Lifetime Supply: Chapter 4

Written by: Gainer Stories

Lifetime Supply is a collaborative story penned by Gainer Stories and Gaining Fiction. Patrons receive early access to each chapter before release on Tumblr.

Ryan didn’t notice there was a hole in the crotch of his pants until he spilled Taco Bell on himself on the way home from school. There was no denying these jeans were getting snug. Hell, he could barely even button them. But for how long was he walking around with a solid three inches of thigh fat bulging out?

In the last several weeks Ryan had undeniably gained a good deal of weight. Nothing was fitting right, everything was jiggling, and he was constantly hungry. It almost felt like that damn Adesco box was conspiring against him. No matter how many times he tried to cancel with that customer service representative, Luke, more boxes showed up with better and better treats.

Nevertheless, Ryan knew he couldn’t blame everything on Adesco. Perhaps the snacking had kickstarted his weight gain, but it wasn’t forcing him to pig out like he had been. For some reason he was simply hungry. He wanted food all the time, the more the better. Pizza, ice cream, burgers, burritos, he couldn’t get enough and the weight was catching up fast.

It wasn’t only his wardrobe that was pointing out how chubby he was getting. Ryan was also making a concerted effort to go on dates in an effort to get over his ex. In fact, he had just left one when he noticed the tear in his jeans. The guy was attractive and nice, but seemed uninterested and now Ryan was worried if the fact he was busting out of his jeans might have contributed to that.

Returning to the apartment, Ryan tossed the Taco Bell wrappers into the neighbors trash so that Ahmed wouldn’t see them. He didn’t know why, but he tried to hide his piggishness from his roommate, even though Ahmed often joined in. In fact, Ahmed had put on some weight himself, but he was also gaining muscle so it was less noticeable.

“Woah there chubs,” Ahmed greeted Ryan as soon as he walked through the door. “Was gonna see if you wanted to go in on some wings, but looks like you just ate.”

“Why do you say that?” Ryan was incredulous.

“Well besides the fact your pants are literally bursting at the seams, you have a sauce packet stuck to your ass.”

“Christ,” Ryan muttered and grabbed a snack from one of the many Adesco boxes littering the house. “I guess it’s that obvious. Maybe that’s why five out five dates won’t text me back. Am I really that fat?”

“You’re looking thick my man, but don’t sweat it. It suits you!”

“I gotta get out of these pants. I’ll get in on that order, just double whatever you’re getting. We have any beer?”

Ryan grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed to his room. He felt great relief removing his denim and tossing them in the trash. Unfortunately, even the sweatpants he put on felt a little snug. Looking in the mirror, they left little to the imagination. Ryan’s had definitely gotten cakier, and the elastic waistband sunk beneath his muffin top. Ryan resolved he’d have to purchase some new clothes once again tomorrow morning. But tonight, he and Ahmed would feast.

Ryan wobbled through the fast fashion chain browsing the racks. He had no idea what size he was anymore. He didn’t even know what would look good on his body. After multiple humiliating experiences in the dressing room, he settled on the fact that it was best to buy a little bit larger than he needed. The extra room would conceal the weight he gained, and besides the clothes were cheap and would probably shrink in the wash anyway.

It was the same cashier at the counter as last time, Antoine. Antoine couldn’t keep his eyes off Ryan. He glanced at the college student’s swollen midsection every few seconds, stirring insecurity in Ryan. Was he being judged? Did this guy remember him? Was it embarrassing he was buying such large sizes? By the time the transaction was over, Ryan was sweating bullets and made a beeline for the food court to quell his anxiety. After a corn dog and cinnamon roll he was headed back home.

Unloading his purchases, Ryan began to doubt himself. Why did he buy horizontal stripes? He should have known better. And he accidentally grabbed a button up in the wrong size. He had gotten this specifically to wear to the LGBT mixer that evening with Ahmed, and although it fit Ryan was afraid it was a little too snug.

Luckily a cold breeze came in that evening and Ryan was able to cover up by throwing a zippered hoodie over the button up. Standing next to Ahmed, Ryan’s insecurity heightened. Ahmed was developing broad shoulders and baby biceps that framed the swelling at his midsection, whereas Ryan’s belly pushed outward dramatically.

Once they got inside, Ryan felt a bit of relief. Most of the guys there were gawky and awkward. In fact, no one really caught his eye. He originally hoped he might get a date or two out of this event, but Ryan was quickly discovering the only perk was the free food. Catering was supplied by one of his favorite Mediterranean spots in town and Ryan couldn’t get enough.

He found himself piling his plate high and returning for seconds and thirds before continuing to graze for the rest of the night. Occasionally Ahmed would leave Ryan to flirt with some boys on the dance floor, and so Ryan just stationed himself at the buffet. As he was chomping down a stuffed grape leaf, Ryan spied a hot guy from across the room.

The man was fairly fit with broad shoulders and a defined chest, floppy brown hair, and great legs. Ryan washed down his food with a drink and took a deep breath. Looking down, he became self conscious again. The buttons on his shirt were straining. He couldn’t believe it. They were fine at the beginning of the night!

Still, Ryan had forced himself to go in for the kill. Guzzling a rum and coke he approached the sexy stranger who only became hotter up close. Just as Ryan was about to say hello the guy turned to the bathroom and waved. Ryan’s eyes followed the action, and his heart sank. The guy was waving at none other than his ex, Jason. Ryan was trapped as Jason approached and stared at him oddly.

“Oh my god, Ryan, I didn’t recognize you at first. You’re looking… good?”

The question mark at the end of that sentence made Ryan want to scream.

“You look good,” Jason reiterated, unsure who he was trying to convince. “This is my boyfriend, Luke.”

“Nice to meet you,” Luke said and shook Ryan’s hand with a twinkle in his eye.

Ryan’s head was spinning. Was this the same guy from Adesco? It couldn’t be…