Here's the thing, with two hours to spare. Dunno howI feel about it, hope you enjoy.
I also wanna add I do not celebrate July 1st. I'm privileged to live where I do, but the holiday is rooted in colonialism, wh1te supremacy, and g3noc1de. Look up the LandBack movement for more information.
That being said, sometimes there are familial or societal obligations to do activities, so I hope any feedists took advantage just like Shavon did.
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I haven't celebrated July 1st since moving out of my folks' home. To be fair, they didn't really celebrate either, it was more an excuse to throw a massive barbeque and drink until the next day. Wonder where I get it from, heh.
When Millie suggested we host something I was kind of confused, cuz she certainly doesn't care about the holiday, but looking at her menu and guest list, I'm pretty sure she's just gonna make it another drunken stoner food fest.
I can't wait.
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Millie wasn't sure if she liked planning events or hosting them more. Every detail was taken care of, from music, to games, to guest list, to drinks, and of course food. Shavon had kindly offered to help, but between their current ability to focus and Millie's need for control, there wasn't much they could do.
Millie decided to test a few recipes before the day, and Shavon was an excellent taste tester. Well, mostly. They didn't give a ton of verbal feedback, but Millie took their laboured grunts and swelling stomach as a good sign.
It was a smaller affair, with Ollie and Jaslyn invited, as well as a few friends from university and Millie's work. In this neighbourhood, people tended to party in their yards until they wandered up and down the street, briefly joining neighbours' parties for food or fireworks.
Millie prepped and cleaned the day of, but the hardest past was keeping Shavon away form the food. She had bought them their own snaks to keep them busy until the party, but naturally they were drawn to the kitchen by all the enticing smells.
Homemade cupcakes were iced red and white (much better than the dry store-bought crap that supermarkets pushed every year), veggies were cut up and paired with a homemade ranch, a charcuterie was laid out with meats, cheeses, crackers, chutneys, and a stuffed mushroom cream cheese dip. Later, Millie would deepfry the mozzarella sticks she bribed the chef at her work for, and throw the hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill Ollie was supposed to bring.
Drinks were stocked in the fridge, and backups were around just in case. She wasn't worried about overstock, as it wouldn't last long in this house.
Ollie and Jas were in charge of bringing joints, rolling them beforehand. All Millie had to do was get herself prettied up, and try to find something semi-modest for Shavon to wear. It seemed like they were swelling daily now, and their summer clothes from last year were hanging on by threads at best.
In the end, their stomach barely hung out from the bottom of their tank top, and that belly overhang hid the fact that their shorts were held closed with a hair elastic.
"Millie," Shavon asked, setting up their folding chair outside. "How long should I stay outside and socialize?"
"As long as you want, hon. But you'll probably want to stay out until I finish with the grill." Millie shamelessly patted Shavon's belly, their cheeks reddening as jiggles rippled over all their excess fat. "And you should come back out for fireworks."
Shavon nodded and reached for a beer Millie was loading into the cooler, but was quickly swatted away.
"Nuh uh, these are for tonight. No pregaming."
Shavon looked dejected for approximately 10 seconds before she broke.
"Not too much pregaming," and handed them a beer.
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This is the most sober I've been in days. I get why Millie is making me pace myself (for now), but it's taking a lot of effort to not mindlessly chug beer after beer. I can do thst later tonight.
It's nice to see everyone. It's hard to keep up with friends as an adult. The weather is perfect. The food all smells amazing.
I do my duty of mingling, but as soon as the first round of hotdogs and hamburgers hit the table I basically dive for a plate. I'm so hungry.
Again, I try to pace myself, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job! Until Ollie waves me over. He pulls a home rolled joint out of an old preroll case and presses it into my palm.
"I know when we pass one around later it's not gonna do shit for you, so I made you your own." He takes one for himself and lights up, doing the same for mine when it's in my mouth.
"You're the fucking best, Ollie." A few drags in and I already feel more relaxed.
He lets out a big puff of smoke. "I know."
That joint is exactly what I needed. My body is relaxed, my mood is light, and I'm so fucking hungry again. It's like the two hotdogs, one hamburger, corncob, and mountain of potato salad I devoured a little while ago didn't even exist.
Ollie does an over-exaggerated bow.
"Your buffet awaits, my dude."
I think O'm stuck in my chair. I wanted to be inside by now but zi lost track of time and drinks and the dood people kept bringung me.
"Oh, you have to try this!"
"It's my great aunt's recipe, she only shared it on her deathbed."
"You look like you're wasting away. Let me bring you another plate, hon." Thst was Milllie who lookwd like she knew exactly whst she was doing. And I'm not lne for saying no.
