Okay, before we begin, allow me to say I'm sorry for making all of you wait for the 31st chapter of this series. Originally I had done a version of this story back in January 2015, and had every plans to post it, but as time went on, things got in the way and I got rid of the older version. Now though, with the other thirty chapters fully edited, thanks to SF64Rules for that, I am today to finally present to you all this new chapter, and there is one more to come before Christmas this year, but what it will be about you'll have to wait to find out. Anyways, this chapter will feature Emily going 'out of character' as was requested by SF64Rules, but only for this chapter, after that you'll be seeing her as her sweet loveable self. Thanks again for being so patient, and once again, I'm sorry for making you wait a year and ten months for this.
Sodor High School: Thomas & Friends Tales
Based on the Railway Series by the Reverand Wilbert and Christopher Awdry
Based on the Television Series by: Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, Hit Entertainment, and Universal
Written by: ThomasZoey3000
Episode 31: Emily's Bad Attitude
Special Thanks to SF64Rules for the Idea
School was now over, and the students of Sodor High School were glad of that since they were tired of writing in their notebooks or pieces of paper all the time. Now they could go out and hang out with friends, spend a day in the towns or down by the beach, or just relax at home. Yes, summertime was the most wonderful of the year for these kids.
On the second day of summer vacation, Thomas, his sisters and Emily were on the local train bound for Knapford Station. The girls needed new summer clothes, and Thomas needed to get a new air conditioner for the house as the old one gave out the night before.
"Just when you need something to work, it decides to quit on you," groaned Thomas, "don't you just hate it when that happens?"
"I sure do," Emily nodded. "I remember when I was younger, the generator for our air conditioning broke, and it was a boiling hot day. My father ordered to have it fixed, but it was no use, it just would not work. Finally though, after three days it was working again, which was also around the time the heat wave went away."
"Talk about ironic."
Emily nodded again as she looked out the window, "all the same, I am looking forward to spending the summer holidays with you guys. Truth be told, most of my summers are spent indoors."
"Why?" asked Annie and Clarabel in unison.
"It's usually because my mother doesn't want anything to happen to me, like getting a sunburn, you know what that's like." Thomas, Annie and Clarabel all nodded in agreement. Sometimes their parents could be over protective. "Plus," Emily continued, "we have an indoor pool, an arcade and all sorts of other things, so there was no reason to go out. This year though, I'm getting the chance I've been waiting for, and maybe for once, I can go to an actual beach."
"Well we can definetly do that," said Thomas. "That's what my sisters and I do on hot days anyways."
Annie and Clarabel nodded in agreement. Emily smiled, she was definetly enjoying her time with her friends. However, the conversation also brought a thought to her head, "what will happen when Diesel 10 is caught and I can return home? Will I still be able to attend high school, and see my friends?" She didn't have an answer to the question, but she hoped with all her heart that the answer would be yes.
A short while later, the girls had gotten their new summer clothes, which included new swimsuits for the days to the beach, and now the four teenagers were making their way to the appliance shop for the new air conditioner. Emily had been worried about the cost, but Thomas assured her that his father had left money for just such emergencies, and that there was plenty to help pay for it.
They were approaching the store when Emily, who was just walking ahead of the others, bumped into another person, and both of them fell to the ground with a thump.
"Ouch," groaned Emily as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm so sorry about that, I must've had my head in the clouds."
"Well next time, watch where you're going," snapped the other person.
The other person turned out to be Daisy, a student from Sodor High School. She had light green hair with light blue eyelids and pink lips. She can be a nice person, but sometimes, like on warm summer days, she can a little rude and snobbish. Daisy sniffed rudely at them, then walked away.
Thomas walked up to Emily and helped her to her feet.
"Are you alright Emily?"
"Yeah I'm fine," she nodded, "nothing to worry about." She quickly dusted herself off, and the four started walking again. A few steps later though, Emily stopped to look at a poster, "check this out, it's a poster for a beauty contest."
"Oh yeah, the town of Knapford usually hosts a beauty contest at the beginning of the summer season," said Annie. "We've known a few girls who entered the contest, and they had a great time entering. They even made new friends during that time."
That brought a big smile to Emily's face, "have fun entering a contest and making new friends, I like the sound of that. Maybe I should enter."
Thomas looked to her with a concerned look, "I don't know Emily, what if you know who is in the audience, he might come after you."
"Oh yeah, I didn't think about that."
"You don't need to worry about that," said Clarabel. "Most of the time, the girls are wearing make-up and wearing fancy dresses, which makes it hard for a person to recongnize them."
"Besides, from what you said, he doesn't even know the truth about Emily," added Annie.
