The English Billionaire

Chapter 27

Emma's POV

It had been one month since the results had been released.

One month since my world had been turned upside down.

In that month I had had three initial days of rest, enough to shock my parents, friends, school, and neighbors with the news. Three days of rest before the news hit the media and I had multiple interviews, one a phone call with a national news provider, one press interview with all the media that could make it and live interviews with multiple local news stations.

When the waves of interviews subsided and school came to a close. I was not only one of the few winners of Forest Johnston's 'Project America' but I was also a new freshman. I had a busy summer ahead of travel and summer reading projects along with meeting the other contestants.

A week into the summer my family and I boarded a plane to Washington D.C. where we boarded another plane to London. When we arrived it was more news cameras, flashing lights and men in black suits ushering us along.

In the following three weeks that leads us to where I am now, I briefly saw and met Forest and his friend Chris. I had met the other 11 winners, started some fun classes and had been given a workout and healthy food plan.

The other winners were the people that I had seen the most of because Forest always seemed to be busy.

First off there was James. A tall lanky boy who's freckles populated his face like the city of New York and who's red hair stuck out in every which way. Ally was next, her long black hair was stick straight and her small little nose would crinkle at any sort of smell. Harper kept his hands tucked in his pockets like he was trying to hide something, I found out a few days after meeting him that that something was in fact chocolate and he had become one of my best friends.

Will was a sporty fellow who played soccer and basketball and could list off random multiplication facts off the top of his head. Nancy kept mostly to herself, enjoying her books more than talking while Parker couldn't shut up.

Lance was (or ironically) a fencer and had fascinated all of us when he challenged Parker to a duel and won with a flick of his wrist. (By the way, who even challenges people to duels any more? Doesn't matter, now I want to learn how to fence).

Cora was the least likable of the group, she made snide remarks any chance she could get and made fun of anyone and everyone the second they left the room. She knew Joe who rolled his eyes so much I was scared that they would get stuck in the back of his head. He wasn't much help in keeping Cora quiet but he did snap at her which was funny to watch.

But Gerald and Alison were by far my favorites, besides Harper that is—we can't forget about the boy with all the chocolate.

Gerald was the shortest boy in the group but what he lacked in height he made up in humor. He could get anyone smiling whether it be from a joke he told or just his smile which could probably stop rain from falling if I'm being honest. He was friendly and even included Cora in discussions which was very hard to do.

Alison had walked up to me on the first day and shaken my hand with a "Hey, my name's Alison." And I had stuck by her since. Her curly brown hair was different than anyone else's here which made her stand out, but she was loyal to the core.

Me and the other eleven winners fell into a rhythm: work, adventuring and getting to know each other. Every day that passed we grew closer together even as Cora complained.

So when Forest and Chris showed up for the first time in weeks and announced we were going on our first vacation from a vacation I wasn't sure if I was happy or not, that was until I learned where we were going and what we were going to do there.