# Ashley & Rachel by FaxMachine1234 (~BBW(Multiple), Sports, ~SWG )



## FaxMachine1234 (Apr 27, 2007)

_~BBW (Multiple), Eating, Romance, ~SWG_ - Sometimes there are problems that aren't what they seem as Rachel sorts out her feelings about Ashley 

*Ashley and Rachel
by Faxmachine1234 ​*
(An updated version of a classic tale)​
*Chapter 1 - Welcome Back*

Rachel silently sipped her Diet Pepsi as she sat on a cold bench at the food court in Hillsdale Mall; her friend Ashley was already half an hour late. Rachel found herself tapping her foot to the music coming from the nearby Sam Goody store, something to keep her blood moving in the overly air-conditioned building. 

Rachel had rarely been to this part of the mall; she wasn’t a fitness freak, but everyone always told her she had a nice figure and she didn’t want to disappoint them. 

“You don’t want to go above a size six,” her mother would say, “or boys will never notice you.” 

Rachel didn’t really believe this, but she figured mom knew best and went along to keep peace. 

_"I may not be keeping a thin physique for the best of reasons,"_ she thought, _"but at least everybody else is happy."_

A familiar ring hit Rachel’s ear; the vaguely “Tetris”-type melody meant it was her cell. She rooted through her backpack until she felt it beneath her pre-calc textbook, vibrating. Opening it up, she saw a text from Ashley: BE THERE IN 1 MIN. DON’T FREAK. 

Rachel was bewildered by this. It had been almost two years since high school ended and her friend's family had moved to St. Louis, taking Ashley with it. Her parents had gone through a divorce and now she would be enrolling in class with Rachel as she and her mother returned. But what drastic thing could she have done while she was gone? Cut off her hair? Nose ring? Rachel’s mind was swimming as she looked at her watch. 

Soon enough, Rachel heard a nervous voice from a couple of feet away. “Hey girl. Long time no, um, see.” 

Rachel tilted her head up, and her mouth dropped.

Ashley was fat. She must’ve gained 50, 60 pounds since she left. The green sweatshirt Ashley was wearing attempted to cover a noticeably rounded belly that hung an inch over her belt. Her face was much rounder, with chubby cheeks and a full-on double chin. As Rachel moved in and wrapped her arms around her friend, she found it was harder to do so than she remembered, and marveled at how soft she was now. They both sat down to catch up.

Rachel started talking first. "So, glad to be back?" 

Ashley replied with a laugh, "Well, duh. It's 102 degrees back in St. Louis . Here it's a manageable 97, easy." 

Rachel smiled. "But you have that awesome Arch back there! And, and...the Arch." 

"Well said," Ashley replied. "Though I gotta admit, they sell these ice cream thingies called Concretes that were absolutely scrumptious. I think I stopped by the stand everyday after classes." 

Rachel eyed Ashley's belly again. 

_"I'll bet,"_ she thought. Rachel looked at the product of her friend's overindulgence for a few seconds, before Ashley snapped her out of it. 

"Hey," Ashley said, "Let's go get lunch, I'm starving like a mofo." 

The two walked over to the Sbarro's section of the food court, and Ashley ordered for the two of them. "Could we have six slices of pepperoni, and 2 large sodas?" 

After Ashley paid, the two friends engaged in a few minutes of small talk before their order was ready. Rachel was floored; each of the pieces was the size of two regular slices of pizza, and Ashley had ordered six of them. When they sat down, Ashley took four slices, and gave Rachel the other two. 

Rachel watched in amazement as her friend chowed down on her four pieces while she was slowly working on the first of her two. Ashley finished off the meal by gulping down her soda, and when she was finished, she leaned back from the table, stifling a belch. Her bulging tummy looked more bloated than Rachel had seen of anyone’s. Ashley’s shirt was riding up, her round belly touching the table, and she gave it a subtle rub. 

Rachel just stared at her friend, and started feeling weird. She touched her cheek, and it felt hot. Was she getting turned on by this? Rachel had never liked girls in that way, and certainly not fat girls. And how did Ashley get so big in the first place? Rachel knew Ashley’s parents had gotten a divorce, but…60 pounds? There had to be more to it. But before she was able to sort it out in her head, Ashley interrupted. "You know, I'm such a pig. This is St. Louis all over again." 

Rachel leapt on the opportunity for information. "Whatcha mean?" 

Ashley sighed. "My mom felt sorry for putting me through all the divorce crap, so she bought me all these snacks I couldn't have before because I wanted to keep my weight down. After a few months, I was eating all the time. I think you can see what happened." 

Ashley grabbed her belly in her hand and shook it a little. 

Rachel’s eyes were held for a few seconds as she thought._ "I still think there’s a little more to it than this, but I’ll let it go for now," _

Rachel leaned over and put a hand on her chubby friend’s shoulder. "Ash, it's not that bad. I mean, you've finally got curves now, and you still look mucho stylish at whatever weight you're at." 

Rachel wasn’t kidding; Ashley was always a fan of hip-hugging outfits, and her newly soft figure made her outfits look cute in a way Rachel hadn’t noticed in anybody before. 

Ashley smiled, her rounded face lighting up. "Thanks, I needed that. Hey, are you gonna finish your pizza? I'm still kind of hungry, and I guess at 190, one more won't matter, right?" 

Ashley chuckled with a resigned tone as she playfully patted her overloaded belly. 

Rachel pushed her plate over to Ashley, and her heavier friend immediately tore into the final slice. 

_ "This should be an interesting year," _Rachel thought. Weird, at least.

*****

A few weeks after Rachel and Ashley reunited at the mall, the two's sophomore year at Reynolds College began. They had most of their classes together, and they always sat next to each other in the back of the room. They whispered to each other about whatever, and Ashley was constantly offered Rachel candies she had bought at the vending machine on campus. Rachel always refused initially, but her resolve usually broke down after 20 minutes of pestering. 

In addition to being constantly fed during school, the two always went out for dinner in the afternoon, as neither could afford the school's meal plan or dorm housing. Back at home, Rachel's mom and dad were too busy with their marketing jobs to cook much for their daughter (they never thought it should be a major concern for her, anyway), and they knew how good a friend Ashley was to her, although Rachel wondered what they would think of her friend’s new size if they met her. Even though the two were both twenty years old and would be considered grown women out in the real world, back at home Rachel knew that her parents' opinions were still the most important as long as she lived under their roof.

