Silence (Newsies Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Liana Marcs hurried through the streets of New York City, head bent. She slipped through the crowds, nearly tripping on the hem of her dress. Finally, she arrived at Medda Larkin's vaudeville theater. She stepped inside, entering through a back entrance.

"Liana!" two voices chorused. She took off her shawl and draped it over a chair, turning to face the redheaded twin girls.

"Hi Heather," she grinned. "Hi Elaine." The two girls sang and danced in a twin act at the vaudeville, and Liana had her own act where she sang.

"Hey Li!" a nineteen year old boy with long brown hair laughed, stepping out from behind one of the dressing room changing screens. "We thought that some tragedy had befallen you! You're five whole minutes late!"

"Shut up Jason!" she scowled playfully. "I got caught in a crowd." Jason was the piano accompaniment, and sometimes sang the male part of duets with Liana.

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the costume rack and started searching for her costume. Tonight she was wearing a simple, pale blue dress. It was her favorite costume.

She pulled it off the rack and stepped behind the changing screen, quickly dressing. She sat down at her vanity and let her long, golden hair cascade around her shoulders, removing it from its braid. 

"I get to do your hair tonight, Li!" Heather said, grabbing a brush off of her own vanity. "Lainey did it last night."

"Okay," Liana giggled. The three of them had been working together here for years, and the twins always alternated doing her hair and makeup. If show business didn't wok out for them, they wanted to work in a beauty parlor.  Liana had always been their doll, since they were sixteen and she was fourteen. It had been four years now.

When they finished, they stood back to admire their handiwork. Liana's golden hair hung in gentle waves. Her skin was perfect porcelain, and her gray eyes were highlighted with eyeliner and natural eyeshadow and mascara. Her lips were painted the color of a pink spring rose.

"Beautiful as always, Miss Marcs," Jason smiled at her. "You know, I remember your first performance. You were a shy little fourteen year old, half scared to death. Remember that white dress you wore? When you sang, the entire audience was in awe of that sweet, innocent girl with the voice of an angel. I remember thinking that this girl would grow up to be the star of our show. And I was right, wasn't I? You're almost as big as Medda herself!"

She blushed. "Thanks Jase."

He grinned. "We are so lucky you're part of our team. You are the perfect addition to our family."

"So what if we don't have any real family?" Heather said, standing on a chair. "We've got the best family of all! Me and Lainey are the big sisters, Jason's the annoying middle brother, and Li is the little sister!"

"Medda's our mum, then," Lainey giggled.

"Nah," Jason chuckled. "She's more like the cool aunt."

Heather nodded in agreement. "But what's with the special speech today?" she asked Jason.

He shrugged. "Four year anniversary of the day she first performed here."

"Really?" Liana asked. Jason had a photographic memory, and never forgot a date. If he was bored, sometimes he would throw a celebration for the three month anniversary of that one time Heather tripped and fell during her performance. He was exceptionally good at playing the part of the annoying brother sometimes.

"Yep," he grinned. "Seems like only yesterday!"

Miss Medda walked into the dressing room. "Alright kids," she clapped her hands. "Showtime! Jason, we need you on piano, Heather and Elaine, your act is first up after mine. Liana, you're after them."