The Corps - Chap 3

[luvyalots]

The following is inspired by a true story. All names and places have been changed.

Previously...Chapter 2

Evan joined the truck crew for the Allentown Cavaliers and met jockish hearthrob Dylan Parks and flamboyant color guard member Jimmie Perez.

Chapter 3: Beginnings

?So what exactly do you do on the truck crew for this marching band?? Simon asked Evan as the two best friends entered the pizza place downtown.

?Actually, it?s a drum corps,? he corrected him. ?And we do a lot of shit.?

Frankly, he didn?t know where to start. His whole body still ached from the past weekend, even though it was now nearly the middle of the week. His shoulders and back were sore from lifting everything from heavy instruments to ridiculously heavy water jugs, his legs and ankles throbbed from being on his feet for hours at a time?and he had developed a nasty sunburn on the back of his neck ? his mom had chewed him out for that one.
?Sounds pretty cool to me,? Simon smiled. Evan glanced at him with a strange look. ?Dude, you get to travel around the country all summer with a bunch of high school kids,? he explained.

?You mean a bunch of high school band geeks,? Evan added.

?Well,? Simon shrugged, ?I bet some of the girls are pretty sexy.? He spread his oversized mouth wide in a toothy grin. Simon Jenkins had always been a goofy-looking kid ever since the two met each other in kindergarten. In fact, Evan had been the only friend Simon ever really had. He wasn?t exactly good-looking with his big ears and thick eyebrows that almost joined together in the middle. And he wasn?t great on the social skills, either, having the unfortunate habit of blurting out the most random things at the most random times. ?Your brother?s probably gonna get a lot of kitty this summer,? he went on, his foolish grin growing even wider. Evan arced his eyebrows at his best buddy.

?Kitty? Oh, you mean pussy,? he interpreted.

?Yeah, whatever,? Simon replied, not changing his expression. ?Wayne?ll be getting a lotta pussy this summer.?

Yeah, Evan thought, while I sit on my fat butt watching Dylan Parks? chiseled body ram some color guard chick up the ass. Well, unless he decided to take up the guy?s offer to help him lose weight. He was supposed to call him and set up a time when they could meet, but frankly, he was scared ? scared of looking like a fool in front of a stud like Dylan.

Evan stared off into the distance, daydreaming about his drum corps buddy. Dylan was so hot ? possibly the hottest guy Evan ever knew in person. He had seen drop-dead gorgeous, muscular models in magazines and on the Internet, but he just never thought they existed in real life ? like they were photoshopped to look that way or something. Why can?t I be better looking or cooler?like Dylan, he asked himself.

?My dad played the drums once,? Simon interjected out of the blue. His eyes were glazed over as he gawked at nothing in particular. ?He was in some band and my mom followed him around all over the place.? Evan bit his tongue, trying not to laugh out loud.

?Well, it?s not exactly like that, man,? he stopped his friend before he went into one of his embarrassing stories that made people stare and shake their heads at him. ?I?m hungry,? he changed the subject, feeling his stomach growl. ?What do you want??

?Do they have pizza here?? Simon asked blankly. Evan looked at him oddly; he was being serious.

?Simon, this is a pizza place,? he droned.

?So?? Simon replied, a distant look on his face.

The two boys ordered two slices each and sat down to eat, instantly digging into their meal. Evan didn?t know why, but his appetite had skyrocketed in the last week. Maybe it had something to do with working so hard at drum corps or because he was working outside all day. In any case, it was sure to mean he was going to gain weight?more weight.

He looked over at Simon who was busy devouring his second slice of pizza. The guy didn?t realize how lucky he was. True, he was as skinny as a twig ? Evan?s arms were probably bigger than Simon?s legs ? but he could eat anything and everything and never gain a single pound.

Meanwhile, his big brother Wayne was growing muscles?and he never worked out much. It just wasn?t fair!

?So, if it isn?t Big Gamble and Jolly Jenkins!? Evan heard a boisterous, husky voice call from across the dining area. He closed his eyes, immediately recognizing it as Trey Boyd?s, the bully of the eighth grade class.

Like most middle school bullies, Trey was the top athlete in his grade, excelling at nearly every sport he tried. He was the star running back on his junior football team, the star center on his youth league basketball team and the star pitcher on his little league baseball team. Naturally, that made him the biggest, strongest kid in his grade as well. And as he grew up, he began to realize that he was physically far superior to his classmates?a fact he loved to rub in their faces.