They usually went to a restaurant a few miles away from school, O’Brien’s, and Rachel was constantly amazed by how much her friend could put away. As the eatery confusingly provided ethnic cuisine from almost any culture under the sun, there was always something new for Ashley to munch on, a temptation the young girl fell for easily; in fact, she seemed to anticipate and enjoy it.. 

Rachel, almost without realizing it, began picking off of her friend's plate, occasionally even matching Ashley's order. The two always left with Ashley staggering out the door, her burgeoning stomach bulging out in front of her, gurgling to digest the multiple courses she always ordered. Lately, Rachel began to notice a little bit of a waddle in her friend’s walk, which amused her to no end.

One night in late September, the two were over at Rachel's house for a sleepover. While Rachel was sprawled out on the couch watching the Biography channel (which meant that there was literally nothing else on at all), Ashley was busy making sugar cookies in the kitchen. 

Rachel could tell the habits Ashley had picked up in the Midwest were still in full effect. Ashley privately knew it too. The snug size 16 jeans she was wearing, bought a month before, were beginning to fray on her inner thighs, which she knew were clearly jiggling whenever she walked around.

Occasionally, during her more self-conscious moments, Ashley fretted over people making fun of her oversized bum, but figured that since the rest of her grew at roughly the same rate, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The biggest change was her belly, which now hung over an inch over her belt. 

Ashley, to be honest, was turned on by her own fatness. She no longer even bothered to hide it, letting the bottom of her pudgy stomach show under whatever shirt she was wearing. Even over her Hot Topic t-shirt, Ashley could feel the rolls developing on her sides and around her love handles. The fabric of the shirt created a slight tingling that made her crave the bakery treats she was making even more.

Out of the corner of her eye Ashley could see Rachel lying on the couch, with a slight tummy pooched out a little over the waistband her size 4 sweatpants. She stuck the tray into the oven and quietly made her way over to the couch. As she began to rest her larger bum on the couch, she failed to notice her posterior was in the direct path of her friend’s bare foot, a fact she was quickly alerted to with a loud squeal.

Ashley leapt up, and Rachel rubbed her now-pained foot. 

"Oh Rachel, I'm so sorry!" Ashley exclaimed, her chubby cheeks blushing

Rachel replied weakly, "It's okay, really. You've really got a butt to reckon with, huh?" 

Rachel lightly patted Ashley’s backside, which jiggled to the touch. They both nervously giggled, and sat down next to each other to watch a biography of Chester A. Arthur that flickered onto the screen, his unique side whiskers prominently featured. 

"You know," Rachel said in a hazed tone of voice, "I think muttonchops have been out of style too long; I think some hot guy should bring them for our generation. Maybe Lil’ Romeo or somebody? They can call them &#8216;ghettochops.’" 

Rachel knew Ashley was a pushover for her lame sense of humor, and her chubby friend laughed for a couple of seconds, her body jiggling. Rachel moved a few inches closer to her, and she didn't know exactly why except that it felt right. Their sides were touching, and Ashley could feel Rachel's relatively firm body against her fat. Rachel didn't quite understand what was going on, and her thought process was interrupted by a ding from the egg timer in the kitchen. 

Ashley lifted herself off the couch with a little bit of effort and saw Rachel staring at her wide, swaying bottom as she walked into the kitchen. She shrugged it off and brought the tray of cookies over to the living room, placing it on the nearby table. Ashley immediately started into the pile of cookies (she'd used a bucket of the dough, so she had three dozen or so of them). 

Rachel took one or two, but watched intently as Ashley ate. As each Ashley chewed and swallowed each one, her belly began to stress more and more against the racheted button that was holding her jeans together. The biography of the 19th Century president droned on in the background. 

After Ashley had polished off about her fifteenth cookie, her hand resting peacefully on her tummy, she heard a pinging sound. Suddenly, her almost spherical belly was uninhibited. Although she was too full to move, she saw the button from her pants lying on the floor nearby. She strained to pick it up, but soon gave up the effort. 

"Oopsie," Ashley squeaked out, burning bright red again. 

Rachel had had enough and quickly excused herself to a corner of the kitchen her friend couldn’t see, gulping down a glass of cold water. She crumpled the floor, her head between her knees. 

_"Oh wow, what am I gonna do?"_ Rachel thought. _"I can't tell her how I feel about this, but I'm gonna explode if I don't do something." _

Rachel looked up, and saw the refrigerator. She opened the door, and saw half of a cake, leftover from her parents’ anniversary a week before. Rachel smiled. She tiptoed towards her room with the cake in her hands without Ashley seeing her. 

Ashley waited a few hours lying I front of the television, soldiering through the history of the skyscraper until she became totally bored. Finally, with some effort, she lifted her chubby body off the couch. She walked over to the guest room and changed into pajamas that, although tight, at least weren't immediately at risk of being destroyed. The buttons on her shirt barely met, and there were visible gaps; Ashley decided to play it safe and unbuttoned the bottom two buttons to give her some room. Her belly overflowed over the waistband, and could be seen hanging out under her shirt. 

Ashley instinctively placed a hand on her belly as she walked around. 

_"Why don't I feel ashamed about this?"_ thought Ashley. "_I've porked up so much, especially since I got back to California , and all I want do is keep eating. And what's been going on with Rachel lately?" _

She decided to check in on her friend, whom she heard walking over to her room earlier in the night. 

Ashley creaked open the door to take a peek. What she saw caught her by surprise. Her friend was asleep on her bed, and a tray that Ashley recognized from the housewarming cake lay nearby, empty save some frosting. Where the rest of it had gone was obvious. Frosting was all over her face, for starters. Her hand was resting on her small belly, and a peacefully smile was on her face. Ashley thought she should just leave her be, although she did clean the frosting off Rachel's face with a tissue and laid a blanket over her. Ashley was bewildered by the whole episode. 

_"For now, I’ll just let her be," _Ashley decided. "_If she wants to tell me anything, she will. Wish she'd left me some freakin' cake, though.". _


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## FaxMachine1234 (Sep 5, 2009)

*Chapter 2 - Adjustments *

Rachel slowly awoke as she felt the morning sun shine in from the side window directly into her eyes, leading her to mutter a few swear words as she sat up in Ashley’s bed. 

