The Magic Misfits

While enjoying the park, Carter reads the magic book, studying and memorizing the new tricks. Meanwhile, a barbershop quartet called the Pock-Pickets from Bosso’s carnival performs for a crowd in the town square. At the end of the performance, the singers collect tips from the crowd, but Carter notices that they also steal bracelets, earrings, and even a lollipop. The quartet encourages the crowd to attend the carnival and the finale, which will take place at the Grand Oak Resort, where they can view the world’s largest diamond.

A tuxedo-clad boy shouts at the quartet, demanding an encore. He then jumps on stage and produces a bowstring from his jacket. The boy introduces himself as Theo Steinmeyer and pulls out a violin. Carter studies him, amazed by his skill at legerdemain. When Theo begins playing, the quartet’s money sack moves as if it is enchanted by the music. Theo explains to the crowd that people are connected to their belongings and that lost items will try to return to their owners. Carter realizes that Theo is trying to expose the quartet’s thievery, but the stolen items are in their pockets, not the bag. As he sees worry creep across Theo’s face, he makes eye contact with the boy, and the two come to a silent agreement. Carter shouts at Theo to continue playing while he stealthily picks the thieves’ pockets and returns the stolen items to their owners. The thieving quartet members angrily storm away as Carter and Theo celebrate, but the Spider-Woman, in disguise, watches them.

Carter and Theo introduce themselves and congratulate one another on foiling the quartet’s thievery. Carter asks Theo how he hides the bow in his pants leg and how he made the money sack move, but Theo says that he can’t reveal his methods. Theo wants to help the people who are being exploited, and Carter contemplates the marvel of yet another person using magic without an ulterior motive, which reflects his own deepest desire. Leila arrives with a red-haired girl named Ridley, who uses a wheelchair. Theo and Carter tell them about their collaboration, and Leila is impressed by their work. A group of kids pass by and laugh at Carter’s new friends. Theo claims they’re laughing at his tuxedo, and Leila claims they’re laughing at her because she is strange, though she claims, “I like being strange” (103). Ridley says that people laugh at her because she is brilliant, but Carter doesn’t share that people laugh at him because he lives in poverty. Leila invites everyone back to the magic shop for snacks.

At the shop, Leila introduces Carter to the parrot, Presto, who keeps repeating, “Rub the Yellow Piranha for the Magicians Club!” (104). Ridley finds her white rabbit, Top Hat, whom the Other Mr. Vernon cares for because Ridley’s mother is allergic to rabbits. Leila explains that she and the others meet at the shop every Friday to practice their magic skills. Theo’s skill is levitation, or making items move as if they’re floating. Ridley enjoys using transformation: making objects turn into something else. Leila’s skill is escape. Ridley asks about Carter’s specialty, and he admits that he’s good at making things disappear. Mr. Vernon adds that all magicians combine their skills to create an attractive and engaging show. He shares that he has been practicing magic since he was a kid, and like them, he once had a group of friends who shared his passion. He commends Carter on finding a group of like-minded friends, but Carter is skeptical that they want to be his friends. They take a vote, and the only dissenter is Ridley, who claims that Carter is too inexperienced. Leila shows Carter their secret headquarters, which is hidden behind a secret bookshelf. The shelf opens into a cozy room filled with books, photos, and magicians’ memorabilia. The room makes Carter feel at home, and he wonders about his luck in finding this unique group of people.

The friends lose track of time as they practice their tricks. Leila reveals the secret fake skin flap that she uses to hide the key for her handcuffs, and Ridley explains how to create a secret code with playing cards. Ridley is still suspicious of Carter, and his card tricks don’t impress her until he mysteriously manages to place a full deck in her pocket. Carter is having such a great time that he forgets his lack of lodgings and food. When the Other Mr. Vernon serves them cucumber sandwiches, Carter considers stashing a few in his pocket for later. The group wants to attend the carnival, but Carter remembers Bosso’s threatening appearance and reports that it’s all fake. Ridley explains that they also know the carnival is a farce, but they enjoy pointing out all the tricks. While Leila and Theo wait in line for tickets, Ridley tells Carter that she doesn’t trust him and needs to know why he is in Mineral Wells. Carter lies and claims that he’s staying at the resort with his parents, but he calls it by the wrong name. Still concerned about protecting her friends, Ridley demands to know what Carter wants. He asserts that he only wants to make friends. Ridley tells Carter that she understands what it’s like to feel left out. Carter tells Ridley that seeing them perform magic has changed how he looks at his life. Ridley says, “You wouldn’t know real magic if it ran over your toes” (119), and runs over his shoe with her wheelchair, magically imprinting the words “REAL MAGIC” on it.

