It was getting late by now, and Thomas had to get off from the face call soon. 'Curse these time zones,' Thomas mumbled to himself. He looked up at the screen. "Guys, maybe we should do this on the weekends, since, you know, we don't have school," Thomas suggested. He figured that would be best. He has a school in only a few hours and he needs sleep.

Abby enthusiastically agreed, "Yeah! That's a great idea!"

Miriam chimed in, smiling, "I'd enjoy that."

Thomas smiled back, "Well, I'll see you all soon. Bye guys, bye Carter!"

"Bye Thomas!" Carter said, turning the laptop towards him. "Love you~~"

"Ooooh~" Abby teased, giggling.

Thomas blushed, "L-Love you too," he shyly replied.

Giggling, Carter ended the call, and then Thomas's screen went black, shrouding the room in darkness. Sighing, Thomas placed the laptop on the floor, then went into his bed, and tried to fall asleep.

-3 Days Later-

Thomas was outside for class. All of the students were sitting on the grass, just outside of the large station. There was a train yard that was directly in front of them. Some loose railway cars were on them. At first, Thomas wasn't sure why Edward had brought them all outside to do lessons. Maybe it was because the weather was nice. The birds were chirping, and the wind was cool in the warm air. It was a change of pace, instead of being in the classroom just learning about basic math and history.

Thomas thought maybe this was why Edward brought them out. Nice weather like this would be a crime to pass up, but then Edward finally walked out to them.

"Morning class," Edward said, "Today will be a bit different," He started. He walked out to the front of the class. "Since you boys and girls always love to ask to help us transport trains all around the island, we've always said no, because we don't want one of you getting hurt. But, since you all can turn into engines, it'll be best to brush up on a railway term known as shunting," Edward explained.

Thomas blinked. Then, he looked at those cars that were sitting on the tracks behind Edward. He knows that shunting means to rearrange the train yard and make it accessible for other engines to take the trains from you.

"Behind me, is the train yard, that was once used to service the station here. I'll demonstrate what shunting is for you all who might have forgotten," Edward looked at Thomas, then smiled. He then walked away, then walked over to a single truck. He stood over the tracks, then-

POOF!

Edward instantly warped into the blue tender engine.

Steam erupted from him, and he pushed the truck forward, passing the switch, and then he stopped. The truck rolled forward by itself slightly and then came to a stop.

Edward changed back into a human, then walked around to the other side of the truck, changed into the engine again, and then pushed it forward onto the new lines.

He shoved it until the very end. "Now, that's shunting!" Edward said as he slowed.

"Do this with a few more loose trucks, connect them, and you've made a train for another engine to take," Edward said as he reversed. "Now, it'll be easier for us. Since we can change into engines and back into humans. No turn table is required to make turnarounds. Though, do be careful. You don't know what's underneath you as an engine, so be careful when you have to morph constantly," Edward backed away, then changed into a human once more, then walked back out to the class.

"It's also best to have a friend with you while you shunt. Only to verify your surroundings, and help with switching the tracks to make it easier and faster. Also, to have one make sure your water levels are fine. Always have someone with you to make sure your boiler is always full when you're traveling as an engine!"

Thomas realized he had broken that rule multiple times. Judging by how the other kids were looking around once Edward said that, proved to them they'd done the same thing.

"So, Thomas-!" Edward started. "Would you like to try it out?"

Thomas gasped, "M-Me?"

"Yes," Edward smiled. "I'd like to see how well the Engine Of The Prophecy can do basic shunting,"

Thomas nodded shyly. He got up and then walked over to Edward.

"I'll be your helper to switch the lines," Edward said.

Thomas walked up to the tracks. He looked behind him at the many other students watching him. He felt a little shy but tried not to show it.

"Okay, you see the 3 trucks over there?" Edward came closer to Thomas and then pointed at them.

Thomas saw the trucks. "Y-Yeah, I do..." Thomas said.

"Okay, you are supposed to bring this, over to the trucks in on this line. Think you know how?"

Thomas looked at it. He nodded, "I think I can try,"

"That's the spirit!" Edward patted Thomas's back, then walked over to the other side of the tracks. "All yours,"

Thomas walked over to the train tracks and then stood over it. He closed his eyes, trying to turn into the E2. Edward did it so flawlessly. It felt like he had to fight every fiber in his body to even get started to warp.

But, it was finally done, and Thomas transformed into his engine. Steam erupted from him, and coated the area.

"Good job," Edward said. Edward came up to Thomas's front and attached the truck to Thomas's coupler. "Now roll backward,"

Thomas turned the gears in his cab, then allowed steam to enter into his pistons, and slowly roll in reverse down the track lines. His rear end was coming up to the points.

