Chapter Text
Marvin McMagicspell. Strange name, isn't it?
That's not the name you'll find on his birth certificate. If you looked at it, you'd see the name Marvin Michael Mannix, and a date fifteen years ago.
The reason for this is that when Marvin's parents, Margo and Martin Mannix named him, they didn't know his last name was supposed to be McMagicspell. They didn't know their last name was supposed to be McMagicspell. They had never even heard of the name McMagicspell.
The only people who know about McMagicspell are Marvin and four other magically empowered teenagers who attend Falstaff Academy in the city of Baltimore, Maryland.
Five Magic Makers, as they call themselves, and someone else by the name of Abey. So six people know. The rest of the world doesn't.
The entire Magic Makers legacy began after Marvin's grandfather, Mark Mannix, died of supposedly natural causes. Marvin and his parents moved out of their home in Fredericksburg, Virginia and into Mark's big house, which he'd left them in his will.
It was in the attic of that big house that Marvin discovered the secrets of McMagicspell. A family, his family, which had existed for centuries, performing good magic to defend the human race from evil.
It was there that he found the McMagicspell Book of Phenomena , which contained every family spell ever written. Also in the attic were dozens and dozens of ingredients on the shelves of the attic's walls. Ingredients that went with the spells in the book, and that were kept in jars, bottles, and other containers.
Of all the things that were in the attic, definitely the best thing of all was the special silver box. For inside of it there had been five necklaces--magic necklaces. Five skinny gold chains with little McMagicspell M's attached to them.
These necklaces were very powerful. They contained magical powers that no other mortal human had ever possessed, as far as anyone knows. And when Marvin put one on, he discovered just how great its magic was.
He then gave the other four necklaces to his friends from school: Courtney, Annette, Kirk, and José, thus forming the Magic Makers team.
Each one of their necklace powers is a different one. Annette has the power to levitate: to literally become weightless and float in midair.
Courtney's power is to become invisible. Kirk's is to freeze time. The whole world actually stops at his command.
José has the ability to sublime: an intriguing power that involves changing into a vaporlike form which can then allow him to move through solid matter. Through it. As if it weren't there. Ponder that for a while.
And Marvin, he has the power of psychokinesis, or PK. It's one power, but it can be used two different ways. One way to use it is the regular way, with his eyes. By focusing his eyes on an object, he can make it move, even lift it up and hold it in the air. Just as long as it isn't too heavy.
The other way is less precise, yet quicker and more forceful, and propelled through his hands. This other form of PK is known as energetic thrust.
Those are their powers. They have to use them for more than just fun and games, though. The Magic Makers have reason to believe, you see, that there is an evil force lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time to emerge.
Evil creatures from other dimensions have arrived. And the only ones who can stop them, or even know about them are Marvin and his friends.
Still, for now anyway, the magically empowered teens of Falstaff Academy were just going to act like regular kids.
It was one of those days. A school day. Marvin, as well as all of the other two hundred and fifty students in the freshman through senior classes at Falstaff Academy were assembled in the school auditorium. Mr. Jeffreys, one of the teachers, stood up on the stage and spoke into the microphone to the students.
"It's the day you've all been waiting for," Mr. Jeffreys said. "It's The Best of the Best Awards day, when we award our citizens of Falstaff who stand out among everyone else.”
The entire assembly applauded. Marvin squirmed in his seat. He was sure he wouldn't get an award, but he was anxious to find out who would .
School contests like this had always used to bug him, because they forced him to watch other people being given special things while he didn't get anything at all. He decided this time to take it in stride, though, and just be happy for whoever did win.
Marvin looked around. Something seemed weird. The auditorium looked different. It didn't look much like the Falstaff Auditorium he was used to. It reminded him more of the auditorium at Fredericksburg High School where he had used to go. Examining further, he noticed that some of the students sitting in the auditorium seats were not from Falstaff, but from Fredericksburg. What were they doing here?
And Mr. Jeffreys. For some reason...for some weird reason, he looked like he was wearing a toupee. But no, that was silly, Mr. Jeffreys wasn't even thirty years old yet, and definitely wasn't bald.
