Disclaimer: I do not own Luca or any of the characters in the movie, as they all belong to Disney.
Alberto: Saying goodbye is always the hardest. I mean, it's never easy. For some, like my dad, they think you can just walk out and never see someone again, but a true goodbye is getting to enjoy every moment you spend with your friends and loved ones. Especially knowing when the time comes...to let go, and let them be free. Saying goodbye to Guilia was sad, but Luca...it was hard...but I knew that going to school was his dream, and he should get to experience making his dream come true. I knew I made the right decision selling the Vespa so I could buy that train ticket for him and...I know he's gonna do well at that school, and he won't be alone with Guilia by his side. That morning leading up to us arriving at the train station was hectic enough, especially with Luca and me helping her load the cart with her suitcase. But I think for me, the most hectic part was last night when I was trying to find the place Guilia told me about to buy the ticket once I sold the Vespa and got a pretty good amount for it.
The night was still young as Alberto rode his Vespa down to a local Vespa rental station, the spot that Guilia recommended to him where he could sell the Vespa in exchange for money. When he arrived at the shop, Alberto saw a huge shed that was full of Vespas just waiting to be rented while in a booth next to it, an elderly man was asleep, snoring while his hands were neatly folded on his chest. Alberto didn't know how to respond, especially with the man fast asleep, but before he could do anything, the side window of the Vespa he had fell off, and he quickly placed it back on again. The sound of the side window falling was enough to make the man wake up and see Alberto before he yawned, saying, "Buon sera, little boy. What can I do for you at this late hour"? Alberto then pulled the Vespa up to the booth while saying, "Um...I'd like to sell this Vespa to you in exchange for some money. See, I'm trying to buy a train ticket for a friend of mine, but-," before the man smiled, saying, "For a friend? He going on a trip or something"? Alberto answered, "Sort of. See, my friend, Luca, really wants to go to school, and I want to help him accomplish his dream by surprising him with a train ticket for Genova, where the school is." The man seemed to be really fond of Alberto's kindness as he proclaimed, "Santo mozzarella, you seem to have very pure intentions, young man. Bellissimo, it warms my heart to see kind people still existing in this world. Very well, I'll buy your Vespa." The man reached his desk and pulled out a bag full of something as he gave it to Alberto, who opened it up to look and saw that it was full of different sized and colored coins, each coin having a higher or lower value, but providing some sort of worth either way. Alberto smiled in success as he said, "Grazie, sir. Have a good night," before he started to run to his next stop: the train station, to buy the ticket. He ran as fast as his feet could take him, using the water that was on the ground as a way for him to zip by faster as stray pedestrians saw the young boy running. Alberto soon found the train station and immediately went to the desk, where a woman was reading the newspaper while sitting at her desk.
Alberto stood there, hoping the woman would notice him right away, but it seemed like she didn't even hear him approach, making Alberto resort to clearing his throat as a way to get the woman's attention so she would notice him. The woman looked up from her paper and asked, "Hey, kid, what do you need? It's a bit late to be taking a train ride anywhere. Plus, even so, the train's already in the shop resting." Alberto replied, "Oh, I'm not taking a train ride, but I am here to buy a ticket. for a train ride. One to Genova, please." He offered the small bag of money as his payment, which the woman accepted, counting the coins while saying, "Genova, huh? Guess you're one of the kids attending the school there, huh"? Alberto then answered, "Oh no, I'm not going to school there; the ticket's for a friend of mine who wants to go to school." The woman then asked, "Well, that's very nice of you. Are you gonna go with him"? Alberto bit his lower lip, saying, "I would but...I can't. A friend's father had asked me to stay with them and help out at their job and well...I agreed to it. Besides, going to school isn't my dream; it's my friend's dream, and he should get to have his dream come true! Nothing makes me smile more than seeing him smile." The woman found Alberto's kindness very admirable as she said, "Wow, kid, that's very nice of you. I'm sure your friend is gonna really love this kind act you're doing." She then pulled out a pale train ticket that had "Genova" on it in black bold letters, as well as the time that the train would depart and what number ride it was too, and gave it Alberto, who looked at it excitedly, saying, "Grazie! You have no idea how much this is gonna mean to my friend." The woman smiled, saying, "Just make sure your friend gets to the station here safely and on time." Alberto nodded and placed the ticket in his pocket before he started to walk back to Guilia's house. On the way there, he stopped by the dock and sat along the edge of the water, dipping his feet in the water while looking at the stars. While looking at the stars, he laid back on the dock with his arms behind his head, allowing himself to be in thought. Alberto knew that he was making the right choice and knew that he had to do this. There was nothing he wanted more than to help make his best friend's dream come true, even if he didn't know it was about to come true yet. But...why did he still feel so hesitant about it? He knew he was gonna not see Luca and Guilia for a while once they left for school, and he was gonna miss them a lot.
