*NOTE: For any audiobook listeners, check out the audiobook recordings of BOY KING beginning in the first chapter by kaelking12 who not only is co-writing the book but also doing the voice over for you guys! This prologue has been recently revised (9/12) so we'll have the new audiobook version of this up for you in the future! You can check out kaelking12's audiobook recordings for the rest of the book beginning at Chapter 1!

PROLOGUE - LOSER

Elias 

I want this to be the beginning of a love story. 

The kind where the little guy nobody believes in steps onto the dance floor like he's made for greatness.

Like he's Pacific Beach Middle School's half-Spanish hero instead of the zero standing alone in the corner.

Never mind the fact that he's the exact opposite of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed quarterbacks in his class. Never mind the fact that he still dreams of the day when he'll reach six feet. Never mind the fact that he's so nervous that his first-ever-confession to the girl of his dreams just might come out in the wrong language 'cause English fails him at times like these.

Because he's--me.

And right now, I don't want everybody's sympathy. All I need is something halfway between a chance and a prayer.

'Cause in exactly three minutes and fifty two seconds, I'm going for it.

The big "it".

And I'm not talking major league stuff that the popular guys will get away with tonight like---making it to first base with the girls on the dance floor.

I'm talking----talking.

To an actual girl.

For the first time.

Ever.

And maybe even going as far as asking for a dance.

Assuming that I a) grow a pair in the next ten minutes and b) start being social and stop breathing into a bag---I just might achieve instant legend-status.

Why? Because the beautiful girl dancing a half a room away isn't just anybody. She's Stacey Brenner. The be-all-end all at Pacific Beach Middle School. 

I suck in another breath of lunch bag air, squint through my crooked pair of glasses, and catch sight of her across the room. Stacey's standing in the middle of a super packed gym, dressed to the 8th grade nines, and dancing with her friends like she's floating miles above the basketball court. She whips around and flashes that same killer smile that took me out in the middle of math class the first day she transferred in.

Stacey's got the kinda face that demands to be noticed. Soft cheeks, full lips, and Pacific blue eyes that put the San Diego coastline to shame. She's an unapologetic blonde who can walk into a dance like this one and steal everybody's attention.

And she has mine.

Completely.

She doesn't even know that she's had it for most of the school year.

But I'm about to change that.

All anybody ever needs is a chance.

I just have to stop hyperventilating so I can finally take mine.

"Eli, if you don't get that bag off your face I'm gonna call a chaperone over here to deal with you 'cause I can't with this anymore, man. You're scaring people."

My best friend Josh reaches out and slaps me across the back hard and fast until my lungs remember how to breathe. He's a future football player in the making and basically everything I wish I could be.

He's tree-top tall, lean, and stronger than a freight train when he puts his mind to it. Most girls at PBMS know who he is and pass him notes in class confessing how crazy they are about him. The kid's got it made--dark curly Colombian hair, sharp brown eyes, and a jawline that'll definitely get him even more attention once we get to high school. Meanwhile, I'm shorter and rounder than I should be and am generally known as the fat Mexican loser kid who isn't even Mexican. So you can guess who the universe is favoring in the popularity department tonight.

Even with an extra layer of padding on, the sting of Josh's palm goes straight through my oversized suit jacket and stops my panic attack dead in its tracks. It takes a minute for the room to stop spinning but once it does, I step further away from the back wall and force myself to stand up straight like a normal human being.

"Thanks, J. I needed that. Badly," I say. 

My voice cracks through three octaves within the space of a sentence. Josh flashes me an understanding smile.

"Look, I'm pulling for you and Stacey more than anybody, but you've gotta get it together if you're gonna talk to her. Once you walk over there I'm not gonna be there to help you, E."

"I know. That's why I did the whole bag thing now so I don't freak out later. Besides, with this bad boy on, Stacey's not gonna stand a chance."

I grab the lapels of my older brother, Tanner's suit jacket and give them a good tug. I'm more than grateful to him for letting me borrow an outfit I can actually fit in. With the help of one too many nights of gaming and junk food at Josh's, the suits Mom bought me at the start of the school year are a little too snug these days.

Josh reaches out and loosens my tie so it's no longer semi-choking me. So that's how you're supposed to wear it.

"Easy there, hermano. Just be you, okay? If you act natural, flirting will come naturally. "

Josh says it like talking to a stunner like Stacey is an everyday thing. I mean, maybe it is for him. Meanwhile, I barely have it in me to ask a girl for a pencil in class much less ask one to dance. But I can't be that guy tonight. I didn't spend two hours emptying two jars of hair gel to back out now.

"Does asking the DJ to play some old school Frankie J, count as natural? We can slow dance all suavemente."

I start humming me and my mom's favorite track, Obsesión, to myself and waggle my eyebrows at Josh. He's quiet--and then he's not.

