A/N Jessica and her friends are the in crowd, so they won't be kicked out of school easily.
Monday came and Autumn and Sawyer went to school. When Autumn was by herself, Jessica and her group, teased Autumn until she froze up. For a few minutes, Autumn was in freeze mode, covering her ears.
As Jessica and her group were leaving, Autumn began to cry, overwhelmed with hurt from the cruelty of the mean girls. She sobbed into her flowered hanky, gulping, sniffling, her eyes reddening, her face contorted and pinched, her body shaking from her sobs. She wiped her tears as the streamed from her eyes, not once stopping and blew her nose loudly.
Sawyer comforted Autumn. "Autumn," Sawyer said softly, kneeling down beside her. She gently placed a hand on Autumn's back, her touch warm and reassuring. "I'm here for you," she whispered, her voice soothing and calm.
Autumn looked up, tears streaming down her face, wetting her hanky. "Jessica and her group... they were so mean," she choked out between sobs.
Sawyer wrapped her arm around Autumn, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "I'm so sorry they hurt you,"she said, her voice filled with genuine empathy. "Their words don't define you. You're amazing just the way you are."
Feeling the strength of Sawyer's compassion, Autumn's sobs began to subside. She clung to her hanky, the soft fabric absorbing her tears, while Sawyer's presence brought her a sense of peace.
"Thank you, Sawyer," Autumn said quietly, her voice still trembling. "You always know what to say.". She dried her red face and eyes, the latter sore and swollen from her tears, then put her sodden hanky in her pocket.
Sawyer smiled, her eyes reflecting her deep understanding. "That's what friends are for," she replied, her voice steady and kind. 'And I'll always be here for you.".
The girls went on with their school day and then, at the end of the day, rode the bus home. Autumn went to her room when she got home, after saying "Mummy, I need a box of tissues.", the bullying hitting her all over again.
Autumn sat in her room, wiping her tears and wiping and blowing her nose with her soft tissues. her thoughts turning to Sodor. She focused her tear-wet eyes on her Thomas toy and daydreamed her way to Sodor.
Autumn landed in Sodor, wiping her tears with a tissue.
Thomas saw Autumn and said, "Blow your nose and wipe your eyes. Let it all out and then you can ride on my train.".
Autumn sat in Thomas's cab, soaking her tissues with tears and nose blows. "The mean girls at school call me a baby for liking you and it hurts," she said, drying her remaining tears with her last tissue as she stopped crying.
Autumn then had her ride with Thomas and made her rounds of Sodor, seeing all her friends. Then, she said good-bye to Thomas and gave him a big hug. She went back home with his whistle in her ears.
Autumn threw out her soaked tissues when she got back from her daydream, had supper, did her homework, then had her bedtime routine, reading herself a bedtime story and falling asleep cuddling her stuffed Thomas.
A/N Sodor's Autumn's comfort. For new readers, she loves Thomas the most of the Sodor engines.