THE YEARLY HALLOWEEN PARTY III (XWG)

Halloween Night - 2018

“Ahem. Excuse me, children.”

Angelina entered the packed living room, her cop costume clinging to her like a second skin, and Danny followed just behind, wearing his own matching cop uniform. When they’d bought these costumes months ago, hers had fit perfectly, the smooth blue fabric hugging her curves in all the right places. But tonight, the outfit told a different story. The stretchy material was pulled taut across her belly, clinging to every inch of her softer, fuller body, as if it had been painted on. The shiny belt cut into her waist, and her hips stretched the fabric to its limit, almost as if daring it to split with each step she took.

Her thighs pressed together with a new softness that hadn’t been there last Halloween, the early signs of cellulite dimpling the skin as she moved. She could feel the bodysuit riding up with every shift of her hips, slowly giving her a wedgie and emphasizing the plush roundness of her backside, which jiggled slightly with each step. The zipper at the front, which had once sat modestly in the middle of her chest, was now pulled low, exposing more cleavage than she intended, a soft expanse of skin spilling over the top of the suit.

She scanned the room, trying to spot her old friends, but her excitement was dampened by the sight of unfamiliar faces. Clara’s friends were everywhere. Then she spotted her sister and her BFFs mingling in their coordinated Powerpuff Girls costumes. Clara, Tori, and Zoe stood near the snack table, casting sidelong glances in her direction as she made her way over. Angelina felt a pang of disappointment—this was supposed to be her party, her big Halloween event, but Clara’s popularity had shifted the dynamic. She wasn’t used to sharing the spotlight, and tonight, it was painfully clear that her friends hadn’t shown up like they used to.

As she neared the snack table, she caught a snippet of Clara’s friends whispering, their voices just low enough to escape full understanding but loud enough to make her stomach twist.

“That can’t be her, right?” Tori whispered to Clara, her voice dripping with exaggerated disbelief. “She… really filled out since last year, huh?”

Clara smirked, casting a quick, catty glance at her sister. “Guess college has been good to her,” she replied, just loud enough for Angelina to catch.

Zoe, not missing a beat, leaned in with a conspiratorial smirk. “Looks like she’s taking partying seriously… in more ways than one.”

They all snickered, casting looks that were equal parts mocking and wary. Though they enjoyed tearing Angelina down, there was still an edge of fear—they all knew what a force she could be when she was angry. But tonight, she felt strangely deflated, her usual confidence dulled by the lack of familiar faces. She was bummed, and, like clockwork, that disappointment drove her toward food.

Ignoring their looks, she grabbed a plate and began piling it high. A mound of creamy mac and cheese formed the foundation, gooey and golden, almost hiding the few decorative leaves of lettuce she’d tossed on for “balance.” She added a heap of mini party wings, sticky and spicy, then piled on Swedish meatballs, their sauce glistening under the dim party lights. By the time she was done, her plate was a tower of indulgence, the flimsy plastic plate bending slightly under the weight. She glanced at her sister and her friends, who were sipping daintily on drinks and munching on celery sticks, and felt a flicker of defensiveness.

Danny, practically beaming with pride, strutted up to her and placed a possessive hand on her lower back, his fingers pressing gently into the soft curve of her waist. “Looking good, babe,” he murmured, his eyes practically glittering with satisfaction. Angelina offered him a faint smile, her mood still dampened by the whispers and the realization that most of her old friends hadn’t shown up.

“Hey, you look amazing, by the way,” he added, his voice low and reassuring. “That costume’s perfect.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help a slight smirk. “Yeah, perfect,” she muttered, glancing down at the bodysuit straining over her curves. Perfectly tight, she thought, adjusting the bottom of the bodysuit that was digging into her ass.

As she took her first few bites, savoring the rich flavors of mac and cheese and Swedish meatballs, she spotted Riri—dressed in a mummy costume, her face partially hidden by gauze, but her nervous energy was unmistakable. Riri had always been a little awkward, but Angelina knew she’d harbored a massive crush on her back in high school. Seeing Riri now, smaller and visibly more confident, only reminded Angelina of how much things had changed. Riri was still chunky, but she had slimmed down considerably, to the point where she looked just a little thick compared to the newly plumped-up Angelina.

Riri waved shyly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she shuffled closer. “Um… hey, Angelina! Long time no see,” she stammered, clearly trying not to let her eyes linger too long on the changes in Angelina’s figure.

“Hey, Riri,” Angelina replied, forcing a smile as she took a hearty bite of mac and cheese, the sauce smearing slightly at the corner of her mouth. She didn’t bother wiping it away, hoping the casual gesture might mask her own discomfort.

Riri seemed flustered, shifting from foot to foot, her eyes darting around as if searching for a way to fill the awkward silence. “So… uh… how’s college?” she asked, her gaze flicking briefly to the heaping plate of food Angelina was balancing on one hand.

“Good. Really good,” Angelina replied, her tone a bit too forced, then quickly took another large bite. “I’ve, uh, been busy with classes and… other things,” she added, trailing off as her eyes flickered around the room, wondering again where all her old friends had gone.

The conversation fizzled out, and Riri shuffled off with a nervous wave. Angelina watched her go, a pang of irritation tightening her chest. She turned to Danny with a sigh, her mood souring further. “I don’t get it,” she muttered. “I throw this party every year, and suddenly Clara’s friends are acting like it’s her event. And where are my friends? Barely any of them even showed up…”

Danny shrugged, his eyes still gleaming with that same possessive satisfaction. “Their loss,” he replied casually, nudging her plate encouragingly. “Means more snacks for us, right?”

Angelina huffed, rolling her eyes, but she took another bite anyway, gnawing on a wing as she let the flavors distract her. “Maybe,” she said glumly, glancing around the room. The sight of Clara, Tori, and Zoe laughing together in their cute matching costumes only added salt to the wound.

Zoe, spotting her looking over, leaned in close to Clara and muttered something, sending them both into giggles. “Guess she’s the cop who couldn’t keep anything under control,” Zoe snickered, loud enough for Angelina to hear, and the group dissolved into laughter.

Angelina clenched her jaw, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She forced herself to focus on her plate, shoveling in another mouthful of mac and cheese to distract herself from the snickers around her. The rich, cheesy flavor was a small comfort, even as she felt the waistband of her bodysuit digging in tighter with each bite.

After a few more minutes of forced conversation and polite smiles, she turned to Danny, trying to mask the disappointment in her eyes. “Ready to head out?” she asked, her voice quieter now, deflated. “I think I’ve had enough of this party.”

Danny’s face lit up with excitement. “Absolutely. We’ll have our own after-party,” he said, giving her waist a squeeze that sent a ripple through her soft belly. “Just us… and a few treats waiting back home.”

Angelina managed a small smile, her heart sinking as she looked around at the unfamiliar faces, the whispers, the snickers. She could feel her cop costume straining, feel the way the food had settled heavily in her belly, and for the first time, she wondered if Danny’s version of affection had come with a price she hadn’t anticipated.

But for tonight, she would let it go, pushing the thoughts aside as she followed Danny out of her own party, her plate still piled high with the last few bites of her comfort food.