"Eli, I'm saying this because I love you, but please--never do that again. Especially, when you're with Stacey. And is there anything we can do about all this gel? Rock hard hair isn't even a thing anymore--"

Is too.

"—and maybe lose the suit jacket. It's an eighth grade dance, not your first communion."

I think about arguing about how much I like this jacket and how my abuelo (who was a lady-killer by the way) used to rock this look in the 1950s but it's a lost battle. Even though Josh's bluntness physically hurts, I shake it off 'cause I know he means well. He always has. 

Me and Josh have been tight ever since the start of middle school.  We both bonded over failing English class which isn't a hobby for most people but we aren't most people. A lot of kids here used to give him a hard time for speaking more Spanish at school than anything else, but I get where he's coming from. I was the same way. I kinda still am. But unlike some of the jerks in our class, I don't care that he got held back, or that he's a little older than most of us, or that he's the "foreign kid". If Josh hadn't ended up having to repeat a grade we wouldn't have gotten this close.

Honestly, I'm lucky to have him around. Lately, people at a school like to paint a target on my back for...other reasons, but it's not so bad when Josh is with me. He's got a whole year of extra muscle than the rest of the guys, so nobody messes with him.

Not gonna lie, when the situation calls for it, Josh packs a mean punch.

And so does his way of telling the truth.

"I don't look that bad, Josh. Beside, it's what's on the inside that counts."

"Right, and girls like Stacey aren't usually as nice as they look."

Josh's words hit me like cleats to the ballsack and the matter-of-fact look he's got on his face isn't helping my confidence either. Whatever. Best friend or not, just 'cause he thinks he knows everything about girls doesn't mean he knows everything about Stacey.

She seems nice and she's crazy pretty. Girls can be both--and if she's the right girl, she will be. At least, that's what my mom says.

Before I even have a chance to argue about Stacey, Josh snatches my glasses off my face and derails the conversation.

"What the heck, man? I need those to see," I say.

"I'm doing you a favor. The railroad tracks in your mouth are bad enough. You're reflecting more lights than the disco ball. So, the glasses have gotta go. They're killing you, Eli."

"But everything's all blurry and the flashing lights make it so much worse—"

"Look, just suck it up, Stevie Wonder your way over there, and dance with her already."

He shoves me off the back wall and into the crowd of bumpers and grinders packing the dance floor. The bass heavy hip-hop beat fades into silence as Obsesión starts flowing through the speakers. The force from Josh's "encouragement" causes me to trip over my shoelaces only to crash face first into Brad Larsen's back. Brad Beefcake Captain of the Wrestling Team Larsen. Everyone's favorite douchebag.

"Well, if it isn't, the class chubby bunny. I see you brought a date tonight, King Chubs. Oh, my bad. It's just you and your extra baby fat!"

"I-It was a-an accident, Brad. I didn't mean to—"

He cuts me off and locks his arm around my neck forcing me to stay uncomfortably close to his big sweaty pits.

"—Of course not, fortunately, I'm fine, but unfortunately for you, my shirt isn't. If your burrito-filled-ass wasn't so busy trying to cross into unrealistic "babe" border territory, I wouldn't have spilled Coke all over myself. Better back off our US of A certified girls and stick to the chorizo, ese!"

A pack of Brad's wrestling buddies break out into laughs like there's something funny about profiling people. I pop the pressure outta my knuckles and swallow the insult like it doesn't hurt even though it's killing me.

"Don't look so down, Chubs. I've got just the thing for that sad face," Brad says, and then drops four quarters on my head. "Quiero Taco Bell? Don't worry. Your dinner's on me. A dollar should cover maybe like one bean burrito out of the ten you usually eat, right?"

"Go screw yourself, Brad. I'm not even Mexican!"

I shove him off and he trips backwards, catches himself, and rushes me—all 5'8", dumb, racist, jock of him. I'm too scared to move or breathe which makes him trapping me in a headlock easy work.

"The year ain't over yet, Chubs, you better watch your back!"

He spits right in my face, loosens his grip, and forces me to stand when all I wanna do is sink into the floor. He slings an arm around my shoulders and grips them tight so I can't run.

"You know, normally, I'd kick your face in for talking back to me, but lucky for you, tonight's a special occasion."

"I-It is?" I ask, nervous stutter in full swing. 

Brad smiles back at his friends before walking me away from his clique and further into the crowd. My heart's hammering holes into my chest as we walk deeper into the dance floor. We weave through a mob of couples kissing like their tongues are super-glued together. Even without my glasses, it's easy to see that the closer we get to the middle of the dance floor, the dirtier the dancing gets.

I break into a cold sweat as I brush against a girl who accidentally grinds back into me. For a split second, I actually think she did it on purpose, like one of those movie moments where a gorgeous girl dares to make a move on a guy everyone thinks is a loser. But as soon as she sees me, she bolts and leaves me alone with Brad who's still dragging me along.

