Newsies and Orphans

7

TW: Some Eating Issues

When we returned to the hall downstairs, it was fairly loud and busy, with everyone talking about sales for the day and many other, what seemed to me, nonsensical topics. I went over to where the girls were sitting, and started the eternal battle of making them eat.

"Come on, it's not mush. It's soup. Please girls, just eat. Just try it, I promise it'll be much better than mush," I try to encourage them. Behind me I can hear snickers and laughter from the nearby boys. "You know, if you think this is funny you're welcome to try. Maybe you'd like to put them to bed as well?"

There was a chorus of "no ma'ams," as they turned back to their own food, suddenly thinking it a lot less funny.

"That's what I thought. Thank you. Elsie, honey, please try now to splash it around. You know, if you all eat proper Annie will sing you a lullaby before bed." With that promise they were suddenly a lot more eager to start eating. "I ought to try that more often."

"Duffy, will you stop mothering and hovering?" July asks, looking up from her soup. "You need food too. Sit down and eat."

"I'm not hungry," I lie.

"Like hell you ain't hungry! You're skin and bones sweetheart, you need to eat," Race says, turning around from his spot behind us.

"I'm fine, I'll eat later. And quit swearin'. I told you I don't want that in front of the kids."

"Like you're bein' a better example, lyin, to us."

"I'm not lyin'. I'll eat after the littles are in bed."

"Don't listen to her. She ain't gonna eat," July says from her spot at the table.

"Yes, I am."

"No, you aren't Duffy! You always do this! You haven't eaten for-!"
"I'm fine July. So drop it," I glare at her.

"Not till you eat," Race interrupts, before challenging, "How long has it been? A few days? A week?"

"Since when did it become your business?"

"Since you became our business sweetheart. You wanna stay here, you're gonna eat. So how long has it been?"

"A week," July answers for me.

"A week?!"

"Who's starvin' ya?"

"Ain't no way you're alright!"

"She's exaggerating," I glare at July again.

"No, I'm not and you know it," She argues. "You've barely slept and I doubt you even ate breakfast this morning. There is no way you had enough change for a fifth apple this morning. You're lying to us, tryin' to do what's best for everyone but you!"

"That's not healthy sweetheart, and you know it," Race says, with what actually sounds like concern. "You can see your ribs."

"Look, if you're worried about my health, you can address it with me in private, but not in front of the littles. Got it?"

"Only if you sit down and eat somethin' doll, like actually eat something. We can't have you passin' out on us." Jack comes over and guides me down onto a bench, putting food in front of me. "I don' even know how you're still on your feet."

"Pure stubbornness," Pepper mutters.

"And she yells at me for bein' stubborn," Annie snickers.

"My stubbornness isn't going to get me thrown into the Refuge," I refute.

"Maybe not, but you'll end up in a hospital instead. And we can' afford that doll. So just eat, okay?"

"Okay." I resign and finally start on the soup in front of me. For some reason just thinking about eating was making my stomach queasy. I knew I needed to eat. I hadn't in days, and I'd been working to the bone, but the idea of food was just disgusting. Like I was stuffed and if I ate any more I'd puke. It didn't help that I could feel some of the boys watching me, whispering.

"Duffy, hey, you alright? You look sick," Pepper whispers, giving me one of her rare looks of concern.

"I'm fine, it's nothing, just-"

"Is she not going to eat?"
"She looks dead on her feet." Not being able to take it, I slam my spoon down on the table and get up, gaining unwanted attention as I walk out of the room. Especially from Jack and July.

"Doll, come back, you need to eat!"

"She's probably going up to the roof, Jack you should-" I stormed up the stairs, blocking her words out as I do so. 

She lives! Or do I... I do. I live. But now I disappear back into my cave of hibernation to create a completely different project. We love that.