?Never thought I?d find you guys here,? he pronounced. Evan didn?t dare look up, focusing instead on his pizza. His brother always told him to ignore bullies like Trey.

?Yeah, shouldn?t you be playing video games or something?? another voice added before breaking into obnoxious laughter. Evan clenched his teeth. He should?ve known Philip would be there, too. For every sport Trey was the best at, Philip d?Mbawe was always the second-best. And the two were almost never separated. No one knew which was worse, Trey?s taunts or Philip?s ability to make those taunts even more hurtful.

?We?re having pizza,? Simon boldly declared. The two bullies burst out in hysterics.

?No shit,? Trey guffawed, combing his hand through his golden blond hair, his biceps bulging in his T-shirt as he did. Evan glared at him, pissed that someone like him could have a body like that ? broad shoulders, thick arms, beefy chest. Evan had to admit he was pretty hot; too bad he was such a jerk.

?Just fuckin? go away,? Evan muttered. But as usual, that only fueled the bullies? fire.

?Ooooh!? Trey howled. ?Did you hear that??

?Yeah,? Philip replied, grinning broadly and showing off his gleaming white teeth. ?Gamble?s gettin? brave, ain?t he??

?I guess it?s ?cause he thinks all that blubber he?s putting on will make him big like us,? Trey mocked. Evan felt his blood boil; of all the things Trey and Philip picked on him for, it was his weight that ticked him off the most.

?Yeah, man,? Philip echoed. ?You have to start lifting weights if you wanna have muscles like we do.? Then, he lifted up his sleeve and flexed his biceps, a round, hard ball of muscle popping out of his black skin. ?Check that out, kid,? he teased. ?Check out that gun! Built with hard work and sweat.? He bent his arm back and forth a few times, watching his muscle flex and unflex.

?Yeah, you only sweat when you see food sitting in front of you,? Trey went on.

?In fact, are you sweating right now?? Philip goaded, jabbing his finger into Evan?s side and digging into his fat rolls.

?Hey!? he yelped, jumping out of his seat. ?Get offa me!?

?Aw, come on,? Trey ragged, harassing him from the opposite side.

?Stop!?

?Show us those abs,? Philip joked, trying to pull up Evan?s shirt.

?Stop it!?

?Hey, get away from him, you guys!? Simon suddenly yelled out. Trey and Philip froze, instantly turning their heads toward the smaller boy. ?Can?t you see he doesn?t like it when you guys do that?? Simon?s eyes were wide, his mouth shrunken down to a small dash on his face, his bony shoulders hunched up near his ears. For a moment, there was silence. Then, the two bullies burst out in laughter once again.

?Philip, I think Jolly Jenkins is finally growing a backbone,? Trey said. ?Too bad he can?t hold it up with that scrawny body of his.?

?Yeah, too bad,? Philip snickered, standing up again. ?We?ll catch up with you two losers later.?

?Yeah, maybe in the weight room,? Trey added. The two turned and headed out the door, laughing all the way. For nearly a whole minute, not a word passed between Evan and Simon. Finally, the smaller boy let out a sigh.

?You know,? he began, ?maybe they?re right. Maybe we should work in more.? Evan looked up at him worriedly.

?You mean, work out?? he corrected him.

?Yeah,? Simon answered. ?Maybe then they wouldn?t pick on us all the time. Guys with muscles don?t get picked on.? Evan looked at his best friend in agreement. He was right; Trey and Philip never got made fun of because they were big and strong. And Dylan probably never did either.

Evan tightened his jaw. That was it. He was going to call Dylan when he got home. The days of being the butt of fat jokes were going to come to an end.



?Call me when you?re done,? Evan?s mom chimed as she dropped him off in front of Dylan?s house.

?Yeah,? he muttered, climbing out of the truck, hoping she couldn?t hear his heart pounding inside his chest. He hadn?t told her the real reason why he was here; as far as she knew, the two boys were just going to hang out. How could he tell his mom that he was going to be training with Dylan, a guy he had just met? Evan gulped as he headed up the front walk.

The Parks? house looked nice, he noticed. The bushes along the driveway were neatly trimmed, the lawn had been recently mowed ? he could still smell the freshly cut grass ? and a basketball hoop hung above the garage. The front door was already open, but Evan rang the bell anyway.

