Lifetime Supply: Chapter 3

Written by: Gaining Fiction

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 hung up the phone, more confused than ever. Somehow, after half an hour on the phone with Luke, he had another box on the way. He had called to ask why the last one was so big, but after a long chat and a survey, somehow the conversation ended with Luke telling Ryan that he would be sent a reward for all his feedback.

With a sigh, Ryan opened a package of snack cakes and got to work. He didn’t know how much of the stuff he could actually get through, but he definitely didn’t want it to go to waste. Besides, his judgment was already clouded by his cravings for the processed snacks.

Picking up his laptop, Ryan decided to tackle some homework. He had a major assignment due for one of his programming courses, and he had put it off for too long. It didn’t take long for Ryan to disappear into the work, zoning out the outside world as he focused on the code in front of him. Hours later, with just a few finishing touches left, Ryan heard a key turning in the front door and snapped out of his trance.

Ryan was seated on the couch in just his boxers, his jeans discarded on the living room floor. The coffee table in front of him and the couch around him was littered with plastic wrappers from the snacks he had demolished. The front of his shirt was also covered in crumbs. Ryan shoved his computer aside and started pulling on his jeans. He got them over his butt, but Ahmed arrived before he could get the button closed.

“Hey, buddy,” Ahmed said, arching an eyebrow. He was sweating, his gym bag slung over his shoulder. He glanced around the living room, “How was your afternoon?”

“Uh, productive, actually,” Ryan said. He abandoned trying to get his jeans closed, instead crossing his arms in front of him and trying to act casual. “I was just about to clean up.”

“Sounds good,” Ahmed said, as he made his way to the bathroom.

For the next few weeks, Ryan felt like he was snacking constantly. Whenever he was working, or sitting around the house, he had some sort of cookie, snack cake, or chip in his hands. He knew it was getting out of hand, but he was saving a fortune on groceries, and the stuff they sent really was some of his favourite.

Ahmed also wasn’t discouraging Ryan’s snacking. If anything, he seemed to be taking Ryan’s point about bulking to heart, and made a habit of digging out the least-unhealthy snacks from Ryan’s box. Ryan didn’t mind, especially since Ahmed was more than willing to share his stoner friend’s excellent weed. For the two students, it was a mutually beneficial roommate relationship.

Naturally, it wasn’t taking long for the consequences of Ryan’s snacking to catch up with him. One Monday morning in the fall, after a particularly lazy and indulgent weekend, Ryan realized that his favourite pants were finally past closing. Ryan knew there would be a problem, since getting them over his butt had been unusually difficult. Even once he did, he just couldn’t get the button to reach. With a defeated sigh, Ryan pulled on a pair of sweatpants and headed to class.

After struggling to keep his starter-belly covered in all his classes, Ryan decided it was time to do some shopping. He didn’t have much to drop on clothes, but he knew a few places that usually had good deals. Swallowing his pride, he headed into one of his favourites and picked out some jeans in the next size up.

Inside the fitting room, he took a hard look in the mirror. Ryan knew that his shirt was showing off his budding gut, but he hadn’t realized how thick his thighs and ass looked in his sweatpants. He was even filling those out. He wasn’t particularly tall, so there was no hiding the 15-ish (okay, maybe 20-ish) pounds he had already put on.

As Ryan slid the jeans over his thighs, he realized that one size up wouldn’t cut it. Sighing heavily, he removed the jeans and pulled on his own sweatpants. He grabbed a few pairs in the size up, then a few stylish upsized shirts from the rack, and brought his purchase to the checkout.

The cashier glanced at Ryan’s overfilled t-shirt, but only smiled. Antoine, his nametag said. At around six feet, he had a good few inches on Ryan, and one of the store’s trendy shirts showed off his slender build. He swapped flirtatious eyes with Antoine as he paid for his clothes, and then Ryan was on his way.

After rewarding himself with a milkshake from the food court, he made his way home. With his jacket hiding his small gut, he found that the contents of his sweatpants were getting a few looks from guys on the bus. One guy didn’t even try to hide that he was checking out Ryan’s butt. By the time he reached his stop, Ryan regretted not getting another pair of sweats.

When he got to his house, he noticed a (thankfully somewhat smaller) package on the front step. Cursing under his breath as usual, but relieved that Ahmed hadn’t seen it, Ryan tucked the box under his arm and headed inside.

When he got to his room, the college senior in the undersized shirt set his box of junk food on the bed, ditching his shopping bag beside it. He used a key to cut the tape, and opened up the box. Thanks again for your feedback! said the notecard on the top.

The snacks were his absolute favourites. Ryan sighed. Luke had really been taking notes during that last call. He opened up a package of cookies and grabbed one. Deciding that Ahmed didn’t need to know about his unsuccessful call, Ryan dropped the box on the floor next to his bed. As he put away his new clothes, he took another cookie from the package on his dresser.

When he was finished, he lay back on his bed, browsing social media. Ryan roiled with frustration when he saw a post from his ex, Jason. He and his new boyfriend, in matchy yoga gear on some Italian mountain. We’re a natural team. Couldn’t imagine doing it without him! the caption read.

Ryan put his phone away with disgust. Stupid yoga asshole, he thought to himself. The breakup had not been that long ago. Leaning back into his pillows, Ryan reached into the box on the floor. He opened up a bag of chips, looking to push his feelings aside with salt and carbs.

As he swallowed his first mouthful, Ryan felt defiant. He would move on from Jason. Grabbing another handful of chips, he turned his thoughts to finding a new man.