Panther (The Next Generation #1)

Prologue

The Pact

E lliott Thompson and JC Harrison sat in the window seat in JC’s room while their parents celebrated downstairs. Their feet were hanging over the edge with Elliott's extending longer than JC's and a bowl of M&Ms between them, both reaching in and popping a few in their mouths.

"You know what?" Elliott said to the little boy sitting next to him.

“What?" JC replied excitedly, ready to hear anything his new best friend had to say.

"Because you are littler than me, I have to protect you like my daddy do your daddy."

"Ok. Why?"

"That's just how things go. But you know what else?"

"No, what?"

"You gonna be president one day too. You know why?"

JC shook his head, “No.”

"’Cause you are smart like your mommy and people like you like your daddy. That's what my daddy says."

"You going to be big and strong like Uncle Brian."

"Yep, see." He held up his arm to let JC feel his biceps.

"Wow!" JC said as he felt his friend’s muscle. "You gonna stop the boys from calling me a mommy's boy at school."

"No that's not a bad thing. I'm a mommy's boy too.”

“But I want to be a big boy like the other boys at school.”

“But you're not like anybody else, that's what my mommy says. There is only one you. God made us like we are, and he don't make mistakes.”

"My daddy says that too," JC nodded. "You really think I can be president like my daddy is going to be?"

"Yep." Elliott nodded in agreement.

"Elliott, what's a president supposed to do?"

Elliott thought for a minute, then put his arm around JC's shoulder and said, "I don't know. But we'll figure it out together."

JC reached up and put his arm over Elliott’s shoulder. “Ok, cause that’s what friends do, right?”

“Right, friends figure out things together."

James Jr. and Little Calvin came over and joined the two friends. "What you doing?" James Jr. asked as he grabbed a few M&M’s and put them in his mouth.

"Talking about being friends,” Elliott replied.

"Will your mommy let you be our friend too?" JC asked.

"I don't know, maybe. But my daddy will." James Jr. replied.

“I thought we were already friends?" Little Calvin said as he took a seat next to JC.

"We are," JC said to his kindergarten schoolmate. “Now we have big friends and nobody at school will mess with us."

"That's right," James Jr. said as he sat next to Elliott. "’Cause we won't let them."

"Are you going to be around always?" Little Calvin asked.

Elliott put his hand out palm down. "Friends forever.”

James Jr. put his hand on top of Elliott's. "Friends forever."

Little Calvin smiled and placed his hand on top of James Jr.’s "Friends forever."

JC stood and put his hand on the top. "Through thick and thin, friends forever."

The boys all smiled, then took a seat and continued eating the M&M's. "What do friends do?" JC asked.

Elliott shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know, but we'll figure it out.”