A/N: This story popped into my head randomly a while ago, and after battling with Writer's Block, I deleted it. I've decided that it's time to get it back up here, and I hope that I can continue writing. (Get away, Writer's Block!!) This is a Curtis Sister fic, but I hope it's a little different than what most are used to... Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I am not the lucky owner of such great characters….well, except for the two girls. They're mine.

PROLOGUE

"Momma, I can't find my bunny!" Marigold Curtis screeched as she tore out of her tiny bedroom, trying to pull on a pink tennis shoe. Hopping on one foot, she slipped the other foot into the small shoe and nearly ran headlong into her mother.

"Goldie, please be careful!" Her momma sighed, practically dropping a scalding hot mug of coffee on the recently clean kitchen floor.

"But Momma, I have to meet Frannie before she goes away!" The small girl wailed, tears threatening to spill from her baby blues. The woman smiled at her daughter and pulled her into a hug.

"Honey-bunny, I'm sure you'll see Frannie again! She's only moving to the other side of town!" The woman said as she sat the mug on a nearby table and bent to tie the child's shoe.

"But what if she gets lonely? We promised we'd trade before she left, Momma," the girl wailed.

"Well why not go see if one of your brothers decided to play with it?" The woman asked as she stood from her stoop and moved to reclaim her coffee mug. As if a light bulb had gone off, the girl tore out of the kitchen, through the living room and down the old rickety stairs of the front porch.

"Sodapop Curtis, why did you steal my bunny?" The shrill wails of six year old Marigold could be heard up and down the block as she ran up to her three brothers playing with their friends on the front lawn.

"Aw Goldie, your bunny wanted to fly," answered her brother's best friend, Steve Randle. As he said this he threw the small stuffed pink bunny rabbit high into the air and into the hands of seven year old Sodapop Curtis. The two boys threw the rabbit back and forth, as four year old Ponyboy stood in the middle, trying to catch it.

The small girl with sunshine-blonde hair nudged her little brother out of the way and jumped, trying to catch the bunny just as a man and woman came out on the porch across the street. Instead, Steve caught it and let out a whoop as the girl turned to glare at him.

Without another word, the little girl ran up to her brother's friend and kicked him in the shin, hard.

"OW! Goldie!" He bellowed, dropping the bunny into her arms as he bent to rub his now sore leg. Laughing, Sodapop walked up and knocked him on the shoulder.

"She got you good, Stevie!" Soda pretended not to see his best friend glaring at him and ran to hide behind his big brother, Darryl.

"It was your idea to use the doll as a ball." The dark eyed boy muttered.

Goldie's appalled screech of "She's not a doll!" was drowned out as another little girl ran to join the other children.

"Frannie-bananie, did you come to say goodbye?" Sodapop shouted, popping up from behind Darry, as the girl hugged Goldie.

"Don't call me that, Coca-cola!" Frannie whined. She turned to Goldie and tried to smile.

"I brought my bear to trade, Goldie, just like we promised!" And sure enough, Frannie pulled a small grey bear that was missing its left eye out of the bag resting on her shoulder.

"It's PEPSI-cola, and only Dad can call me that," Soda grumbled as he turned to see what Darry, Steve and Pony were doing.

"Francesca, we have to be going now, sweetie!" The man on the porch called as they moved to get into their car. Quickly the two girls traded animals and hugged.

"You have our phone number, right? You'll call as soon as you can?" Goldie asked, suddenly afraid that she'd never hear from her best friend again. The other girl nodded, just as sad.

"Don't worry, Goldie-locks, I'll be in touch. I'll beg Ma to let you come for a sleep-over as soon as we're unpacked. Take care of Walter for me!" Frannie called as she ran to join her parents in their car. As she buckled her seat belt she turned and waved to Goldie.

The little girl stood on the sidewalk, waving back, as her best friend's smiling face moved out of sight. Frannie was just moving to the other side of town. They'd be in touch, right? It's not like much would change. Yet somehow, as the sound of boys wrestling in the leaves grew louder behind her, Goldie wasn't so sure. To a small child, right across town meant halfway across the world.

Please review!