Thomas, followed what Carter said, and was going to work on the experiment in class with the 4 girls, and the one guy, Tyler. He felt a bit nervous; he hadn't really talked to them before, though they seemed friendly—well, maybe not Tyler as much, but he was alright in his own way.
"So...you all working on the project together?" the teacher asked, glancing at the group, sitting in the combined desk. Mei nodded enthusiastically. The teacher sighed. "Just make sure you actually do the work this time. I see you've got Thomas with you; maybe he'll know a thing or two about today's experiment."
Tyler rolled his eyes. "Nerd," he muttered under his breath. Thomas looked at Tyler, then back at the teacher, keeping silent. He wasn't exactly sure what the experiment would be; he just knew it was steam-related. The teacher returned to his desk and then addressed the class.
"Alright, everyone! Today, for the experiment, you will be creating a steam piston out of a soda can, and pencils. Remember to put on your safety goggles, learn new things, and don't forget to have fun." Then, he sat back in his desk.
Miriam turned back to the group. "Alright... steam pistons..." She blinked, glancing down at the items on the desk. "Whadda we do?"
"Those are used in steam trains, right?" Mei asked. "Ooh! I remember this one steampunk movie that had killer steam robots!" She said.
Thomas looked at Mei. "Actually, Mei," He started."they're called steam locomotives. The train is what the locomotive pulls. It's also called a steam engine, as in the 'engine' of the train."
Mei blinked at him, wide-eyed. "Oh..." She glanced at the others, while Tyler rolled his eyes again.
"Dude, your nerd side just leaked out. Gross." Tyler grumbled.
Thomas's face went red. "I-I I'm... I'm sorry..." He said, looking rather embarrassed. He didn't want anyone there to judge him. Miriam threw her notebook at Tyler's face. Tyler screamed.
"Is everything alright over there?" The teacher called out.
"Yes! Everything is fine Mr. Kieslowski!" Miriam yelled out.
Abby snickered. "Serves you right, Tyler."
"Ugh, why am I even friends with you guys?" Tyler groaned, sulking into his chair.
"Because we're 4-Townies for life!" Miriam said, slapping Tyler's back.
"Ow!" Tyler yelled out.
Miriam turned back to Thomas. "Honestly, it's cool you know so much about trains. You defiantly can actually help us a lot with this."
Thomas was pretty happy that Miriam was accepting, but although he's good at the train knowledge, he's bad at being creative and for him to put the experiment together would take way to long. So, he let them know that.
"Hey, no one said you had to do everything yourself. That's why we are a group for. We all can work on it," Pyria said calmly, with a slight smile.
Tyler rolled his eyes and sat up. "Fine. Let's just... build this steam whatever."
They gathered their materials: pencils, a tube, soda cans, and an old CD. "Ooh," Abby said, picking up the disc, "I wonder if there's any music on this! Maybe 4-Town!" She yelled, snatching the disc from Miriam's hands, bringing it close to her face, staring at it intensely.
"Focus, Abby. Let's figure out how we're actually going to build this thing," Mei reminded her, taking the disc back from her.
Thomas studied one of the cans; it seemed like their teacher had already prepared it for assembly. He picked up a pencil and inserted it into a hole near the can's bottom. It fit perfectly.
"Is that where we are supposed to place the pencil?" Mei asked.
Thomas shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think so." He showed them the can. "The can is probably supposed to act as a boiler. Each can has a hole at the bottom that fits a pencil." He added the pencil to the other can.
"Hmmm...?" Miriam wondered, examining both cans.
Thomas thought to himself, Two cans, two pencils, and a metal straw. How is this supposed to turn into a steam engine? Then he remembered what he just suggested—the soda can is the boiler.
They also had a candle for heat, meant to be used once they finished building. "I think I know what to do," Thomas said.
Everyone looked up. "You do?!" they asked, surprised. Thomas nodded, then took the two soda cans to the sink and filled them with water.
Miriam tilted her head. "Is that... the 'boiler' you where talking about?" She asked. Thomas nodded. He got the pencils, that where likely the piston rods.
He inserted them in the opening in the cans. Wait! I see it now!" Abby exclaimed. "The pencils will connect to the disc, and when heat generates steam, it'll move the pencils to spin the disc!"
"That's what I'm hoping will happen," Thomas replied.
Miriam nodded. "I see it too!" Then she got the disc, then handed it to Thomas, who then placed it on the wooden axle. After all of them helping out, except Tyler who just helped when he felt like, they where nearly complete.
"Wow... we actually done this faster than anyone else..." Priya said, looking at the other groups.
Thomas added the last thing, the candle. Then he placed it underneath the two cans.
"Let me light it!" Abby said grabbing the lighter, then she started to laugh menacingly as she was about to light the candle. "WHAHAHHAHAHAHA! FIRE!" She screamed out chaotically.
