PLASTIC CHAIR: 2 | FAT GIRL: 0 (BBW, WG, FURNITURE)

The cicadas buzzed lazily as Jess stepped into the backyard, tugging the hem of her sundress down over her thick hips. It was her first real social event since lockdowns lifted, and the first time she’d seen most of the girls in person in over two years. The patio was already buzzing with chatter, the scent of grilled food thick in the air. Jess dabbed sweat from her forehead with a napkin and smiled, though she could feel the anxious flutter behind her ribs.

Three summers ago, at the last backyard BBQ, Alyssa had made a scene—the kind of thing that lives in group chats long after it’s over. Jess had laughed along with everyone else. Quietly. Smug in her sundress, proud of her flat stomach and thigh gap. She had no idea back then how close she'd come to living that same nightmare.

Now, everything had changed.

Jess had gone into lockdown at 135 pounds—tight abs, smoothies, selfies. The gym was her second home. But then the world shut down, and all the rules changed. Her carefully curated routine crumbled. The weight came slowly at first, then in thick, undeniable waves. Every excuse made sense in the moment—comfort food, boredom snacks, missed workouts. And then one day, she realized she didn’t recognize the girl in her mirror.

And now—this summer—she was stepping into the party at nearly 300 pounds.

Jess tried to square her shoulders. The sundress clung to her sides like a fitted bedsheet. Her arms, once toned and lean, were thick and dimpled. She felt the fabric stretch around her midsection as she took one step after another. Her thighs had grown into twin columns of soft meat, rubbing together in loud whispers as she made her way toward the drink table.

She hadn’t seen Alyssa since before it all. But there she was, near the back of the yard, chatting with Maya by the grill. Jess hesitated. Alyssa looked... different. Bigger, yes, but also more comfortable and confident. There was something about the way she sat—legs spread, belly rising like dough over her waistband, arms perched comfortably on her thighs. She looked some and relaxed. Literally the opposite of how she was at the last BBQ.

“Hey girl!” Jess called out, forcing brightness into her voice as she shuffled over.

Alyssa turned and grinned, her round face lighting up. “Well damn. Look at you thickums!”

They hugged, a soft collision of bodies. Jess felt her own bulk press into Alyssa’s and winced internally at how her girth now matched Alyssas.

“Quarantine weight,” Jess mumbled.

Alyssa chuckled. “Join the club.”

“You two look like twins now,” Maya said, half-laughing as she turned a kebab on the grill.

“Seriously. Just like back in high school.”

Jess blanched.

Alyssa raised her drink and smirked. “More cushion, same sass.”

Jess forced a laugh, but her stomach was doing flips. Twins? Her and Alyssa? The memory of how hard she'd worked to not be grouped in that category back in high school suddenly flooded her thoughts. She used to feel small next to Alyssa. Now she was near the same size as her. Maybe even bigger in some spots. Her heart sank.

She looked around for a seat. The only options were plastic lawn chairs or the edge of the deck. She saw Alyssa had staked out a wide metal folding chair on the patio.

Jess hesitated, eyeing the wide metal chair beneath Alyssa. “You brought your own?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

Alyssa smirked and gave the nearest plastic seat a nudge with her foot. “After last time? Yeah. We both know these things aren't fat-girl friendly.”

Jess laughed a little too quickly. “Right.”

Alyssa took a long sip from her drink, then added with a teasing grin, “But hey, maybe you’ll get one of the strong ones.”

Jess gave a tight smile, then looked around the yard. The only options were plastic.

Still, she followed Alyssa and Maya over to the buffet line, where foil trays steamed with baked beans, pulled pork, and mac and cheese. Jess loaded her plate generously—more than even Alyssa. But she tried not to think about it. Her stomach growled, loud and shameless. She hadn’t eaten all day.

Maya grabbed a modest scoop of everything, while Jess heaped hers like she was afraid it might run out. As they turned to find seats, Jess glanced down and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Her plate was ridiculous. Towering. Alyssa didn’t comment, but Jess saw the way she looked—just a flicker in her eyes. She tried to laugh it off. “Guess I was hungrier than I thought.”

They settled around a patio table in the shade, Alyssa lowering herself into her sturdy metal chair with ease. Jess squeezed into a plastic one, the chair letting out a suspicious groan as she did.

Maya, still trim and breezy in a floral romper, sat between them. Jess couldn’t stop looking at her—how small her arms looked, how dainty her crossed legs were. Jess felt like a giant beside her. Her thighs spilled over the seat, her belly rested heavy in her lap, and her upper arms jiggled with every motion.

The three of them dug in. Jess tried to pace herself, but her bites were quick, messy. Her fingers got sticky from the sauce, and she wiped them on her napkin only halfway through the plate. As Maya talked about work drama, Jess was mid-sentence, waving a fork in the air and saying, “Yeah, and then I told him there was no way I was going to—”

BURRRRP.

The sound exploded out of her—loud, wet, and utterly impossible to ignore.

Silence. Then a sharp burst of laughter from Alyssa.