?Come in!? Dylan?s voice called from within. Taking a deep breath, Evan opened the screen door and stepped inside. The living room was, well, livable ? plush sofas, wooden furniture, a brick fireplace with trophies and sports memorabilia on the mantle. There were even posters of professional athletes ? some of them signed ? on the walls. The place was so much cleaner than his house, which always seemed to be a mess. ?What?s up,? Dylan chimed, coming in from the kitchen. He was wearing his usual tanktop, showing off his muscular arms. As a matter of fact, Evan couldn?t remember Dylan wearing anything else?unless of course he went shirtless altogether. ?Thought you?d never come,? he added, smiling.

?Yeah,? Evan smiled meekly back. ?Where?s your??

?My dad?? Dylan finished his question for him. ?He?s out. It?s been long enough since the divorce for him to start dating again.?

?Oh,? Evan said. He didn?t even know Dylan?s parents were divorced?and he certainly didn?t seem too upset about it. That made Evan even more poignant about his own father, even though it happened when he was little. Neither his mom nor anyone else in the family ever talked about it?

?Come on,? Dylan smirked, jerking his head toward the kitchen. Evan followed. ?I found some articles about what you should eat and stuff,? he stated, pointing to a small stack of magazines on the table. Evan numbly thumbed through them and looked up at Dylan with a beleaguered expression. What was he getting himself into? ?I?m planning to be a trainer and nutritionist when I grow up,? he explained, grinning proudly. ?You should probably change out of those jeans. They?re not good to run in.? Run? ?My dad has a pair of old track pants that might fit you.?

?Thanks,? Evan mumbled, only because he didn?t know what else to say. Frankly, he felt overwhelmed by it all. Dylan peered at him and smiled warmly as if he was somehow trying to make Evan feel better.

?It?s a lot to stomach, isn?t it?? he admitted. Evan nodded meekly, pushing his glasses up his nose. ?We?ll just have to take it one step at a time. Set goals. Keep track.? Evan stared at him in admiration. The guy knew what he was talking about. He watched Dylan?s lips move as he spoke, how confident his eyes were. If I only had half the confidence he does, Evan said to himself, or the looks?

?We should see how much you weigh. You know, get a starting point.? Evan?s eyes went wide.

?What?? he stammered. ?You mean, right now??

?Yeah,? Dylan replied. ?That way we can figure out where we wanna go from here.? It didn?t quite make sense to Evan, but for some reason he trusted his new buddy. Anything would be better than the way I look now, he thought. Dylan dug into a nearby closet and took out an old digital scale. ?I think the batteries still work in his thing,? he said out loud as he placed it onto the floor and gestured Evan to step on it. Hesitating, he obeyed. He didn?t want to look down for fear of what he might see. ?189 pounds,? Dylan read.

?Yikes,? Evan hissed, instantly stepping off the scale as if it were a bed of hot coals. That was a lot of weight on a 5?3? 14-year-old. Dylan laughed at his reaction.

?Don?t worry,? he assured him, ?that number is gonna go down. Trust me.? Evan wanted to, but as badly as he wanted it, he couldn?t imagine himself skinny like he was when he was little.

Next it was Dylan?s turn to get weighed ? 140 pounds. Immediately, Evan felt self-conscious again. He was almost 50 pounds more than Dylan! ?Well I hope that number goes up this summer,? he quipped. Hey, you wanna trade, Evan sneered to himself.

Minutes later, the two were headed toward the high school track a few blocks away. Evan was wearing Mr. Parks? old track pants ? the kind with zippers along the sides ? and the sound of the material scrapping together as he walked was already driving him crazy.

?We?ll start with one lap,? Dylan announced, beginning to stretch out. As he mirrored his buddy?s moves, Evan looked around at the track. A lap seemed like an awfully long distance. But I have to, he thought, biting his lip, if I want to lose this weight. Suddenly, Dylan stripped off his tanktop, revealing his flawless six-pack. God, could it be any more perfect? Evan nearly sprang a boner right then and there. Dylan glanced down at himself.

?Pretty impressive, huh?? he beamed. ?Your abs can get like this someday.? Evan glared at him skeptically. ?It only takes a lot of sit-ups and stuff.? He took a step closer to him, poking himself gently in the stomach. ?Come on. Touch it,? he urged. ?Feel how hard they are.? Evan gulped. Trying to keep his hand was shaking too much, he reached out and pressed lightly against Dylan?s abs. Holy shit, they were hard; it was almost like touching rock. He wanted to keep touching those abs, admire their beauty, but he pulled away before it became awkward.