Still, for some awkward reason, he looked like he had a toupee on. He was also dressed differently than he usually dressed. Normally Mr. Jeffreys wore semi-cool clothes, but now he had on the type of clothes a middle-aged to old person might wear.
Reflecting back, it reminded him of Mr Weaver, a teacher from Fredericksburg, who wore a toupee and the most awful of tacky clothes, often with a pocket protector. Incredibly, Mr. Jeffreys' voice even sounded a bit like Mr Weaver's.
Trying to ignore all of this, Marvin listened to Mr. Jeffreys. He said:
"We have five awards in all. And after much deliberation by our judges, we have come up with a winner for each of them. The first of our five is for the most athletic. And the winner is...Kirk Hunter!”
Marvin smiled and clapped extra loud. Kirk was his best buddy, and, he thought, definitely deserved to win the most athletic title.
Marvin watched as Kirk got up from his seat, walked up to the stage, and took the trophy that was presented to him. Holding it up and showing it to everybody, he smiled and returned to his seat.
"The second award goes to the prettiest girl. And she is...Annette Hunter!"
Marvin clapped again, proud as ever. Annette was indeed very pretty. She was short, but one quickly overlooked this, since Annette had the most beautiful blond hair, and eyes as deep blue as the ocean.
As Annette stepped forward to claim her prize, Marvin was wowed. Two Magic Makers had already won awards. What if all five won?
Yeah, right. Like that was gonna happen.
"The third award goes to the biggest clown. And the winner is...Courtney Mancina!"
Marvin couldn't believe it! Well, actually, he could. Courtney was, without a doubt, the biggest clown in the whole school. We're talking the type of girl who takes advantage of every opportunity that comes along to not be serious. But for three of his friends to win? Something was fishy here.
"Our fourth prize is for the most popular. And we all know who that is.”
Marvin groaned. Please don’t say Dante, he thought.
"José Alvarado!”
Marvin heaved a sigh of relief. He applauded again as José went up to collect his award.
"And now the final prize," Mr. Jeffreys said. "You're not gonna want this one, but hey, somebody has to have it."
For some eerie reason, Mr. Jeffreys seemed to be speaking directly to Marvin.
“It is for the biggest loser."
"You're right, I don't want it," Marvin seemed to say out loud. He searched through the heads of the seated students in the large room, wondering who might get this one. "Probably Lindsey Sheldon,” he said. "Everybody knows what a loser he is."
“No, not Sheldon,” Mr. Jeffreys said. "You."
Marvin's eyes widened.
"That's right, you, Marvin. Marvin Mannix."
Everyone in the auditorium pointed fingers at Marvin and laughed.
"What? No!"
Marvin buried his face in his hands. How could this be?
A blond, spiky-haired boy with glasses showed up at Marvin's seat. Sheldon.
"Come on, Marvin!" he said amidst everyone's laughter, taking him by the arm and dragging him forward. "You have to come collect your prize!”
Once they'd reached the front, Mr Jeffreys handed the trophy to Marvin. It had "Falstaff's Biggest Loser" engraved on it and displayed a miniature bronze statue of a dork, complete with suspenders, highwater pants, and penny loafers.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” Marvin bellowed.
Suddenly, he was no longer in the auditorium, but in his bedroom, lying under the covers of his bed and wearing pajamas. The newly risen sun shone softly in through the window.
Marvin sat up. “It was just a dream," he said, placing his hand on his forehead.
He looked at the clock on the wall. He had twenty minutes to get ready for school.
"Man," he said as he climbed out of bed. "I think Fredericksburg messed me up psychologically."
Marvin went through the normal weekday morning routine of readying himself. After he had eaten breakfast, he grabbed his backpack and retreated out the front door and onto the porch. Not much time had passed by before a familiar car showed up along the curbside in front of his house. It was Kirk's car. He ran to it.
"Morning, Courtney," he said as he climbed into the car. "Morning, Annette. Morning, Kirk." One by one they all said good morning back.
"Hey, Marvin," Courtney said playfully to him as he shut the door, "have any more prophetic dreams lately?”
Marvin chuckled. "I sure hope not.”