my gurgling stomach as it tried to process the hefty dinner. Oh, how I wish I had something to read... A soft knock on the door made me look up. "Yes?"

The door opened, revealing Betty's humongous figure. "Hey, I saw you still have lights on, so... would you like to watch a movie with us in my room?" She asked.

"Yeah, that sounds fun!" I said, slowly rising to my feet. It was more difficult than I was used to and even more than I was expecting, given how bloated my middle still was. I almost forgot about it, because of how well concealed it was in the oversized pajama top I was wearing. Still, it didn't pose much of a problem and seconds later I was following my corpulent friend.

The first thing that grabbed my attention when I entered Betty's room was that she was much neater than her little sister was. Her room was much cleaner with no piles of clothes laying on the ground to be seen. The second thing I noticed was that an entire wall was filled with bookshelves. I was immediately drawn towards it, especially after noticing that one bookshelf was full of books in English. I couldn't help but start taking notice of the titles. I have to ask and borrow something!

"I'm so glad you joined us!" Sophie brought me back to reality from my bookish dreams.

I turned to where Sophie sat on Betty's bed, already munching down popcorn from one of three huge bowls filled to the brim. "I love spending time with you guys! Even if it isn't the best for my figure." I giggled, before throwing a handful of popcorn into my mouth.

Sophie's mood darkened with guilt. "Sorry."

"Oh, no no no! I didn't mean it as a complaint! I love being able to eat whenever I want to, I never had that in my life." I insisted, trying to put out a fire before it caught.

Sophie's face brightened a bit, but she remained wary. "You know you don't have to try to keep up with us. I know we eat a bit... more."

More than what? A full-grown elephant? I thought, immediately chastising myself. That's so mean! Why did I think of that? "Don't worry, I wouldn't eat if I didn't want to. Now... What are we watching?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We haven't decided yet." Betty chimed in. "And since you're a guest..."

"Yeah, what would you like to watch?" Sophie asked.

"Gee, I don't know!" I scratched my chin. "What about some Czech movie? I don't think I ever saw anything coming from your country!"

The girls looked at each other. "Pelíšky?" Sophie suggested.

"Pelíšky." Betty agreed without hesitation.

"Make space." Betty instructed her equally enormous younger sister, so we could sit down on the bed as well. Sophie moved with obvious difficulty. What's it like to be this size? When even scooting over just a little takes such an effort? I thought.

Betty sat down at the opposite end of the bed than where her sister sat, leaving the space between them for me. The bed groaned under the combined weight of the sisters, and I wondered if it was gonna hold when I would add my weight to theirs as well.

"Don't worry, it's not gonna break." Betty said, as she must have guessed what I was thinking about. "This baby is reinforced and can hold half a ton with ease!" She giggled, patting the space next to her.

I wasn't very strong in the metric system, so I wasn't sure how many pounds that was, but Betty made it sound like it was a lot. In one fluid motion I took my place between the sisters, ready for the movie.

"Did you like the movie?" Sophie asked, once the credits were rolling.

The movie was... interesting. I mean there were some funny moments, but I had a feeling there was a lot of stuff going over my head, stuff I didn't quite understand. I made a mental note to watch the movie again later, when I'm more familiar with Czech history and culture. "I did." I said finally. "But there were parts I didn't really understand though."

"Sorry, I should have realized that earlier." Betty apologized.

"It's fine, really! It just felt like I'd need some context from time to time."

"I could tell you something about it if you want..." Betty offered. "Maybe it could give you some insight."

"That would be great!" I exclaimed.

Sophie snorted. "You'll regret you asked when she's done with the lecture!"

Betty frowned at her. "I swear I'll keep it brief and very simple." She retorted.

"I'm sure it's gonna be worth it!" I smiled. "I'm sorry I'm so ignorant about your history..."

Betty waved her hand. "It's not like we have any importance in the grand scheme of things. It would be surprising if you did."

The conversation was interrupted by a loud rumble coming from Sophie's stomach. The poor girl turned red in embarrassment. It was a wonder how she could still be hungry after everything she ate today, but I wasn't even surprised anymore. After all, while still far from hungry, I no longer felt stuffed to the brim myself.

"Why don't we talk about it over ice-cream?" I suggested, remembering my promise to Sophie from the previous night.

"That's a great idea!" Betty said with a grin, heaving herself to her feet.

"So, the story takes place between the years 1967 and 68, when the communist party ruled over socialist Czechoslovakia without any opposition. I don't really want to go deep into what the economics looked like here, so I'm only gonna say that the entire economy was controlled by the state. The people in the government decided what was gonna be produced in what quantities, disregarding basic rules like supply and demand, so there always was a lack of certain goods. Can you imagine going into store, only to find mostly empty shelves? And to discover that the only meat they have is liver? It's so insane to me!"

That sounds horrible!

