King Me!

By Marianne Modica

It’s not enough to like a superhero; sometimes you have to be a superhero.

Life couldn’t be better for ten-year-old Ryan King. He spends his days playing video games, riding his bike, or snuggled close to his dad as they follow the adventures of their favorite comic book superheroes, the Inhumans. Ryan and Dad are a team, and Ryan is sure they can overcome anything, as long as they stay together. Then one day Dad gets a troubling phone call and nothing will ever be the same.

Ryan is placed in the care of an unfriendly aunt he never knew. New school, new friends, and a new foe—how will Ryan cope with so many new challenges at once? Ryan looks to his hero, Black Bolt, the silent King of the Inhumans, for strength—but will his comic book hero come to the rescue when real life bullies threaten Ryan and his friends? And where is Dad when Ryan needs him most?  

Reflecting the riches to rags tradition of classic children’s literature, King Me! chronicles one boy’s journey to discover his voice and become the real life hero everyone needs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Endless Press
• Release date: Aug 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536528985

Book preview

King Me!

By Marianne Modica

Illustrated by Mike Fichera

"King Me is the bittersweet story of a middle school boy who finds his inner super hero in the midst of a year of loss.  Using in-depth characterization and gentle humor, the novel explores how children may survive and thrive when they use their voices to help each other confront bullying, shame, and loneliness."

Dr. Lynne Vallone

Department Chair, Childhood Studies, Rutgers University

"Marianne Modica’s King Me is a well-paced and emotionally engaging novel full of moments that took me back to my own childhood as a comic book obsessed kid trying to find his place in a new environment.  Readers of all ages will find it engaging, funny and heartbreaking."

T. Perran Mitchell

Author of The Chronicles of the Tal Nor

The Inhumans, Black Bolt, and all other comic book characters named in this novel were published by Marvel Comics. This novel has not been authorized or sponsored by Marvel.

Copyright © 2016 by Marianne Modica

Illustrations and Cover Art by Mike Fichera

Cover design by Melanie Bridgens

Published by Endless Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address below.

Endless Press

15 S Church St

Spring City, PA 19475

[e-mail]

www.EndlessPress.org

To Benjamin, Meredith, Matthew, and Christopher. You’re all my favorite.

Table of Contents

1. THE LITTLE KING

2. EVERYTHING’S OKAY

3. EVERYTHING’S NOT OKAY

4. STILL NOT OKAY

5. REALLY NOT OKAY

6. AUNT MARTHA’S

7. MEET THE BOYS

8. THE EVIL PRINCE

9. SCHOOL

10. THE EVIL PRINCE’S SECRET

11. PHASE ONE

12. PHASE TWO

13. THE PLAN

14. THE NIGHT OF VICTORY

15. SOUND THE ALARM

16. BREAKING THE SILENCE

17. DAD

18. SILENCE

19. KING ME!

1. THE LITTLE KING

Ryan King sat as close to his father as he could without sitting in his lap, since he thought that would be too babyish for a ten-year-old kid. Instead, he leaned in close to his father’s side on their soft brown leather sofa. He studied each picture of the Inhumans carefully as Dad read from Ryan’s favorite graphic novel. Blackagar Boltagon, king of the Inhumans, was Ryan’s favorite superhero.

I wish Black Bolt could talk, Ryan said. It must be hard to sit there quiet all the time.

"Remember, he can talk," Dad explained.

Not without blowing up the whole world.

Sometimes silence is your best weapon. Having power is one thing, but knowing how to control your power is something else. That’s what makes Black Bolt a king, like you. Right, Little King?

Dad’s cell phone blared from across the room, and Ryan toppled over as Dad jumped up to answer. Ryan continued to read on his own until he heard a tap at the window.

Can you play? Chris, who lived across the street, stood outside between the window and a bush spouting little purple flowers. Chris’ bike leaned against the oak tree in the front yard (a cool tree for shade, but the branches were too high for climbing). Today was a perfect day to ride bikes, Ryan thought – warm but not so hot that they’d be sweating and dying of thirst in ten minutes. But maybe first they’d play some video games. Ryan hopped off the couch to let Chris in, still clutching his Inhumans book.

When Chris noticed the book, he rolled his eyes. Not that again. What kind of a superhero is he? he groaned, pointing to the picture of Black Bolt on the cover. He can’t even talk. And why do they call him Black Bolt if he’s white? I mean, nothing against black people or anything, Chris added in a quieter voice, glancing over at Ryan’s dad, who was still talking on the phone in the next room.

Dad frowned and Chris squirmed a little. Do you think he heard me? he whispered.

Still frowning, Dad walked into his study, shutting the door behind him.

