Jay Jay and Snuffy had always been best friends since they were younger. They loved each other almost like brothers, but sometimes, as was inevitable within all friendships, they had arguments, but they always made up in the end. This story tells of how one of their quarrels came and was resolved.
...
Jay Jay and Snuffy had just returned from a trip to the North Peaks. Snuffy enjoyed the trip very much and wanted to go back.
"Jay Jay?"
"Yes Snuffy?" Jay Jay inquired.
"Can we go back to the North Peaks first thing tomorrow morning?" The green plane asked, timidly.
"Of course Snuffy- we'll do that." Jay Jay promised.
However, he had other plans in mind.
He had thought of doing something nice for another one of his best friends, Tracy. He had come up with the idea to pick some flowers for her so that he could show her how special she was to him. But now that he had promised Snuffy that'd they go to the North Peaks, he wanted to keep it and make his friend happy.
So that night, when Tracy, Snuffy and Herky were asleep, Jay Jay debated what to do. He had promised Snuffy that they could go to the North Peaks tomorrow- but he did also want to give Tracy some beautiful flowers to show how special she was.
"So, I want to give Tracy some flowers-beautiful ones- but I did promise Snuffy that we'd go back to the North Peaks tomorrow. What shall I do? I want both my friends to be happy." He said to himself sadly.
His troubled thoughts led him to a descent into sleep.
...
Next morning, Jay Jay was awoken by an excited Snuffy.
"Hello Jay Jay! Are you still good to go to the North Peaks?" The green plane asked animatedly.
Jay Jay thought a moment. He wanted to come up with an excuse to go. He did feel bad about lying, but he could make it up to Snuffy later.
However, he couldn't think of an excuse that Snuffy would believe. He sighed inwardly.
"So, shall we prepare for take- off?" He asked, with a hint of reluctance that Snuffy was far too excited to pick up on.
"Yes! Oh, and don't worry about any final checks- I've ensured we can definitely go." Snuffy added.
So the two planes headed off for the runway, where they both took off together for the North Peaks.
The two planes soared through the clouds side by side
"I can't wait till we get there!" Said Snuffy enthusiastically
Jay Jay said nothing, for he saw something that made him want to do loop de loops.
There was Smiling Meadows! He knew they had beautiful, sweet smelling flowers down there.
He looked ahead to ensure Snuffy wasn't watching. Then he dived down to the meadow to pick flowers for his friend Tracy.
Upon landing, he decided what flowers he would pick.
"Lavender flowers- they're Tracy's favourite because their colour matches her paint!"
Delighted with his choice, he set off looking for some, telling himself that he'll reunite with Snuffy before he even noticed anything.
...
Meanwhile Snuffy had arrived back at the North Peaks. It was great to be back.
The planes there were all pleased to see that Snuffy had come back- especially Susie the North Peaks skywriter.
"Welcome back!" Lilly, the small orange tow truck who worked at Northern Peaks alongside her airborne amigos, called out.
"Jolly good to see you again Snuffy!" Duke- the blue and green striped bio plane- greeted.
Everyone was pleased to see Snuffy again. They liked the little green plane- though all the young planes at Tarrytown were friends with those at North Peaks.
"Snuffy we weren't expecting you back so soon!" Exclaimed Alicia, the sleek yellow jet painted with blue lining. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"Well Jay Jay and I are going to be back again before sundown he explained, though he was saying this more to Susie than everyone- though they all heard the message.
"I'm glad to hear that Snuffy," said Susie, slowly. "but where is Jay Jay?"
"Wait he's not here? I thought he was." Said Snuffy, feeling genuinely confused. He looked beside and behind him.
There was no sign of Jay Jay.
"But he was right beside me and then-" The truth slowly sunk in. Jay Jay, his best friend, had broken his word.
"I have to go." He announced.
"What -so soon?" asked Marc the picky, yet pretty perky jet.
"Yeah, you did just get here." Jeff added, his blue and red stripes glinting in the sun.
"Well, I really need to go- but I'll see you all later, okay?"
Snuffy turned round and took off, shaking with anger, hurt and betrayal.
