The Kents

Thirteen

"Here we go!" I worry my lips severely. Erik and Scott are seated in front of me, too eager to see me present my final presentation in front of them. They're quite the audience!

"Relax! We're only your brothers and you look like you're about to faint! You got this!" Scott says and Erik nods in agreement. I on the other hand, I fell in love when he just referred to themselves as my brothers...

Hell yes they are! Let's do this...

"Hello, I am Emma Kent and I'll be speaking about a very-" I start to say but Erik exclaims:

"Cut!"

"Huh?" I arch an eyebrow.

"That's like a second grader presenting. Change the start." He says and I can't help but agree to his point.

"Try; before I begin, I'd like to welcome the board members and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak about my subject of interest and passion...." Scott says and Erik and I gape at him.

"Look at that!" Erik chuckles.

"That was good!" I tell Scott and he spreads his grin wider.

"Always welcome the board, they're full of themselves they love people who give them credit." He adds.

"Noted!" I add that to my cards.

"-Historically, the financial world is divided into two fields: financial markets and corporate finance. This distinction is concretized even for post-graduate trainings programs which are, in general, specialized in one or the other of the two fields. The last financial and economic crises showed the limits of this pibolarization-"

"Oh my god!" I exclaim and we all burst in laughs.

May I just mention that I've just been through the first 49 words yet I stuttered about 40 times?! And here I was saying PIBOLARIZATION instead of Bipolarization! I'm going to suck so bad!

I voice those last few words out load and they stifle their laughs throwing fits of "No!" "Don't say that!" Oh come on!" and "It happens..."

"Take two, come on. We have all day." Erik smacks a still-laughing-Scott and gestures for me to start over, which I gladly do.

"-which explains the laws that mention-" I pause when I lose Erik and Scott's attention.

I turn around and find Stacey's head poked from behind the doorway. I smile at her.

"Good morning sleepy head!" I tell her as she steps inside.

"Ah-who is she?" Scott whispers to Erik.

"Some girl who came to cry on Emma's shoulders last night." He whispers back and I shoot him a glare.

"Mind me joining? What are you up to?" Stacey speaks politely. So unlike her... She's playing coy!

"Just Emma-stuttering-endlessly through her presentation." Erik replies with a smirk. Stacey giggles her heart arresting giggle and for now, I let him get away with that because I now know what my bestfriend is trying to do here. And I can't help but roll my eyes. She walks in and takes a seat beside Scott, across from Erik.

"Am I really that bad?" I ask Erik.

"No, you'll do good and I'll be there to remind you." He reassures me with a smile. Wait what?

"What do you mean you'll be there?" I ask him.

"Well Luke's giving a speech too, he's a sponsor. On behalf of our father, it was his speech to give." He explains.