?I don?t think mine could ever look like that,? he said.

?Aw, come on, bro!? Dylan refuted. ?You never know what you have under there.? More fat, Evan guessed. He was sure he didn?t have abs like that. ?Let?s go,? Dylan began, running in place, his slim pecs rippling up and down. And with that, they started around the track at a slow jog.

At first, it wasn?t so bad to Evan; he was somewhat surprised by how quickly he could move. But before they reached even the first curve, he felt his breath begin to quicken and his heart started pounding inside his chest. In half a lap, he had slowed down to a near-walk. His body was screaming at him to stop.

?Keep going,? Dylan encouraged from alongside, not even breathing hard. ?Don?t quit!? Despite his legs threatening to collapse from under him, Evan pushed on. He was going to run this lousy lap. He had to! He could see Trey sneering at him in his head, Philip laughing right beside him. He wanted to silence those two jerks forever. He wanted to show them that he wasn?t some fat loser who was going to sit on the sidelines and watch them become bigger and stronger while he just got fatter.

It was his life and no one was going to tell him how to live it!

?That?s it!? Dylan yelled as he crossed the finish line, finally completing a full lap of the track. Immediately, he crumpled to the ground, huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath again. ?Whoa, don?t sit down,? Dylan cautioned him. ?Stay standing or you?ll get a cramp.? He helped Evan back up, his biceps bulging out of his arms as he pulled his heavy mass to his feet.

?I did it,? Evan gasped, barely able to get the words out.

?Yeah,? Dylan smiled. ?Not bad for the first lap.? Evan looked up at him sharply. The first lap? There was more? He was already exhausted! ?Take a quick break.? He handed Evan a bottle of water, which he guzzled, not caring that it dribbled down his chin and onto his T-shirt. Damn, water never felt so good! He looked over at Dylan. The guy hadn?t broken a sweat and was breathing completely normally. Meanwhile, Evan was already drenched in sweat and was barely surviving. Man, I have a long way to go, he thought.



Evan took another bite out of his hot dog. God it tasted so good! Come on bro! Dylan yelled at him. Evan looked up to see his buddy standing there wearing only a pair of tight boxer briefs like an underwear model. His ripped torso was bronzed and glistening with sweat. And there was a sizeable bulge in his crotch. Come on! He yelled again. Let?s start running. Evan glanced at the half-eaten hot dog in his hand and then down at himself. He was wearing the yellow sweatsuit his Aunt Susie had given him for Christmas when he was five years old. Somehow it still fit him?sort of. He could just see his belly button peeking through. Oh yeah. He was trying to lose weight. I?m right behind you! But Dylan had already started running into the morning mist. His ass looked amazing in those briefs. Evan shoved the rest of the hot dog into his mouth and began jogging after him.

Hey you want another one? Evan looked to the side of the track. Trey Boyd was standing next to a hot dog cart wearing an old-time pinstripe suit and straw hat and was offering him another hot dog. The thing was dripping with mustard and relish. Man it looked so good! Evan licked his lips. Aw he could catch up with Dylan later. He grabbed the hot dog out of Trey?s hand and took a huge bite. How ?bout a cheeseburger? Trey shoved a greasy cheeseburger into his face which Evan instantly grabbed with his other hand and starting eating that too. He didn?t care that the mustard and melted cheese were dripping down his chin and onto his clothes.

What are you doing? Dylan suddenly appeared out of nowhere. But now he looked even hotter than before! His abs looked more cut. His chest looked fuller. His shoulders slightly broader. And the bulge in his briefs a little bit bigger. Stop eating and run you fat bastard! Evan glanced down at himself again. His gut was now completely sticking out now and rolls of fat were hanging over at his sides. He really should start exercising?but this food was so good?

How ?bout some cookies fatso? Trey suggested. A few feet away sat a platter full of his Grandma?s butter cookies. Evan?s mouth watered. He immediately dove into the heap and devoured them by the handful. Then he saw a plateful of rich brownies and began gobbling them up too. He was in heaven! Just then he heard a ripping sound coming from the seat of his pants. He knew his sweatpants must of split from his growing butt but he didn?t care. He just kept right on eating. Have some cake! A huge birthday cake just like the one his mom had made for his tenth birthday appeared. And it was surrounded by all kinds of pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Lemon Meringue. Evan couldn?t get enough food in his hands before he had them up to his mouth. And with each bite grew fatter and fatter.

