"You want to split up your team?" Mrs. Marsigliese asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. If it's allowed," Luca answered with determination; he had with him a bicycle that he found at the bottom of the beach, near the coast.
"Luca?" someone asked behind him; he recognized the voice immediately.
Giulia was approaching them, dressed in her swimming suit, cap, and a visor; she was with her bicycle; the girl intended to tell Mrs. Marsigliese that she would be competing alone after the boys left; she didn't expect to see Luca back.
"What are you doing here?" she asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. I'll race on my own."
At hearing that, she saw him as if he was crazy because he was! What was he thinking?! There was no way he could compete without revealing his identity! And the whole town was gathered in the square if they saw him in his amphibian form, they would not hesitate to hunt him down; whatever place his parents wanted to send him to, it couldn't be bad enough to risk his life.
"You can if you want, but I don't recommend it."
"That won't be necessary," someone said behind them.
Luca and Giulia opened their eyes, unable to believe what they were hearing, they slowly turned around, and there he was:
"We'll race together," Alberto declared, his arms crossed, and he had an earnest expression; he didn't seem happy or angry.
Giulia clenched her teeth as she looked down; ever since Luca left her house, she had wanted to apologize to Alberto for her reaction at the beach; but didn't expect to be able to since Giulia didn't think of ever seeing the boys again. And now that Alberto had returned- Giulia didn't feel ready, there was a lot she wanted to tell him, but she still felt ashamed.
Luca didn't know what to say, after last night, he didn't expect Alberto to come back, he was sure that his friend wouldn't forgive him until Luca got the Vespa, but there he was, obviously still upset, but Alberto had decided to support him.
Mrs. Marsigliese just looked from one child to another; clearly, something was wrong; the day they signed up, they all seemed to have great chemistry, but now they all looked uneasy, and why had Luca wanted to split the team out of nowhere?
Easy, they had a fight, it wasn't that surprising, all friends had one from time to time, but in the end, those discussions helped to strengthen the bonds, she just hoped that it didn't affect their performance in the race, she didn't want to handle the cup to Ercole again.
"It will be best if you compete as a team," she told them; the three turned to see her, "especially considering your background, Giulia."
Marsigliese saw her narrowing an eyebrow; Giulia glared at her and growled.
Luca turned to Alberto as he went with him.
"Alberto, what are you doing here?"
Alberto sighed as he looked away; he wasn't ready for this either.
"Look, I appreciate what you want to do- but I can't let you risk your life," Alberto finally looked at him, smiling.
Luca's betrayal still hurt him, but now he could see that he also acted wrong, and if Luca was willing to risk so much for their friendship, it was clear that he deserved his forgiveness, and by helping him, Alberto would earn his redemption.
Luca smiled; despite everything, Alberto wasn't going to abandon him, he didn't know if that was his way of showing him that he forgave him, but the fact that he was there was already an advance.
Giulia sighed, she still thought this was a terrible idea, but if the three worked as a team, it lowered the risk for the boys; if they did things right, they wouldn't have to get wet at all, and who knows? Maybe they could even win.
"And I can avoid the pasta part," she thought, not wanting to repeat last year's incident.
"We'll compete together," she told Mrs. Marsigliese.
She smiled as she wrote it down in her notebook.
"Perfect choice," Marsigliese answered, and she hoped that would help them solve the problem they had.
Luca sighed in relief, feeling much calmer now that he wouldn't have to swim.
Giulia smiled and looked at the boys, noticing Alberto looked away; the girl swallowed; she knew it wasn't going to be easy to earn Alberto's forgiveness, but she wanted to try; Giulia wanted them to be friends again.
"Alberto, I..."
"Giulia, it'll be better if we just compete," he cut her off.
The girl stopped, clearly hurt, she was already expecting something like this, but still, that couldn't prepare her.
"Alberto," Luca said; he knew why Alberto was angry with her, but Giulia deserved his forgiveness; besides, his friend had also been wrong at scaring her the way he did.
"I'll go to get ready," was the only thing Alberto said before walking away.
Luca was about to tell him to wait, but he stopped; maybe it was better to give him time, just like he gave him last night.
Giulia sadly sighed as she lowered her eyes; Luca rubbed his arm; he and Alberto had a strong bond despite what happened yesterday; that's why he came back for him. But that wasn't the case with Giulia, or at least, Giulia and Alberto's friendship wasn't strong enough for him to forgive her immediately.
But it was clear Giulia wanted to fix things; and that she loved them both.
Also, Luca was hoping that the three could be friends again; for now, it seemed that Alberto agreed to compete together more as an obligation.
"Hey, don't worry," he told her as he left the bicycle against a wall, then Luca went with her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "he'll forgive you, just give him time."
"You think?" she asked, glancing at his face; she looked worried.
"Yes, last night he was angrier, but today I see him calmer, and he came to help us! That means he's not that mad at us."
But Giulia looked away with a snort.
"He came to help you."
Giulia wasn't stupid, she remembered all the annoying looks Alberto gave her, how he called out to her when they were at the top of the slope, and the growl he gave her on the beach, Santa Gorgonzola, maybe he never liked her.
