𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 ; 𝘛𝘦𝘥 𝘹 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 ✗

𝟏.

1955

The Ted Wheeler people knew in Hawkins was the epitome of an upper middle class white American. He worked six days a week, always on time, always striving for diligence. He was a loving father of three, his oldest, Nancy, a straight A student, his middle child, Mike, a popular athlete, and his youngest, Holly, the sweetest child in town. The man was even a devoted husband, living with his wife of almost two decades and his honorable kids in the house at the end of the cul-de-sac. Most would say Ted lived the American dream. But those who knew him before he turned his life around would tell you how bullshit it all was.

And they would be right, as they know the real Ted: The Ted from 1955.

He was fourteen back then, had barely gone through puberty, and had one distinct characteristic that he was known for around the trailer park. Ted was a fat kid. And not just a little chubby, he was almost obese, weighing in at 180 pounds when he was barely in high school. And Maya Wheeler was not having it. Embarrassed by how big her son had gotten and not concerned with why he was the way he was. Neglecting his issues that could've solved the problem if she would've cared to ask how he was doing every once in a while.

The rest of the family—Ted's father, mother, and sister, Coleen—were all thin, making Ted feel like the odd one out, even at home. Dinner time was always the meal where they'd sit down together, and the meal that humiliated him the worst. Sitting around him were all these skinny people eating unhealthy foods, while he was stuck eating another salad that consisted of spinach, eggs, and peppers. Not even dressing as Maya felt ranch was too fattening. And to drink it was always just water. A very depressing meal for a very depressed boy.

Then to add to him eating clean, his mother forced workouts on him, signing him up for swimming, track, baseball, any and everything. Sports that really pushed Ted to his limits, the boy vomiting every day in the beginning. Eventually, weight did come off, but not enough to make his mother satisfied, or enough to make Ted stop viewing himself as the fat kid.

He still very much hated his life, packing his things up to leave but never actually taking the step of running away from his parents. Years of ridicule and feeling worthless made him not believe in himself anymore. Driving him to a mindless state. Searching for an escape.

When he first found that escape, he didn't realize it. Because it didn't seem like much of anything. Just his mother deciding to add another healthy topping to his salad.

Grilled Chicken.

The new addition made his relationship with food change a bit. Suddenly, he was excited for supper, as the flavor of the chicken overshadowed everything else on the plate. It tasted nice for once, and it made Maya so happy to see her son so enthusiastic about her cooking.

So what was his reward for being good? Chicken. His comfort food when he was having a bad day? Chicken. The thing to make him feel better when he was sick? Chicken. It was always chicken.

It got to the point where his mother was cooking chicken 3 times a week, and Ted was eating it for five. This was really starting to piss off his sister who was getting tired of having the same thing all the time, feeling like all of their meals were becoming unhealthy. And she hated that she cared about the fact that there were no vegetables on her plate, but Coley felt something had to change to keep the rest of the family from being overweight like her brother was.

The solution was just to get rid of the problem: Chicken. Coley went on a rampage, throwing out the chicken leftovers, getting refunded for the uncooked chicken, hiding the deep fryer, and making sure every reminisce of the chicken was gone. And then she cooked a much healthier option. Spinach casserole.

To say Ted was displeased was an understatement. The boy, with all the strength he'd built up from sports, flipped the table, spilling the casserole everywhere. Then, a fight broke out between he and Coley, the girl struggling to escape the rage of her brother. After minutes of watching this go down, their mother finally broke it up, sending them to opposites areas of the trailer. During their time of isolation from each other, Coley had her things packed, leaving through her window.

That was the last time anyone ever saw her, as on her way out of town, Coley was taken. Kidnapped by someone she once loved and trusted and never found.

The loss of another child nearly killed Maya. She was forced to engage in things that would help her forget. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. Completely neglecting her youngest and only child left, which meant she no longer bothered him about his food. Which also meant, Ted could eat what and whenever he wanted, and eat he did.

He went from eating chicken a few days out of the week to the entire seven days, slowly gaining the weight back as he started choosing chicken over extracurriculars. Even school sometimes when the work was just too overwhelming and he needed to release.

Ted didn't care that he was the fat kid again. The chicken never judged him. It made everything better. So what was the point of being healthy? He'd rather live happily with a greasy, golden-brown, crunchy chicken breast on his tongue than miserable with tasteless leaves and plants. And he wasn't shy about it, his obsession well known around his school, earning him a new tittle.

Ched. Chicken eating Ted.

Ted had been eating chicken everyday since he was 16 years old. And after getting married and having kids, it still didn't stop his habit. He just got creative with hiding it. To make his family and everyone around him think that he was more put together than he was. To cover up his evident problem.

Now he only ate it late at night, in the attic. He'd turn on baseball and indulge himself in the taste, the texture, the structure. The way it would sizzle when he bit into it, like it was praising him for giving it so much attention. He'd lick his fingers during it, the crumbs dancing on his tongue. Sometimes Ted would even dig his fingers into it, ripping apart to get to the meaty middle. Something about the control he had over his food gave him tingles, butterflies infesting his stomach. It wasn't just his favorite thing on earth, it was also the only thing he was sexually attracted to. The chicken could do more things to him than Karen ever could. And that's how he knew...

...he was a Chickensexual.

To be continued...

I know I said Chicken like a million times but I mean...he really likes it. Would you like the next chapter to be about Nancy or Mike?

[6/8/21 | 1206 words]