I said stop eating and run! Evan looked back up at Dylan. He also was growing bigger by the second. His arms were thick and covered in veins. His legs were huge and pumped. His pecs were so gigantic they were touching his chin. And his cock was threatening to burst out of his now-miniscule briefs. Evan moaned as his own blubber arms tore his sleeves apart. But the food in front of him was too good to stop. Fried chicken. Macaroni and cheese. A steaming trough of spaghetti and meatballs. As his fat rolls continued pouring out in every direction Dylan?s muscles were expanding in every direction. Out of nowhere a scorching hot chick twirling a rifle dropped to her knees in front of Dylan like a dog. He tore off his briefs and plunged his massive cock into her ass like a pile driver. Evan didn?t want to watch and tried to eat an Italian sausage. But there was so much fat heaped onto his arms and chest he could hardly even reach his mouth.



?Ok, wake up! We?re home!? Evan?s mom announced as she parked the car in the driveway and turned off the engine. Evan snapped out of his dream?no, nightmare. What was he getting himself into? Why did he think he could lose all this weight, change his life? It was hopeless; he was always going to be fat. Always. ?You ok, Evan?? his mom asked.

?Wha?? Evan replied groggily. His muscles were killing him. His whole body was killing him. Dylan had made him do five more laps around the track. By the end, he couldn?t even walk, let alone jog. And then Dylan had him do other exercises?the worst of which were the sit-ups. Ugh! He hated those; he felt like he was going to throw up afterwards. He had never been more tired in his whole life.

?You look worn-out,? she said with a slight look of worry on her face. ?You boys weren?t roughhousing too much, were you??

?Uh, no,? Evan stammered. ?I?m just?? God, he couldn?t even think without it hurting. ?I don?t know,? he gave up.

?Well, you can go take a nap or something before dinner,? she suggested. Evan scowled to himself, slouching his shoulders. He was starving though despite that, food was the last thing he wanted right now.

As soon as he got into the house, Evan trudged into his bedroom and dumped his backpack on the floor. All those magazines and articles Dylan had given him he could check out later. He headed down the hall to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His mom was right; he did look tired. His eyes were drooping and his hair was wind-swept from being outside all day. He sighed. I?m never going to look like Dylan, he thought.
Evan haphazardly looked down and saw the bathroom scale. He bit his lip. When he weighed himself earlier that day at Dylan?s, he was 189 pounds. 189 pounds of fat. 189 pounds of lard. Nothing probably was different; he?d still be 189?but why not. Slowly, he stepped onto the scale and waited for the needle to settle.

187.

Wait, 187? 187 pounds? He lost two pounds since this morning? That couldn?t be right. He bent down and checked the scale; it was old, maybe broken. No, the needle was definitely centered on zero when he was off it. He stepped on it again?still 187.

Evan turned back to the mirror. He really had lost two pounds already. Suddenly, losing all that weight didn?t seem impossible anymore. Maybe he could really do it!

[mlbjock]

I remember the first time I went to the gym with my buddy. You captured that fear and uncertainty. I just wish I'd lost 2 lbs after my first workout.

[tagsnola]

Originally Posted by mlbjock

I remember the first time I went to the gym with my buddy. You captured that fear and uncertainty. I just wish I'd lost 2 lbs after my first workout.

... bring back memories of my first time too! Catches the mood perfectly. As well as all the conflicting thoughts. Can I do this? Can I change? This is developing into a great story.

[Ender]

Super... Three cheers for Evan... he got pass the biggest stumbling block (hopefully he won't mess up and need to get past it again), He is willing to believe that "HE CAN CHANGE"... If you can't do that there is no point in even trying...

I will ignore that the 2lbs are likely just water weight and he's a bit dehydrated or that one or both of the scales he weighed himself on are not calibrated so comparing a reading from one with a reading from the other is meaningless... what he doesn't know won't hurt him for now and he needs to believe that change is possible and in himself (and Dylan) that he (they) will make it happen.

Hopeful Dan won't screw things up too bad... but if that wasn't what is going to happen he wouldn't be in the story...

Ender