“Damn, Jess!” she snorted. “Warn a girl next time.”

Maya clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her laugh. “That was... impressive.”

Jess’s face burned red. “Oh my god. I didn’t—sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

But they were still laughing, good-natured but loud, and Jess could only laugh along with them, even as mortification chewed at her insides.

She wiped her mouth, then her chest, then looked down and realized she had crumbs on her boobs and sauce on the front of her dress. A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her.

She forced another laugh and took a big sip of her white claw, trying to cool the heat in her cheeks.

“Guess I really was hungry,” she said, voice tight.

Alyssa raised her cup. “BBQ season, baby. No shame in it.”

Jess smiled, but she could barely taste the food anymore. Everything was too loud, too bright, too tight. The heat, the sweat, the cling of fabric—it all felt like punishment.

She shifted in the chair, already aching, and tried to refocus on the conversation.

“So how’s work?” Alyssa asked, tossing a napkin into the breeze.

Jess answered with a mouth full of food. “Oh, y’know... remote. Sitting a lot.” She immediately regretted her choice of words.

Alyssa gave her a sideways smirk but said nothing.

As the BBQ went on people laughed and talked. Jess nodded, smiled, joined the chatter. But sweat was pooling along her spine. Her thighs itched. Her feet were already sore. She reached for her white claw, but her fingers felt thick and uncoordinated.

She stood up and prepared to go for a second helping. Her legs ached as she pushed up from the chair. Her dress hiked up the back and clung to her rear as she shuffled over to the buffet table.

She loaded up her paper plate once again. She balanced it carefully. Chicken, mac and cheese, pasta salad—it all looked too good. Her belly rumbled. She’d skipped breakfast, trying to save the calories for the party. And that was clearly a mistake.

By the time she sat back down, the chair groaned even louder.

It was getting warmer. The sun felt heavier. Her dress was clinging to her belly. Which was rounded and taut from the food. She shifted and her hips dug into the arms. Her back hurt. The plastic felt like it was pressing into her bones.

“You okay over there?” Maya asked.

Jess smiled, but it felt forced. “Yeah. Totally.”

Ten more minutes passed. Then twenty. Her thighs were numb. Her lower back screamed. Her butt felt like it had melted over the chair. Her breath was short. She could feel how bloated she’d become, the food pushing her belly outward like a balloon.

She adjusted again.

Crack.

Her eyes widened.

Did anyone hear that?

She sat still. Breath shallow. Sweat rolled down her temple.

Another crack.

No one was looking.

Then the leg folded.

WHUMP.

Jess landed flat on her back, legs splayed, the chair splintered beneath her. Her sundress was bunched at her waist, her thighs exposed, her belly jiggling violently as she gasped.

Gasps. Then laughter.

“Oh my God, Jess—are you okay?” Maya said.

She blinked up at the sky, tears pricking her eyes. Her chest heaved. Her hands trembled as she tried to sit up, but her body felt uncoordinated and too heavy.

Maya rushed to her side, crouching. “Don’t move yet, just breathe.”

“I can’t get up,” Jess whispered, her voice cracking.

The crowd hadn’t fully gone silent when Maya stood up and looked toward the house. "Josh!" she called. "David, we need you!"

From the back corner of the yard, Maya’s brother turned, already grinning. One of his friends nudged him, and with a too-loud snort said. “What, we lifting another one of your sister’s fat friends again?”

Laughter followed—short, cruel.

Maya shot him a glare so sharp it cut through the tension. “Seriously?”

Josh rolled his eyes, but he jogged over, dragging his friend with him. “Alright, alright, we got her.”

Jess squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could melt into the grass. Her whole body trembled with effort and shame.

“Okay, deep breath,” Maya said, crouching again.’

Josh and his buddy each took an arm, and with Maya steadying her from behind, they began to lift.

“Ready? One... two... up!”

Jess groaned, her body wobbling as they hauled her upright. Her feet stumbled, her thighs jiggling with every shift. It took a second to find her balance. Someone steadied her elbow.

Her dress had ridden up. Her face burned. She didn’t know where to look.

As Jess struggled to find her breath and her footing, Alyssa approached her gently, placing a hand on her arm. “Hey,” she said quietly. “I know exactly how this feels.”

Jess looked at her, dazed and humiliated, eyes glassy. Alyssa squeezed her arm. “I’ve been there. Trust me. Just hang tight—I’m gonna get something that’ll actually hold you.”

And with that, she turned and made her way toward the front of the house, moving with surprising urgency despite the heat.

She popped it open with a grunt and set it behind Jess without a word. Jess didn’t speak, didn’t look up. She just sat down—slowly, carefully.

It didn’t creak. It didn’t shift. It just held her.

Jess sat in silence, her heart pounding, her cheeks still burning.

Alyssa took a slow sip of her drink and looked down at her with a smirk.

“I’ll send you the link,” she said dryly. “You clearly need one of these too.”

Jess forced a breathy laugh, trying to keep her face from crumpling.

Alyssa winked and raised her cup. “I highly recommend it. It’s fat girl certified.”