"Wait... hold it lad," Thomas heard Edward say.

So, he slowed.

Thomas heard a clanging sound coming from behind him. Wondering what that was, he then heard Edward say something. "See class? This is why you need a buddy with you when you're going to help us out. The points were not switched. Thomas's flywheel would have gotten wedged in the tracks, and it might have gotten broken," Edward explained.

Thomas eye's went wide upon hearing that. Well, one more fear to add to his list of fears.

"You may proceed, Thomas," Edward called out.

Thomas rolled backward, now, dragging the truck along the lines. Slowly, with every second, a chugging sound came from his funnel. Steam blew out from him as he rolled onto the other tracks.

"Okay, slow down Thomas," Edward called out.

Thomas slowly and gently applied the brakes to his wheels, and he felt the weight of the truck bump into him at the front. "Oof..." He said quietly. After staying idle for a moment, he heard: Clang!

"The tracks are switched now Thomas," Edward said. "Move forward, and place the trucks on the right line, and leave them there,"

Thomas made a sound of understanding him. He let out steam from his undercarriage and pushed into the train. His wheels started to slip a little.

"Hold on there lad," Edward said. "You do know how to use the sander right?" He looked over at the rest of the class. "Class, what is the sander used for?"

"To grip the rails!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Precisely!" Edward nodded in approval. He turned his attention back to Thomas. "This especially happens when it rains, or when it snows. You should be able to turn it yourself, can you?"

Thomas remembered it. He slightly remembered which knob it was in his cab. He remembered he used it just after he had pulled out from the tram depot when he was going to help Mei deliver 4 Town's equipment.

"Oh, and that reminds me," Edward started, as Thomas started to leak out some sand on the metal rails in front of his front wheel. "Don't forget class, to get a refill on sand for your sandbox after class during your lunchtime,"

"Okay, Mr. Edward!" A few of the class had said.

"We can't afford any crashes," Edward shook his head. "Yes, you all cannot feel pain as an engine, but it's not fun to be damaged in your engine form and not be able to use it, yes? Plus some disasters can carry over,"

Thomas had finished sanding, He heard what Edward said at the last bit, but he ignored it. and then he let the steam flow through his metal body. Then, he pushed into the cars. Chug, after chug, Thomas rolled forward, slowly pushing the cars onto the siding.

All the students and Edward watched as Thomas easied into the siding, and stopped. As steam erupted from Thomas's pistons, he heard a few of the students clapping at him. "Good job Thomas!" Duck called out.

Thomas's face went red from all of the positive feedback.

"Not bad at all Thomas," Edward said as he walked up to him. "Not bad at all. You did that pretty well for someone to not have changed into the engine for a while. Good job," Edward smiled.

Thomas smiled along with him, still blushing.

"You may join the others now,"

Thomas let the steam ease from him, and he changed back into his human self. Edward smiled and patted his back as he walked over to the class.

"You did good Tom!" Oliver said with a smile as Thomas went back to sit with them on the grass.

"Yeah! Better than my first time. Are you sure you didn't do any shunting jobs in Toronto? Like wow," James said after.

"No shit it was better than you," Oliver snorted. "Remember when you tried to shunt for that first time?"

James blinked, his face went more red than his red shirt. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

Oliver giggled. "Oh you know what I'm talking about," He smiled. He looked at Thomas. "This idiot banged into the trucks so hard, he threw himself off of the rails along with the trucks!"

Thomas tilted his head, then looked at James. "How... did you even do that?"

James blushed and covered his face. "I don't turn into a shunting engine Okay! I turn into a mixed traffic engine!" That was his only excuse.

"Mixed traffic you say?" Oliver said. "Mixed, all but shunting," He snorted.

"Shut up! That's not what mixed traffic even means!" James snapped at him.

Duck wasn't saying anything, but he had to giggle softly once they were done talking. "James, so much shit has happened to your arse here on this island," He said.

James groaned and looked away.

Oliver giggled, covering his mouth. "You remember that day his brakes failed and Edward had to chase him down, with Toby in his cab, and Toby had to basically lasso a rope to James' buffers and connect it to Edward to slow him down?"

Thomas blinked and looked at James, who was still covering his face.

"Or that day a bee stung his nose?" Duck said.

Oliver gasped, snorting so loudly. "Lad's nose was Rudolph!"

"Can you both stop talking about my muck ups in front of the Engine Of The Prophecy!" James yelled.

"James," Edward had said. "Use your inside voice," He said.

"We're outside, not inside," James mumbled.

"What was that?" Edward asked.

"Nothing-," James said.

Oliver giggled.

