Chapter Text
Early mornings, Pie Eater was up bright and early, just enjoying peace to himself before Jack called them to get up and the lodging house was minor chaos with newsies trying to get as ready as possible for the day.
Early mornings, as well, Pie Eater craved food. Even if he wasn't really hungry, he still craved something to eat, something to chew on, to enter his body and leave no room for feelings, just that sensation. But he really wanted more than just bread.
"Albert! Elmer! Racer! Specs! All a' ya boys, get up! Time to get a move on!"
That's the chaos que, which is also why Pie Eater woke early; he'd never want to get up when someone told him to, or just when he really had to.
★
He was half dressed, not wanting to fully get ready so he wasn't waiting around. He watched as other newsies lazily got up, forcing themselves up from their only half comfortable at least beds, getting clothes, hats and shoes on.
He was done early still, so he waited by the door. Race and another newsie he always talked to came there soon after. Pie forced his gaze away from them.
★
When they got outside, all in a heaping crowd, the nuns were there, like always. Thank God for them. Pie Eater always thought, Literally.
They handed out bread, like usual. It was plain, dry most of the time, but Pie Eater made do with it.
In fact, it was gone in seconds. Whenever he finishes his food he looks up to see that no one else was done but him.
He was just a fast eater, that's what his momma used to tell him, back when he was younger. Back then he got a decent amount of food, and his mommas favorite thing to make was pies. That's how he got his name; pie was his favorite food. He almost always wanted it.
He loved that name. It made sense, he liked it, and it reminded him of his momma.
Yet he remembered bad moments with food. Sometimes he would eat so much he'd feel sick, and that became a habit. Especially when he was upset. Just to get stuff out of his mind.
Food was his only comfort.
Everyone had started walking to get their papers, Pie Eater running to catch up. He was slow, maybe if he wasn't so weak he'd be faster. Maybe if he stopped getting in his own head he wouldn't need to catch up.
"'Ey, weasel! Mornin' to ya!" Race slammed his arms onto the counter, winking at Wiesel and then batting his eyelashes.
"Just pay up or leave, I ain't got time fer this." Wiesel rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself. Pie Eater stifled a giggle to himself.
"A'right, a'right." He put down his money and took his stack of papes.
Pie Eater must have zoned out because it was his turn when he looked back up. Wiesel was staring at him expectantly. "Oh, 50 please, weasel!" He set down his money.
He heard Wiesel sigh to himself, getting the stack for him. Pie Eater took it gratefully, and rushed off to find a good selling spot.
★
If Pie Eater now told himself from last week he had enough to buy himself a good enough meal, he would've called himself crazy.
But now he had something from the cheap-enough restaurant a block from the lodging house. He didn't want to eat in front of others, no, that thought alone made him uncomfortable.
He found a good bench and took his food. A sandwich and pasta. A little cold, sort of flavorless, almost, but it was much better than the nuns bread. No offense nuns!
He ate the food, hardly leaving space for fully swallowing, or breaks. But his food was gone in two minutes, at most, he at least thought. And he frowned, that was quick.
Now he had to get back to the lodging house, though, he could worry about the urge to eat more later.