Water spewed from the elegantly crafted fountain, with tiny stallion steeds embedded along the rim of the fountain, each one painted differently. Children galloped and frolicked around the fountain as if they were the horses themselves. Quick fast movements of their tiny size three feet coincided with the quick beat of an old time boom box playing off in the distance. Bianca’s perfect braid held together by a red bow with white lace was tossed to and fro as Topher gracefully spun Bianca round and round and round. The ruffles from the aqua blue dress topped off with white lace flowed freely as the two performers made the brown and grey cobblestone ground surrounding the fountain their center stage. A small but reasonable fee was encouraged to be deposited into the red Mickey Mouse hat lying on the cobblestone, but it wasn’t enforced. Most audience members were quite generous but others spared only a few coins. Regardless the performers gave the audience a show worth watching. The enthusiastic little smiles the two had stamped on their faces gave the performance a little pizzazz. Parading around like she was just the cutest little thing, Bianca, attracted a crowd of great proportion, but, of course, the act wouldn’t be complete without Topher, the glue that held these two performers together.

Bianca and Topher had not a care in the world in the world and that is what made their performances so outstanding and real. Unconcerned about how much money they made that day or even week, Bianca’s only true reward was being able to be with her best friend Topher. The Dos Amigos is what the two called themselves, never leaving each other’s side. You wouldn’t see Bianca without Topher or Topher without Bianca. The two were inseparable!

“Topher, I wouldn’t have anyone to play with anymore if you ever went far away,” Bianca brought up as she and Topher lay in the grassy knoll just outside the city, gazing up at the star-filled sky where the possibilities seemed endless.

“I know! No one would be able to chase me as good as you do when we play tag,” added Topher.
“Yeah, I am pretty good at tagging you, hehe!” chuckled Bianca. “Pinky promise we’ll be friends forever, Topher.”

“Pinky…” started Topher.
“Promise!” finished Bianca as they hooked pinkies promising their endless friendship.

“Tag you’re it!” tagged Bianca as she disappeared into the knee high grass waiting for her best friend to find her. Minutes, then more and more minutes passed as Bianca became annoyed with waiting so she poked her curious little head up from the grass trying to be silent and not heard. She already knew Topher’s game tactics and would not be outsmarted this time. Once again Bianca crept back down into the grass returning to her previous hiding spot, oblivious from the world she waited and waited until she heard a snap behind her. She let out a loud shriek, “Eeeeep!” Topher had won yet again.

“Oh Topher! I thought I had surely won this time!” professed Bianca.

“I am the king of this game! My new name should be hmm, let’s see Prince Topher” he valiantly stated.

“Hmm I guess, but I get to be Princess Bianca,” reasoned Bianca.

“As you wish my princess! Let’s go,” Topher said as the prince and princess skipped hand in hand through the grassy knoll to find a place to lie down for the night.

The next morning Topher slowly opened his eyes. He let out a yawn that woke up all the sleeping birds in their nests causing a flock to fly over the sleeping two.

“Bianca get up! We have a big day today!” ordered Topher.

“Who is this Bianca you’re telling to get up?” questioned Bianca sarcastically.

“I’m talking to you silly!” said Topher not realizing what Bianca was trying to get him to say.

“Oh, are you?” questioned Bianca, “Last time I remembered I was a princess.”

“Oh, I get it now! Will you please get up, Princess Bianca?” corrected Topher.

The two finally began their day, first finding breakfast to give their little bodies energy for the entire day. They started rehearsing for the big performance today at the yearly festival. Finally, the time of day had come when the sun was at the highest point in the sky, when the streets began to overflow with people, and when the prince and princess were going to take center stage.

“Do you remember where to meet if we ever get separated?” asked Topher.

“Of course I do, Topher; we go over this every single day! We meet by the horsey fountain and wait until the other one shows up,” reassured Bianca. “Now that we got that settled, let’s go get ready for our performance.”

“Good idea!” agreed Topher.

“Here goes nothing,” released Topher as he held tightly to his princess, as the two walked to the center of the packed, thriving town center, filled with curious wondering eyes. Pockets filled with loose, unneeded change jingled throughout the crowd ready to be given to the highly-known street performers. The music began a slow melody as the two performers slowly made their way to their stage. A turn began the performance with the perfectly executed steps to draw in an even bigger crowd. Round and round Bianca turned as the tempo moved rapidly faster and faster. The crowd remained on their toes to see the next move the two would do. Once again a beat change came, and the music began to slow down and Bianca’s steps grew small and softer. The grand finale was approaching and Bianca’s and Topher smirked, knowing it would get a reaction. Bianca separated from Topher and sprinted fully ahead, running into Topher’s arms as he hoisted her up in the air and twirled her round and round. Bianca felt weightless and nothing in the world could worry her yet. The applause came soon after and continued for a good two minutes. Cheering, hugging, and applauding still continuing in the town center set enormous grins on the children’s faces. Among the chaos and celebration Topher and Bianca were both so intrigued by their fans that they were oblivious to the fact they on separate ends of the town center. Bianca, finally noticing Topher was not at her side, made her way to the fountain doing what she had promised. She lifted herself on the fountain in search of her lost friend.

