A/N Because I'm not British, they are, I had to research the British education system some. My Sodor's a British Isle, kind of like the Isle of Man, so it uses the UK education system.
The Hatt family was back home and settling back in. The boys were getting ready to go back to school. Thomas was starting Year 3 and annoying his brothers because he was excited about it. James was in his last year of Junior School, with Henry and Gordon starting Senior School. The older boys, though they could be mean to their little brother, especially Gordon and James, would defend him when others picked on him. Henry only picked on his littlest brother if the others pressured him, never being the leader. However, he always felt terrible after giving in, but he wanted them to be for him. James was the most annoyed with his little brother, so he decided to be mean and trip him.
Next time James was in a place he was in Thomas' path, he stuck out his foot right when the younger boy was walking by and laughed when he fell down. The littler boy's feelings were hurt, so he buried his face in his hanky and began to cry. Fusspot, James thought as his sobbing and sniffling little brother left the scene. Probably looking for Mum.
"Mummy", Thomas said tearfully to their mother, "James tripped me." She comforted her small son as he wiped his tears away and blew his nose. Then, she went to talk to James.
"I shall tell your dad about this", the boys' mother told James after finding out he was mean to his brother.
"Bother", said James. "Now, I shall be stuck in my room. Dad will make sure of that."
When the boys' dad came home, James was proven right. Excluding school, which was starting tomorrow and mealtime, he had to stay in his room for the week. James was cross at his punishment because no one would see him. Finally, when the week was over, James could be out and about again, doing things with his brothers and showing off to the other people, especially those he knew. Being stuck in his room was so boring to him.
Autumn changed into winter and the people of the Island had to get their winter clothes out. The boys, when they saw their dad's railway's engines were now seeing them with their snowplows sometimes, when the snow was deep. Thomas hated winter because he hated all those clothes. He found them heavy. One day, the brothers were out in the snow with their cousins and the younger boys were playing in it, doing things like making a snowman. Thomas, after going out, had removed some clothes and was wearing only his sweater and trousers. Then, there was trouble.
Thomas stumbled and fell in the snow, which the twins took advantage of, burying him in the snow except his head. "I shall freeze", the small boy said and began to cry. Henry, who only joined in burying his kid brother at his twin's urging, dried the younger boy's tears and dug him out. He then put his winter clothes on and went in to get warm. They all went on with their day after that.
A/N In the regular show, Sir Topham Hatt's like a father to the engines and I consider his shutting them in the shed punishment liking sending a kid to his or her room. If you're a new reader, the following's for you. I use show English as I call it in my TTTE fics, to honor it being a British show, though I'm not. Usually, I don't try to allude to canonical stories in this, but I do somewhat in this chapter.
A/N In the regular show, Sir Topham Hatt's like a father to the engines and I consider his shutting them in the shed punishment like sending a kid to his or her room. If you're a new reader, the following's for you. I use show English as I call it in my TTTE fics, to honor it being a British show, though I'm not.