Vivian, a teenage girl, lives with her grandfather in an old antique shoppe that has been in her family for generations.

Her grandfather tells stories about magical powers that allow the antiques to speak with some through a special emotional connection.

Vivian has seen her grandfather apparently speaking with a clock but she is skeptical. She isn’t sure his stories are true.

She soon has to make a choice between following in his footsteps at the shoppe or submitting a college application.

Every day at school, she loves working on science projects with her best friend Chip. After school, she helps her grandfather in the shoppe.

Until one day, she watches a local artist speaking with a sofa. Although she can’t hear the sofa herself, she realizes that the artist is experiencing something and wonders if the stories are true.

Because of that, she tells Chip and he is able to speak with a chair. But he can’t explain to her how he did it.

Because of that, she reads books about magic but can’t find any answers. She begs her grandfather for the secret but he tells her that she must listen with her heart.

Because of that, Vivian goes through the store trying to find a connection with any antiques as the deadline for college applications gets closer.

Until one day, she goes through boxes from storage and finds an antique locket. When she opens it, she finds photos of her parents and is able to speak with them.

She is then able to speak to a chair once owned by Chip.

She tells Chip and her grandfather that she has unlocked the magic and wants to stay at the store to help others find it.

Her grandfather is pleased but encourages her to apply to college as well since the deadline has not passed.

The story ends with Vivian and Chip attending the “College of Science and Magic”.