Sodor High School: Thomas & Friends Tales
Written by: ThomasZoey3000 / SF64Rules
Based on the Railway Series by: The Rev. W. and Christopher Awdry
Based on the Television Series by: Britt AllCroft, David Mitton, Lionsgate, and Universal Pictures
OC(s) owned by: SF64Rules
Episode 39: The Alliance
Over in the park one hot summer afternoon, Gordon and Leonardo were both playing Football against each other while waiting for the former's team to arrive for practice.
"Had enough, old man?" taunted Gordon, who currently had the ball in his possession.
"This 'old man' isn't as tired as you think." Leonardo retorted playfully.
"Right, keep telling yourself that!"
Before Gordon could try and score, Leonardo suddenly swiped the ball from him and kicked it into his opponent's goal. Over on the sidelines, Thomas, Percy, Emily, and James were all watching the little game between the two friendly rivals. Rosie, unfortunately, was working today, so she couldn't come to watch the little game.
"Nice shot, Leo!" called Percy, overjoyed from the score.
Before long, the two older teenage boys walked over to the sidelines, feeling rather hot and exhausted from their quick game. Fortunately, Emily had just the thing for them...
"I've made lemonade." she offered, taking out a large pitch full of freshly squeezed lemonade from the cooler and filling two glasses. "This should help perk you two back up."
"Whew! Sounds good." panted Gordon, taking a glass. "I'm hot and sweaty."
"Same here." wheezed Leonardo, taking his own glass. "This will hit the spot."
And it did. Soon, Emily poured the rest of her friends a glass full of the refreshing squeezed lemon goodness, before pouring herself a glass.
"Hmm! This is really good!" said Percy, cheerfully drinking his lemonade.
"Aye." agreed Leonardo. "Did Thomas help ye with making it?"
"No, Emily made it all herself." corrected Thomas, who had already finished his glass of lemonade.
"Well, good for you, Emily." grinned James, quickly drinking down his glass.
"You know something, little Thomas?" Gordon spoke up. "Do you remember this Football field?"
Thomas nodded. "Do I ever, Gordon."
"Huh?" blinked Emily. "What are you two talking about? Don't you guys play Football here all the time?"
"The reason we say that, is because this was the same Football field where Thomas managed to save my position on the team I used to play for a couple of years ago." answered Gordon. "Namely when I got into trouble."
"I remember that." said James. "It was back when we were younger, and way before Emily, Rosie, and Leo were each accepted into Sodor High."
"Along with several other familiar faces." put in Percy.
"My team isn't due to be here for at least another hour." Gordon pointed out. "Until then, why don't I tell you guys the story?"
Emily smiled. "Yes, please."
"It should be good." added Leonardo, taking a seat on the bench. "So, how did it all go?"
And this was the story Gordon told...
FLASHBACK
It was a couple of years ago... Young Gordon, waiting for his team to arrive, was resting on the bleachers. Sometimes he would think...
"You know something? It's really tiring to be such a talented Football player. One does have to keep up appearances so..."
Just then, Young Henry approached...
"Hey! Hello, lazybones!" The young, tall green-haired boy called out.
Young Gordon snapped out of his relaxing, looking around in shock.
"Who?! What?! Where?! Why?! How?!" The young, tall blue-haired boy then saw Young Henry looking at him. "Huh?"
"Hi." chuckled Young Henry, who then walked away.
"What cheek!" fumed Young Gordon. "That Henry's too big for his britches. Fancy him speaking to me like that... ME! Me, who's never gotten in trouble once."
Now, that wasn't exactly true since he had gotten into trouble plenty of times in the past, but Young Gordon was so cross and self important that he didn't care to pay attention to what he was saying.
"Hey, Gordon." said Young Thomas, who walked over to his older friend. "If I seem to recall, you-"
"Shut it! Those moments don't count or anything." snapped Young Gordon, interrupting his younger friend. He then saw his coach waving to him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have practice to attend to."
And he walked towards his team, leaving Young Thomas to chuckle to himself. Later on, the team's practice session came to an end, but the coach stopped Young Gordon before he could leave.
"Hold on a second, Gordon." said the coach. "I need to ask you for a favor."