"Okayyyy, no way we are letting you use a lighter!" Mei laughed, snatching it from her naturally loud friend.
Abby pouted while Mei lit the candle. Tyler observed the setup. "Nothing's happening..." he mumbled.
"What, do you say that every time you turn on the stove?" Miriam teased. "It'll take a while to heat up,"
Tyler looked away, feeling stupid.
"So... what is exactly supposed to happen?" Abby asked.
"The pencils should move back and forth, spinning the disc," Mei explained, and Thomas nodded in agreement.
They waited, and waited... but nothing happened. "Hmm... something's off," Miriam said. Thomas gave the disc a nudge to help it along. It rolled smoothly but quickly stopped.
"It probably needs a push..." Thomas placed his hand on the disc, and rolled it. It spun smoothly, but then it stopped.
"Didn't work." Tyler said. Thomas gave the disc another spin, and the same thing happened. Nothing.
But after three or more spins, it started to move on it's own, rapidly. The girls cheered, but their excitement was cut short by hot water splashing out of the open cans.
"Oh crap!" Mei yelled.
Thomas noticed something missing—the two straws. He quickly inserted them into the cans' openings.
Chug-chug-chug-chug-chug...
Quiet puffing sounds came out from the straw followed by thin white steam. After the scare from the splashing hot water, Miriam, Abby, Mei, Priya and even Tyler was shocked to see that it was working properly.
"Mr. Kieslowski! We got it to work!" Mei yelled out.
"Hm?" The teacher looked up from his desk. "Oh?" He said looking a little surprised.
"Before everyone else?" He walked up to the desk they where seating at, and saw the working homemade steam piston. "Wow. You worked pretty fast..." He said looking a little in disbelief.
Miriam was really exited. "I guess if it wasn't for Thomas we wouldn't know how to do it." She said. Thomas blushed a little, bashfully. It has been a long time since he's gotten a compliment.
"Yeah... I'll admit, it's pretty cool." Tyler said.
"Wow, Tyler thinks something nerdy is cool?" Abby asked, looking at Tyler surprised.
Tyler scoffed, "Ugh, shut up..." He said.
Mr. Kieslowsk, titled his head. "Thomas? You three did not follow the instructions I gave you?" He said, gesturing to the book on the table.
The teens glanced down at it. "Uhhh... There were Instructions?" Pyria asked.
Then, all the kids came to look at their steam piston.
"All thanks to Thomas." Mei smiled, saying that to the kids who came over.
Thomas was feeling very happy.
Probably a little too happy.
He felt an odd sensation, his body changing. 'No... Not now, not here!'
The excitement was bringing out the engine.
Thomas wasn't sure if he was going to keep it in this time, so he had to get away from this small classroom as soon as possible. He quickly stood up, the ran to the door. He was pretty sure he looked stupid.
"Woah! Thomas?! You okay?" Mei asked.
"I've... gotta use the loo!" he lied, dashing out the class.
His new friends watched run out the classroom. "Well... when you gotta go, you gotta go I guess," Miriam shrugged.
Abby giggled. "He said 'loo',"
Thomas ran down the hallway, aiming for the back exit. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. His skin was turning gray, his hair was shifting to blue. "No, please, not again!" He bolted out the back door, just as—
Whooosh!
A puff of white smoke erupted from him. "OH SHIT!" He yelled, then he slammed onto the ground as something huge. "OUCH!"
Poor Thomas was dizzy, and as he got his senses together, he looked around. He felt taller. Then, he looked down and saw... buffers. "No... No..." He said in disbelief. He was the tank engine—painted blue with a number one on his side, six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, and dome. He couldn't move. He was stuck. Stuck for two reasons. He had no rails, and he had no steam.
He was just outside of school doors. "Oh no no no no..."
If the bell would ring, all the kids could see him through the doors.
"Come on... calm down... calm down..." He took deep breaths, in and out. Trying to calm himself. He felt his body getting calm, then in a puff of steam, he turned back into his human form. He fell into the ground on his butt. "OW!" He yelled. Grunting, he got up. "Ugh... oh come on! I haven't changed into the tank engine in years!" He said covering his face. He was nervous. He was scared.
He was nervous. What if this happened again—inside a classroom? He brushed himself off and walked back inside, heading for his classroom, back to his new friends.
"Thomas? Darn, man, you really wanted to use that restroom," Tyler said with a laugh, as Thomas walked into the room.
"Seriously, you alright?" Mei asked.
Thomas sighed, taking his seat. "Yeah... I'm fine now."
"Was it number one or two?" Tyler teased.
"EW! Gross Tyler! That's none of your business!" Miriam yelled.
"It was definitely number two~" Tyler snorted.
Miriam slammed her book in Tyler's face... again.
'More like number three,' Thomas thought to himself, eyeing the steam piston they'd built. He knew he needed Carter's advice with this.