The mob clears and suddenly, I'm standing inches away from Stacey Brenner.

The beautiful couldn't-talk-to-if-my-life-depended-on it-Stacey Brenner.

But here she is, actually talking to me.

"Hey, Brad," she says.

Yeah, about the whole her-talking-to-me-thing. Never mind.

"What's up, Stace. You look stunning tonight, as always."

Brad pulls her into a half-hug which I'm kind of a part of, but not, so...I distance myself.

Brad snatches me by the collar and pulls me back towards Stacey mid-escape.

"So, my little buddy here thinks you're cute and was hoping to dance with you tonight. You down?" He asks.

And I stop breathing.

Stop thinking.

And wait on her words for what feels like forever.

"Sure...why not?" she says.

"Really?!" I stammer.

She nods. Slowly.

And I can't believe this is finally happening.

Stacey doesn't have to be a dream anymore. 

In my mind, some cooler version of myself, struts across the scuffed-up floor, takes her by the waistline, and dances with her like a King. Never mind the fact that I got my dad's non-existent sense of rhythm, right now I'm a champion on Dancing with the Stars.

I take her by the hand and twirl her around to face me while her silky hair brushes against my face like feathers. I slide my hand around her neck and pull her close till her lips are inches away from mine. And in that moment I realize that I probably should've listened to my mom when she told me to put on Chapstick earlier. But I go for the kiss anyway.

I close in. Flash her a sideways smile—neon green braces catching the neon lights.

And right before the magic happens---

---she screams.

Top of her lungs, full-on screams.

And it's not until I've lost 80% of my hearing that I suddenly realize that I actually just tried to live out that fantasy--

---in real life.

The whole dance floor stops what they're doing to look at me standing there with my sweaty palms all over Stacey who's absolutely mortified.

I wait for Brad to save me or step in and explain things, but he's standing right next to Stacey laughing so hard his head looks like it's ready to explode. I step backwards toward the crowd but someone grabs me by the shoulders and holds me still.

"Where you going, Chubs? Don't you want Stacey to see the real reason why you have that name?"

It takes less than three seconds to ruin someone's life.

Two hard tugs send my pants straight down to my ankles and my polka-dot boxers along with them.

Everyone gasps as their eyes find their way over to my bottom half.

My whole face catches fire.

I try telling myself this isn't happening.

But it is.

"Look, Brad, King Chubs ain't really king of those kind of chubbys, you get me?!"

The voice of one of Brad's friends cuts across the crowd bringing even more attention to the hardest version of the "little guy" I've got downstairs.

And all I manage to do is stand there...paralyzed.

Eyes stare.

Fingers point.

The sound of confidence shattering laughter blares all around me.

And, if things can't get any worse, instead of walking away, or slapping me like a half-decent person, Stacey lets the whole world know just how much she regrets the entire situation by drop kicking me in my already obvious-not-so-obvious hard-on.

I crumble to the floor, sweating through my brother's button-up and oversized pants, praying to God that Stacey doesn't say my name.

But then...she does.

"Elias King the creep."

And it becomes a whisper on everyone's lips. The reason everyone's laughing. And the story everyone tells at school on Monday. 

And the Monday after that.

And all the way until the year ends.

Eighth grade finishes. Badly.

I'm less than nothing on the social food chain.

A loser.

A weirdo.

Some nobody.

Until I decide to turn it around.

Now, picture this moment.

Summer hits.

So does puberty.

Braces come off.

Body fills out.

Above and below the belt line.

And finally—

A boy becomes a King.

New start.

New King.

New school.

Where nobody remembers your history.

And everyone will know your name.

###

A/N Updated 9/12/20: Thank you guys so much for reading! I just did a major revision of the prologue and I hope you enjoy it! It has been a crazy long time since kaelking12 and I have posted and we are super excited to finally be able to share this book with you! We're co-writing again and kaelking12 will be doing the voices for the audiobook (starting in Chapter 1) if you're a listener! Follow us if you're not already! Let's keep in touch ;).

If you're new to the world of Elias King welcome! Please introduce yourselves because we'd love to meet you & hope you fall in love with the story! If you're a veteran, you guys are in for quite a few surprises! We can't wait to share more of BOY KING with you guys as we go! Right now we're aiming to update on weekends (sometimes there are delays working full time + Wattpad is tough). 

This week's update is early because it's my birthday today and I wanted to share this with you! I started writing the now Hachette published CFTM series near my birthday way back in 2014 and some of you guys have been with us all the way here! We're so grateful for everyone who takes the time to read and leave your thoughts! Your feedback means a lot to us and we can't wait to hear what you think so far!

Comment down below and we'll do our best to get back to most of you!

Thanks for reading!

-JR & KM