"Sure thing, Mr. Brandon." nodded Young Gordon. "What could I do for you?"
"Well, many of the other players had a turn in taking home the dirty and sweaty Football uniforms, and you hadn't had a turn in doing it."
Young Gordon, not liking what he was hearing, said nothing.
"That's why I would like you to take them home and get them cleaned up for the team. Our big game is coming soon, so we'll need them for this coming Saturday." The coach went on. "Can I count on you to take the uniforms home and get them cleaned up? At most it will take two whole days."
"B-B-But, I-I, c-c-ca-" Young Gordon tried to protest, but knowing he couldn't let his team down, had no other choice but to accept. "Y-Yes, Mr. Brandon."
"Wonderful!" smiled Mr. Brandon. "Since your bike has a hook of some sort, you can take the uniforms home with you tonight."
Young Gordon was not happy; this job would make him a laughingstock with his friends. Young Thomas would surely tell everyone if he were to find out, and Young Gordon would never hear the end of it...
(elsewhere...)
Before long, a grumpy Young Gordon was carrying a wagon full of dirty Football uniforms on his bike towards home. The cart was covered by a large white cloth, that way the wind wouldn't blow the uniforms away.
"This is so disgraceful..." Young Gordon thought to himself. "I shouldn't be doing a job like this!"
Just then...
"Hey, Gordon!" called out a voice (male).
Young Gordon cringed. "Oh no... it's Thomas!"
Indeed so... biking up to the older boy was Young Thomas.
"How was Football practice?" The young blue-haired boy asked innocently. "Heading home already?"
"Maybe he won't notice..." Young Gordon thought to himself. He then spoke aloud... "Y-Yes, Thomas, I'm done for the day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get home."
"Wait! What are you hid-" began Young Thomas, but didn't finish due to his older friend biking away as fast as he could. "Bother... Hmm, perhaps I can find out what he's hiding..."
Young Gordon, still carting the wagon of Football uniforms, was trying to make his way home as fast as possible. While waiting at a traffic light, he heard a familiar-sounding bicycle bell...
"Oh man, it's Thomas again!" The tall, young blue-haired boy gasped. "I need to lose him, fast!"
As soon as the light turned green...
"Hey, Gordon!" began Young Thomas. "What are you-?" Once again, Young Gordon biked away with his cart before the young blue-haired boy could finish. "Boy, why's Gordon avoiding me? Well, I have to know the reason for it."
The chase went on for three streets, and Young Gordon was getting tired and desperate. Eventually, he saw an small wooden bridge across a calm-looking stream (although it was dirty and such). Perhaps if he crossed it, he could finally escape from Young Thomas.
"Heheheh... Sometimes I'm so smart, it almost frightens me." Young Gordon chuckled to himself.
Young Thomas, however, saw that the bridge was not going to support the weight of Young Gordon, his bike, and that wagon.
"No, Gordon! Stop!" The young blue-haired boy called out.
Young Gordon did not, I'm afraid, hear or listen; he started to cross the wooden bridge, but, due to the combined weight of Young Gordon, his bike, and the wagon, it started to creak and crack.
"W-What's-?!"
Panicking, Young Gordon tried to stop and back away, but was too late - the bridge then broke, and the tall, young blue-haired boy, his bike, and the wagon full of Football uniforms settled into the water below.
"Gordon! Gordon!" cried Young Thomas. "Are you okay?!"
Young Gordon soon emerged, all dirty and wet. "Get me out! Get me out!" he begged.
Young Thomas, grabbing a long, sturdy branch, approached the bank and held the stick out, allowing Young Gordon to reach out, grab the branch, and be pulled to safety.
"T-Thanks." panted Young Gordon.
"It's no problem." answered Young Thomas, but then became upset. "Why were you avoiding me?"
"I... err..."
"Come on, Gordon, did you think I would laugh if you had to do something like do laundry for your Football team?" The young blue-haired boy went on, figuring out the whole story. "Please! I maybe cheeky and such at times, but being outright malicious is simply not me."
After what seemed like forever, Young Gordon finally admitted the truth...
"Yes, Thomas, it's true." he said. "My coach wanted me to take the team's Football uniforms home and get them cleaned up for the next practice before the big game."