And there was also the fact that Alberto also had to share the news of this idea with Luca's parents, and he was very unsure if his parents were gonna be ok with Luca going to school. From how he saw his parents interact with Luca, Alberto knew that Luca's mother was very protective of her son. And the other thing he was worried about: where was Luca going to stay once he arrived at Genova? Would Guilia's mother let him stay with her? Or would he have to find a place all by himself? His worries were skyrocketing, even more than when he and Luca were keeping their true sea monster forms a secret from everyone in Portorosso. Soon, Alberto snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a shadow figure approach him, making him look up and see that it was only Massimo who asked, "Alberto, what are you doing up at this hour"? Alberto looked up at Massimo and answered, "Well, you see, sir...it's a bit of a long story." He then went on to explain his plan to Massimo, who listened carefully before replying, "Alberto, sei un ottimo amico. You possess such a caring heart." Alberto then answered, "Thank you, sir, but...I can't help but feel worried about Luca. How am I gonna know if he's gonna be ok while in Genova? What if he runs into trouble while he's there and I'm not there to help him"? Massimo comforted the boy, reassuring him while saying, "Facile, Alberto. If I know you as my Guilietta does, I know that your friend will be just fine while in Genova, and he won't be alone. Guilietta will be right alongside him in school, so he isn't alone." Alberto then asked, "Yeah, but what about where he will be staying? He doesn't even have a place of his own in Genova, and I'm scared he might not be allowed to stay anywhere else." Massimo then said, "Don't worry, Alberto. Tomorrow morning, I will make a phone call to Guilietta's mother and let her know about Luca, so then he can stay with her and Guilietta while he's in Genova." Alberto sighed a breath of relief and smiled before he suddenly felt overcome with emotion and did something that was a bit of a surprise: he hugged Massimo, who was a bit surprised at first before he slowly hugged the boy back. Alberto then realized what he was doing and stepped back, putting his hands behind him and shuffling his foot while saying, "I'm sorry, sir. I-I don't know what came over me." However, what Alberto wasn't expecting was a heart-felt chuckle from the adult, who said while placing a brown hat on Alberto's head, "No worries, ragazzo. Now, why don't we go back and get some sleep? You don't want to
be too tired to miss Guilia getting on the train now, would you"? Alberto nodded as he followed Massimo back to the house, where he was led to a spare bedroom that the boy was offered to stay in. Alberto hopped into the bed and laid down as sleep filled his eyes, and he laid peacefully, only lightly snoring as the night sky shined bright.