I don't feel very drunk, just kinda pleasantly tipsy. My head is liht and floaty, but god my gut feels heavy. I jusg ste plate after plate. I can feel the breeze on my belly hang meaning my shirt is becoming useless. I'm trying to be polite and quiet but the gas keeps rmbling around. If I try to get upit would judt shake up my belly and there's no way ao could keep everything kn. I judt gotts gently massage it, until I've figested enough to get up.
Oh no. Millie's giving me thst look again. She sways over to me and leans down, her voice sending shivers diwn my neck
"You look like you could use a break. Why don't you head inside for a bit. Your chair's set up just for you."
I find myself nodding and rock enough to get up. The chair clmes with my ass, but Mills catches it and pulls jt off before amyuone notices. I wonder if I'll get too wide to sit in it befor I get heavy enoughto break it. I fon't knoe which is hottet.
Milliie's a fucking gem. There's a case of beers on the usual sude table, making them right in arm's reach, and she pulled over the other table and loaded ut eith snacks. Devild eggs  mozza sticks another burger, and cupcakes, al the things shekept ne from eati g all week. Most gursts have already started wandering the street,most likely ending up at thr Davis' hkuse with thekr fitepit in the backyard. That's a little bit too dar for me yo go... not that I'm super heavy yet, but I sure don't moce much. I've lost myscle mass since school ended for sure.
I said not that heavy yet. I kno it's coming, but zi never thought like thst before. It's inevitable. Even if I wanted to stop,which I don't, I don't think zmillie would want thst, and she looks so damn cute ehen she's hsppy. And so sexy when she gets that look in her eye. Thst look is ususll the last thing i remember of the njght.
The recliner has been getting louder, bjt it's noy dead yet. The creaks are kind of a thrill. Will my fat ass break jt this time?
Finally alome, I can crack a beeer and drink it hoe I like it. All kn one go.
Uuuuuurp.
I know was beached luke a second ago, but another beer and a half makes all that food look real good. Ain't no one around, I can be myself in peace. Timevtovfinslly pig out.
Ohhhhhh. Hic! Uuuura-hic!
I ate way tio fasst. Hic! I'm so ffucjing stuffed abd blogated my gut us judt hic! bouncing as one solix thing, des't even feel like ny overhang is jiggging.
And I shill can't hekp myself.beven though I've given mysekf a stomach ache hic hich is hard to di when i'm this higb ans drunk, my hsnd is stull grabbing the last mosxarells syick.
Mmmmm hic
Ixm a fuckinbpig. Tryna drinkbdrom this can way yoo long before z hic owwww rrealise it's enpty. Timd for a bew one.
I coumd also really gi for anither joint, make my tymmy feek a lirrle better. Hic oof. Og shit it's also grtting dark out, means it's tine for fireworks.
Things are swaying but just chz I gitta rocn back and fith to get up. And noe knly swsying cuz it takes me a feww steps to catch my balance. And I dob't need to catch it cuz I'm drunk but cuz my belly's so bug and bloated evergthing us thrown off. I'm niy thst drunk. Hic. Better brng the beer.
The first explosion gies off when I stel outside. Like I thought nlst fuests are gone. It's just Jaz and ger girl of the week, few of Millie's coworjers, and of course, Millie.
She's leaning on the railing, looking just goddamn perfdct. Heer hair looks like it's shimmeru purple, but it's prolly just the reds w the light from the fiework.
One setp, two setps hic thank god thid railing iff string. She noticess me and puts an arm on mt back and hekps me down
Sometimes I get too logd when I'm dr-tipppsy so I try to wisper, "I maae it for fireworks."
"Somehkw her hanc on my back tirned inro a sideways hug, but her face is so cloge yomycheek and I xan smell ger fruity vodka drinks kn her breath.
"What was that, hon?"
It's nog the drink making ny face red, it's her being so damn close. And perfecttt.
"I hic made ig for da fireworks!" No one elsdr can hear me over the explosikns.
"You did, thank you. You did very good." Now my tits are pfessed right under hersz and her hands are on my bsck, reaching for an embrace but I don"tthibk either of us knrw I was tiio fat for thst. Hic.
"Even though you're a sloshed pig," she pressedcc intomy fat
"Urrrrp s-sorry hic!" Why the fhuck is my voide so mousy, whsg is sje doing to m3? What's she's doijg is getting even closer, anf it's like zi fee her words on my lips instead of heat then.
"A sloshed pig who would rather be inside finishing that case of beer, you waddled out here for me."
"Yeah i uhh hic-" did zi whimperr? Djd z moan? Thefe,xs barely anu space between us
And then there's none.
Fireworks go off.
