They were old school friends but had not seen each other in 20 years. Melanie had always been in awe of Julie, she was bold, brassy, outspoken. Everything that Mel wasn't. Mel had always been the quiet one, in the background, almost Julies' stooge. She hadn't cared though, Julie was popular and she had chosen Mel as a friend. Being the butt of the jokes was worth it, in her opinion, all those years ago.
And now here they stood. Time had not been overly kind to either of them. Mel had stayed big, two kids had helped see to that. Julie was the biggest surprise for her though. She knew her immediately but now the glamorous, pristine Julie was every bit as big as Mel was.
Mel hugged Julie tightly to her, she still smelt the same, after 20 years so little had actually changed. Julie hugged back and then held Mel at arms length. They looked at each other and grinned.
"Wotcha Mel" said Julie laughing. "You haven't changed a bit."
"Wotcha Jules" Mel laughed in reply. "You have."
Julie laughed deeply. "Yeah, just a tad. I started putting it on once I got my divorce. Can't believe how vain I was back then." She shrugged and laughed again, hugging Mel close.
The women found a table and sat down with their drinks, talking about school days, friends and enemies alike, who they had seen since they had left school, who was still local, who had moved away, just general chit chat. Both trying to avoid telling each other about their lives since they had left school.
Conversation turned to arrangements for the night, the reunion was being held in the school. It was school summer break and the boarders at the private school were all at home with their families, leaving the girls at the reunion to use the dormitories to sleep overnight. Jules had opted to stay but wasn't sure who else had. She had, almost instinctively made her way straight to her old dorm. She had put her bag on one of the beds and gone back down the stairs.
Now sitting with Mel she laughed when her friend had told her with an embarassed grin that she had also gone straight to her old room. Jules suggested that she move her stuff to the dorm where she was staying and they both made their way back upstairs to move bags from one room to the other. When they got to Mel's dorm they found that she was in there on her own with four beds whilst Jules knew she already had three other people in her six bed dorm.
"Why don't you come in here?" said Mel.
"Sounds good to me, anyway this one is less draughty." Jules giggled.
They quickly went and got Jules bag and took it back to dump it on the bed next to Mel's, Jules grabbed Mels' hand and they left the dorm and made their way back down to the hall. Mel made her way back to the table with refreshed drinks in her hand and on the way was suddenly yelled at from across the room.
"MEL!!!" the voice yelled. "OH MY GOD!"
Mel turned around and saw an old school friend that she had not seen since the year after she left school when she went to her wedding.
"Oh my god! Monica!" she gaped.
Monica moved quickly across the hall and embraced Mel. Mel yelped and held her arms wide.
"Watch the drinks." She laughed.
"Ooops!" grinned Monica and she let Mel go. "Where are you sitting?"
Mel turned around and indicated the table.
"Over there with Jules," she replied. "Come on. Oh unless you are with someone?"
"Nope, on my lonesome." Monica replied. "Come on." and she bustled over towards the table.
As they approached, Jules grinned at Mel.
"I thought you had got lost." she said and then saw Monica. "Mon?" she said quizzically.
"Allo Jules" Monica grinned.
"Oh lord, how the hell are you?" Jules said embracing their old friend.
"Fat and happy kiddo." Monica laughed.
"Well I think that goes for all of us." Mel replied.
"Who wants to be a size zero anyway?" Monica said. "I'm FAR happier being me."
The women all sat down and caught up again on missing years. Monica's husband had divorced her after 3 years stating that she had become too fat.
"Fuck him," she said. "I was only a size 12 at that point," she indicated her large frame. "He'd have a stroke if he saw me now." She finished, a deep laugh leaving her.
Mel, Jules and Monica sat for some time talking about relationships and life in general, as the drinks flowed, the tone of the conversation got lower and the voices got louder. Monica's deep resounding laugh turning heads every time she boomed across the room, her large breasts heaving and raising more than a few eyebrows. People came and went to their table, passing the time of day and polite hellos until they decided that the conversation was not for them and they moved on.
After a while someone moved in behind Monica and covered her eyes.
"Guess who....." the broad but feminine voice said.
Monica frowned under the hands thinking furiously. Suddenly her mouth dropped open.....
"Sunny?" she asked tentatively.
The cackle from the woman behind her boomed out and she took her hands away from Monica's eyes. Monica spun around in her seat and looked up into the beaming black woman's face. Her bright white smile lit up her face and she leaned down to give Monica a hug.
"Fucking hell! Sunny!" Monica squealed as she stood up. The two women embraced and their large frames came together with a ripple.