The next morning, Alberto woke up extra early, just as the sun was beginning to peak from the water, giving the ocean a glistening shine, almost similar to the shine of a diamond. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was starting to rise, despite a few clouds blocking it, as he leaped out of bed, but fell flat on his face. Alberto groaned and struggled to stand up as he then heard slow clapping and saw a smirking Guilia, still in her pjs, looking at him and slow clapping while she said, "Brava. Bellissimo. Another great landing by the "graceful" Alberto." Alberto rolled his eyes, saying, "Yeah, I figured what better way to get up then by landing on my face. Help me out will you"? Guilia walked over to Alberto and helped him up to his feet while asking, "So, were you able to sell it"? Alberto sleepily yawned and reached into his pocket, pulling out the train ticket while saying, "Does this answer your question"? Guilia was surprised, commenting, "Santo gorgonzola, I can't believe you actually did it! Wow, I-I can't believe it. You truly did mean it when you said you were gonna sell the Vespa." Alberto shrugged and said, "Well, I got a pretty good deal on it and luckily, the booth was open when I sold it." Guilia looked at the ticket before saying, "Wait, have you told Luca's parents yet," as Alberto replied while shrugging, "Not yet, but that's the last thing I need to do. But before that, I need to ask another favor of you. See…..Luca is gonna need a place to stay while he's in Genova and attending school, and well…Massimo mentioned that you would be with your mom, and…I was wondering…..would it be ok for you and your mom to let Luca stay with you"? Guilia was a little surprised by the request as she said, "Hmmm….well, if it were up to me, I'd be more than happy to, but it just depends on what my mom thinks. That is, if there's enough time for my dad to call and ask her about it." Alberto then added, "It's all being arranged. When your dad wakes up, he's gonna call your mom and ask her, but Guilia, if she says yes, I need you to promise that you'll watch over Luca for me, ok"? Guilia nodded, saying, "Of course, I promise." Then, she felt Alberto place his hands on her shoulder and state, "Guilia, I really mean it; take good care of Luca, ok? Make sure he feels included at that school, and that he learns a lot, and most importantly, promise me….he'll be ok…even if I'm not there to help him." Guilia placed one of her hands on Alberto's right hand as she said, "On my honest word as an Underdog, I promise you, Alberto, that Luca will be in good hands, or my name isn't Guilia Marcovaldo"!
Alberto gave a smile of relief as they both shook hands before Guilia then hugged Alberto, saying, "You're a great friend, Alberto. Luca's lucky to have a guy like you as a pal." Alberto smiled in appreciation before saying, "Now, come on. Get changed quick, and we can catch a quick visit to Luca's parents before your train ride." Alberto rushed out of the room as Guilia ran into her bedroom and quickly changed into her clothing picked out for the train ride before they both ran out of the door towards the house Luca and his family were staying in. Guilia knocked on the door while both kids waited patiently outside, hoping that Luca wasn't awake yet so they could talk to his family in secret. Luca's mother, Daniela, who was currently in her human form, opened the door and saw Guilia and Alberto standing there while saying, "Oh, hello, you two! What brings you here this morning"? Alberto then asked, "Uh….Ms. Paguro? We….wanted to ask you something. May we come in"? The humanized female sea monster nodded and allowed Alberto and Guilia to enter the hut they were staying in, and the first thing they saw was Luca's dad asleep in what looked like an old hammock, snoring very loudly, while Luca's grandmother was sitting in a rocking chair, reading a book.
The grandmother looked up from her book, seeing the two children standing in the hut and she grabbed the rope of the hammock and spun it around, making Luca's father fall out and land flat on his face while she said, "Get up, you lazy bag of sea bones. We have guests." Daniela then asked, "So, kids, what can we do for you? If you're looking for Luca at the moment, he's asleep. That boy can sleep like a rock if he's tired enough." Guilia then commented, "Actually, we came because…..we want to ask for your permission with something." Alberto then said, "See, your kid, Luca, he has this dream where he wants to go to school." The grandmother then spoke up, saying, "I've heard of this "school." It's a place where humans go and learn things that another older human teaches them. Things like math, geography, and even this topic called history. Sounds pretty weird, right"? Alberto then continued with, "Yeah, it's weird, but Guilia's been to school before and she's told Luca about it so much and…he really wants to go. So….we sort of did something and…..got him a ticket for Genova." He showed the ticket to the mother, ho looked at it before asking, "What does this thing do," as Guilia answered, "That tickets allows Luca to ride the train, which I'm taking, to go to Genova for school." The mother looked at the ticket again before she nervously said, "Gee….I don't know. I mean, I'm getting used to seeing my son be more outgoing and meeting new people, like you two, but at this school….would it be safe? Will he be allowed to go? Where would he stay"? Alberto answered, "I think it's safe according to what Guilia said, and yeah, he's allowed….I think." Guilia then answered, "And Luca can stay with me and my mom while in Genova. My dad's calling her right now, and I'm sure she'll say yes. So…Mr and Ms. Paguro, can Luca please come to school"?
