“Yo, Rainbow?” A lime-colored young man called out as he poked his head into backroom.
 
Looking up from management’s clunky monitor and towards her co-worker, Rainbow nodded back as she swallowed the last bite of her protein bar into her mouth. “Hey, Sea Foam. What’s up?”
 
“I’m gonna go on break early. Can you watch the front for me?”
 
“Sure thing. Just gimme a sec.” After quickly double-checking the online orders she was working on, the heavy-set young lady rolled her chair back and hefted herself up, letting out a soft but audible grunt as she did so. She grabbed another protein bar before making her way out the backroom and towards front of the sporting goods store, feeling her whole fleshy body subtly sway with each step.
 
Having just passed the 400-pound mark, the formerly-spry athlete was really feeling the extra weight take its toll. The simplest acts and movements seemed more and more tedious by the day. As she felt herself growing slower and more lethargic, her already immense size and appetite seemed to be quickly skyrocketing.
 
Every week seemed to have some sort of weight- or size-related issue, from chairs breaking apart to uniforms ripping up. In fact, judging from how much she’s fiddled with the top button her new uniform to no effect, she knew it was once again time to order a bigger size. “C’mon, I just got this last week,” she muttered to herself as she approached the front counter where her slim co-worker was leaning and waiting.
 
“Thanks, I’ll be back in 20,” Sea Foam said he hopped onto his feet. He’s nearly out the front door before turning back to Rainbow. “Oh, and let me guess… you’re gonna want something from the food court?”
 
“Just fries and a soda. I’m trying to cut back a bit.” He agreed as he turned to leave, until Rainbow stopped him again. “Oh, and maybe some chili and cheese on top. Maybe some onions, too. Oh, and sour cream, some guacamole, and some bacon bits. Oh, and two sides ranch.” Sea Form simply rolled his eyes before finally heading out.
 
As Rainbow began to unwrap her bar, a customer stepped in and made her way towards the large shelf of running shoes, seeming to take her time as she scanned through each box. After about a minute passes and a third of her bar is eaten, Rainbow decided to walk over and help. “Hey, you looking for anything in particular?” She asked, putting on her best customer service voice.
 
The short-haired girl took a step back and eyed Rainbow for a second before answering. “Yeah, to be honest, I don’t really know anything about sports or fitness. I just wanted to get into running, and I’m not sure where to start.”
 
“Well, you came to the right place. The fitness experts here are always happy to help!” Rainbow said with the confidence of a trained retail worker.
 
“Cool,” the customer smiled back as she looked around, “So, where are they?”
 
“Uh, that’s me. I’m the expert,” Rainbow stated frankly as she took another bite of her treat. “Anyway, when it comes to finding the perfect running shoes, you’re gonna want something comfortable and lightweight. You’re also gonna want something with good shock absorption so you don’t risk injury. I’ve learned that from experience,” she winked.
 
Surprised, the customer cocked an eyebrow as she eyed the larger girl once again. “Wait, do you actually run?”
 
Getting a bit annoyed, Rainbow gritted her teeth as she tried to keep her smile up. “Yes, I do. They don’t call me Rainbow DASH for nothing,” she claimed proudly as she tapped at her name tag. “So, like I was saying.” She turned away as she bent down towards the bottom shelf, feeling her tight leggings awkwardly try to conform around her plush bottom. “These down here aren’t as light or breathable but they’re perfect if you plan on running out in the wilderness.”
 
“I- I see,” the customer blushed, trying to look away from the prominent sight before her.
 
Rainbow groaned as she slowly lifted herself back up, her body straining from the excess weight. She felt very embarrassed, not only because she needed to balance herself to stand back up, but also because she was actually managing to break a sweat from such a simple task.
 
Finally back on her feet, she wiped off her sweat and turned back towards her guest. “So, yeah. If you’re interested in any of- uh… you okay? Your face looks a little red.”
 
Suddenly, the customer’s eyes widened as she began to stumble through her words. “Sorry! No offense. It’s just… I was- I was just expecting someone who’s more… well, actually someone who’s less… you know…Heh, heh… And by less… I mean, like, waaay less… Um…” This carried on for a couple seconds too long, until she finally stops and recomposed herself. “So, do you carry size 10s?”