Raising her hand over her eyes to shield herself from the piercing light, Rachel lifted the blanket draped over her and took survey of the night before. Her tummy was still puffed out from the cake she had eaten hours before, and it created a noticeable bulge in the waistline of her pants. 

She briefly wondered what Ashley would think if she saw her like this, then she paused. Rachel hadn’t draped the blanket over herself, and where was the tray that the cake was on? She gasped. Was it Ashley? 

Rachel lept out of bed as all of her problems from the previous night began pouring back into her consciousness. Ashley must think she’s a freak! Rachel herswelf didn’t even know why she had done it. Seeing her friend pigging out the night before should’ve been no big thing; the two had been eating out together ever since Ashley had come back from the Midwest . But something was different and Rachel couldn’t put her finger on it. Try to avoid obsessing on it with all her willpower. Rachel slowly made her way to the bathroom and closed the door quietly behind her.

The silent hum of the fan in the background, Rachel crouched down, still pained by her overstuffed stomach, and pulled the scale out from behind the toilet. Rachel took a big breath and stepped onto it. The dial whirred for a half a second before settling on 133. Only six pounds since the fall semester started, that was fine. 

Rachel smiled as she took a step off, but while walking towards the door, she noticed the scale read a few numbers below zero. But that meant…Rachel kneeled down and set the scale to the correct number and stepped on again. This time she was not as happy. 143. 

“Sixteen pounds!” Rachel said out loud at a higher volume than she intended. Rachel suddenly felt the effects of every dinner, snack, and extra bag of chips at lunch in a way she had been oblivious to before. 

Looking closely in the mirror, she thought she saw slightly chubbier cheeks than she’d remembered from the summer, and placed a hand on her small tummy bulge and frowned. All the food she’d been sharing with Ashley had been great, but as soon as she saw the number, Rachel felt a knot in her stomach that she knew had been planted by her mother years before. Mildly distressed, Rachel made her way to the kitchen for something to wipe away the taste of guilt in her mouth, metaphorical or otherwise.

*********

As she walked into the alcove where the kitchen was Rachel heard the soft sounds of snoring coming from the couch. She made her way to the living room and leaned over the couch to see Ashley asleep, cradling her head in her arms. Laying on her side, Rachel noticed that her friend looked huge, or at least quite large. Ashley had made no attempt to fix the button on her jeans from the accident the night before, so her belly bulged out unrestrained, causing her shirt to ride and reveal a noticeable amount of skin. 

Rachel decided the best way to get on with her day was to wake her friend up. However, as she reached her right hand to jostle Ashley’s shoulder, she tripped on the loose carpet underfoot (not a hard thing to do), and steadied herself by lurching forward, only to fail, falling on top of Ashley in a thud. The sleeping girl woke up with a jolt, and noticed that Rachel’s left hand had found itself on her uncovered stomach, and in general her friend was much too close for Ashley’s comfort that early in the morning. 

“Um, hi,” Ashley said with a half-smile, still in a daze. 

Rachel was blushing furiously, and picked herself up and stood up straight. “H-hi!”

Ashley, seeing rhe rug and realizing what had happened, started to laugh, and threw a pillow at her nervous friend. 

“Stop acting crazy, you dumb-nut.” She fully sat up from the couch and dusted off a few remaining cookie crumbs. 

“Though I gotta say, rubbing my belly brings a year of good luck, so you had the right idea.” Ashley grinned toothily as she gave Rachel a soft hug. Rachel was still blushing. After what felt like a few minutes but was in reality about one second, Ashley broke off and skipped over to the kitchen, grabbing utensils from various drawers. 

Rachel followed, asking, “What’re you doing?”

“Making breakfast, what do you think?” Ashley opened the freezer door and pulled out a box of frozen waffles.

Rachel hesitated, then said, “I’m kinda full from last night, I’m not sure if I could stomach anything else.”

“Oh please,” Ashley replied, "if I can make room, so can you. Now sit, sit!” 

Ashley gestured over to the kitchen table, and Rachel decided not to fight it and sat herself down, vowing to work it off that afternoon somehow.

After a moderate wait, Rachel actually was becoming very hungry. She could smell the lovely aroma of toasted waffles with maple syrup and butter, though when Ashley brought the plate out, it also held bacon and scrambled eggs, all in portions the size of which Rachel hadn’t seen outside of church brunches she’d been to as a kid. 

“You must be the most efficient cook of greasy food on the planet,” Rachel said with a bemused smile.

Ashley smiled as she untied her apron, “I’ve been practicing.” 

She pulled out a chair adjacent to Rachel, and Ashley sat down Rachel could hear the seat creaking. 

“Blast it!,” Ashley muttered to herself. “These old chairs, a little kid could break them.” 

Rachel was skeptical. She knew that if a 141-pounder like herself had had no problem, maybe her heavier friend was just underestimating how far her “practice” had taken her. Regardless, Rachel wanted her friend to be happy, and pushed the plate over to her. 

Ashley’s eyes lit up and she took four of the waffles, along with a hearty serving of eggs and some of the bacon as well. Rachel took two waffles, but had a feeling she’d be sharing more before they were through. .

Ashley scarfed down her waffles, topped with only one pat of butter but literally a river of Aunt Jemima ’s maple syrup. Within a few minutes, she was starting on the rest, while Rachel was still working her way through her two waffles, but then grabbed a third before they were all gone. . 

Watching her friend eat, Rachel felt partially embarrassed for Ashley (even though they were in private), but it also made her forget about the scale and allowed her to enjoy the meal Ashley had made for her. Eventually the two had cleared off their plates, and a stuffed Rachel got up with a grunt to clean off the table. Ashley sat in her chair, licking syrup off her fingers and shifting her bottom in her chair in order to find a position that quieted the squeaks.

While Rachel was running the dishes under the faucet, the alarm on her watch went off. 

“Crap!” Rachel shouted, as she turned off the water and ran back to the bedroom.

Ashley shouted from the table, “What’s going on? You need to go somewhere?”

“Yeah,” Rachel said as she zipped up her bag. “I’m supposed to go shopping with my mother. Not that I want to, mind you, but I just can’t take her yelling at me again for &#8216;not caring.’” 

Rachel started for the front door.

Ashley pulled herself up and walked to the door. “Well, we had an awesome time. Next week?”

“Sure,” Rachel replied with a smile.

Ashley grinned back, then looked down at Rachel’s somewhat bloated midsection, poking her friend’s pudge with her finger. 