All of Luca's family members looked at one another, unsure how to answer the question, with Daniela saying, "It's a nice offer you two, but….I'm not sure. I don't think school is a very safe place for Luca." Guilia tried to convince her by saying, "Luca will be in good hands Ms. Paguro, we promise," as the father then said, "Kids, we love that you want to do something nice for Luca but we don't think having him go to this school in Genova is a good idea. I mean, Portorosso knows about who we truly are, including Luca, and we were lucky they all reacted nicely, but what if something happens in Genova and he ends up getting hurt there"? Daniela added, "And how are we gonna know our son is safe in that strange place without us"? Guilia then answered, "Well, at school, they teach us how to write, so, Luca can learn how to write and send you letters everyday as proof to show that he's doing fine. And I have a camera in my home in Genova, so, we can also send you pictures too"! Alberto then stood in front of Luca's family and said, "Listen, I know that it's a scary thought of having someone you love go to a strange new place without you, but think of it like this: he came up here all by himself without you guys knowing, and when you found him, he seemed to be doing fine right"? Daniela and Luca's father looked at one another and nodded, as Alberto added, "Exactly, and if he can be able to be up here on his own, he can handle being out in Genova by himself, and the best part? He won't be alone. He can stay with Guilia so she and her mom can look after him while he's attending school." Daniela then stated, "But is Guilia's mother trustworthy? Does the thought of "sea monsters" frighten her? Would she be ok if she knew about Luca's true form"? Alberto then answered, "I don't know how to answer that, but I've seen what your son can do, and I know that as long as Bruno doesn't bother him, he'll be able to do anything." In confusion, Luca's father asked, "Who's Bruno," before Daniela put her hand up, saying, "We need to think about this for a minute, kids. Could you give us some time to discuss this privately"?
Before Alberto and Guilia could walk away, Luca, in human form, came running into the living room, saying, "Buogiorno, guys." When he saw Guilia and Luca standing in the living room, he smiled, saying, "Hey guys! What are you doing here"? Alberto nervously answered, "We came because….we were excited to see you again. And…wanted to see if you could play before Guilia leaves later." Guilia nodded and said while knocking Alberto gently on the back of his head, "Yeah. We thought that we should do one more little adventure before my train ride later." Luca, luckily, seemed to buy it, not even noticing the nervous look Alberto had, as she said, "That's great, guys! Let's go down by the docks," as he grabbed Guilia and Alberto by the hand and ran with them outside to play. Daniel then sat down, saying, "I don't know, you guys. Should we let Luca go to school? What if something happens to him and we aren't there to help"? Luca's father then spoke up, saying, "Well, if Luca can spend time up here on land and get along with those two friends of his without us around, I'm sure he can handle going to school." The grandmother then said, "Plus, it's like what I said at that dinner the other day: some people, they'll never accept Luca, but some will, and he always seems to know how to find the good ones. And if I may add, this could be a valuable learning experience for Luca. There can be things he learns at this school that can help him succeed in his life, things we might not be able to teach him." Daniela then said "But mom, I can't help but worry about him. I fear something awful might happen and he could end up in a situation that even we can't save him from! What if we regret sending him to school"? Luca's father then said, "We know how much our son matters to you, and I know you want to keep him safe. But maybe….this is the safest thing we can do. They do say when you love something so much, you sometimes have to let them go. This is something Luca wants to do; who are we to get in the way of Luca accomplishing his dream"? Daniela thought about it for a while before she noticed a clamshell picture she had of Luca and his family together as sea monsters. She gazed at the photo tenderly before she smiled, saying, "Mom, can you go grab Luca's suitcase"?
