Bellflower Part 22

In this installment, Rachel is making moves... to well... move. Out. On her own. Away from Penny & the Bellflower. But it turns out Holly isn't quite ready for her to go. 

Just a quick one. I posted one earlier this week that was also a bit on the shorter side anyhow. Besides, I'd like to get back onto more of a Sunday update schedule. And while I want to wait to post this with some other art I'm working on at the moment, I'm adding it to my drafts here on Sunday so that should count for something LoL It's helped me get a little ahead & write a few other things too that maybe aren't immediate, but coming shortly in the series.

As for what's happening in the story, in my head, it only makes sense that after getting her first paycheck from Hailington, Rachel would be jockeying to get the hell up out of there as soon as humanly possible. Like, before she starts splitting her skirts. That said, just because she might be trying to get away from all the terrible influences, don't panic! She certainly isn't out of the woods just yet! More soon! Hope you enjoy!

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22

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“So pretty standard, honestly.” The halfway schlubby guy stated as the door opened. He sort of muttered, so neither Rachel or Holly were entirely sure if he was the landlord, super, or just some rep from the rental company. He wrestled to get the key back out of the knob, Rachel noticing its stickiness, probably from years & years of copied keys not fitting quite right anymore. Something she was used to with her old place. He waved the sisters on ahead of him. “One bed, one bath. Overlooks… well.” The row of windows before them stared at a brick wall. “It’s more about the price, I suppose. But it’s a steal.”

“I mean, I’ve had worse.” Rachel laughed, trying to look on the bright side. “My old place? It never got too truly dark because of the neon across the way.” 

“Hmm.” The man nodded, acknowledging but not really caring it seemed. She was put off slightly, as she was trying to throw him a bone, make some allowances here. But he was still sort of a gruff asshole. As he just seemed to stand at the door, fiddling with his large keyring, she turned her attention back towards the unit.

It was… cozy. Even with nothing in it, it seemed a bit small. And the solvents used to polish the old wooden floors made it smell of artificial pine. The wall the door was on was exposed brick, with some equally exposed piping snaking along the ceiling, to give an interesting sort of industrial aesthetic that Rachel wasn’t sure was entirely intentional or not. But she liked it. A large wooden door separated an even cozier bedroom, sans closet on the right, the one side, nearest the brick wall, & a bathroom on the farther end. 

Holly, on the other hand, kept seeming to scan the room with something of a half sneer. Having lived in the lap of luxury for several months, & then in fairly upscale units even before that, to see an apartment like this? The idea of Rachel, for lack of a better term, slumming it, like this? When she could still be living at the Bellflower, with her?! It didn’t seem right! As her younger sister poked her head into the tiny bathroom with some of its cracked tiles & weird caulk line scars in the walls from old plumbing fixes, Holly cornered her. Her widening hips working in her favor, to blockade most of the doorframe.

“Are you… sure about this?” She whispered, her sneer intensifying out of the man’s eyeline. “There’s no rush! You can stay as long as you want! Keep looking! Find a place that’s b-better than… THIS.”

“Heheh” Rachel chuckled. As her mouth folded into a smile, Holly noticed that her sister’s face had been regaining a bit more of its familiar roundness, from when they were kids. “You kidding me? If you saw my place in the city? Or the place I had right after college? In comparison to them? This is a huge step up, thanks. You’re just... too bougie!” She laughed, almost loud enough that the man could hear. Holly tried to shush her a little. “Besides, you’ve been so great. But like… I just think I need to give you back… your space.” She said. 

Of course, this was all window dressing. Rachel’s main rationale for moving out wasn’t about Holly. At least not entirely.. In fact, she had spent a good week or two trying to devise ways of bringing her with! She just couldn’t justify anything short of attempting to burn the Bellflower down. But even now, she was desperate to try & figure out a way! No, she needed to leave because of the Bellflower itself. As it stood already, she was already growing a bit too… let’s go with “chunky” for most of her wardrobe. After she had originally slimmed down, most of her chubby clothes got thrown into a bag that ended up on Goodwill’s doorstep. Right now, she was wearing one of Justin’s old flannels she swiped. She liked the pattern, but hated thinking about him. She only wore it really out of necessity. It was one of the few things that didn’t cling to her softening body, or constrict her blood flow. Yeah, she desperately needed to get out of the Bellflower. And far, far away from Penny.. Before it was too late. And once she could get herself squared away, she could then turn her attention back on trying to get Holly to do the same. 