“Wonder what your mom’s gonna say about this.” Ashley laughed playfully.

“I’ll think of something,” Rachel said worriedly. “But I’ll see you later.” 

Rachel gave Ashley a quick hug as she walked out the door.

“Bye, sweetie!” Ashley shouted. She closed the door behind herself and sat her weighty bottom down on the couch. Ashley. Fat Ashley. Ashley was now Fat Ashley. To her classmates, to boys, to Rachel, that’s who she was. No matter how charmingly and fun she was, they’d always look to that first. 

But was that the worst thing? Ashley curled up on the couch as the debate in her head raged on.


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## FaxMachine1234 (Sep 5, 2009)

*Chapter Three: Issues*

It was a Monday morning, two days after the sleepover. Ashley was sitting in her car with the heat cranked up, as she had been for the last half-hour, munching on the remainders of a box of Nilla Wafers. Her eyes darted from the left to the right, partially to see if Rachel was hiding rather than just being late to her ride to school, and partially because Ashley was making sure no one could see the way she was eating. 

The sleepover had torn off the lid on her thinking about her weight gain. She kept up her confidence for the first month of college, largely by attaching herself to Rachel, and thus getting a free pass into a good group of friends. However, Ashley remembered very well how thin she had been sophomore year, and how many guys were after her. 

Sure she never "settled down" with any of them, but the attention was always a plus. Now back at the same school again, she was the fat pretty girl, the ones girls call "cute" and the boys don't call at all. She had friends, but none she felt wanted to get to know her more "intimately." If there were any that did, they certainly kept their distance.

And so Ashley continued the cycle that had begun during the year away with her mom, having large dinners and snacks around the house in order to feel better. The worst thing was the night before, when Ashley's mom sat her down for a heart-to-heart, saying she was worried about Ashley's weight and asking if there was "anything wrong." 

Hello? Had she forgotten the divorce so soon? Besides, it was her mom that'd helped her get so fat in the first place! 

Ashley got annoyed thinking about these things as she poured the last few crumbs into her hands and threw the box into the backseat. Hearing footsteps, she looked into the mirror to see if there any crumbs on her face and picked her books up from the passenger seat.

"Hey," Rachel said as the door swung open. "How was your Sunday?"

Ashley thought this was an odd way to phrase that but whatever. "Alright. How was shopping with your mom?"

"If by 'shopping with my mom' you mean 'shopping by myself because my mom called an emergency meeting at work and left me with $100', then awesome," Rachel replied with a smile.

Ashley looked Rachel up and down and said, "Obviously put it to good use, getting stuff a lil bigger so you have some 'breathing room'."

Rachel shot back, "Hey, I don't have a huge coat to hide my bulges like you do." 

Both girls laughed nervously.

Ashley looked down and realized she had her hand on her stomach, and took it away as to not back up Rachel's point any further.

"Um," Rachel interjected, "don't you need to get the car started in order for it to move?"

Ashley snapped back to the present and started the engine.

------------------- 

Classes were never a problem for Ashley; she actually enjoyed learning and she consistently got above-average grades in all of them. However, at noon exactly there was always lunchtime, and with her self-esteem newly shot out from under her, Ashley wasn't all that thrilled about it. She felt everybody staring at her as she got together her meal: three slices of pizza, a side of fries, brownie, can of soda. 

She was comforted that Rachel was getting almost as much as she was, though she wondered why. Ashley made it to the check-out, but someone accidentally brushed their hand against her side, and the touch made her angsty. Why was she so nervous now? Ashley took her change and sat down with Rachel and her group at their table.

"Did you hear Mr. Granger's getting fired?" Naturally, the first one to talk was Jan, an African-American girl who was taking six AP courses yet had time to collect every piece of relevant gossip on campus. "People saying he showed up drunk to the dance last week!"

"Hmmph, I don't believe that," said Nicole, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. "He seemed like a really nice guy, and I had him for a class."

"Well, it's easy to put on appearances," Rachel said. "But what's going on in someone's head could be entirely different." 

She looked down at her food for a second, and stole a glance at Ashley before putting a fry in her mouth.

Ashley finished chewing her pizza and decided to end the pregnant pause. "So, any of you guys going out for volleyball after school today?"

Nicole replied, "Nah. I did it last year, but I have to keep my grades up if I want to transfer into Stanford."

"I'm not sure they'll let me back this year," Jan replied with a laugh. "I think I hit the ball, what? Three times last season?"

"I think I'm going to do it," Ashley said."

Rachel said, "Well, I am, but are you sure you want to do it? It's a lot of running."

"Hey, I might have this spare tire," Ashley e said patting her stomach, "but I've always been a good sprinter. And I can hit the ball hard. I don't have a lot of athletic ability, but you've gotta give me that."

Rachel replied, her own mouth full of French fries, "We'll see." 

Ashley was her friend, but she had severe doubts that such a large girl could make it on the team. Though with the habits she was starting to pick up from her friend, Rachel was beginning to wonder if she wouldn't run into the same problem.

------------ 

The two girls arrived together at the try-outs together, and saw that more people had showed up that either of them had anticipated. Most of them were as close to professional athletes as you could get in high school. Ashley in particular felt like leaving at that moment, but Rachel pushed her ahead.

The coach stood up from the bench, clipboard in hand. "Alright ladies, get changed into gym clothes if you got 'em; we have some spare stuff in the back for those who didn't think ahead." 

Walking into the locker room, Ashley realized she hadn't thought ahead.

Rachel slipped into a t-shirt and blue gym shorts which hugged her hips tightly, and causing the bulges to stick out over her waistband. Part of the reason she wanted to do volleyball again even though she hadn't had a good time last year was to counter the effect Ashley had had on her, bulges included.

Ashley stood near the back, not wanting to undress until the others had left. Finally, when it was just her and Rachel, she found a pair of gym shorts that she thought would fit and began to change into them in a dark corner. When she came out into the open, Rachel's mouth was agape. The black shorts were quite large, and left little to the imagination. 

Ashley's posterior jiggled with every step she took, as did her thunder thighs. Her expansive stomach was dug into by the waistband of the shorts, whose drawstring had been pulled out as much as possible. Ashley was the fattest girl trying out for the team, and as soon as she stepped on the court everybody would know it. Rachel was starting to feel warm again as she had at the sleepover, so she looked down at the floor.