A little while later, it was starting to drizzle as the Underdog Pack returned back to Guilia's house so she could grab her things and be prepared to leave. Inside the house, Guilia went into her room and pulled out her suitcase from under the bed, and placed it on top. Suddenly, she felt her cat, Machiavelli purr and rub its head on her legs as she picked up the chubby tabby and hugged it, saying, "Oh Machiavelli, I'm gonna miss you you ferocious, cutie gatto"! Massimo peeked his head into the bedroom while saying, "Guilietta, are you ready? The train will be leaving soon, and we need to get to the station on time." Guilia nodded and gave the cat a big kiss on its forehead, much to Machiavelli's chagrin while saying, "See you next summer, you crazy cat," before she grabbed her suitcase while asking, "Papa, what did mama say about Luca"? Massimo smiled and stated, "Everything is all set," as Guilia hugged her father saying, "Oh, grazie, Papa"! The father and daughter shared a heartwarming family-hugging moment before they separated and Guilia walked outside, meeting up with Luca and Alberto, who wanted to come along. The rain became a little more steady as the Underdog Pack and Massimo walked to the train station where a large, black locomotive was waiting while passengers boarded the train. As Guilia got ready to go onto the train, Massimo had her do a final check to make sure she had everything she packed, asking, "And you have your lunch for the train"? Guilia nodded and replied, "Sì," before he asked, "Sweater? If it gets cold"? Guilia nodded and playfully rolled her eyes, saying, "For the millionth time, sì." She shared another hug with her father while saying, "I love you, too, Papà," as Massimo smiled, hugging her back before she turned to face her friends, saying to them, "Santa mozzarella, we did it."
Alberto and Luca both nodded in unison, with Alberto saying, "Well, Giulia, can't wait to race next summer," as she replied while hugging both boys, "Or we could just have fun." Both boys hugged their best friend back while Luca said, "Ciao, Guilia." Guilia approached the train and began to board it, but not before saying a heartfelt parting in Italian and sent a secret wink at Alberto before she entered the train cart. Luca sighed sadly before saying, "Well, let's go fix up our Vespa," and was ready to leave, but not before Alberto stopped him by saying, "Yeah, about that, uh…..it's a crazy thing; I might have…..sold it," before pulling out the train ticket he bought for Luca. Luca held the ticket in his hands, very confused about what was going on until he heard his mother call out to him. Luca turned and saw his family coming towards him, with Luca's father rolling a suitcase, while Luca asked, "Mom? What are you all doing here"? Daniela knelt down, placing both her hands on her son's shoulders as she said, "If you promise to write to us every day, and be as safe as possible, and I mean safer than safe, you can go to school." Luca was now completely shocked, hearing his mom give him permission to attend school, as he proclaimed, "I can"?! The father replied, "It's all arranged, actually. You'd stay with Giulia and her mom. Your friend talked them into it. It wasn't easy." Luca looked to his friend, who nodded in agreement, while Daniela asked, " Luca, do you promise"? Luca nodded excitedly and exclaimed, "Yes! Yes, I promise! Thank you," while he hugged his family as his mm said, " Oh. Just remember, we are always here for you. Okay"? Luca knelt down and held his mother's cheek while he said in a calming voice, as she would to him, "Hey. Look me in the eye. You know I love you, right"? The mother softly chuckled and said, "I know," before she watched Luca grab the suitcase and prepare to leave, saying to Alberto, "Come on, Alberto. The train's gonna leave. Where's your stuff"?
That was when Alberto knew it was time to tell Luca, as he said, "Yeah, well, you see…," while Luca asked, "You are coming, right?" Alberto sheepishly replied, "Um, I would, but Massimo asked if I wanted to stick around. Move in maybe. And I just thought, uh…I think he needs me. You know"? Luca suddenly felt very unsure, saying, "I can't do it without you," as Alberto replied, "But you're never without me. The next time that you jump off a cliff or tell Bruno to quit bothering you, that's me." Then, when Luca asked, "But how am I gonna know you're okay," Alberto and Luca shared a tearful hug, with Alberto tearfully saying, "You got me off the island, Luca. I'm okay." The train engine hissed and whistled, almost ready to leave, with both boys shaking hands as Alberto said something to Luca in Italian, which made the boy chuckle and ask ,"Seriously, what does that mean"? Alberto and Luca remained holding hands, even as the train started to move, while he said, "I don't know. Go find out for me, will you"? When the train got faster, they both let go and Luca was officially riding the train to Genova as Alberto cheered his friend on while out in the rain, with the water making Alberto become his sea monster form as he cheered. Luca sniffled as he watched his friend slowly disappear while the rain turned him into his sea monster form, but when he saw the island, the one that he got Alberto off…he knew Alberto was gonna be ok, and so was he.