There was something about this past month or so, bunking on Holly’s couch. Knowing now what she knew about Penny, & the infrasound thing? The constant urge to eat? Maybe it was just her paranoia coupled with the idea of invasive thoughts, but she just hadn’t felt like she was operating at one hundred percent capacity. Like she felt sort of… asleep at the wheel. Not all there. Even if she was killing it with her new job. She could do that sort of thing in her sleep. But like, she kept finding herself eating. Mindlessly. Even though she was always trying to be mindful. And on top of that, she felt like she SHOULD HAVE been able to come up with some sort of plan to get Holly to get out with her. So maybe a week or two outside of the Bellflower, maybe, just maybe, she could get her head straight again & then! Then she could devise something that would work. Because she didn’t want Holly to end up like Courtney, who had fallen back into “working from home” this past week.

“No one’s blaming you.” Rachel remembered Fran responding two nights ago, after first breaking the news that she was going to be looking at places & trying to move out. “This place… it’s… it’s fucking awful.” The fat, frizzy haired girl muttered. Rachel had been attempting to join her on some of her evening jogs. It wasn’t that Fran, at her size, had more stamina, but the regularity of her pushing herself seemed to make her much more used to this than Rachel, who, at the time was already a sweaty mess. “And I get… what you’re saying… about… not thinking… straight.”

“I’m not going to… up &... forget about you girls though… either.” Rachel’s maroon ponytail bobbing with along with a lot more of her body which each step. “I mean… Holly &... I’m going to be… close!”

“No!” Fran sighed, almost relieved & happy for her. “Trust… trust me! We... get it!  You’re not... the first to… move out.” Way, way more of her round shape bobbed. In fact, Rachel tried giving her a wide berth, as parts of Fran swayed with the movement. Still, even from about a yard & a half away, she could hear the fabric of her workout outfit straining intensely. “It’s not… something… we take… personally!” She bounded along, her chest bouncing up uncomfortably. “But you should… know…”

“Wha…?” Rachel asked, breathlessly.

“Sometimes…?” Fran continued. “It depends… but Penny…? Once it gets… its hooks in you…? If she… takes a liking in you…?” The “she” was drenched in sarcasm. Rachel appreciated that touch. Much like her, Fran & her friends all referred to the robot as “it.” Unlike everyone else in the building.

“She hates me…” Rachel laughed.

“It still might… make things… tough.” Fran grew a little more serious again.

“Tough?” Rachel asked mid pant as they rounded a corner. She had to dodge as part of Fran unintentionally swung a little wide. “How so…?”

“Depends.” Fran muttered. “Maybe… maybe its too soon to worry.” At this point they were coming back towards the Bellflower & started to slow before the steep, nasty hill. The worst part of every jog. “Just… watch for it. Penny might… try to… get in the way…” She wheezed cryptically.

“Oh. Okay…” Rachel muttered.

“I’m… I’m not…kicking you out! There’s no rush!” Holly tried to insist in a loud whisper, her thick arms up now, awkwardly bracing the sides of the bathroom doorway at the knuckle, calling Rachel back to the present. It was like she wanted to keep Rachel sequestered, out of view & away from the guy, but still seemed skittish to touch any surfaces, as if they were unclean. She had her own unspoken subtext going. For all of their squabbles about what Holly should or shouldn’t be eating, & all of her sister’s weird quirks & paranoid quibbles, she actually genuinely liked having her around! It felt good to reconnect. And while she ultimately wouldn’t be THAT far, something about Rachel being so quick to spend her first paycheck to leave so… abruptly? On some level, to her? It sort of… hurt. But then again too, it felt too sappy to just come out & say. So instead, she gave her a lift to come check this place out. Otherwise, it would’ve been two buses away for Rachel. “But this place is… And you’re so far out. From work I mean. Without Deborah.” It took Rachel a second to remember they were talking about her battered old car, still sitting in impound if the police hadn’t already auctioned the damn thing.

“Emphasis on the “O,” Rachel giggled their inside joke. “But seriously, I’ve been through way worse than this. This? This is how the other half live, Hol.” She tilted her head to sort of laugh at her sister’s bougie-ness. “Some people just like living in a place with character instead of pushy robot maids, okay?” It elicited a scoff & deeper sneer from Holly. She turned a bit as if to not block so much of the door way, but Holly, seemingly not entirely aware of her frame, still took up a substantial bit of threshold still. 

“She’s NOT pushy!” Holly stomped. But Rachel felt her rampant hunger causing her tummy to growl despite having ordered out for a huge lunch at work earlier today. And she knew that rampant hunger was being caused by a noise she couldn’t quite discern emanating from her sister’s phone. To her? To call that “pushy” seemed way, way too generous.

“If you say so.” She settled on with a sigh, a hand clenching her middle as it grumbled louder. Undoubtedly, Holly would try to connive for some sort of drive thru or meal on the way home & Rachel already knew she was going to be powerless to say no. Worse yet, there was a part of it that was almost looking forward to it!

“So…?” The man seemed to shout from the door to the unit, impatience in his voice. Meanwhile Rachel still hadn’t gotten the chance to even look at the kitchen yet.

