Chapter #4The Barbecue King Defends His Crown, Part 2 by: Pink-Lightning   –
Zack resolved that next time he felt bad about his weight, he’d sign up for an eating contest. Back at home, his 80 pounds of extra weight made him feel like his weight was out of control. But sitting up at this table, before a crowd, he felt positively fit next to his competition. Some of these big boys needed two whole seats just to sit at the table.
Even the announcer was huge. She looked like a sphere with a dark pixie cut, wearing a dress that looked like a tent. He was suddenly nervous if this stage could hold all this weight with her added on…
Goooooood Afternoon Abercrombie! Are you excited for some barbecue?”
This provoked a lackluster cheer from the crowd which brought a response of
“I caaaan’t hear you!”
This time the crowd got into it.
“Good! That’s what I like to see. This is Marni, of Marni in the Morning on ABRC 103.9, bringing you ALL the news you need to know of what’s going on in your home town of Abercrombie.”
Oh shit, that was Marni? Zack didn’t recognize her. I mean, he never saw her before, but he never pictured she was a ham planet.
“I’m here live with a beautiful crowd on a beautiful day, where thanks to a generous personal contribution of Abercrombie’s most fabulous resident, the incomparable Misses Jean Vandergriff, AND the enthusiastic participation of chefs and businesses from around Abercrombie and beyond, EVERYONE EATS FREE.” Marni was, as usual, pulling double, if not triple duty. She was commentating this event live, but it was clear she was speaking to her radio audience as well, and the camera that followed her around probably were broadcasting this to the local tvs station and her Yengtube channel.
“But these boys have decided to eat more then most, as we set out to find which man in Abercrombie can put away the most barbecue of all! And stick around later, as I cover the women’s competition and then personally judge the best barbecue in Abercrombie.”
Zack was getting hungrier and hungrier the more Marni talked. He wished either he ate something before coming here, or she’d wrap this up faster. His hunger only got worse as a tall, shapely woman with dyed green hair in a matching green bikini brought a rack of ribs and set it in front of him, but watching her bend over to plate a rack of ribs for each of them, hunger suddenly wasn’t the first thing on Zack’s mind.
“Alright, the food is hot and plated, I’ve kept you waiting to long. It’s time to get this food fight started. Eaters pick up your fork and knife. On my mark! 3, 2…1! EAT!”
As strange as it was, considering he’d gained 80 pounds in the last year, but Zack hadn’t really let loose that whole time. Sure, he was ordering takeout three or four times a week but he still had a little niggling voice in his head that he should be watching what he ate. He was skinny all through highschool, but with a desk job and new found income, he started to get doughy. Not as fat as he was now, but enough that when he met Alice, and she was trying to lose weight, he thought it would be a good idea to join her. They’d go to the gym together, plan their meals together, count calories together, and keep each other accountable when they slipped up.
It was good for them. They bonded over it. It let Zack show Alice he could be both sweet (by supporting her when she was down on herself) and responsible (even though he didn’t have a college education or a great job). But ever since they moved to Abercrombie, all their good bonding activity had been replaced with different ones. After work, they’d both be exhausted, so Zack would show he could be sweet and responsible, by buying Chinese on the way home so Alice wouldn’t have to cook dinner. Then they’d spend time together vegging out in front of Netflix. They’d support each other by giving each other reassurances when they went up another size. Now Zack was bigger than he’d ever been before.
But they did offer each other reassurances. Reassurances that they would bounce back from this, reassurances that things would get better once they adjusted to the move, reassurances that they weren’t doing that bad. Reassurances that they would do better. They were still on the calorie clock, and they still had their old clothes, and they still intended to fit into them. And, that hadn’t changed for Zack!
But today, for the first time in years, Zack was free to eat as much as he wanted, no, encouraged to eat as much as he wanted, without holding back. And he was showing how hard he had been trying, and how hard he was holding back. He tore threw his ribs, staining his face and his nice white button down so quickly, he had time to look around before they even had the next leg of the competition ready. Looking around, to his shock, he was literally the first one to finish his ribs, as even some of the men twice his size were still half way through.
