The Junior High Mystery

The Junior High Mystery is the twenty-eighth episode of Sodor High School: Thomas and Friends Tales.
==Synopsis==
As a result of switching classes, Thomas and Rosie both meet someone they've never seen before.
==Plot==
One rainy day as the rain poured down hard, the students are undergoing testing when James (close to finishing his own test) suddenly noticed drips of water fall on his paper and looked up to see that the roof is going to cave in. Initially failing to get his teacher's attention, he blurts out the problem and the teacher evacuates the class. It's worse in the hallways so to get everyone in the lower floor out, James pulls the fire alarm. Once everyone's outside, the roof collapses just as the firefighters arrive.
Despite a quarter of the school being damaged, everyone was safe. Belle and Flynn inspect the damage and soon came back out reporting to Sir Topham Hatt that all the rainwater collected in one spot and caused the damage, with the fire from a while back likely having something to do with it. They suggest he send the students home for the rest of the day for their safety and health and he does so, but makes sure to thank James for his quick thinking. Leo also praises James, and he invites Leo to have pizza with him, Henry, and Gordon at the Pizza Palace.
That night at Thomas' house, Thomas and Emily talk about the day's events and wonder how Sir Topham Hatt will handle things so the students don't fall behind in their education. Several nights later, Annie and Clarabel are watching television in the living room when they see Sir Topham Hatt on the news and call Thomas and Emily over to watch the broadcast. The principal announces that since the rest of the school wasn't damaged, classes will continue but the students will have to work in some of the empty classrooms or join other classes.
The next day, Thomas and Emily find a poster on a large bulletin board at the entrance hallway, telling the students which classrooms they've been placed in. To their shock, they're not in the same class likely because Sir Topham Hatt didn't make the seating arrangements but rather someone who doesn't know Emily's secret did. Emily has to go to class with Percy and Leo while Thomas ends up with Rosie in the Narrow Gauge class. The two travel to the junior high section upstairs and enter their temporary classroom, whose students include Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Rusty, Peter Sam, Duncan and three other students; a silver-haired boy named Freddie and a pair of blue-haired twins named Mighty and Mac. Thomas talks with Skarloey and Rheneas while Rosie introduces herself to the students she hadn't met yet before the teacher, Mr. Duke, arrives to teach class. Because of the roof fiasco, Thomas and Rosie have to study before they can take the test again. At lunchtime, Rosie heads out to call Brad when she nearly bumped into a green-haired boy who shyly runs off and Rosie assumes he was just lost.
The next day, Thomas and Rosie are both heading to their classroom when they saw the green-haired boy again. Rosie tries greeting him, but the boy flees, resulting in Rosie explaining the situation to Thomas, who's never seen him before. Arriving at the Narrow Gauge classroom, Thomas asks Sir Handel about the green-haired boy, but Sir Handel, dropping his book, becomes shocked, denies any knowledge, and hastily resumes reading—until Thomas points out that he's reading it upside down. Before Mr. Duke's arrival, Thomas whispers to Rosie that they'll talk to Skarloey later about the mysterious boy. During noon hour, they find the green-haired boy, who again turns and runs away even as Thomas says that he and Rosie just want to talk, bumping into Merrik the janitor and then into Owen the electrician along the way, who point the boy, named Luke, into the janitor's office,
Now very cross, Thomas demands answers from the Narrow Gauge students, but Rheneas claims they he and the others made a promise to not let anyone know about Luke. Not giving up, Thomas assures he and Rosie wouldn't hurt anyone, but Skarloey says it doesn't matter, he and his friends made a promise to protect Luke. Rosie promises not to tell anyone, including Thomas, and Skarloey finally reveals the truth about Luke; he's Peter Sam's cousin who came all the way from Ireland due to sneaking aboard a ship heading for the Island of Sodor, but, along the way, he did something so horrible that if he ever gets caught, he could end up in prison. When asked by Rosie what it was that Luke did, Skarloey refuses to explain since that would be for Luke to say. From the janitor's room, two eyes are looking at nearby the classroom, then the door closes to prevent the eyes from being seen.
