Chapter 1 Amanda peered out the window through the mist down onto smoking chimneys and blackened roofs Her excitement grew as the airplane descended Here I am at last in the land of the Potters Beat rix and Harry Amanda thought as the plane lurched to a halt at Heathrow Airport London She followed the other passengers to the luggage retrieval Although she had only flown outside of Canada twice before she felt quite comfortable with the process She took her bag off the luggage carousel and proceeded to the customs gate Hey you shouted someone behind her Amanda turned to see a teenage girl with a bright pink Mohawk tons of make up earrings everywhere and a very short skirt You sure that s your bag Yes I am Amanda looked at the luggage tag See here this is my name Um so you're Amanda Ross from Canada I see The girl examined the luggage tag Sorry t bother you Ta Ta Stay out of trouble She winked at Amanda with a dark lined eyelid caked with mas cara She joined a teenage boy with tattooed arms wearing an England T shirt and ripped jeans When Amanda emerged from customs she found Leah and her dad waiting for her with balloons and flowers and a big sign that said Welcome to Eng land Amanda Wowza Look at you said Leah as she gave her a big hug I think you've grown I don't know about that but you sure have said Amanda as she looked up at her tall thin friend Let's get you out of here said Mr Anderson as he took Amanda's bag from her I m sure you're
after the long flight and most likely hungry It wasn't nearly as long a flight as to the United Arab Emirates or even to Spain replied Amanda She shivered when they got outside With a slight drizzle the air felt damp Mr Anderson led them to a shiny silver grey BMw He put Amanda's bag in the trunk went around to the passenger side and said You girls can sit in the back together It's unlocked He got in and sat in the passenger seat That’s weird thought Amanda Who is going to drive Do they have a chauffeur It was when Mr Anderson started the car she noticed the steering wheel on the right side Now that is strange she murmured They eventually found their way out of the busy air port parking lot As Leah's dad turned to exit he pulled into the wrong lane Oh no Amanda squeezed her eyes shut for the inevitable head on collision What s wrong Amanda Leah asked with a con cerned look I thought we were going to have an accident Amanda opened her eyes and looked out the window at the many cars driving toward them on the oppo site side of the road Leah's dad chuckled We drive on the left side of the road over here I guess that must seem odd to you You should be careful when crossing the street as you must look right left and then right again Amanda breathed a sigh of relief That's weird but good to know I ll be careful Even though you speak the same language here there will be some things new and different I guess Leah gave her arm a squeeze IT m so glad you're here We'll have bags of fun I can't wait to take you shopping at Harrods downtown Mom said we can go on the London Eye
Amanda wanted to ask about the London Eye but she was too tired and too excited as they drove through London towards the suburb of Guildford where the Andersons lived All the books she read about England flipped through her mind Like her visits to the United Arab Emirates and Spain she felt like she was living inside a novel This was going to be the best spring break
Chapter 2 Will we be going on the London Eye today asked Amanda after a good sleep We will have to wait until you get back from the Isle of Wight replied Mrs Anderson Leah's dad needs to check on the boat and take it out for a trial run before the sailing races in two weeks A boat A sailboat I've always wanted a ride on a sailboat Amanda's eyes lit up My husband will be happy to take you out for a ride if you wish Leah isn't usually very keen Mrs Anderson put some cheese bread and ham slices in a wicker basket I don't know if I want a landlubber on board my boat said Mr Anderson as he poured himself a cof fee You can come along if you promise not to get in the way or fall overboard Tll stay out of the way I promise Amanda wasn't sure if he was serious or not Amanda Leah and Mr Anderson drove to a large city called Southampton and boarded a ferry which took them to the Isle of Wight The murky grey blue water looked very different from the waters of the Persian Gulf or the Mediterranean Sea Amanda spot ted snowy white cliffs in the distance Is that where we re going Yep that's the Isle of Wight replied Leah Makes sense thought Amanda even though white was spelled different Some teenagers walked past them Hi ya Amanda from Canada said a girl Oh hi said Amanda as they carried on How do you know them asked Leah with a puz zled
