A Snicker of Magic

Mama drops Felicity and Frannie Jo off at school for their first day. The girls are anxious and tired. They are always moving around without warning. Mama calls their family adventurers and nomads, but the girls want a place to set down roots and call home. They ask Mama if they’re going to stay this time, but she doesn’t give a definite answer. Frannie Jo has a little suitcase she always carries with her. It’s full of her favorite, most prized possessions. She keeps them packed just in case Mama wakes them up in the middle of the night to move again. Felicity sees the word Believe dripping from the sun and takes it as a powerful sign.

Felicity has never met anyone else who sees words the way she does. She collects them and interprets them. Some words, like the ones that come off cars, make no sense. Felicity isn’t sure they’re words at all. Before they walk into school, Felicity can see words around Frannie Jo’s head that describe Frannie Jo’s favorite things. This is how Frannie Jo copes with anxiety. To cheer up her sister, Felicity offers to “catch” a poem for Frannie Jo. She makes a big show of grabbing words from the air, shoving them into her mouth, and chewing them. This isn’t how the words work, but Felicity knows it makes Frannie Jo smile. She begins her poem as they walk through the halls, but when she realizes that she’s making a weird first impression, Felicity lowers her voice a bit to finish the poem. When she leaves Frannie Jo at the first-grade classroom, the words around Frannie’s head are more relaxed and confident. The sisters agree that they’re tired of first days.

Felicity goes to find her sixth-grade classroom. She ignores the thousands of words swirling through the halls because she needs her energy to focus on class. Though she is good at one-on-one interactions, she dreads having to speak in front of larger groups. She hopes today will be different. She plans to tell the class she’s from “all across the world” because it sounds better than being from “Nowhere in Particular” (13).

Felicity struggles to introduce herself to the class. Words like dork and lonely emanate from the back wall. Felicity says her name, which she messes up to “Flea.” The girls in the front row laugh at her. Felicity takes a seat, and her teacher, Miss Lawson, finishes introducing Felicity to the class. Miss Lawson says Felicity has lived in six states. Felicity begins to feel optimistic. She notices the boy next to her is doodling chickens. Though she had a rough introduction, Felicity feels like Midnight Gulch will be different.

Miss Lawson writes the name of the school, Stoneberry, on the board. She draws a line between “Stone” and “berry.” Felicity sees several words spawn from the chalkboard. She writes down the word Ruby to collect it. She keeps a blue book full of words she’s seen and collects ones she likes or feels are important. Miss Lawson explains that every place and every person has a story.

Miss Lawson tells the story of the school’s namesake. A famous magical duo, the Brothers Threadbare, had a duel at the site where the school now stands. Felicity’s heart beats yes at the story, but she isn’t sure why. The brothers, whose real names were Stone and Berry Weatherly, made magic with their music. Their songs could make the landscape dance and manipulate the weather. Even when the brothers played in different towns, Midnight Gulch could still hear their music. Eventually, the brothers began to perform magic exclusively , and their fame drove them apart. They decided to settle their conflict with a duel. The winner would keep all the money and fame, while the loser would be cursed with a wandering heart, never able to settle down. The loser would also leave Midnight Gulch and never perform magic again.

After a three-day magical duel, Berry beat Stone. Stone left town and was never heard from again. Shortly after, Berry discovered that his own magic was gone. Berry eventually left town as well. The spirit of the town was crushed, and people gradually stopped using their magic. More people left town, families broke apart, and the town now has no magic at all.

The anniversary of the duel is approaching, and the school plans to host its own “duel,” or student talent show, to commemorate the event. Miss Lawson mentions “The Beedle” when discussing the town’s magic, and Felicity wonders what the Beedle is.

Considering the treats that will be at the show, Felicity thinks about the word cotton candy. The word love is the only word she’s found with a flavor, and it tastes like cotton candy. Love makes her think of her family, but because it’s a heavy word, she doesn’t like to say it often.