Carter is embarrassed to tell the group that he doesn’t have money to purchase tickets, but Leila has bought enough for everyone. They move through the carnival, and the children explain how the games are rigged. Carter notices that Ridley knows the most about the tricks. They stop at the ring toss game, and Ridley declares that they will win the grand prize, a giant stuffed flamingo. Ridley and Leila both easily ring the posts, and Theo uses his bow to levitate the ring. Carter sees that Theo stows the bow in his pocket using a hidden folding mechanism, but Theo still won’t reveal how he levitates items. They triumphantly collect their flamingo, and Carter sneakily transfers the words “REAL MAGIC” from his shoe to Ridley’s knee.

The friends enjoy the rest of the carnival attractions, including the Ferris wheel. Seeing the town from above, Carter reflects on what brought him to Mineral Wells. He asks the group if they like living there, and everyone agrees that it’s okay except for the unkind people who attend Leila’s school, though she claims that they aren’t intentionally cruel. Carter calls Leila an optimist, and she explains that before Mr. Vernon adopted her, she lived in an orphanage, and it was difficult for her to change how she saw the world. The revelation amazes Carter, as he realizes that he and Leila share similar stories. The rest of the group wants to attend the big show, but Carter wants to leave before someone from Bosso’s crew recognizes him. He is also afraid to tell his new friends the truth about his situation. He convinces them to go into the psychic tent and pays for the visit with the mysterious coins he found in his pocket that morning. The psychic proclaims that “The Gatekeepers of Destiny” have revealed to her that the group of friends, though newly formed, will endure challenging times ahead and must remain united to persevere (131). Afterward, Leila is amazed by the predictions, but Ridley is skeptical.

The group enters the big show where the quartet of thieves is performing. B. B. Bosso appears with dramatic flair and performs several impressive acts of magic, including sawing a clown in half and putting him back together, levitating a donkey, and making the Pock-Pickets disappear and reappear. The final trick transforms the room into a hall of mirrors, creating a giant optical illusion for the audience. In the end, the crowd goes wild, and Bosso reminds everyone to attend the grand finale at the Grand Oak Resort, where they can see the Star of Africa, a 530-carat diamond.

The narrator ends the chapter with another magic lesson. The trick involves having a friend select a crayon from the box and then guessing the color they chose using a trick. The lesson reinforces the notion that every successful trick requires a lot of practice.

After the group leaves the big show, Theo realizes that his bow is missing. Leila is missing her lockpick kit, Ridley is missing her notebook, and Carter is missing his wooden box. A note in its place says, “You shouldn’t have messed with the Pock-Pickets. P.S. Carter, you should have joined Bosso, not those misfits!” (146). Ridley is infuriated, believing that Carter is working for Bosso and has been scheming against them. Carter confesses that he ran away from his previous life and begs the group to believe him. He exclaims that they are his first friends and states his intention to remain in Mineral Wells. Leila believes him, and Ridley softens, telling him that she understands about having a difficult life; she points to her wheelchair. After telling the truth, Carter feels lighter and agrees to meet his friends again the following day so they can plot their next move. Theo invites Carter to stay at his home.

Theo’s home is the nicest place Carter has ever stayed. It reminds him of the quaint cottage he once shared with his parents. He wakes up to Theo playing the violin for his father. Theo’s mother serves him a soft-boiled egg for breakfast, but Theo replaces it with a golf ball when Carter isn’t looking. Theo and Carter decide not to tell Theo’s parents about the thefts, so they concoct a story about Carter being in town to tour Mineral Wells Academy. Carter notices many photographs of Theo’s older siblings, though Theo hasn’t mentioned them. His father asks Carter what instrument he plays, but Theo defends him, saying that not every person must play an instrument.

Theo and Carter walk through the town, which is filled with tourists. As they rehash the theft, Carter is reminded of his uncle, and he makes a connection to Bosso’s clowns. Theo doesn’t want to get too involved with Bosso and asserts that they should recover their stolen items and call the police. When they arrive at the magic shop, Leila is bound and hanging upside down from the ceiling. She attempts to escape in under a minute but finds it difficult without her lockpick kit. Presto greets them by meowing like a cat. Mr. Vernon agrees that the bird is strange but tells Carter that Presto’s strange calls sometimes contain coded messages. Ridley arrives, and they explain the thefts to Mr. Vernon. He reminds them that the Other Mr. Vernon said the carnival performers eat lunch at the same time every day; this might be an ideal time to search their rooms. He reminds the children that he disapproves of breaking and entering but casually knocks over a basket of disguises as he leaves the room, claiming, “Only a group of absolute misfits would think up such an outrageous scheme” (163).

The narrator interjects that there is no Chapter 13 due to the unlucky nature of the number, though the narrator claims not to believe in luck, only magic. The narrator urges the reader to use the pause to take a bathroom break.