I don’t think so, said Ryan. It’s the phone call. Something’s going on at work, but I don’t know what. Anyway, I’m black too, you know.

But you’re also half white, Chris pointed out, nodding toward the picture of Ryan’s mom that sat on the bookshelf. Your mom was white.

Yeah, but I don’t remember her.

You’re still half white.

But I look brown.

Chris held his arm next to Ryan’s. You’re not that much darker than me, especially when I have a tan. You’re half white, Chris insisted again. Ryan didn’t think of himself as half anything, but for some reason this seemed important to Chris, so he gave in.

Okay, whatever. Go ahead down – I’ll be there in a minute. While Chris headed for the video games, Ryan opened the study door a crack and tried to hear his dad’s phone conversation.

I know things are slow, Dad was saying. Yes, I know, we’re all hurting. Listen, I’m willing to work with you on this. I’ll give you a ten percent discount on your next order – how would that be? Dad was quiet for a minute. When he answered, Ryan couldn’t make out what he said, but he heard Dad’s voice fall as if something bad had happened. He wished Black Bolt’s superpower was super-hearing instead of super-voice. Dad hung up and looked over at Ryan.

What’s up, Little King? Dad asked, trying to smile.

What’s going on, Dad? Who’s hurting? Are we hurting? Ryan looked around Dad’s study. Everything looked normal – there was a new computer on Dad’s shiny wooden desk, a new stereo system on the shelf, and a large screen TV across from the desk so that Dad could watch the football games if he had to work on the weekends. The new tan carpet felt soft and cushy under Ryan’s bare toes, and Dad had just had the whole house painted, every room a different color, a few months ago. Gotta keep the castle fit for the Kings, right? he had joked. Downstairs in the family room, Ryan knew that Chris was deep into his newest video game, which Dad had bought for Ryan the night before, not even waiting for the used version to come out. What did Dad mean when he said, we’re all hurting? Ryan didn’t feel like he was hurting at all. Was there something that Dad wasn’t telling him?

It’s just the economy – nothing for you to worry about. You go ahead and play now. I have some calls to make. He closed the door gently before Ryan could answer.

Ryan stood for a moment, thinking. For now I’ll be quiet, like Black Bolt. But I’ll find out what’s going on and I’ll find a way to help. He ran down to join Chris in the family room, where a half-man, half-orc character was about to be imprisoned. As Ryan watched the images on the screen, he took a deep breath and pretended to let a tiny bit of his electron force field escape. He wasn’t sure why, but he had a feeling he was going to need every bit of power he could get.

2. EVERYTHING’S OKAY

Seven days later Ryan sat at the kitchen counter shoveling cereal into his mouth and staring at the back of the cereal box. Spider-Man’s face stared back, telling him about the web-shooting toy inside.

Why don’t they ever put Black Bolt on the box? he asked.

Dad poured himself some coffee. Huh?

How come Black Bolt isn’t famous, like Spider-Man? Why don’t they put him on a cereal box? Why don’t they make a movie about him?

No idea, answered Dad without looking up.

Ryan chattered on, the way he usually did at breakfast. Breakfast and dinner were the two times in the day that he got to talk to Dad, and Ryan took full advantage of them. I wish you hadn’t lost all those old Fantastic Four comics, he said. I wish I had the first one Black Bolt was in. I bet that’d be worth a lot of money now.

Hmm, maybe not so much. All of them together might be worth a couple hundred bucks.

Still, I wish I had them, Ryan said.

Yeah, me too. Dad leaned on the counter and looked out the window, as if he expected to find the comics hiding in the dewy grass.He didn’t seem to want to talk any more, so Ryan kept silent. Dad was different lately, distracted. Things must be bad at work. He looked different, too. Ryan noticed that Dad hadn’t shaved lately and that he was wearing the same grey sweatpants two days in a row, which wouldn’t have been unusual before school, when Dad worked out at the gym or jogged through the neighborhood, but yesterday he’d been wearing those same wrinkled pants and not his dressy work clothes when he picked Ryan up from the after-school program.

So what’s happening at school today? Dad asked, holding on to his coffee mug with both hands.

Not much. I have a math test, but it’s easy stuff.

Everything is easy when you’re smart. Dad smiled and Ryan felt a little better. I might pick you up early today, right after school, so be watching for me, okay?

Oh. Okay. Ryan’s stomach tightened again. Why would Dad pick him up early? He was always so busy at work. Something was definitely off, and maybe Dad needed his help. He decided to keep his ears open and wait.

The math test was easy, as Ryan had predicted. He finished first and spent twenty minutes reading his school library book, Bud, Not Buddy, while he waited for everyone else to finish. When Mrs. McSurdy finally collected the last test paper, the class trooped down to the lower school where Ryan got to read Captain