"They do make a good point," said Emily. "Alright then, I'll sign up for the beauty contest. Right after we get that air conditioning unit."
A short while later, the teens arrived at the town theatre. There were lots of people there, many of which were young girls who wanted to join the contest too.
"Whew, all these kids are going to give me a run for my money," gasped Emily. "Oh well, win or lose, it's all about having fun."
She walked over to the back of the line, and slowly but surely, made her way to the sign-up sheet. Of course, when it came time for her to sign up, she had to give herself a different name than Hatt, so she called herself 'Emily Brighton'.
"That should do it," she smiled, "and now to go make new frien..." but she was interupted as she bumped into someone again.
As luck would have it, the person she bumped into was none other than Daisy, who did not look too happy, "you have a nasty habit of bumping into me, please stop it."
"Sorry Miss, I was just so excited about entering the contest that..."
"You're entering the beauty contest? Ha, that's rich. A girl like you is actually thinking that she could beat a girl like me, there's no chance in all of Sodor you'll be able to do that."
"I'm not here to beat anyone, I'm here mainly to have fun."
"Fun? There's no room in beauty contests for fun. Beauty contests are serious business, and unless you are willing to commit yourself to the work involved, all you'll get is nothing. But hey, it's your loss."
And thinking she had made her point, Daisy made her way over to the sign-up sheets.
"Geez, that girl is certainly rude," Emily said as Thomas and his sisters walked over.
"Yeah when it comes to contests, Daisy takes things too seriously," said Thomas. "Anyone who's ever worked with her in the past can agree to that. I would take no notice of her Emily, and just try your best."
"I will," she nodded.
The next afternoon, Emily arrived with Annie and Clarabel, while Thomas was taking care of some minor projects at home. Emily had brought one of the new dresses from the day before, and after getting changed into it, she waited for her turn on the stage.
"You must be excited Emily," said Annie, "getting to be on stage, and being in front of all those people."
"It is exciting," Emily smiled, "and it's another first for me. I've never really been in a beauty contest before. Though I hope I don't get nervous and freeze up on stage."
"Oh you'll be fine," encouraged Clarabel. "After everything you've been through, this will be a breeze."
"Thanks girls, that means alot."
The trio watched as other girls walked onto the stage, many of which had sparkly designs on their dresses, which shone brightly as the stage-lights shone down on them. Emily looked at her dress and sighed. As pretty as it was, it was nowhere as sparkly as the other girl's dresses.
"If you want Emily, I can make some nice design patterns for your dress," said Annie.
"You can really that?"
"Oh sure, I've been doing that for years. Just tell me what you want the designs to look like, and when we get home, I'll gladly add them to your dress."
"Well I would like to see some heart designs on the dress."
"Heart designs it is," smiled Annie.
"Uh Emily, may I make a suggestion?" asked Clarabel. Emily nodded to the question, "what if you had some flowers in your hair, it would make you look even more beautiful on stage."
"Flowers in my hair huh? Hmm, now that's not such a bad idea. Can you get roses? They are my favourite flowers."
"I can get you those in no time."
Emily smiled. It was good to have such wonderful friends like Annie and Clarabel.
A short while later, Emily was out on the stage doing a practise run. She did quite well, and the judges were impressed. One person though wasn't impressed, and that person was, of course, Daisy.
As Emily walked off the stage to allow someone else on there, Daisy spoke to her, "you'll never win like that."
"I beg your pardon?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh you know, being all nice and having fun. It's for the losers who don't know how to be in a beauty contest. I on the other hand know everything about how to act in the show, and will beat the rest of you sorry losers without even breaking a sweat."
The words coming out of Daisy's mouth were starting to get on Emily's nerves, "you know something, you're really starting to get on my nerves. It's not about winning or losing, it's about having fun."
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that loser. But that's why I'll always be a winner, and you will forever be a loser."
"Will you quit calling me a loser?"
"But that's just what you are, and always will be. There is no real compitation here this year, so it leaves me with no doubt that I will win the contest and prove that I am the best."
"Is that so? Well just suppose someone else won? What would say then?"
"Well I would say congratulations to that person, but it's not like that's going to happen with you and all these losers in the contest."
That was the last straw for Emily, "just you wait and see Daisy, I'll prove to you that I can win the contest, and finally put you in your place. Then we'll see who's the winner and who's the loser."
"That I'd like to see, if you can."
"Just watch me."
After that encourter, Emily's preparations for the beauty contest became a living nightmare for all of her friends.
When Annie started working on the heart patterns for the dress, Emily grabbed the dress away from her and started yelling at her, "how dare you put heart patterns on this dress! Why not just put the words loser on there?"
"But Emily, you said you wanted Heart shaped patterns on the dress," said Annie, rather confused.