While Rosie and Thomas keep their word about not bringing Luke up, Rosie can't stop thinking about what Skarloey said, wondering what it was that Luke did that was so horrible. She is still thinking about it at home when she comes across Brad, who has his ear ready to listen to whatever problem she has; without revealing Luke, Rosie asks Brad what would happen if a kid or teenager got caught after running away from home and doing something bad on the way, and Brad gives a serious answer about that person getting sent home in disgrace and possibly being sent to a reformed school—maybe even going to jail. Once she's alone again, Rosie whispers that Luke's secret will be safe.
The next day, Thomas and Rosie are confronted by Sir Handel and Duncan, hoping that Rosie and Thomas never told a soul about Luke. Fortunately, the two haven't, so they're let off the hook. Merrik is cleaning the windows, but they seem ready to fall towards Skarloey and Rheneas. Thomas and Rosie shout a warning to them, and Skarloey and Rheneas get up and move out of the way just in time. Merrick is stunned and apologizes. Luke, finally realizing that Thomas and Rosie aren't as scary as he believed they were, approaches them and Rosie is the first one to break the ice, leading to a short conversation from both sides, including Thomas, allowing them to become friends.
A week later, Rosie finally asks Luke about the boat ride from Ireland to the Island of Sodor, and Luke reveals it's true, but he doesn't want to say what it was he did due to the memory being too painful, even with encouragement from Thomas. Paxton, meanwhile, was collecting something from the janitor when he accidently listens to what's going on, as Luke finally reveals the whole story. His old school wasn't the best of schools due to outdated equipment, books, and chairs; Luke was against it and asked his parents to transfer to Sodor High School where Peter Sam goes, but they refused. He then heard stories from his cousin on the phone about Sodor High School, and so he took matters into his own hands by packing and taking whatever money he had and boarded a ship heading for the Island of Sodor, basically running away from home.
On the boat, there were lots of people he didn't know and shyly stayed away, but one person, a man, came up for a friendly chat, yet Luke couldn't understand due to language differences. Upon arriving at the docks, Luke says that everyone was in a rush to get off, and so he stayed by the man who spoke in a different language, but, soon after, he pushed the man off the boat. Luke breaks into tears over the memory, while Thomas and Rosie are shocked. Unfortunately, Paxton overhears the story and gasps to himself. Luke finishes telling Thomas and Emily the story by saying got bumped from behind due to the rush, and he pushed the man, breaking the barrier and causing him to fall from a high height into the ocean below. Upon arriving at the Stuart residence, Luke revealed the story to his cousin, Aunt, and Uncle, and they allowed him to stay with them for a little while. Believing the man to have died, Luke blamed himself for the incident and has been worrying every since that if anyone else found out the story, he'd be sent home, or, worse, prison.
With the story over, Thomas insists that what Luke did was an accident, but Luke isn't convinced and begs Thomas and Rosie to not tell anyone else, which they promise to keep quiet. Thomas and Rosie are left wondering whatever happened to the man speaking in a different language.
==Characters==
* Thomas 
* Emily 
* Rosie 
* James 
* Leo 
* Sir Topham Hatt 
* Annie and Clarabel 
* Brad 
* Flynn 
* Belle 
* Skarloey 
* Rheneas 
* Sir Handel
* Duncan 
* Tidmouth Class Teacher
* Luke (Debut)
* Merrick (Debut)
* Owen (Debut)
* Mr. Duke (Debut: does not speak)
* Freddie (Debut: cameo)
* Mighty (Debut: cameo)
* Mac (Debut: cameo)
* Peter Sam (does not speak)
* Paxton (does not speak)
* Percy (cameo)
* Gordon (cameo)
* Henry (cameo)
* Rusty (cameo)
* The Wren family
** Mr. Wren (mentioned)
** Mrs. Wren (mentioned)
* The Stuart family
** Mr. Stuart (mentioned)
** Mrs. Stuart (mentioned)
* Victor (referenced)
==Cast==
==Trivia==
* This episode and the following one is based off the television series special, "Blue Mountain Mystery".
* The events of "The School Could Use a Cowgirl" are referenced.
Category:Thomas and Friends
Category:Sodor High School
Category:Episodes
Category:Fan Fiction