Viva la Vida
AN/ This story won't follow canon, in that King Freddie II won't be showing up and TJ won't be spending his last moments of fourth grade in the principal's office. In fact, you can also forget about the plot to destroy summer vacation. I've got other things in mind for TJ.
This started out as a songfic, but it had other ideas. Unfortunately those other ideas won't give me much more than a prologue. :P Oh well. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Mrs. Finster confiscated the rights. :(
King Bob surveyed the playground. For the past year he had presided over it, acting as judge and lord. It hadn't been the easiest job, but he knew he had been an excellent king. If only he could have had his monument...but that wasn't important now. It was his last day, and the middle school beckoned. He needed to pick out his heir, and quickly. Argh, if only he hadn't put it off! Perhaps he shouldn't have spent so long on his autobiography? But didn't all the future subjects need to know of his greatness?
This is what King Bob was thinking of, when he was interrupted. "Your Majesty, have you chosen yet?"
He scowled at his adviser. "Give me a moment! Now let's see..."
The tradition was for a fifth grader to take up the crown...ah, but there was the crazy, monkey boy, throwing ice cream to his subjects from the school roof, and helping to establish his reign as one to remember. Indeed, he did like the crazy monkey boy...and the boy did show signs of leadership...and he already had the title of Prankster Prince...
It wasn't unheard of for a fourth grader with such good credentials to take the throne. But were the boy's credentials too good? If he allowed this honored subject to take the throne, would he be upstaged?
Looking down at his subjects smiling faces, he decided he wanted to do this. The Detweiler boy was loved on his playground, and it was his responsibility as the king to pick out the best.
He turned to his advisers. "Bring the Detweiler boy to me!", He ordered them. "And also a couple fudgey bars."
"At once, your Majesty!"
TJ was brought forcibly up to King Bob, and landed rather hard before the throne. He wondered what he had done wrong, and why King Bob was smiling, but was sure he'd find out in good time.
"Ice cream, your Majesty?"
"No thank you, I already have some. Now you may be wondering why you are here...", King Bob began, before all five of TJ's best friends rushed up the jungle gym with Spinelli yelling, "What's going on here, King Bob!"
"Well, I..."
Vince interrupted, "Yeah! TJ didn't do anything wrong!"
"It's not..."
"We demand an explanation, King Bob!"
"SHUT UP!", King Bob yelled. He glared at his advisers who should have intervened, and then said, "If you fourth-graders could be silent for a moment, I will tell you. This year is ending, and I must sadly give up my kingship and move on. That requires me to choose my heir, the one who will take my place. I was considering who would take over for me, when I saw your little stunt and recalled your antics in the past." He turned and addressed TJ alone. "TJ Detweiler, you will rule the playground as of next year."
"Yes!"
"Boo-yah!"
"Awesome!"
As his friends celebrated, TJ said, "What!"
Then, to everyone's surprise, he started shaking his head. "I can't rule the playground! I've always broken the rules, I don't want to be the one to enforce them!"
TJ's friends looked at him with some amazement, while Jerome said, "Shall we have him punished for his impertinence your Majesty?"
King Bob waved his hand at them. "No. All of you leave TJ and I. This is a discussion for the king and his heir."
TJ frowned at the last word, but didn't argue. He watched his friends descend, a little sadly, and then looked up when King Bob addressed him.
"Detweiler...no, TJ, tell me why you do not wish to rule."
"Ir's nothing personal, your sire. I've always respected you and what you've done for the playground. I just really enjoy being a kid and playing with my friends though. How can I do that when I'm stuck on top of here all day?"
TJ's words made King Bob reconsider, but when it came down to it, this sentiment reaffirmed his belief TJ should be his heir. The nature of the kid code and the playground constitution was to make recess enjoyable for all of his subjects. It was clear to him TJ understood that better than almost any other child on the playground, excluding himself of course.
"I understand where you're coming from. Indeed, I myself was a little wary of taking to the throne when I was first made heir. I cannot say I do not miss my days of playing down there, but up here we do a great thing. We allow the playground we love to function. After all you have done for the children of this playground Detweiler, can you truly tell me you don't understand the importance of that?" King Bob said all this very seriously. He always acted as regal as possible, speaking with all the formality he could muster, but this speech seemed to come from somewhere deeper than the average solemnity King Bob practiced.
TJ listened carefully to his speech, and found he had no objection he could give with a clear conscience. He could talk his way out of this one, but he wouldn't mean a word; the happiness of the entire playground was worth more than even the happiness of he and his five friends. He still needed a chance to think it through though; King Bob allowed him that. TJ was to call and let him know by the next week. After agreeing on that, TJ went to join his friends, leaving King Bob to take a last look at his kingdom.
As King Bob's last day at Third Street came to a close, he sat on his throne and he pulled his crown off his head. And wondered about what it would be like to return to normalcy. Reigning had felt natural, and he wasn't particularly looking forward to being at the bottom again. He tried to picture himself as an average kid, and realized he couldn't. Whatever came next, there would always be something royal withing him.
Pleased with that thought, he finally climbed down the jungle gym in time to hear his mom calling for him. Like all the other sixth graders, he would carry the memories of his reign with him for the rest of his life. That, and the fact the playground was assuredly in Detweiler's capable hands, was enough for him.
AN: This story isn't really letting me write more at the moment; I'm trying for at least a little every day, but I've got other projects that are writing at least a little faster. I really want to get this story done though, so if suggestions and inspiration are much needed, or if you really like the story, offer to beta next chapter! I'll take any help I can get, I'll give you credit, and it'll be out that much faster; plus I'll probably be able to squeeze out more than three pages. Either way, thanks for reading. ^_^