"Well I changed my mind, I rather have it plain, and if I catch you trying to put hearts on my dress or any of my clothes again, you'll be sorry." And she stormed away.
"I was just following your request." Annie felt quite hurt.
Clarabel also got yelled at when she arrived back at the house with plenty of roses, "I don't want any of those things in my hair, it'll make me look stupid."
"I don't think so, I think you'd look beautiful."
"That's your opinion, not everyone else's." She then smacked the flowers away and stormed off in a huff.
"Geez, she got out on the wrong side of the bed today and that's no mistake."
Thomas and the others got the brunt of Emily's new bad attitude. When Thomas made suggestions of going to the beach, Emily would say, "the beach would ruin my beautiful hair, and I won't stand for it. It's not a good suggestion Thomas."
When Percy asked if she wanted to join him at the arcade, she said; "I do not waste time playing video games, I have a contest to prepare for. Maybe you should think of doing something more productive."
After a few days, the Ffarquhar teenagers were getting fed up with Emily, and met up at Percy's house to talk about it.
"I don't know why she's acting like this, but I'm missing the kind sweet Emily," said Percy. "The one that actually likes playing video games with friends."
"And the one who wanted to go the beach," added Thomas. "This new Emily is too bossy and rather rude, she's like a second Daisy."
"You mean beauty contest Daisy," corrected Annie. Thomas looked to his sister with a raised eyebrow, "Daisy is sometimes nice, it's just when she enters contests that she acts like this."
"Okay you got a point there. I just hope when all this is done, Emily will return to her normal self."
"And what if she doesn't?" Percy asked. "What if she continues to act like this?"
Thomas didn't answer, he didn't want to think that she would remain like that.
"I wish the old Emily would return, I liked her better."
"Don't we all Percy, don't we all."
Days went by and soon it was the evening before the beauty contest. Thomas was in the living room and reading a novel book. He was just getting to a really good part when Emily came into the room.
"Less time reading and more time answering a question I have!" she demanded.
Thomas had lost his place in the story, so he looked up, quite unimpressed, "okay Emily, what do you want to ask me?" he asked back.
"Simple, should I wear a ruby necklace or a diamond necklace?"
"I don't know, the ruby one perhaps."
"Hmm, nope I don't think so. It's stupid to ever think rubies are more beautiful than diamonds."
"Then why did you ask me for my opinion?"
"Cause I thought you could be of some help, but clearly you are not. You're just letting me down, some friend you turned out to be."
By now, Thomas had had enough. He stood up and stared Emily right in the face, "well if that's how you feel Emily, why don't you go to the beauty contest on your own? Clearly you know better than everyone else, and we'd only get in the way." And he stormed off before Emily could say another word.
Emily was stunned to hear those words, but then thought, "he'll go to the show, after all a loyal person like him would never just abandon me."
Before entering his room to be alone, Thomas asked Annie and Clarabel to go with Emily to the Beauty Contest, but they refused. In the end, he had to call Rosie using his mobile phone and ask her.
"Do I really have to? I've been hearing about her new attitude from Percy," she said on the other end.
"Someone needs to watch over her."
Rosie gave in and agreed to watch over Emily at the beauty contest. Annie and Clarabel agreed to go with her to Knapford, but after that, they could do whatever they wanted to do.
The next day came and Emily was on the first train to Knapford. Annie and Clarabel said nothing to her during the journey. Emily broke the silence at one point; "I hope you guys are ready to cheer me on as I win the contest."
"Yeah sure whatever," they muttered. After that, they went silent.
When they reached the theatre, Emily didn't notice Annie and Clarabel going off to the local Toys R Us store. As she walked into the theatre, Emily saw lots of young woman, all looking dashing in their outfits, and some even had flowers in their hair. Emily snorted at the mere sight of that, "it's a stupid idea."
The girls though payed no attention to Emily, they just continued to talk with each other.
Emily went to apply make-up and soon returned, only to find Daisy arriving at the theatre. A sly grin came to Emily's face, "are you prepared to lose the contest Daisy?"
"I don't intend on losing my dear, I will beat you."
"Pah, you're talking like an idiot."
Rosie could hear the two girls talking, and rolling her eyes, she figured out where Emily got that attitude of her's from. As Emily walked over towards her, Rosie commented by saying; "I'm glad I'm not entering this contest."
"Yeah it's a good thing, cause you'd only lose to me."
Rosie was shocked to hear such talk, but she remained focus and calm as she continued talking; "that's not what I was going to say. No, I was going to say that if I was in this contest, I'd be acting stupid like Daisy."
"Yeah she's such a loser."
"Or acting like a complete fool like you."