How could Jay Jay leave him?
Why did he break his promise?
...
Back at Smiling Meadows, Jay Jay had found the lavender flowers and picked a large but beautiful and sweet smelling bunch to give to Tracy.
"She'll love them!" He said to himself, putting them away in a safe place until he could return to Tarrytown and give them to Tracy. "Now, I'd better meet up with Snuffy."
But just before he could take off, he saw Snuffy land beside him, an angry look on his face.
"Hello Snuffy!" Jay Jay greeted, even though he could see that his friend was not all happy with him.
"You didn't tell me you were going to Smiling Meadows! You just left me to go on to North Peaks on my own! I don't believe this! You promised me yesterday we'd both go back!"
"Snuffy listen- I only wanted-"
"Enough Jay Jay! You did this deliberately! If you didn't want to go, you could have just told me instead of going back on your word! I'm going home."
He flew off without saying another word to Jay Jay.
The blue jet fought to keep back tears as he set off for Tarrytown Airport. The guilt was eating away at him.
Why had he done that?
...
Later that night, back at Tarrytown, Herky the yellow helicopter was settling down for the night. His gum shield was in place in his mouth.
Suddenly he heard quiet sniffling coming from in front of the hanger.
Puzzled, he went out to see what was going on. To his surprise, he saw Jay Jay was in front of the hanger. He looked like he had been crying.
"What's wrrong Jay Jay?" He asked.
"Snuffy and I were both going to the North Peaks today." Jay Jay began. "Only I wanted to pick some flowers for Tracy to make her feel special. So I went to Smiling Meadows to find lavender flowers- but I didn't tell Snuffy where I was going."
"You could just apologize to Snuffy and explain why you did what you did." Herky pointed out.
"But Herky, I promised Snuffy that we'd both go to the North Peaks together and then I broke it."
"Well a key area in friendship is keeping promises you make. If you make a promise and keep it, then you're being a good friend. It's all about making promises you can keep -not promising everyone something and then not getting anything done."
"But Herky, how can I do all that?" Asked Jay Jay "Please, Herky, I really need your-"
But Herky was well asleep.
"Well I guess it's up to me to find out." Mused Jay Jay bravely. "I shall have to do it tomorrow morning."
...
The next day, he asked Brenda Blue, Tarrytown Airport's mechanic, about the matter, and repeated to her what Herky had told him.
"Well Herky's right, Jay Jay. You did make a promise and you should have kept it. Broken promises can lead to hurt feelings."
"I know that now," Jay Jay sighed. "I don't know what else to do though Brenda."
Suddenly, he saw Snuffy standing at the doorway of the workshop.
He realized that Snuffy had heard him and Brenda talk.
'Well, I should apologize', he decided.
"Snuffy, I'm really, really sorry that I broke my promise yesterday." he said earnestly.
"Why did you do it though?" Asked Snuffy, in a hurt tone. "I want to know!"
"I just wanted to get some flowers to give to Tracy to show how special she is. I wanted to do that on the way there so that I could still go to North Peaks with you- only, it turned out I couldn't do that."
Snuffy gave Jay Jay a guilty look. "And here I thought you didn't want to be with me! I'm sorry for all those mean things I said yesterday, Jay Jay."
"Apology accepted." Replied the blue jet, smiling.
"Oh, and I also accept your apology." Added Snuffy
The pair then pulled in for an aeroplane hug to show that they had both fully forgiven the other for their mistakes.
Brenda, of course, was happy that the pair had made up and that they were now best friends again.
"You know what I think you two should do now?" She asked them.
"What?" The two planes asked.
"Well, I think you should give the flowers to Tracy, and then Jay Jay you take Snuffy back to North Peaks."
The pair enthusiastically agreed with that idea, so they set off.
When Jay presented Tracy the flowers, she loved them. She gave Jay Jay an aeroplane hug to say thank you and went to show Savannah how beautiful they were.
And as Jay Jay and Snuffy took off into the skies to head for North Peaks, Jay Jay knew he had learned an important lesson in making and keeping promises.