"It wasn't even the worst thing about it. The government decided everything! What the fashion would be, what music and art to produce, what books can be released... Everything that didn't match was forbidden! Everything that didn't match was put into "the vault". Betty used air quotes on that last word. "One song that was used in the movie was actually forbidden just because it contained the word vault in it and the government decided it's a provocation!" Betty said, obviously passionate about the topic. "Imagine it like living in North Korea. A bit more benevolent North Korea, but still..."

I nodded and put some ice-cream into my mouth. I can't imagine what it's like to live without freedom!

"Like I said before, the movie takes place late in the year 67 and then in 68, when the system was loosening a bit. This period is generally known as 'The Prague Spring'. It was a period where censorship was slowly lifting... And then came the invasion that was touched upon in the movie. The Soviet Union didn't like what was going on here and so they sent an army of the 'Warsaw pact' to bring "order" again. The following years are called 'normalization' and it's the time when all human rights were squandered once again. I can tell you more details if it's something you'd be interested in, but I think it's enough for now. To give you some perspective."

"It's... insane something like this can happen!" I said, after a moment of digesting what Betty just told me. I scraped my spoon against the bottom of the tub of ice-cream, realizing that I managed to eat the whole thing! How did it even happen?! Only then did I start to feel it melting inside my stomach. Oh god, I'm so full! I slowly rose to my feet, feeling the ice-cream slosh inside. "Girls, I think I'm gonna go to bed." I said, placing my hands on my bloated middle. It felt cold to the touch. "Goodnight."

Betty stood up as well. "I'm gonna go to sleep as well."

My legs felt wobbly as I walked beside the waddling Betty. We stopped next to the door to her room and an idea struck me. "Hey, I saw your bookshelves and noticed you have some books in English. So I was wondering... Can I borrow something?"

"Of course! Come and take a look!"

I had always loved reading and not only because I often had no other way of entertainment available. It certainly played a part though, having parents that didn't allow me much freedom, like spending time outside with my friends. Besides the soccer practice that is. My mom insisted I had to do some sport, hoping I would lose a few pounds, and since there was a soccer team in my high school, the choice wasn't really difficult. Running wasn't high on my list of the activities I enjoyed, mostly because of the pain it brought to my chest, and that was why I ended up in goal. When I didn't have practice, I usually ended up curled in my bed with a book. I read anything I could lay my hands on, from classics, through sci-fi to contemporary romance, without really having a preference for any genre. Unlike Betty. Most of the books in her bookshelves seemed to be fantasy, both adult and young adult. As chance would have it, fantasy was the genre I had the least experience with, 'The Lord of the Rings' being pretty much the only thing I read. Well, that and 'Fourth Wing', the book that blew up so much even my classmates who never read a book in their lives were talking about it! Worst! Book! Ever! I shook my head to get rid of the bad memory and continued looking through Betty's bookshelf. I felt like a kid in a candy store, looking through the covers of books I never had an opportunity to read. What should I pick?! I have no idea if they're any good! "Ehm... Do you have any recommendations?" I asked finally, after staring at the various titles for way too long.

"It depends... what do you like?"

"Plenty of things actually... I haven't read much fantasy, which seems to be the majority of your collection, so I'd like to try some, but I just don't know what to pick."

"Ok... Do you want it to have some spicy romance, or-"

"Oh god no!" I interjected, once more remembering the disaster that Fourth Wing was. "Maybe something more... I don't know... Traditional?"

"Hmm, let me think about it." Betty said, scratching her second chin. "What about Feist? It's actually my brother's favorite author, but I quite like him as well."

I shrugged. "Never heard of him... Maybe? What is it about?"

Betty stepped to her bookshelf and pulled out a black book simply called 'Magician'. "This is your regular coming of age story. It's about this kid who's kinda a screw up, and he, as the title suggests, learns how to do magic. It's not really high literature, but it's quite entertaining!" Betty grabbed another book from the shelf, this time a green one. "Or maybe you'd like this one more. It's called 'Daughter of the Empire' and it's co-written by Janny Wurts. It takes place in the same universe as the previous one, but there are just some references to it and you can read it without worrying that you'll miss something. It's a lot more political and I think it's my favorite by Feist."

"Sold!" I giggled, taking 'Daughter of the Empire' from Betty. "I'll try the one you think is better."

"You're kind of a bookworm aren't you?" Betty asked. "Your eyes are sparkling!"

"Yeah." I nodded. "I always loved reading. Back home I spent every afternoon with a book." I admitted. "When I didn't have soccer practice that is."

Betty's eyes went wide. "You play soccer? My dad is a huge football fan!"

Right, they call it football in Europe. "It was my mother's idea actually. She hoped I would lose a few pounds if I played some sport, and there was a soc- I mean a football team in my high school." I shrugged. "I wasn't a big fan before, but I learned to enjoy it."

"What position did you play?"

"I was a goalie. I hate running!" I glanced down at my chest suggestively. "So I found a position with the least amount of running." I chuckled. "Mom wasn't too happy though."

"So you're a bookworm, a sportswoman and you're drop dead gorgeous as well? Such a combination shouldn't be allowed!" Betty giggled.