Luca swallowed hard, he had to say something to make her feel better, but he didn't know what; he couldn't use anything Alberto told him last night because that would break the trust with his friend, but he couldn't leave Giulia helpless either.
"I'm sure he's here for you too."
After all, Alberto had said that he was only 'the kid that ruins everything': and though Luca disagreed with that, at least it made him think that Alberto was ashamed for how he acted, so a part of him must want to apologize to Giulia.
But she didn't answer; she just kept looking in the same direction; Luca sighed; maybe this would be even more difficult than the race itself.
"Hey... I'll go speak to him; maybe I can convince him to talk to you."
But Giulia shook her head.
"No, you go, find him and tell him we need to talk, but to clear up some things about the race."
With the head, she pointed in the direction Alberto had gone, Luca nodded, took the bike, and they both started to walk away.
"If we do this, I need you to be aware of the danger it presents to you."
Men passed beside them, carrying harpoons and nets.
"Trust me, Giulia. I'm aware," he said, shrinking.
Giulia looked at the men, saying she wasn't scared would be a lie, she didn't want anything to happen to her friends, why the hell did the town hunt sea monsters? What had they done to them, to begin with?
"That's why we need to talk. We must plan how to do this without putting you in harm's ways, there will be at less six more people with harpoons and nets, and Ercole will be here too.
Luca shivered as he remembered Ercole and his goons throwing harpoons at Alberto.
"Santo Pecorino, now apart from striving to win, we must watch our backs."
Luca narrowed an eyebrow at her.
"We?" he loved Giulia, but she didn't have to worry about being harpooned, did she? Humans were capable of killing one of them if they helped sea monsters? If that was the case, he would have insisted that he and Alberto compete alone.
Giulia stopped, and he did the same; the girl placed her hand on top of his.
"Of course! We are a team; if they mess with one, they mess with all," she had made a mistake by rejecting Alberto that way, but she wasn't going to repeat it; from now on, if someone messed with her friends, they would deal with her.
Luca smiled; one advantage of competing together was having Giulia by his side; the girl's company gave him courage; actually, the support of his two friends encouraged him.
"I really hope we can work things out," he thought.
"Thanks, Giulia," he said, smiling.
Giulia smiled too.
"Hey, For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."
Luca opened his eyes; he remembered that the wolf was an animal he saw in Giulia's zoology book; according to what he read, it was a creature that lived in groups named packs.
"Cool phrase!"
"Thanks, but it's not mine. I just quote it."
"What's that?"
Giulia rolled her eyes happily; even in such a tense time, Luca couldn't stop his curiosity.
"It's when you use a famous phrase from an author; I just quoted Rudyard Kipling, he wrote "The Jungle Book."
"Wow! And what is about?"
"Luca, we're getting off-topic."
"Oh, right."
They had reached the area where the competitors placed their bikes. Giulia set hers up while Luca looked at his.
"Now, what do I do with this?"
Giulia shrugged.
"Leave it here; maybe it could be of use to someone."
Luca nodded and released it, and without a stand; the bike fell on the floor; both kids looked at each other.
"Let's hope no one is that desperate."
Luca went to look for Alberto while she stared at the ocean; several boats were sailing towards the finish line, surely to guard the perimeter of sea monsters. Giulia swallowed hard.
"Just keep them away from water and problem solved," she told herself.
She turned around, but then she noticed clouds in the distance.
"Those clouds look too dark."
...
Alberto was at the store where they sold the Vespas, that day, they had kept them inside for the race, but the boy had his eyes fixed on the glass, looking inside, where his desired Vespa rested.
"It will be ours soon."
Alberto looked to his right; Luca was standing; the boy smiled, taking his hands off the window.
"Of course, no one in this cup can beat us."
Luca smiled; at least it was good to know that his friend had a positive attitude.
Alberto smiled too; he would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel good to be back; after Luca left last night, the boy thought about how nice it felt to sleep next to someone, to have dinner with friends, to spend the day accompanied. Then he looked around and realized he no longer wanted to stay in that cold, depressing, and lonely tower, and more now that he had destroyed everything, at least before his things gave it a little homey feeling.
He began to miss not only Luca's company but also Massimo's- and even Giulia's, he missed her hyperactive spirit.
To his surprise, that morning, it hurt him not to be awoken by Giulia's imitation of a trumpet, it could be annoying, but it had become familiar, so he decided he was going back to help his friends.
He also wanted to make Ercole bite the dust; after all the insults, the punch, and the harpoons they threw at him, it was time to give that catfish some payback.
There was also another reason, but that was harder to admit.
"Giulia wants to talk to us, clarify some details before the race."
At hearing her name, Alberto looked away; Luca sighed as he walked towards his friend.
"Alberto. I know you're angry, but..."
"I'm not angry with her," he interrupted him.
Luca stopped, looking surprised.
"You're not?"
Albert shook his head.
"Then, why are you ignoring her?"
Alberto filled his chest with air before releasing it in a long exhalation.
"Because I'm ashamed," he had a hard time admitting it.