It was structured as a ‘decathalon’: eaters would have to show their abilities across eating pork ribs, pulled pork, coleslaw, brisket, cornbread, beef ribs, mashed potatoes, chicken wings, peach cobbler, and pecan pie. While most eating contests offered water to help wash down food, this one added more challenge by only allowing beer or soda to drink. Who ever could last the longest would be crowned Barbecue King of Abercrombie. Zack’s appetite was so fired up he had to remind himself not to take a swig of beer while they brought him his pulled pork sandwich just because he could.
He smiled at the booth-babe with green hair as she brought him that sandwich, and this time, she smiled back. Zack felt a little flushed as he tore into the sandwich and finally started on the beer, dealing with a little dryness of the bread. So far, this wasn’t even an average thursday night for Zack. That would take until he’d finished coleslaw, brisket, and cornbread. A few entrees and some sides. Sure they were a little bigger portioned, and he had to eat them a little quicker, but he was still ‘comfortably full’. If he was just eating for pleasure, he’d stop right now and have a nap. But meanwhile, contestants were starting to drop out, and even the fattest men there started regretting their light breakfast. It was the next three entrees that would really push Zack: beef ribs, mashed potatoes, and chicken wings.
When he started on the beef ribs, the stains on his face got worse, and her hand to unbuckle his belt, to let belly have more room. When they brought him a big bowl of mashed potatoes, with cheese mixed in and smothered in gravy, he had to unbutton his pants entirely. By the time they brought him out a dozen wings, his belly had driven his fly wide open. And by the time he had finished those, his stomach was in severed distress, grumbles and churning not helped as he used his third tall boy to try and cool the spice of the extra hot wings.
By now there were only 5 of them left, and Zack swore, when she brought him his bowl of peach cobbler, she wiggled her breasts at him. They shook so much in her tiny green bikini, he was certain they would pop loose. And as he stared at her, awestruck, she turned from him and wiggled her hips. He reassured him she had to be showing off for the crowd, as he dug into his bowl of peach cobbler. The last three dishes had been hard. Zack was in agony, stuffed beyond reason and a little buzzed. But Zack was about to reveal why he was the barbecue king: He had a second wind, a fifth gear, and it was time for him to show it.
Rather than slow down, Zack picked up the pace. As he shoveled in peach cobbler, the first of his buttons went flying off, showing off the bare flesh of his navel. With that knocked loose a defiant belch soon followed. Finishing of the peach cobbler, Zack was once again in a healthy lead on time. Knowing he was hot, Zack didn’t want to slow down. He thumped the table. “Come on, bring on the pecan pie, I’m tired of waiting on these guys!”
“And #15, Zack Tyler is once again in the lead! Is he set to dominate, or will slow and steady win the race?!”
Zack got what he wanted. As the girl brought it out, she winked at him. What he was not prepared for was the scale of it. Half a pecan pie with three boulders of vanilla ice cream on top…
Zack wasn’t intimidated. He was in the zone. As he shoveled in pie, his buttons went flying one after the other. As he shoveled in the last bite, the last of them across his chest went flying, hitting another competitor passed out in a food coma. He’d eaten it all, and he looked a mess: shirtless, belching, and covered in sauces, his fat belly and starter moobs to see for all.
What he hadn’t realized was that all the other competitors had tapped out shortly after receiving their pie, and he’d been running a victory lap and making a total pig of himself, just for other's amusement.
“Congratulations to Zach Tyler of Daven’s Port North Carolina, and new Abercrombie resident. You are the first ever Barbecue King of Daven’s port!” The crowd cheered for zack, but by now, most of the crowd had dispersed for their own free food. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Zach couldn’t help himself. He was swept up by the emotions of the moment.
“URP!!...More…” He groaned.
“He wants more, Ladies and Gentlemen!”
  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author