"Yeah, I'd look away if I were you, too," Ashley said with a rather empty laugh. She pinched a roll of fat on her sides for emphasis.

Rachel stood up and looked at her friend. "No, no! You look...fine. It just matters how you play, right?"

Ashley replied, "Right." 

She had confidence in herself for that, at least. Ashley gave a hug to Rachel who, not wanting to get these kind of feelings right before playing volleyball, put her arm around Ashley's shoulder and started leading her out onto the court.

---------

The two waited for six or seven others before they were to try out, having been paired up together since their last names, (Rachel) Veracuse and (Ashley) Walchek, were the closest together. Finally, it was their turn.

The coach read their names off from her list. "Alright, Ms. Veracuse, Ms. Walchek, we--Ms. Walchek, are you sure you're in the proper shape to try out here?" 

There were snickers from some of the other girls.

Ashley turned red but was determined not to get bullied out of her chance on the team. "I-I'm fine." 

She flashed a smile that showed her double chin quite prominently, but she didn't care at the moment.

"What do you want us to do, Coach?" Rachel asked.

The coach replied, "I want to see you two volley. If Ms. Wolchek can keep up, she'll be on the team."

Both of them felt nervous, Ashley not wanting to lose and feel humiliated, and Rachel not wanting to beat her friend. When the coach blew her whistle, Rachel began skillful serve that was aimed to for an easy return by Ashley. The larger girl hit it back hard, and Rachel realized she would need to play her full game in order to win. She started hitting it farther away from Ashley, but true to her word, Ashley was a great sprinter and was able to get to the ball every time. 

Rachel was starting to get distracted by her friend's jiggling body as she ran after the ball, and after twelve or thirteen volleys, she lost her concentration and missed the ball. Ashley, sweating but still energetic, was clearly proud of her win.

"Well Ashley," the coach said. "Even though you're certainly not the most...toned girl here, you're tenacious and I like that. You're in." 

She then turned to Rachel. "Ms. Veracuse? Your performance last year and here shows you're competent, but you need concentration like your friend here. I'll let you in as an alternate, and maybe if you practice enough I'll put you in."

Rachel couldn't believe this; her obese friend got in as a full player on the team, but she's only an alternate? Rachel gave Ashley a congratulatory hug, but she could help beginning to feel very confused about her life. Again she vowed to shed the pounds that were starting to cost her identity. Or were they reshaping it?


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## FaxMachine1234 (Sep 5, 2009)

*Chapter Four - Analysis*

Rachel tapped her finger on the refrigerator door as she looked around inside for the lettuce and tomatoes her mother had left for her. She had dug out of her closet the size 10 red sweatshirt that was a Christmas present from a nearsighted relative who couldn’t read labels. Or maybe they were merely prescient, as they fit Rachel perfectly now, maybe even a little tight.

Over the past few weeks, Rachel had struggled valiantly to shed the pounds she had put on since Ashley had come back into her life. However, the regular meals out with her friend (combined with the blow to her morale that came from losing her spot on the volleyball team) had caused Rachel to expand even more, a development which was becoming very preoccupying to her. 

Even with the sweatshirt on, it was obvious that Rachel had acquired a belly that poked out over her waistband, along with small love handles along her sides. Her butt had gotten bigger and a little wider, and slightly jiggled when Rachel moved in front of the mirror. The scale said 154, but she felt much bigger.

Finally spotting the vegetables in the back, Rachel grabbed them along with a bottle of ranch dressing and placed them on a counter. After filling a large bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes, she finished off the salad with a healthy amount of ranch, along with some bacon bits she’d found in the cabinet. She sat down at the empty dinner table and began to eat.

The worst thing was, when Rachel was alone, there were times she didn’t mind the extra fat at all. These were usually the times when Ashley came to mind. She didn’t know why she felt that way, but those were the times when she ate whatever cookies or snacks she could find in her house as fast as she could, resting her hand on her full stomach. Those were the times where Rachel thought that things could stay like they were, and that the fun she was having with Ashley could keep going and going, and her friends at college would understand, and she’d be happy. 

However it didn't last. There was always something, whether it was a condescending look from her mother or a disdainful glance from a guy in her class, that would bring Rachel down to earth, reminding her that people expected her to be different, meaning reduction to her size, and that things being the way they were just wasn’t good enough.

After a few minutes, Rachel looked down and realized that she'd already finished off the entire bowl. To her surprise, her stomach growled. Was she still hungry? Rachel got up and started searching through the cupboards. She found a box of Ritz crackers that hadn't been opened, and began munching on them by the handful. Her pants were starting to cut into her belly, so she subtly loosened the drawstring, looking around to see if anyone was looking.

The doorbell rang. 

“I’ll get it!” Rachel heard a mature woman’s voice shout from out in the hallway. Rachel’s mother came running out to the main foyer, dressed in size 4 pantsuit but inexplicably still with curlers in her hair; the bell kept ringing. The family had a maid, but her mother always insisted on getting the door because Maria would let in “just about everybody,” apparently. Opening the door, Mrs. Veracuse saw Ashley standing politely outside.

“Why…hello, Ashley,” Rachel’s mother greeted Ashley. She knew her friend’s mother was judging her every time she stopped by. Mrs. Veracuse did not have tolerance for anyone who was overweight. This especially applied to a friend of her daughter's like Ashley who had been trim only a few years before and seemed to be getting heavier every month. 

Rachel's mother liked Ashley personally, but had already seen the “effects” their friendship had had on Rachel and feared for the worse. Regardless, she had to be cordial to visitors, no matter what she thought of them. 

“Rachel’s out in the kitchen, she’s having a salad if you want to join in.”

Ashley faked a smile, and walked in tentatively. The hallway that led to the kitchen was filled with little side tables, forcing her to awkwardly move her large frame from side to side, still afraid she might knock something over with her wide hips. She saw Rachel looking down into an empty bowl, and tapped her head with pointer finger. “Boo!”

Rachel snapped back into attention. “H-hey, what’s up?”

“Just thought I’d pay my good friend a visit, especially since she didn’t show up for practice yesterday. Tsk! I see you're having breakfast."

"Yeah, grab something if you want," Rachel replied. 

"Fine by me. Where’s the cereal, Rach?”

“Oh, it’s in the upper cupboard,” Rachel replied. “And I didn’t feel like going, is all.”

“Didn’t feel like going?” Ashley asked as she walked over to the other side of the kitchen. 

