I'll Be Okay.

Before

"Hi, I'm your new neighbor, my names Johnnie." the little boy held out his hand to the girl tugging on her mother's skirt from behind.

"Amanda, be nice. say hi." the woman looked down disapprovingly at her little girl.

Amanda crept out from behind her mom and brushing her bangs away, she took the little boy's hand into hers. "I'm Amanda."

"So Amanda, want to come over to my house and play? I've got this huge collection of toys I would love to show you!"

Amanda looked up at her mother who pushed her along. "Go ahead. Be back at six though. Don't wanna miss dinner."

Johnnie took Amanda's hand once more into his own and pulled her across her front lawn. "We're gonna be the bestest of friends!" he exclaimed and turned his head to flash a smile. "I can already tell."

"But I just met you." Amanda said questioning his instincts.

"So?"

"So... So you're still like a stranger to me." she said.

"Well someone once told me, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." he said, bringing her up the stairs of his house.

"Oh. Okay then. We're friends. But I won't lie, I'm a pretty lousy friend. I can't even look after myself sometimes." Amanda squirmed a bit, standing at the door of Johnnie's bedroom.

His walls were painted with a new coat of blue and his bed had rocket prints on the sheets. Typical. His bookshelf was filled with comic books and a beanbag slouched in the corner. Amanda let her eyes wander as Johnnie stumbled with a response.

"Well... Well then... I'll just have to look out for the both of us!" he said enthusiastically, smiling at the 8 year old girl still frozen in place.

"Really?"

"Really. I've got your back, no matter what."