Emily gasped to hear Rosie say that, "why would say such a thing like that? I'm here to win."
"Really? What happened to the idea of having fun and making new friends? Annie and Clarabel told me that was your whole reason for entering this contest, and now look at you. You're here, you're rude and selfish, and you have no one, other than me here to support you."
"What are you talking about? Annie and Clarabel are in the audience right now, and Thomas will be here real soon."
Rosie rolled her eyes, "oh really? Look out there and tell me that again."
Emily huffed and walked over towards the curtains to look to the audiance. To her surprise, she could see none of her friends there, not even Thomas.
"But...I thought..."
"You've angered them all Emily. Daisy's poor attitude has gotten to you, and now you've driven your friends away. I'm merely here to make sure you stay out of trouble, not to cheer you on."
Not seeing her friends at the theatre, and hearing Rosie say those harsh words, Emily was left stunned. She looked to a nearby mirror. Instead of having the hearts on her dress, and the roses in her hair, she looked like Daisy, only with dark green hair.
"Oh my gosh...my friends, I...I didn't know...I was just focused on beating Daisy."
"That's how it starts. You focus on trying to beat someone, and when focusing so hard, you're not aware you're driving others away."
"Alright ladies, five minutes to go!" called a stage hand. "Take your places."
Daisy smirked as she looked over to Emily, "quit talking to that loser and get to the back dummy!"
But Emily didn't move. She was thinking back. To when she yelled at Annie. The yelling she gave to Clarabel, and throwing the roses away. She even thought back to the words she said to Thomas. She looked down to her diamond necklace, it didn't look so grand now. She reached into her purse and pulled out the ruby necklace. It seemed to sparkle in the lights of the back stage area.
"Miss, you're going have to get in line, we're beginning soon," said the stage hand.
Emily snapped back to her senses and shook her head, "I'm sorry Sir, but I'm not going out there. I will not go out there unless I have the support of my friends, and looking the way I originally wanted to look." She ripped off the diamond necklace and put on the ruby necklace.
The stage-hand shook his head and walked off.
"Friends, who needs them when you're a winner," sniffed Daisy.
"Yeah, good luck with that Daisy. Let's see you celebrate your victory without friends. As for me, I'm going to find mine." And she headed for the back door.
"Finally you're starting to make sense!" sighed Rosie and followed after her green haired friend.
Daisy merely rolled her eyes.
A little later at Ffarquhar arcade, Thomas was hanging out with Percy, Toby and Mavis. He was still rather cross though, "we try to be supportive of that girl, and what does she do? She yells at us and says our suggestions are stupid. Honestly, who does she think she is?"
None of his friends said anything back to him, but someone responded to his question.
"A foolish girl who knows when she's made a mistake?"
Thomas and the others looked to the direction of the voice and saw that it belonged to Emily. She was standing in the doorway of the arcade with Annie, Clarabel and Rosie behind her. Thomas didn't smile at her.
"Shouldn't you be at the contest? Or did you already win by yelling at the judges?"
Emily shook her head, "I didn't win. I didn't even stay for the contest, I dropped out of it."
"You dropped out? Why? I thought you wanted to win," Percy pointed out.
"There's no point in winning if my best friends aren't there to support me. Let Daisy have her contest, I'd rather hang out with my friends any day of the week. And," she added, "I wouldn't mind some heart patterns on some of my new shirts, and maybe to have a flower in my hair every now and then."
"We can help you with that," Annie and Clarabel said in unison.
Thomas still looked crossly at Emily, that was until he saw the ruby necklace. Emily smiled, "it is better than having a diamond, and I feel that it suits me quite well. You made the right choice Thomas. I'm sorry for the way I acted to you and everyone else, I hope you'll be able to forgive me."
Thomas didn't say a word, which made Emily worry. Would her first ever friend stay mad at her forever? After a minute of silence though, Thomas showed his trademark smile at her, "of course I'll forgive you Emily, as long as you don't act like that again."
"I promise, cross my heart," she smiled.
"Yeah, that's definetly the Emily I've come to know and lo...uh like," he thought and started blushing.
"Are you feeling alright Thomas?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine," he said, shaking his head. "Uh, why don't we play some games for a while? Forcasters call for rain this afternoon, so we can't do anything else."
"Games sound good to me, and maybe when the weather improves, we can go to the beach."
Everyone nodded to that. Emily smiled, "Being with friends," she thought, "is definetly better than winning some silly contest. Still, I wonder how Daisy is doing in the contest right now."
She would later find out that Daisy lost just behind Molly, who was the last to enter the contest. After that, Daisy apologized for her rude behaviour and promised never to act that way again. The others weren't enterily sure if she would stay true to her word. Guess only time will tell.