As Ashley began rummaging through the cupboard above her head, her shirt began riding up, exposing a flabby belly roll that hung over belt as well as thick love handles. Had she actually gained weight since joining the team? 

"How is that possible?" Rachel thought. She decided to look away before she was caught staring. 

“Yeah, it’s not like the Coach is letting me play, or anything,” she said.

“I really don’t get why you haven’t been put in yet,” Ashley responded with her back turned. “But if a fatass like me can make the cut, I’m sure it’ll happen.” 

This last comment drew Rachel’s attention to Ashley’s wide derrière, which jiggled as she searched through the cupboard. 

Finally Ashley found the large size box of Corn Pops and a bowl and sat down at the chair next to Rachel. Both of them heard a creak, though neither of them said anything. 

The bowl was huge, and it took almost half of the cereal box to fill it. Ashley had a spark in her eye as she looked down at the cereal, then seemed to grimace. 

“Do you mind?” Ashley asked. She pointed to the waist of her pants, which were partially obscured by the fat roll. Not waiting long for an answer, Ashley looked around to see if anyone was watching, then undid her belt and unbuttoned her pants. Ashley sighed as her belly spilled out, filling a good three inches of her lap.

Rachel’s eyes were transfixed at the sight of her friend’s soft, rounded stomach, displayed so casually. She was blushing, but hoping Ashley couldn’t tell. 
 
The bowl was huge, and it took almost half of the cereal box to fill it. Rachel found herself saying a quiet “Wow,” accidentally.

“’Wow’ what?” Ashley said, with a quizzical smile. Ashley had a spark in her eye as she looked down at the cereal, then seemed to grimace. “Like ’Wow, that's probably how she got so huge?” 

Ashley giggled, then picked up her bowl and began devouring the cereal. 

“Sorry if that was awkward,” Ashley mumbled between bites. “It’s just nice to joke around for a bit, and you’re the only one I feel comfortable with.”

“Oh no, it’s fine!” Rachel replied quickly, as her friend continued eating. Rachel realized she wasn't really full herself and began looking longingly at the still half-full cereal box. Ashley saw where her eyes were wandering.

"Go ahead, girl. You want it, you have it! That's my credo."

Rachel hesitated a moment more, then grabbed a large bowl and acted on her friend's suggestion.

After a few minutes of eating and idle chit-chat, both bowls were entirely gone, save for a few crumbs at the bottom. Ashley released a small burp, then gave herself a self-satisfied pat on her belly. 

“Delish. Kellogg’s don’t make &#8216;em any better,” Ashley said, smiling.

Rachel, who had taken a tad longer, was strangely content as well. She was also both interested and amused at how fast her friend could eat. 

“Keep up this act and you won’t be able to fit into your uniform next Saturday,” she teased.

Ashley laughed. “That day’s already come, my friend. I'm already sewing myself a custom one &#8216;cause I'm too big for the extra-large. Kinda funny.” 

Ashley looked at Rachel, bulging a bit out of her sweatshirt, then smirked, “I think you’re gonna be in the same boat as me at this rate, Rach. You’re eating almost as much as me these days.”

“Nuh-uh!” Rachel shot back, but in her heart she knew Ashley was right. She’d already put on a good amount of weight being around her friend just for the last few months. 

_'When,"_ she wondered, _"am I going to turn the boat around and go back to her svelte self, be the Rachel who is starter on the volleyball team, not sitting on the sidelines?" _

But, it then occurred to her, [I
']Do I want to do that?"[/I]

She got such a thrill being with Ashley, being like Ashley…did she want to give that up? Regardless, it was too early in the morning for this kind of thinking, and Rachel knew the one thing that shut her subconscious up. Food.

“You know what?” Rachel asked her friend. “There’s a box of Pop-Tarts next to the fridge…wanna split it too?”

Ashley’s eyes lit up again. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

****

Later that day, Ashley found herself browsing through Nicholas Records, a music shop that had opened up on the other side of town a few weeks back. For the most part, she bought her music online, but sometimes felt nostalgic for the feel of a real store. Ashley was drinking a large milkshake from the Dairy Queen next door; although she preferred the ones she made from melted ice cream at home (her own little secret), she couldn’t toss away an opportunity to get one with small bits of Heath bars mixed in! 

Ashley sighed as she realized how sad it was that she was excited about this as she fingered through the “J”s in the Rock section.

“Ma’am?” Ashley heard a guy’s voice coming from a few feet away and realized it directly towards her. Ashley turned around. He looked to be around Ashley's age (maybe twenty or twenty-one) and his blue uniform indicated he worked there. “Anything I can help you with?” 

He was somewhat tall with neat, combed hair. Cute, full of smiles, and eager to please. Ashley liked that a lot.

Ashley asked, “Anything you can recommend? I have no idea what I’m looking for.”

“Ah, a discerning customer.” 

They both laughed. 

“What about the Gossip? They’re pretty rocking, and, um…their singer’s pretty cool. They're a little loud, though.”

Ashley found their CD, and saw the full-figured girl on the front. She smiled. “This looks like a good one.” 

She then looked up at the boy’s nametag. “Kevin…hey, you’re in my Advanced American Government class!”

“Man, you’re right!” Kevin replied, sheepishly holding his hands behind his head.

“You did that report on the 16th amendment last week…I was riveted, man.” Ashley said, joshingly.

Kevin laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bet that set records for most people not paying attention in school history.” 

The two of them stood there pleasantly for a few seconds, as Ashley finished her milkshake. Suddenly, Kevin blurted out, “I know this is sudden, but do you want to go get a bite to eat sometime, maybe dinner?” 

Stammering, he quickly added, “Not that that’s all you’d want to do or anything. We could get coffee or…anything you want.” 

The boy was clearly blushing, and averting his gaze. He’d gotten by his innate shyness, but Ashley knew he was braced for rejection. 

Ashley was stunned. She was getting asked out? She hadn’t even thought about boys and relationships since her parents’ divorce and her subsequent weight gain. Ashley had almost gotten to the point where she thought she’d never find someone, and something like this was just falling right into her lap. She must’ve made quite an impression in class! Ashley realized she’d be stupid not to take the chance.

“Sure, I’d love to,” Ashley replied with a big smile. “And dinner would be great.” 

She scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper, and handed it to Kevin. After getting her CD rung up, Ashley waved goodbye to the boy she had just met, and giggled to herself as she walked out the door. Fat Ashley or not, she had a date!