I blushed. There it is again! They all keep telling me how beautiful I am! Are they just trying to be nice? Or does it mean I really am beautiful? "Out of the three I'm definitely a bookworm." I said, deciding to let go yet another comment about my looks.

"Well, then I know the perfect place to go to tomorrow!" Betty smiled.

I walked to my room, feeling the weight of everything I ate today slowing me down. I collapsed onto the bed and wrapped myself into the blanket. I wanted to start reading the book I borrowed right away, but I was way too tired to do so. I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, my hands laid upon my overstuffed middle. My last thoughts belonged to wondering what Betty had in mind for tomorrow.

Once again I was woken by a wonderful aroma, tickling my nostrils. I jumped to my feet with excitement, realizing I felt surprisingly hungry and I couldn't wait to find out what was for breakfast. Walking towards the kitchen still wearing the oversized pajamas made me realize just how quickly I became comfortable around Betty, Sophie and their parents. There was no pressure on appearance, or on anything else for that matter. The only requirement seemed to be to enjoy yourself. As I came nearer, I started hearing their voices, wishing I would understand Czech.

"Co máte dneska v plánu?" ("What are you planning to do today?") Monica asked.

"Včera jsem zjistila, že El je knihomolka jako já, tak jsem si říkala, že jí vezmu do Luxoru. Pokud bude čas, tak bychom to mohly potom vzít pěšky přes Staromák, že bych jí ukázala i knihovnu." ("I found out that El is a bookworm just like me, so I thought I would take her to Luxor. If we're gonna have time, we could then take it by foot over Old town square and I would show her the library.") I heard Betty's voice reply.

"To zní hezky. Co ty, půjdeš s nimi?"("That sounds nice. What about you, are you going with them?") Monica's voice sounded.

"Asi ne." ("I don't think so.") Sophie said, obviously with her mouth full. "Nějak mě to chození neláká." ("I don't really feel like walking.")

"Nejsem si jistá, jestli tu je něco k obědu." ("I'm not sure if there's anything for lunch.") Monica said.

"To je v pohodě, něco si objednám." ("That's alright, I'll order something.") Sophie said.

Just when Monica asked: "Máš peníze?" ("Do you have money?") I entered the room.

"Good morning." I said, a little embarrassed to jump in their conversation.

"Good morning, dear!" Monica said, with a big smile. "Take a seat."

"Hey." Betty greeted me as well, while Sophie only waved, too preoccupied by the food in her mouth.

Seconds later food very similar to our pancakes appeared in front of me, when Monica brought me one overfilled plate. There was no syrup on the table, but a selection of jams and a jar of nutella. I'll never finish all that!

I clutched my distended stomach. Somehow I managed to devour everything on my plate. Mom would be furious! The thought made me smile. Oh, it feels so good to be able to eat what I want!

"El, what would you say to a trip into the city?" Betty asked, once she saw I was done with my meal."

"Looking forward to it! Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it!"

I smiled. "Alright, when are we going?"

"Depends on how quickly you can dress yourself." Betty giggled.

"I'm gonna need to take a quick shower and find some clothes. Is it alright to borrow some from your storeroom?" I asked, turning towards Monica.

"Of course it's alright! You can take whatever you like in there!"

"Thanks, that's really sweet!"

Monica waved her hand as if it was commonplace. "I also washed the clothes you arrived in, if you'd prefer something more familiar."

"Thank you!"

I closed the bathroom door behind me and took off the oversized pajamas. My eyes went wide as I stared at the reflection of my naked body. It felt as if I saw it for the first time. For the first time I found myself liking what I saw. The smooth, silky thick thighs, hiding a decent amount of muscles. The round butt, sticking out behind me like a shelf. My large breasts sat proudly high on my torso, defying gravity despite their weight. When I looked at my face... I was starting to see why they kept telling me how beautiful I was. Even if I was still far from really believing it myself, I could see the features most people found desirable. My waist wasn't as small as it could be, not as small as my mother believed it should be, but just two days without her constant criticism were enough for me to realize I wasn't at all fat. Even if I was bloated from the large breakfast I just had. Before stepping into the shower, I put my long hair into a bun to avoid getting it wet. I turned on the water and let the flow cleanse my body.

Refreshed, I wrapped the towel around my body and walked into my room. I found my clothes waiting for me, folded on the bed. I pulled one of my new bras out, grateful I had them in my bag and not with the rest of the clothes that got lost, and put it on. It fit me like a glove, further enhancing the size and the shape of my bosom. The black top was next, tight across my chest while being a little loose everywhere else. Then it was time to put on my pants. I always struggled to pull this particular pair over my thick thighs and today wasn't any different. I pulled and pulled, the fabric slowly inching upwards towards my butt that would mean another challenge. Was it always this difficult? I wondered, struggling with the tight pants. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally managed to pull them on even over my fat ass. At least I managed to button them without much difficulty... Did I manage to gain weight in just two days away from my family? My pants were squeezing my thighs and I wondered whether they would hold, or rip at the seams.