“Um… I notice the floor in the bathroom…?” Rachel started, as she dipped as best she could, trying to get her thickening frame past her sister’s much thicker one, back into the main “living room” space. “It seems… a little warm…?”

“It’s actually right over the stove downstairs.” The man said plainly, extending an arm in the direction of the bathroom before pointing down directly.

“Stove?” Holly asked, confused.

“Yeah, you’ve got the burrito place down there.” Rachel knew this from the listing online, answering so the man didn’t have to. But having entered from the side, Holly had no idea it was even over a business. But now both of them also sort of had burritos on their mind too.

“Right.” She said, wincing with her eyes. Something about that didn’t sit well with her.

“Heated floors!” Rachel nodded emphatically back towards the unimpressed man, before looking back to Holly. “Nice!”

“Application fee is $75. Non-refundable.” The man said, staring into middle distance, ready for this to be over. 

“Just wanted to…” Rachel held up a finger before craning her neck around the corner into the quaintest little kitchen set up. “Oh nice!” She cooed loudly. She thought the guy was clearly an asshole, but was so desperate for a place, she wasn’t about the drop the pleasantries. Still though, this was more her speed. But where she saw a vintage old stove & cute mid-century cabinets, Holly saw ancient ass appliances in need of a serious upgrade, while wondering how many of the thick thousands layers of paint that coated everything were maybe lead-based.

“If this is truly what you wanna do...” Holly huffed, hoisting her hips up into the driver’s side seat of her SUV across the street from the place afterward. She carefully reached behind to set down her massive burrito, with its huge side order of chips & guac down on the back seat in a way that it wouldn’t go flying.

“It is.” Rachel sharply asserted, chucking her equally substantial burrito & side next to it with a bit less care. “Truly. No offense. I mean even if your couch is pretty comfortable. As far as couches go.” She shut her door. “I just like… need my own space. And you need your own too.” She pulled her seat belt on only to hear Holly let out sigh.

“Actually...?” She seemed to reluctantly admit. “It’s… it’s been awesome. Having you around.” Her eyes got glassy. Rachel knew this was going to lead to sappy tears. She just wanted to get home & devour this burrito.

“Oh. No. I mean. It’s rad. I appreciate everything…” She said, trying to look forward, even gesturing towards the direction of what felt like the Bellflower, to mean both in letting her stay & as if to say “let’s get out of here & head home.” Holly slowly turned the car on.

“I’m proud of you! Starting over like this!” Holly’s eyes glistening. Now she was looking forward, if only to not let Rachel see her eyes welling up with tears.

“Yeah, well…” Rachel pisshawed, still trying to avoid this.

“No I mean it!” Holly insisted, as she pulled out. “I… I guess I’m just… a little upset to have you… leave.” She finally admitted. “I guess I wanted to spend a little… more… time.” The flood gates seemed to slowly open as Holly finally unleashed the waterworks.

“Oh here we go.” Rachel, rolled her eyes, trying hard to choke back on her own emotions. But hearing Holly cry on some level made her eyes start to get watery now too. “Can we… not right. At least… just not out in public right now?” Rachel’s insistance came with a smile. “Let’s just go home & enjoy our burritos, okay?! Spend more time there!”

“Fine, fine!” Holly laughed through the tears, driving to the end of the block before something else caught her eye. “Oooh! Ice cream!”

“Yeah.” Rachel nodded, seeing a chain place with a drive up window. They weren’t too far from the sprawl of where the Burger Palace was. And deep down, as large as these burritos were, Rachel was somewhat happy they dodged THAT bullet. “Wouldja look at that.” She concurred, wiping away the excess moisture from the corner of her eyes.

“Wanna… stop?” Holly asked deviously. 

“But… it’s soft serve.” Rachel squinted at her sister. “By the time we eat our burritos, which are already gigantic, bee-tee-dubs, any ice cream cone will be a puddle!” Holly looked at her, still holding her devious expression. She then cut the wheel.

“Not if we have the ice cream… first.” She suggested sheepishly, as if she realized she was being naughty.

“You… I…But… we can’t… just....” Rachel tried, but they were already in the drive thru line. And another car pulled in behind them, boxing them in. It was almost too late.“... FINE!” She begrudgingly caved, folding her arms with a huff. But she caved nonetheless. Holly celebrated, rocking around on her fat ass, making the SUV wobble on its shocks just a little. 

For Rachel, caving was somewhat a little easier for her to do so, at least now. Because now that it seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel for her. Now that it looked as though she’d soon be moving away. From Holly, Penny, the “eat-noise,” the Bellflower, & all of these rotten influences. And not a moment too soon, she thought, looking down at how the seat belt was cutting into the start of a new, soft flabby belly she was sporting. 

At the same time, Holly? If stuff like ice cream before dinner was her new norm? She needed a plan to get her out too. And quick.

“Oooh, maybe we should also see if we can get a gallon or two! You know, just to keep in the fridge!” Holly suggested.