The English Billionaire

Chapter 10

Emma's POV

I wasn't the only one who had decided to take advantage of the help sessions every morning. They had to move us to the library to make sure that there was enough room for everyone that came.

Even though each problem seemed to be harder and harder, there was always a little trick to figuring them out. A word clue, a bolded number. When I tried to help Grace out on Wednesday morning, I found that our study guides were different.

"Well that explains why you're almost done with it," Grace had said, her smile stretching across her lips but not quite reaching her eyes.

I had given a short chuckle, but inside didn't feel much like laughing. The whole competition seemed to be getting harder and harder, and I didn't understand why it had to.

We spent the last few minutes of the study group in silence, both trying to figure out the problems on our papers.

When the bell rang, Grace jumped up, "See you at lunch." She said grabbing her stuff and walking out of the library.

"Friend trouble?" An annoyingly familiar voice asked.

"Go to class, Brett," I responded pursing my lips as I stuffed my study guide into my backpack. I stood, walking towards the library doors.

He followed me.

"Just noticing how you and Grace were having a little tension over there," he said with a small shrug.

"Well, it's early, we're tired," I said trying to speed up but he copied my pace, staying on my heels.

"Oh, right," he nodded, "because that's why she rushed out and you two barely said a word to each other."

My stomach cramped. He was right of course, there was tension, but it wasn't that big of a deal. It was just a competition... right?

I didn't answer him, just turned quickly into my first hour.

"Bye, Emma," he said with a smirk then the door closed behind me, my stomach in turmoil and my brain not ready for another day at school.

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When I got home on the night before the big test I dropped my backpack and went to sit down on the couch. I had successfully finished my review packet but I hadn't successfully calmed my fears of Grace getting mad at me. She had seemed to shake off the unhappiness from that day in the library but every time we started talking about the test she would change the subject.

Brett had, unfortunately, been around, always sneaking in a word or two after Grace and I split ways. It seemed like he was purposely trying to ruin my thoughts about her.

The scary part was, he was starting to match a newly arrived tiny voice in my head.

Tomorrow was the test and everything would come to an end there.

Hopefully.

I sighed, grabbing the study guide and flipping through the pages at all the numbers and letters and stories that I had read and solved and redone until I had perfected everything on the now crumpled papers.

My parents and sister arrived home one at a time, each saying a few words then going off to do their own work. Dinner was full of words and problems and retellings of the day. I didn't hear or register much.

That night the reality of the test being tomorrow had crashed down hard around me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to pass or not. The whole thing seemed to be a lot more work than we originally thought it was going to be.

I tossed and turned most of the night and when sleep finally came I woke up not sure if it had helped me or not.