----------



## FaxMachine1234 (Sep 7, 2009)

*5 - Resolution*

The following months flew by fast for Ashley. A few dates with Kevin soon developed into an old-fashioned relationship, the first one she had had since the beginning of her sophomore year. And not only were they totally infatuated with each other, but Kevin seemed to even enjoy Ashley’s larger size. Was this man real? Nothing said it wasn't.

In any case, Ashley felt herself having an even better year than she had anticipated, and as opposed to spending all of her time concerned with her waistline, she now felt content about herself. While people noticed that she had put on even more weight by the start of the second semester (Ashley had estimated herself at about 210 lbs.), her innately happy nature helped forestall any comments. In fact, Ashley’s friend Jan confided in her that she was jealous that Ashley could “get away with it.”

Meanwhile, Rachel was one girl who didn’t feel she was “getting away with it” at all. She hadn’t put her finger on it at the time, but Ashley’s arrival in Rachel’s life and the latter’s subsequent weight gain had sent her life on a trajectory she hadn’t even anticipated. 

Even after months into the school year, Rachel didn’t understand why she felt such a powerful, private connection (if that was the word) to her former and current friend. In the meantime she continued to overeat both with Ashley and their circle of friends at school, and even more so when Ashley was busy with Kevin and Rachel was alone in house, almost living by the refrigerator as a means of comfort. Naturally, the pounds came on fast, and Rachel was finding it hard to adjust to the results.

These were the thoughts that went through Rachel’s head as she and her friend Nicole entered hour two of getting ready for the night’s Spring Fling dance at their school. As Nicole tried her hardest to get Rachel’s dress up in the back, Rachel grunted at the forced pressure of the zipper and her face was red from the sheer embarrassment of the ordeal.

“I swear, this fit just last month!” Rachel said as she looked at herself in the mirror, the dress tightly hugging itself to all of her side rolls, her newly widened hips being concealed only by a conveniently placed pink sash. Her bulging belly was somewhat held in by the “body shaping” structure of the dress. As for her backside, Rachel had seen how big it looked as she walked past the mirror earlier, and was hesitant to revisit it.

Nicole, who had finished getting ready over an hour earlier, continued to struggle with the zipper, which was reluctant to go past the half-way point. 

“I know sweetie, I was there. These things…” Nicole said in a pained voice as she got the dress up another centimeter, “…happen to everybody.”

“Yeah, all the fat ones anyway. See if this helps,” Rachel replied as she held in her breath.

“I’m telling you, it didn’t work the last two times we tried it…” Nicole said as she got the zipper up a little more before Rachel exhaled and knocked it down to lower then it was before. 

“See? Anyway, you’re not even all that heavy.”

Rachel turned around to face her friend. “You’re kidding, right? I’m huge. Remember how big Ashley was at the beginning of the year? I’m seven pounds over that. One hundred ninety-seven pounds.” 

Rachel returned to the mirror again, examining her chubby face with its newly doubled chin, as if saying the number out loud made these developments new again to her.

Nicole didn’t doubt any of this for an instant, as she’d noticed Rachel getting slowly bigger and wider over the course of the year, though she was hesitant to pry into something that was obviously personal if Rachel didn’t want to talk about it. “Well, maybe if you ate better at lunch? You usually do seconds on stuff with Ashley, but she…I dunno, has the body for it?”

“Yeah, exactly!” Rachel exclaimed. “I’ve gotten into this weird place with Ashley that I wanted to just go along with her lifestyle and just eat, and then she goes off with her boyfriend and leaves me with all these bad habits and...” 

She paused for a second. “This really isn’t her fault; I could’ve stopped whenever I wanted to. Actually kinda fun when it was me and her; I didn’t care how big I was getting. It was nice. But now...” 

Tears started rolling her cheeks, and Nicole gave her a tissue from her pocket.

“Hey, it’s not like Ashley left or anything! We’ll see her at the dance tonight, and it’ll be just like old times,” Nicole said reassuringly as she gave Rachel a hug from behind, surprised at how much harder it was getting her arms around her than it had been only a few months earlier. 

“Plus, I think you look really hot. You wear the &#8216;big girl’ title well.”

Rachel smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes before they messed up her make-up. “Yeah, well, your boyfriend’s a pretty big guy himself so I think I know what your biases are.”

“Absolutely right,” Nicole replied as she licked her lips, which caused both girls to break into giggles.

--------------------

Rachel’s spirits, temporarily renewed as a result of this conversation, quickly reverted back to their low state when she arrived at the dance only to see Ashley and Kevin together on the dance floor. Ashley was wearing a tight silver dress that didn’t leave anything to the imagination, not the least of which that she had put on over 20 lbs. since volleyball season ended, but she looked fantastic in Rachel’s eyes, and by the way Kevin was handling her, it was obviously he agreed. 

Rachel knew she should be happy for her friend finding happiness as any good person would. Instead, all she felt towards was jealous and loneliness. It was just too much. With Nicole and her boyfriend off at the other side of the hall talking to some friends they knew from drama class, she decided just to sit at a nearby table, making sure to not jostle the zipper too much as she walked, as Nicole had gotten it done just before they’d gotten out of the car.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Jan over by the punch and waved her to come over. They hugged as Jan sat down, carefully not to spill her drink.

“Having a good time?” Jan said in a slow voice, sipping from her drink. “My cousin broke out the schnapps before I got here, so pardon me if I’m…” 

Jan stopped in mid-sentence. “You know? Man, I wish I had a date to this thing. Being alone’s so depressing.”

Rachel turned back to Ashley and Kevin, who were enjoying a kiss as they walked back to their table. “You said it.”

Suddenly unable to take it anymore, Rachel wandered over to the snack table, where she decided to have one of everything: cookies, crackers, candy, punch; when this wasn’t enough, she just kept shoving food into her mouth, not even noticing if anyone was looking at her funny.

As it turned out, that was when Ashley saw her for the first time that night, and immediately asked Kevin to excuse her to attend to her friend. Rachel didn’t even seem to notice Ashley approaching until she tapped her shoulder. “Hey Rach, are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rachel said curtly. “What do you care anyway? You’ve already got Kevin here, right?”

“Wha—” Ashley hadn’t expected this kind of reaction. What had she done? Ashley put her hand on Rachel’s shoulder, and to her great surprise Rachel turned around angrily and grabbed her by the wrist.

