"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Jason said reflectively.

"Yeah, it does," Robby replied.

"OK, then we should do it together," Jason decided.

The two boys ate in silence for a while, then Jason asked, "How much do you weigh now anyway?"

"Me?" replied Robby. "Oh, I haven't been on a scale since Stan left."

"Don't you want to know?"

"Yeah, I guess I should, especially if we're gaining together. I have outgrown my pants since Stan went - I guess I'm bigger."

"Let's go hit the scale in the gym then after we finish eating."

"Oh, we don't need to do that - I've got a scale in my room."

"Great!"

The two fat frat brothers finish chowing down in companionable silence, then head up to Robby's room. Jason weighs in first, and grimaces, then smiles as the scale kicks up to 245.

"You're not as big as I thought you'd be. How much bigger is that?" Robby asks.

"More than a freshman 15," Jason replies, "more like a freshman 25!"

"Good stuff. Now my turn," Robby says, looking happier than before. "The last time Stan and I weighed in, I was 265, but that was last year." He stepped onto the scale and the numbers blicked up to ...