Prologue.

"Stop it!"

"No, you little freak."

Tears threatened to spill out of her pink eyes, but she held strong. "How am I a freak?"

"Do you see your eyes?"

"Do you see yours?"

The boy glared at her with his crimson eyes, a snarl forming on his lips as she shoved her down the ground again. The girl sniffles, wiping at her eyes to get the tears to go away. "Yeah, go ahead and cry, baby."

xxx

7 years later, age 21

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Her orange hair flutters about as she nods enthusiastically. "Yes, daddy. I need to expand my horizons. I need to live!" Her father sighs, pulling his daughter into an embrace.

"You'll always be my little girl." He sobs into her shoulder.

"I know, daddy. I know."

xxx

The plane lands on the runway with a soft thud, rolling down until it comes to a complete stop.

"Attention Passengers. We have now landed in New York. It is safe to take off your seat belts and exit the plane. Welcome to New York!"

The redhead excitedly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her carry-on bag from under the seat in front of her. She steps out onto the aisle and eventually begins walking down the long pathway from the plane to the airport. The crowd moves slowly but she still follows, making her way over to the baggage claim. Finally in possession of her luggage, she makes her way outside the airport to make some phone calls.

"Hello?"

"Yes, daddy. I've landed."

"How was the flight? Are you okay? Did you crash?"

"It was fine, I'm fine, and of course we didn't crash!" She laughs into the phone, shifting her grasp on the luggage in her hand.

"Alright well… don't forget to call that girl and clarify the address. Call me when you're settled. Love you, angel."

"Love you, too, daddy!"

She hangs up the phone and walks over to the long line for the taxi. An exasperated sigh leaves her mouth as she pulls out her phone again, dialing the number she's become all too familiar with.

"Hell-oooo!" A voice sings through the phone.

"Hey, Bubbles? It's Blossom."

"Oh heeeeey, girl! You landed yet?" A fit of laughter escapes the girl's mouth and the redhead knows she's probably been smoking again.

"Yeah, I just wanted to get the address again. Just to be sure."

More laughter. "Oh okaaay! Well it's in the Lower East Side. Kay? Near Union Square, kay? I'll meet you at the Starbucks. Kay?"

"Oh, alright. See you soon."

"Adioooos, amiga!"

The line moves ever so slowly, and the girl's thoughts drift away. Bubbles seems like a nice girl. She found her on Craigslist while looking for somewhere to move when she got to New York. They've spoken on the phone quite frequently, trying to get to know each other so things wouldn't be weird once they've actually met face to face. Bubbles was energetic, loud, and super friendly. As far as Blossom could tell, she was some sort of hippie and obviously a stoner, as she always called something a 'conspiracy' and 'didn't want to fall into the hands of the government'. She also had a quaint fondness of animals.

She was told the apartment was small, but she didn't mind much. Everyone needed to start small at some point.

A taxi driver honks, and she looks up. "Where to?" He shouts from the driver's side. The people behind in the line grumble.

"Hurry up, you stupid shit!" Someone calls out from the back of the line. Classic New Yorkers.

The redhead shrugs it off and turns back to the cab driver. "Erm, the Lower East Side? Union Square?" The driver merely grunts and motions for Blossom to get in.

"Could you maybe, pop the trunk?" She squeaks.

"Oh, you're obviously not from around here." The driver chuckles, getting out of the car to put her luggage in. She nods slightly, slinking into the backseat.

"Well, welcome to New York!"

xxx

The taxi comes to a stop in front of a Starbucks in a very crowded area, across the street from a park and a train station.

"Is this the place?" She asks, looking around. This was nothing like Townsville.

"Yep," the taxi driver replies, opening her door. She steps out and looks around, taking in the large amount of people in that one area.

"How much?"

"Since you're new here, this one is free. Don't expect any other drivers to be so kind, though." He chuckles, removing her luggage from the trunk.

"Oh, thank you so much!" She nearly grabs him for a hug but she quickly stops herself. That's a Townsville thing, it'll never slide in New York.

"Yeah, well. Good luck."

He drives away and Blossom makes her way inside the Starbucks. As soon as she steps in, a skinny girl with large blue eyes and mid-back length blonde hair rushes up to her.

"Blossom!" She squeals, throwing her arms around her as if they've known each other their whole lives. The redhead sniffs and the faint smell of marijuana emits off the blonde. Yup, definitely a stoner.

"Hey, Bubbles," she says stiffly, obviously not used to such behavior. The blonde swats at her arm.

"Lighten up, girl! Come on, I have this stuff back at the apartment that'll loosen you up real good."

Her eyes widen. "Oh no, no. I don't do that stuff."

"Oh." She looks disappointed. "You don't mind if I…" She trails off, frowning slightly.

"Of course not! I don't mind at all."

The blonde smiled and hugged her again. "Oh, we're going to be such great friends! Here, let me get that." Bubbles grabs the carry-on bag and bustles out of the Starbucks.

"We're not getting anything here?" Blossom questions, eyeing the frappuccinos advertised on the door.

"I'd never drink that mainstream garbage! It's the governments way of controlling us!"

"Right… where to?"

"I'm gonna show you around!"

Blossom nods and begins to walk, accidentally bumping into a fast-walking woman. "Watch where the fuck you're going!" The woman shouts, continuing to walk fast. Blossom stares after the woman, flabbergasted.

Bubbles just chuckles and pats Blossom on the shoulder. "Welcome to 'The City That Never Sleeps'!"