“Get your hands off—” Rachel shouted, only to stop herself, seeing Ashley’s stunned expression. 

_"Too far,"_ Rachel thought. _"Way too far." _

Rachel let go of Ashley’s wrist, whispered an apology, and ran out of the dance hall as fast as her shoes let her.

After nursing her wrist for a few seconds, Ashley ran after her friend, who she found near the freshman lockers about fifty feet away. Rachel was crumpled up on the floor, crying.

Ashley sat down next to her friend, saying nothing. “What happened back there?”

“Oh Ashley.” Rachel murmured her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I just fell apart back there. Did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” Ashley said, with a reassuring smile. “What set you off, though? Was it because we hadn’t seen each other tonight?”

Rachel laughed a little. “Nah, I may be pathetic but not that pathetic. It’s just hard to see you with Kevin.”

“Why?”

Rachel couldn’t believe she was about to say this out loud. “Because I think I might…like you, like you.”

Ashley’s mouth was wide-open. “Really? You mean, you like girls…in that way?”

“Yes! No!” Rachel yelled, wearily. “Oh, I don’t even know anymore.”

Ashley paused for a moment. “Okay, here’s a test. That couple over there, smoking by the car? Could you imagine dating either one of them?”

“Well, I hate smokers, so—”

“C’mon Rach, answer the question.”

“I guess the guy’s cute…sure.”

“What about the girl?”

“No. I don’t feel anything about her, really.”

“Well,” Ashley said. “I’d say that’s our very unscientific answer.”

Rachel sat up and turned to look at Ashley. “I think…I’m attracted to one particular part of you.”

“Um, what’s that?”

_Might as well go for broke here_, Rachel thought. “Your…size.”

An awkward silence that seemed to last for an hour went by as Ashley figured this out in her head. “You mean, you like my fat?”

Rachel groaned as she buried her head in her hands once again. “Maybe.”

Ashley paused for a second before seeming to come to a realization. “So is that why you’ve put on some much weight this year? Were you trying to be like me?”

Rachel lifted her head up. “I suppose.” 

She put her hand on her belly, which was still evident even in the dress she was wearing. “It’s kinda fun doing…what you do, but I felt so awful about it, because I couldn’t say anything to you. First, I thought you’d be weirded out, and then you started going out with a guy, and I didn’t want to…I don’t know.”

Ashley smiled a big smile and put her arms around Rachel. “I’m not weirded out, Rach. I think it’s really sweet, actually. And truth be told, it’s been great having a buddy that was starting to get to be about my size. I was so scared when I got back at the beginning of the year that everybody would be on me about how big I’d gotten, and you were just a big help.”

“Glad to hear it,” Rachel said with a reluctant smile that inadvertently showed off her double chin. 

Ashley noticed this and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, you’re just as hot as you’ve always been. You carry the fat well, girl.”

“Aw, thanks,” Rachel replied, blushing slightly.

“What do you want to do now?” Ashley asked.

“I think I’m ready to go back to dance,” Rachel replied with an upbeat spirit. “Time to show these girls how us big-booty girls heat up the dance floor.”

Ashley giggled as the two got up and started walking back to the hall. She turned around as if she’d just remembered something. “Hold on.”

“What is it?” Rachel asked.

Ashley dug around what looked to be pockets under folds in her dress, until she pulled out a cherry Pop-Tart. “Care to split it?”

“Haha, wow; I admire your ingenuity.” Rachel replied happily. “Yes, please! Though I must say, Jenny Craig would be soooo pissed if she was looking.”

The two big girls laughed as they ate the pastry happily, the beginning of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” playing in the background.

….

*EPILOGUE: ONE YEAR LATER*

Rachel yawned as she stretched out on her couch, her chubby arms jiggling slightly as they hit the back cushion. Graduation was a few weeks behind her, so she deeply relished the opportunity to just zone out for a few months before the next step in her life. College would be starting again soon, but as a result of a last-minute acceptance, Ashley and Rachel would both be going to graduate school at Aris University together.

Compared to how she was feeling her junior year, Rachel was actually happy with the continuing changes she had experienced while in Ashley’s company. The two continued to eat out regularly, and even roped the rest of their circle into the habit. While Nicole and Jan each weathered roughly 15 pound gains senior year, both Ashley and Rachel had flown past them in leaps and bounds. 

Rachel estimated her friend was at about 240 lbs., with herself surprisingly ahead by about 10. Rachel found Ashley’s confidence infectious once she dealt with all the emotions she had tangled herself up in a year before, and had even been in several rewarding, if short-lived relationships; Ashley and Kevin were still going strong as always, but Rachel found she could finally be happy for her, and leave the jealousy behind.

“Cookies!” Ashley could be heard saying from back in the kitchen. “Though I’m pretty sure I put way too many M&Ms in.”

Rachel laughed. “Oh no, please save me from the chocolate candy! What a horrible fate I’d be in for!”

Ashley giggled as she walked in with the tray, her thicker thighs rubbing against each other even through her size 22 jeans. 

“Well, I’m glad you’ve learned nothing about moderation,” Ashley teased as she poked Rachel’s jiggly belly, which was laying on her lap as she’d unbuttoned her pants before the snack had even been put in the oven.

Rachel leaned over and slapped her friend’s wide derriere, smiling as she saw it jiggle for a second or two. “C’mon big butt, I can finish these myself but I thought I’d be sporting today.

“Yeah huh,” Ashley responded as she sat down, causing the couch to creak. The two just laughed and reached for the cookie tray. 

“Hey, what’s on?”

Rachel leaned forward to try to reach the remote, but found her belly was in the way, leaving it an inch out of her reach. After a few seconds of struggle, Ashley got up and handed the remote to her friend, saying teasingly, “Here, fatty, some of us have busy eating to do, you know.”

Rachel stuck her tongue out in Ashley’s direction and turned the TV on. “Yeah, yeah. Oh look, History Channel’s showing &#8216;The Secret Lives of Vice-Admirals!’”

Ashley gave it a thumbs-down, but couldn’t say anything as her mouth was full of cookie.

“Alright,” Rachel said as she pursed her lips. “Aha, &#8216;Have Fork Will Travel’!” 

Ashley clapped her hands in agreement, and the two leaned back to watch, hands subconsciously finding their way to their bellies. 

_This is good_, Rachel thought. _This is nice_.


FIN


----------

