Chapter 4: Two-Bit, Resident Wizard of Tulsa

Disclaimer: Doesn't it go without saying that I own the plot, sort of, and Carmen, but not The Outsiders or Ella Enchanted?

Half an hour later, Two-Bit checked the number of pages in the back of the book. He frowned slightly, flipping through all the pages. Why aren't there any page numbers? He wondered.

He kept reading until his eyes itched with tiredness. He was just ending the chapter titled Your Magic Wand when he drifted off. And dreamed…

…Two-Bit was on a chessboard. He was standing on a white square. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move a single muscle in his body.

From what he could see with his eyes frozen staring straight ahead, he was on a chessboard full of pieces set ready to play, but instead of white and black pieces, there were greasers in black leather jackets and Socs in white madras.

Somebody was picking up the pieces and moving them around, like they were playing a game. A game of chess. Two-Bit was lifted into the air, where he panicked silently and motionlessly. Then someone was shaking him, and calling his name. His real name…

"Keith? Keith? Keith! Keith, wake up! KEITH!" Two-Bit opened his eyes. His mother was standing over him, looking concerned.

"Wake up, Keith. It's time for school. And what are you reading? 'Beginner's Wizardry'?" She shook her head and walked away.

Man, wizardry sure gives you weird dreams, Two-Bit thought vaguely. He showered, dressed, slicked his hair back with half a tub of grease, and hopped into his car to drive to school.

He pulled in and parked, laughing to himself at some weird, Two-Bit joke. He strolled into class and flopped down in his chair, putting up his feet and relaxing.

"Get your big feet off my chair," a voice said crankily. Two-Bit grinned, looking up. "Who's gonna make m—oh. Hi, Carmen," he said cheerfully, putting his feet down.

"Hi yourself, Two-Bit. Get any reading done?" she asked, lowering her voice. Two-Bit nodded. "Yep. But how's this gonna help you?"

Carmen looked sheepish and blushed pink. "I dunno," she confessed. "I have no idea how to get rid of this damn curse. I just figured that two sources of different magic are better than one."

Two-Bit nodded slowly, frowning slightly. "So, let me get this straight. I'm a wizard to help you, but you have no idea how or why?" Carmen nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. But also because I had to." Two-Bit looked suspicious. "What do you mean you had to?" he asked carefully.

Carmen sighed and started to explain. "You can't tell anyone that you're a magical being unless they're one, too. You ordered me to explain, so I had to, but I also had to make you magic too, otherwise we would both be executed by the rulers of Lilanazar. Mortals can't know about magic, and magical beings can't go spreading that around. So, you had to become a wizard so we wouldn't die."

"Wow," Two-Bit said. "That's harsh." Carmen shook her head. "Not in Lilanazar. Compared to what they could do to you, an execution is practically kind." Two-Bit swallowed nervously.

"So," Carmen continued. "What do you say? Do you really want to be a wizard? You already have the magic. If you don't want to use it, fine. You just can't go spreading it around. And maybe in a few months I'll be gone again, for good."

Two-Bit cleared his throat. "Of course I want to be a wizard," he said, trying to grin. "I'll help you. And I'll keep my mouth shut too," he said, grinning. Carmen smiled. She's got cute dimples, Two-Bit noticed.

"Okay. See you after school," Carmen said. "Wha—? Wait a minute. Who said anything about after school?" Two-Bit demanded.

"Hello, debate club," Carmen said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Two-Bit sat back, bewildered. Oh, he thought. He had forgotten. Again.

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Carmen met him after school at debate club. She smiled at him as they took their seats and Ms. Williams called the meeting to order.

Two-Bit let his mind wander until Carmen nudged him hard in the ribs with her elbow. "What?" he said loudly and irritated.

"Mr. Matthews, I was just asking you to counter Jason on today's debate on prohibition," Ms. Williams said, glaring at Two-Bit over her glasses.

"Oh. Right," Two-Bit said, standing and strolling to the front of the class. Uh, he thought. What's prohibition?

"It's where alcohol is illegal," he heard Carmen's voice in his head. He turned back to her. She cocked her eyebrow at him and she smiled ever so slightly.

Illegal alcohol! Two-Bit thought indignantly. "Prohibition is wrong!" he blurted out. Ms. Williams raised an eyebrow and Carmen slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Matthews," Ms. Williams said stiffly. "Was that your opening argument?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Two-Bit said sheepishly. Jason made his opening remark, and the debate proceeded from there. Two-Bit didn't have anything else to say besides "Prohibition is wrong! Bring on the beers!" So Carmen helped him along, telepathically of course.

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Later, outside, Two-Bit was jumping up and down excitedly. "Do I get my wand? Do I get my wand?" he was asking happily.

Carmen was leaning against the wall for support because she was laughing so hard, so hard that she wasn't actually making any sound but her cheeks were bright red and tears were streaming down her face.

"T-Two-Bit," she finally managed to gasp out. "S-s-stop. Please, s-stop!" Two-Bit stopped and waited patiently for her laughter to subside. Well, patiently for Two-Bit.

Five seconds passed. "Stop laughing," Two-Bit said. Carmen stopped immediately. She scowled at him, brushing away her tears as the color faded from her face.

"Yeah, you get your wand, but not necessarily today. It can be anything, from a tree twig to a car antenna. It'll come to you," Carmen said patiently. Does he read anything carefully? Or is he just scatterbrained? She wondered.

Two-Bit sagged. He remembered reading that, now. "Oh," he said, disappointed. It might take forever to find it! He turned and started shuffling away unhappily, but promptly tripped over something.

"Wow, that was quick," Carmen commented. "What are you talking about?" Two-Bit demanded, standing up and brushing himself off, glancing down to see what he had tripped over. His eyes widened when he saw what it was.

"My old blade!" he cried joyfully. It was, indeed, his old, razor sharp, black handled switchblade that he had lost since Dally died. "How'd it end up here?" he wondered aloud.

Carmen shrugged. "How would I know? But it seems to me that you've found your wand."

"And just how do you know that?" Two-Bit demanded impatiently. "Well, it could be the way it's glowing," Carmen said brightly.

Two-Bit glanced at it, and dropped it with a yelp. It stopped glowing as soon as he did so. He picked it up, and it glowed again. "That's weird," he commented, so intelligently.

"Yeah, but you found your wand," Carmen said. "Yeah," Two-Bit said, realization finally dawning on him. "That's tuff. That really is."

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It was late at night. Two-Bit was exhausted. He flopped on his bed, sinking into the softness of the sheets and pillow.

He and Carmen had trained together for hours, she as a sorceress, and he as a wizard. Two-Bit had met Carmen's mother. She was a lot like Carmen: blonde, intelligent, and beautiful, with a sparkly personality. Two-Bit was surprised at how bossy she was, but, he reasoned, with a daughter like Carmen, it was hard not to be.

His last thoughts were Man, am I glad I got my switch back, before he drifted into deep sleep.

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Whaddya think? Kind of silly, I know. But whatever. Review and tell me what you think.

Sooner the reviews come, the sooner the next chapter comes up.