“Topher! Topher! Topher!” she cried out with her voice filled with a little panic.

Topher soon realizing Bianca was not at his side and began to make his way to find his princess, knowing she would be worried. He elbowed his way through the crowd shouting in hope for a response, “Bianca! Bianca! Bianca!” Off in the distance he noticed a bright red bow and immediately made his way through the crowd like a bulldozer pushing through anything in his sight. Bianca at the same moment realized that it was Topher running towards her, so she started running towards Topher. Little as Bianca was she managed to push her way through the crowd. With only a couple feet of distance between the two, Bianca, in a blink of an eye, was snatched up like a spider devouring its prey.

“Bianca!” cried out Topher with the sound of heartbreak and terror as he saw his princess being taken away from him. He ran as fast as he could but the crowd was closing in on him not allowing him through. Tears streamed down his face still crying out for Bianca. “Someone help! Help!” Topher’s cry for help was left unheard in the crowd of hundreds; drowned out by the loud saxophones playing in the streets and the laughter and happiness filling the streets.

“Topher! Topher! Help me! Help me!” shrieked Bianca, tears falling down her young face as she struggled in the arms of her captor. Punching, screaming, and fighting for freedom, Bianca did only what instinct told her to do in order to live. Her cries for help went unheard; lost in the crowd, just another voice in the day’s festivities. With the screech of the black BMW’s brakes and the slamming of the car door, Bianca was gone. Topher too late, only saw the trunk of the BMW speed off into the city. Topher collapsed to his knees, hands in face, sobbing hysterically, knowing he would never see his princess again. Rising to his feet, wiping the tears off his face, he was on a mission to find his friend. He marched to the local police office and pushed open the door demanding service.

“How can I help you, young man?” asked the front clerk.

“I need to find my friend RIGHT NOW! Some man just took her and and… and he went away in the car… and what if he hurts her… and what if I don’t see her again… and we promised we’d be best friends forever and…” raced Topher speaking one hundred miles per hour.

“Slow down son, slow down!” ordered the clerk. “We’ll find your friend, don’t worry,” comforted the clerk. They brought the panicked Topher back to the interrogation room, questioning the young boy about the events. Two hours later, believing nothing would be done Topher ran out of the police station, sprinting all the way across the square towards the fountain waiting for Bianca to come back. Sleeping there all night, he awoke early in the morning praying Bianca would be there knowing it was very unlikely. All he could dream about was Bianca and their performance, and then of Bianca being taken away for the next couple of days. In the days following Bianca’s abduction, he saw the investigator who questioned him earlier approach him slowly with a lady in a grey suit. The lady took Topher away to a home with other children. Topher demanded to know, “What am I doing here; I need to be at the fountain to wait for Bianca!”

“Don’t worry, Son, we will find her, you just need to be in a safe place when she gets back okay?” fibbed the lady in the grey suit. Topher lived in the house for the next three years, depressed and hopeless, still thinking about Bianca every single day. He returned to the same fountain every day rain or shine, waiting for the return of Bianca. He knew he wouldn’t ever forget her and as soon as he saw her he would recognize her. Even though he knew they were both older now and physical features would have changed, he knew deep down inside he would know it was her; he could feel it.

Sitting at the fountain a couple months later on Bianca’s birthday, he finally realized that maybe she might not ever return to the fountain. Topher wiped his last tear, wished Bianca happy birthday and waved goodbye to the fountain for the last time. Walking slowly towards his home Topher looked back one last time and whispered to himself quietly, “Friends Forever…”

Off in the distance he heard a faint whisper yelling, “Topher!” Topher’s eyes widened as big as the fountain, his heart beat a million miles per hour, and he spun around so fast he almost knocked himself down. Topher then saw a girl running towards the fountain frantically.

“Bianca?” yelled Topher trying to decide if it was truly her. Bianca leaped into Topher’s arms grasping him tightly, telling Topher she would never let go. Topher held her tightly assuring that he would never let her go again.

“Oh, Topher, I just knew you would be here!” cried Bianca with tears of joy running down her face.

“My princess…” started Topher not being able to finish because he could not help but cry the same tears of joy as Bianca.

“I love you Topher!” cried Bianca, still in Topher’s arms. With that seal of love Topher knew Bianca would be in his life forever. The two sat at the fountain while they shared their horror stories of Bianca being kidnapped and escaping, making her way back to the fountain, and Topher’s loneliness feeling hopeless for Bianca ever returning.

“I love you too, princess,” ended Topher as Bianca fell asleep in his arms, finally feeling safe and reassured they would be together forever.