"Well, it looks like you'll have plenty more to do since the uniforms are in that ditch." Young Thomas pointed out, pointing to the wagon still in the stream. "Come on, let's get 'em out and take them to your house."
Working together, the two boys managed to get the wagon full of dirty Football uniforms out of the stream and onto dry land, and, soon, back to the Football field, where Mr. Brandon was about to leave.
"Mr. Brandon, wait!" called Young Gordon.
The Football coach was surprised. "Gordon?" He turned and saw Young Gordon looking like a mess. "Good heavens! What in the world has happened?!"
"On the way home, I kinda fell into a ditch, taking the Football uniforms with me." admitted Young Gordon, before he and Young Thomas stepped aside and revealed a very wet and muddy-looking wagon full of even dirtier Football uniforms. "L-Like so..."
Mr. Brandon was cross. "Gordon, I'm very disappointed in you. We needed the uniforms cleaned and ready for our team's big game this Saturday, and now they will never be ready in time."
Before Young Gordon's punishment could be given...
"No, Mr. Brandon, it was my fault." interrupted Young Thomas. "I...was the one who caused Gordon to tumble into that ditch. He was scared that I would laugh at him and tell everyone something embarrassing about him, and so he tried to escape from me before ending up in the ditch with the uniforms."
"I see..." mused Mr. Brandon, thinking things over.
"If anyone's to be punished for the uniforms getting dirtier, it should be me."
There was a long silence. Eventually, Mr Brandon spoke again...
"Well, since you were honest in your confession, Thomas, I suppose I'll let Gordon off." he said sternly. "Unfortunately, Thomas, I'm afraid we'll have to replace you as the team's water boy for a few games as a result of your actions."
"Yes, sir." acknowledged Young Thomas.
Mr. Brandon then took the wagon. "Now, I'll get the uniforms cleaned in time for the game this Saturday, but, Gordon, try to be more careful next time."
"I will, sir." obeyed Young Gordon.
With that said, the Football coach left the field with the uniforms. When Young Thomas and Young Gordon were both alone, the latter spoke to the former...
"Man, Thomas, I...don't know what to say." began Young Gordon. "You saved my position on the team, at the cost of your position as water boy."
"I didn't want you to get in trouble and lose your spot on the team, Gordon." smiled Young Thomas. "Helping a friend in need is what I do."
"It still cost you your position."
The young blue-haired boy knew that. "I know," he nodded. "but I'm sure you would have done the same for me if I were in your shoes."
"Somehow, someway, I'm going to get you your position back before the big game." declared Young Gordon, and then got an idea. "Shall we form an alliance?"
"Hm?" blinked Young Thomas. "An ally... what was it?"
Young Gordon chuckled. "An alliance, Thomas. 'United we stand, together we fall'! You help me, and I'll help you. How about it?"
"Technically I helped you already," Young Thomas reminded. "but right you are."
"Good! That's settled." smiled Young Gordon, holding his right hand out.
And shaking hands, the two friends sealed their new alliance.
END FLASHBACK
The flashback came to an end.
"So, did you ever get Thomas back onto the team as water boy?" asked Emily.
Before Gordon could answer the question, he overheard a whistle being blown. The tall, blue-haired boy turned, and saw that his Football team and coach have finally arrived.
"Sorry, Emily, but my team has arrived." Gordon apologized quickly. "I'll you tell the rest of the story another time; see ya later!"
"Oh... okay."
With that said, Gordon took off for the field. James, watching his best friend run off, chuckled to himself.
"Judging by yer chuckling, James, it seems ye know something." commented Leonardo.
"Maaaaaybe." James winked in response. "But I'm afraid it's not my place to tell, either."
Thomas, who looked like he knew what happened next, nodded in agreement; seeing as it wasn't his place to tell that bit (even though he was part of the story).
"Um... Thomas?" asked Emily curiously. When nothing was said by her friend... "Isn't anyone going to tell us what happened next?"
"Don't worry, Emily, we'll fill you guys in on the rest of the story another time." reassured Thomas, who then leaned back on the bench to relax. "For now, let's just relax and enjoy Gordon's Football practice."
And that's what the small group of friends did.