Before leaving class, many students sign up for the Duel. Felicity compliments the boy next to her on his robot chicken drawing, but he gets frustrated and clarifies that it’s a llama. Felicity feels she’ll never make any friends.

Felicity contemplates signing up for the Duel, but she recalls the last time she tried to share her writing aloud. She messed up the title and said “Arm Fartists” instead of “Farm Artists” and was ridiculed. Mama’s solution was a fresh start, but Felicity compares her heart to Frannie’s suitcase: She can’t help but keep her bad memories with her. Still, Felicity signs up.

After class, a wadded up note hits the back of Felicity’s head. The note is addressed to “Flea” and asks her to meet at a specific playground table after school. The code word is pumpernickel, and the note is signed by the Beedle.

Felicity sees the word lonely again on the cafeteria table. She feels this word has followed her all her life. Despite the many other students around, Felicity believes the cafeteria is lonely’s natural habitat. When she bites her apple, it doesn’t taste sweet. Nothing tastes sweet after seeing the word lonely. She pulls out her book and writes down several words from the people in the cafeteria.

She hears someone call her name but figures it’s a mistake because no one knows her name. Felicity pulls out the note from the Beedle and looks at it again. She wonders if it’s a prank and recalls how Miss Lawson said the Beedle is the most magical thing left in Midnight Gulch. Felicity longs for the kind of magic that can keep her family in one place.

Felicity thinks about Mama, who usually spends her free time roaming. Felicity hears her name again, but she doesn’t see anyone. Lonely emerges from under her lunch tray. Felicity would give her entire collection of words just to have a friend, but she knows her nomadic family will never be in one place long enough.

After school, Felicity finds the playground table mentioned in the Beedle’s note. At the table sits a normal-looking boy around her age. Felicity is confused. She asks if he’s the Beedle and recites the code word. The boy introduces himself as Jonah Pickett. He confirms he’s the Beedle but swears Felicity to secrecy. Felicity’s heart beats yes again.

Felicity and Jonah decide to talk on the bus. Jonah is in a wheelchair, and after a  friendly interaction  with the bus driver, Day Grissom,  Jonah and Felicity board the bus through the lift at the back. Felicity sees Frannie Jo and notices that she has already made a friend. Jonah comments that Felicity and Frannie look alike, but with different hair colors. Felicity explains that Frannie has their mom’s hair while Felicity has their dad’s hair, but her throat tightens at the thought of her dad.

Jonah explains that he knows about Felicity from his mom, who cuts the hair of everyone in town, including Felicity’s Aunt Cleo. Jonah relates to Felicity because his dad is also away. Jonah’s dad is deployed. Felicity clarifies that her dad is just away with “Work stuff” (35).

Jonah also has a gift, which he calls his “know-how.” He knows when people need help and knows how to fix things. Jonah’s know-how kicked in when he saw Felicity looking at the sign-up sheet for the Duel. He wants to help her participate. Felicity reveals her gift with words and tells Jonah how she collects them in songs, poems, and stories. When Felicity extends her blue book of words to Jonah, she realizes she’s never let anyone else touch it before. Her heart pounds yes again. Jonah takes the book but doesn’t open it. He hands it back.

Felicity says she collects the best words around interesting people, so Jonah offers to introduce Felicity to the interesting people of Midnight Gulch. He knows Felicity is interested in learning more about the Brothers Threadbare, and he wants to introduce her to people who know about them. Finally, Jonah adds that he wants to be Felicity’s friend, which brings Felicity overwhelming joy.

Before Felicity gets off the bus, Jonah recommends she ask Aunt Cleo about the Brothers Threadbare. As Felicity and Frannie Jo depart the bus, Day Grissom bashfully asks Felicity to tell Aunt Cleo he says hi. When Felicity looks up at the apartment building, she sees the words Brothers Threadbare hanging over Aunt Cleo’s window.