#freshmen fifteen
he had been excited at the prospect of finally getting out of his hometown, going away for college and starting his own, new life in a different city. but as the year came to a close, he was even more excited to have a reason to go back home for a few weeks and visit friends and family.
freshmen year had been hard on him, the stress of his job and a harder workload from his classes had resulted in several stress-induced binges, and frequent late-night runs to the nearest available fast food restaurant. all of that had taken a toll on him, and more specifically, his waistline.
he hadn’t put on too much weight, but it was definitely enough to be a shock to any of his old friends when he would see them again. he had always been slim, thinner and more gangly that all of his friends; even in the beginning of his freshmen year, he had been the smallest one in his dorms, but after a couple months, that had changed. that dreaded “freshmen fifteen” had quickly turned into a freshmen twenty five, by the time the school year came to an end. now, his entire body was softer, face a tad fuller, stomach soft and pliant under his fingers, hips taking on a bit of weight.
the first person to comment on it was his mom, who picked him up from the airport. she held him at arms length and gave him a once-over, before pulling him into her arms and telling him she was glad he didn’t starve to death at college. the pat she gave his belly made him splutter, but warmth filled his chest anyways.
the next reactions he received to his altered physique were from his two closest friends. he had promised to meet them for dinner at their apartment, and the look they gave him when they opened the door almost made him laugh. they scanned his body, taking in all its changes, before inviting him in. one of his friends lead him to the table, while the other went to the kitchen, asking if he was “eating for two?”
the family reunion dinner really saw a lot of reaction, especially as he filled up his plate a second time. uncles laughed and clapped him on the back, telling him he was growing up to be a fine young man, while aunts poked and prodded at his belly, pinching his soft cheeks, asking if he had a special someone in his life that had him growing so soft.
it became a game, during dinner, to see how much he could put away. bets were thrown out on how many plates he could finish, drunk family members cheering him on as he eagerly took the food handed to him, enjoying not only the delicious meal, but the feeling of love surrounding him.
when he finally caved, leaning back in his chair, his belly felt tight as a cord, skin stretched over the mass of food he had just crammed into his belly. his eyes fell shut as he listened to his family members cheer and discuss who won what bets, while he idly rubbed at his overly stuffed belly, mind drifting to wandering when dessert would be served.