"Okay class, before we leave today for lunch I have something to announce," Edward said. "To have a little fun, Toby and I have planned something for you all like what we do every year,"

That got all the student's attention. Thomas was wondering what it was.

"Okay, so Toby and I are setting up a racing competition for each of you. Two of you will be paired to do different tasks. It will be a shunting task, and two sets of racing,"

The rest of the kids gasped, and so did Thomas. "A race?" He said to himself.

"The first set of races will be the two pairs of you pulling nothing behind you, and racing on the two lines side by side all the way to the end of the main line. The second race, will be you arriving back from the end, this time, you'll be carrying a loaded train. Whichever of you wins, will receive 40 pounds,"

The students gasped at that.

"So make sure you all practice, alright? Take turns throughout the ends of classes and the weekends to practice shunting, and just being an engine," Edward said.

"Mr. Edward, will the younger kids participate?" Emily asked.

"As much as I would like them to, they're much too young to do so. And their tracks aren't the right gauge over here," Edward said.

Thomas had gotten his lunch from the lines and was sitting with his friends, Duck, Oliver, and James at the lunch table. "Ew," Oliver said looking at Duck's tray, "Why you got the meatloaf? Gross..."

"Don't be so rude, it isn't even gross," Duck pouted.

"I've always hated meatloaf," Oliver said.

"Well, I don't... Is everything I like a bother to you?" Duck said.

Thomas sat at the table, "Hey Thomas!" Oliver said. "I can't believe what Mr. Edward said! We're really going to be doing this!"

"Didn't we do something like this last year? We do competitions every year. But they've all been different," Duck said.

Thomas bit some of his food. "Really? You all do that?"

"Well, yeah. The teachers, both Edward and Toby want us all to have fun," Duck said.

"He said he'll pick two of us," James said. "I wonder who'll get picked?"

"I hope I'm picked with you! I'm gonna blow right past you in the race! Both of em'!" Oliver said to Duck.

Duck looked at him with a smirk. "In your dreams Oliver, we all know my engine is stronger than yours will ever be,"

Oliver gasped, and pouted, "You meanie! My engine is not weak!"

"Will they allow us to choose who we do the game with?" Thomas asked. "Or will they choose for us?" Thomas asked after, remembering how schools back where he came from would pick students randomly with people to work on projects or any other school things.

"They'll choose for us. It happened with the last games we did over the years. They know some of us would choose to work with the people who have the weaker engines just for us to beat them, which isn't fair. So what Edward is doing, is a good thing," Duck said. "So both Gorden and Henry here have one of the strongest engines, so Edward will most likely choose both of them,"

Thomas nodded, "Ah, that makes sense,"

"Yeah," James said. "You'll probably get picked with any of the kids here," He said looking around, "Many of them here turn into tank engines,"

"He better not get picked with Rosie," Oliver mumbled.

"Why? Wait... oh, you just want a reason to be near her~," Duck teased.

"Shut up Duck!" Oliver snapped at his friend, with his face red.

Thomas smiled. He was a little excited. He was happy to at least have a reason to finally use his engine. Even if it wasn't what he wanted to do in Toronto, this was a start. He felt a little at ease now, like he was fitting in.

"So how's your boyfriend~?" Asked a curious Oliver.

"Oh... I haven't spoken with him for a while, since the last 3 days in fact," Thomas said. "He hasn't been responding to my emails or anything..." Thomas said sadly.

"I'm sure he's fine," Duck reassured Thomas. "He's probably just busy. I know how hectic school can be back on the other side,"

"Ugh, tell me about it," Oliver agreed. "I'm glad Mr. Edward or Mr. Toby doesn't feed us constant homework." Then, Oliver turned to Thomas. "You haven't made more friends than us since you've been here," He mentioned to him. "You should get out of our little group every once in a while and meet the other kids here," He said.

Duck lightly shoved Oliver's shoulder. "Hey, let him do his things at his own pace," Duck said.

"Oh... I'm... well, I'm just shy," Thomas chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Always been shy of seeing and meeting new people..."

"Come on man, you told us your friends with literal 4 Town! You have nothing to be scared of anymore!" Oliver chuckled. "Butttt I still have a hard time believing you still. I mean, you haven't even got a message back from them yet, have you?"

Thomas playfully rolled his eyes at what Oliver said before, but then, he realized that. Yeah, Tae hasn't said anything. "Well, he's probably all over the place... I think they're going to a few places around Canada for performances and things like that. He's probably way too busy to be having constant contact with a fan of them," Thomas said to Oliver.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's true,"

"Maybe he'll respond to me soon," Thomas said. "But right now I'm more concerned about Carter," Thomas said.

"Aww," Oliver said when he saw that Thomas was really worried. "Trust me, he's fine," He said.