A Question of Loyalty

Lucy Cunningham-Schultz has her eyes on the countywide prize for best middle school newspaper, but a quiet girl in a corner booth at Whit's End changes everything. At Whit's urging, Lucy befriends lonely Emily Fowler and discovers she can really write - soon Emily has an article in the Odyssey Owl, a column of her own, and fans all over school. Then success goes to her head. Emily demands the front page, and when Mr. Burton refuses, the rival underground paper, the Odyssey Voice, lures her away with the promise of it. The Owl wins the county award... but Emily won't even say hello, and though Whit hopes the friendship can be mended, it never fully is. It's a hard lesson that good friends aren't easily made or kept - and that loyalty is worth taking seriously.

Found on It All Started When... Album 13 · 13 episodes

The run See every episode

0179 You Gotta Be Wise When a shock-rock cassette by local bad boy Rodney Rathbone sweeps through Odyssey, newspaper editor Dale Jacobs finds the battle over its lyrics landing squarely in his own daughter's bedroom.

0180 Isaac the Pure After a round of after-school jokes leaves him feeling dirty inside, a boy sets out to make himself completely pure - no matter what it costs him.

0181 It Takes Integrity When a cynical schemer runs unopposed for student body president, an idealistic school reporter enters the race to prove that integrity still matters in politics.

0182 The Scales of Justice When two thousand dollars in found cash sparks a courtroom showdown at Whit's End, Isaac must prove the money is rightfully his against the scheming Rathbones.

0183 Tales of Moderation When Connie asks why a wealthy man like Whit lives so simply, he hands her a book of three tales that make the case for moderation better than he ever could.

0184 Isaac the Chivalrous When a legendary knight steps out of the Imagination Station and into modern-day Odyssey, young Isaac gets a firsthand - and unexpectedly challenging - lesson in what chivalry really means.

0185 A Question of Loyalty When shy newcomer Emily's hidden writing talent blossoms under Lucy's mentorship, a countywide newspaper contest puts their new friendship to the test.

0186 The Conscientious Cross-Guard A by-the-book middle school crossing guard must decide whether to abandon his post or face down the school's meanest gang alone.

0187 An Act of Nobility A young American traveler in a small foreign kingdom discovers he bears an uncanny resemblance to its prince - on the eve of a coronation someone is plotting to prevent.

0188 The Courage to Stand A girl's shot at joining the popular cheerleading crowd hinges on one party - and one condition her mother won't bend on.

0189 No, Honestly! The town's least trustworthy kid becomes convinced a charming newcomer is up to no good - but who's going to believe Rodney Rathbone?

1 of 2 0190 Moses: The Passover On his son's birthday, a workaholic father chases the boy into an Imagination Station adventure and finds himself trapped in ancient Egypt on the eve of the tenth plague.

2 of 2 0191 Moses: The Passover Trapped in different corners of ancient Egypt on the night of the first Passover, a father and son each discover that finding their way back to one another will take more than their own strength.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 3 more roles

3 supporting roles

Student Chad Reisser Mr. Burton Corey Burton Emily Fowler Missy Kay

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer · Director · Producer Dave Arnold Sound Designer · Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

At an after-school meeting of the Odyssey Owl, the Odyssey Middle School newspaper, Mr. Burton announces that it is time for the countywide contest to pick the best middle school paper. Lucy Cunningham-Schultz, the Owl's assistant editor, is determined to win the award, and she is not too worried about the competition - not even the Odyssey Voice, an underground student paper that Mr. Burton dismisses as cheesy. As Lucy tells John Whittaker at Whit's End, the Voice would only be a threat if it had someone in charge who really knew how to write.

Whit points out a girl named Emily sitting alone in a corner booth. She has been coming in for days, always by herself, and he asks Lucy to go say hello. The conversation is awkward at first, but Lucy notices Emily's notebook and discovers that this quiet girl can really write. Lucy invites her to try an article for the Owl and promises to help. They work together for weeks, and along the way Emily Fowler stops being a lonely stranger. Lucy introduces her to Robyn Jacobs and the other kids, Mr. Burton prints her article, and the two girls realize they have become close friends.

Emily's warm, funny writing makes her a favorite with students and teachers alike, and Mr. Burton gives her a column of her own. But success changes things. Emily grows so busy and popular that Lucy can hardly find her anymore. Then Mr. Burton reports an argument: Emily has demanded that her column run on the front page, and she has threatened to quit if it doesn't. Lucy goes to see her friend and learns the reason - the Odyssey Voice has promised Emily the front page if she will write for them instead. Lucy pleads that the Owl's front page is reserved for news, not for any one person, but Emily only asks whether Lucy is really her friend, and the visit ends badly.

Emily's column soon appears on the front page of the Voice. Mr. Burton calls it a betrayal, and though Lucy defends her, it bothers her deeply. When the awards day comes, the Odyssey Owl wins best newspaper in the county, but Lucy can hardly enjoy it. Emily sat with the gang from the Voice and refused even to say hello. Whit gently asks whether Lucy might talk to Emily again, about their friendship rather than the newspaper, but Lucy believes Emily has made her choice - though she admits she will miss her.

Whit wishes he could say the story has a happy ending, with the two girls becoming best friends again, but that is not how it happened. Things were never quite the same between them. It is a hard reminder that good friends are not easily made or kept, and that loyalty - being true to a friend no matter what - is something to take very seriously, because disloyalty can have long-lasting, even heartbreaking consequences.