Luca opened his eyes.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have scared her like that, okay?" Wow, saying it out loud made him feel better, "and I know she screamed and that she pointed a stick at me… but… I wanted to scare her; I wanted her to scream."
He couldn't blame Giulia; she had the reaction any human would have; he tried his best to look intimidating; he even waited for her to go looking for him to reveal himself. He had been cruel to Giulia, and to make matters worse, as he reflected on his tower, he remembered all the good times they spent together:
She rescued them from Ercole the day they met, accepted them in her team despite their uselessness, let them sleep in her hideout, encouraged them while training, and how happy she had been after seeing he and Luca were both safe after their crash into the sea.
Giulia was a good friend, and he had failed her.
All Alberto wanted was to fix that, only he couldn't bear to even look at her; every time he saw her, all he could see was her horrified expression, her screams, and the desperate way she backed away; it reminded him of his mistake.
"She saw you as a monster, yes, but only because you pushed her into it."
Luca realized how sorry his friend felt, but then, something occurred to him.
"But Alberto, this is good."
His friend turned to see him as if he had said something stupid; Luca took a step back and shook his hands.
"What I mean is that Giulia feels bad about what happened yesterday too, and she wants to apologize."
Alberto just opened his eyes; of course, she wanted to; that's how she was, but it didn't make things any easier. Luca walked towards him.
"You two feel the same. You just have to tell each other," but Alberto still didn't seem very convinced, "come on, Silenzio Bruno, remember?"
Albert sighed.
"Alright, you win, let's go."
Luca smiled; things were beginning to go well; he hoped everything could continue like this. The two began to walk back to the square, not knowing that, a few streets up, the Paguros had just offered themselves as 'waterboys.'
...
Giulia was about to go down to the beach when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Giuletta, a word."
She turned to see her father; Massimo looked at her with confusion.
"Yes, papá?"
Massimo looked downhill, where Luca and Alberto were coming down, then back at his daughter; Giulia nervously laughed.
"Oh, yeah..."
Last night, after Massimo returned from looking for Alberto, he noticed Luca was also gone.
Giulia had told him that her friend preferred to return home; she sounded hurt, and of course, Massimo realized the great effort the children had done to win, it was the best chance Giulia had had in years, and just like that, out of nowhere, without warning, her two friends left.
Massimo didn't want to go further to avoid making her feel worse, so he sent her to bed.
It was the right thing to do, as Giulia fell asleep like a log.
Massimo knew his daughter; Giulia would still race, not only because she had already paid the entry fee (money was the last reason, it always came and went), but because she was a Marcovaldo, and the Marcovaldos never yielded.
So he thought the least he could do was a banner to cheer her up; she spent the whole night doing it, helped by Machiavelli, and he couldn't wait to show it to her; Massimo hoped it would at least cheer her a little.
But now that he saw that the boys were here, he felt confused. Did they come back to help her? In that case, how noble. Or did they return to compete against her? No, that would only complicate things, right?
He raised his eyebrows, his characteristic gesture for an explanation; Giulia nervously laughed as she rubbed her hands.
"Ah yes… You see, Luca and Alberto- they - decided it was worth competing after all the training, so that's why they came back, to win," she finished with a big smile that she hoped would convince him.
Massimo tilted his head; her explanation seemed convincing and logical, but there was something odd. Giulia sounded very nervous; she was slow in her answers as if she was thinking about how to improvise, didn't sound sincere; there was something else that she wasn't telling.
Also, he was happy that they were both safe, but he wanted to know where they had been; Giulia mentioned that Luca go back with his parents, but she didn't know anything about Alberto's whereabouts.
Massimo looked for him all over Portorosso, but there was no trace of him; seeing that his search was fruitless, he returned home, and he could only pray that Alberto was safe.
At least his prayers were answered, but he still had to ask them.
But really, he could wait to ask, why? Because the boys were back, and that increased their chances of winning. Right now, he had to let the children focus on the race; he could question them later, now it was time to fulfill his father's duty.
So he smiled as he placed a hand on Giulia's shoulder.
"Well, those are good news."
Giulia sighed in relief, one explanation less; Massimo smiled; he would always have a soft spot for those two; after all, no one made Giulia as happy as they did.
"Go get ready," he pointed towards the beach with his head, "I want to greet them."
And he started to walk towards the boys, but Giulia quickly grabbed him by the hand; Massimo turned to look at her.
"Actually papá, I'd like to speak to them first; we have to discuss the strategy and stuff."
"Oh, of course," then he walked towards the beach, "I'll see you at the starting line."
"Yes. Thanks, papá!" And then Giulia ran to the boys.
Massimo smiled, then he heard a meow and looked at the ground; there was Machiavelli, holding the banner in his mouth.
"Do you think we can make some last-minute changes?"
Machiavelli just frowned.
...
Luca and Alberto had arrived at the square, they had been joking, but as soon as Giulia appeared in front of them, they both fell silent; Luca was hoping they could fix things before the race started. He looked at Alberto; his friend looked at him, Luca nodded at Giulia.
Alberto sighed as he looked at Giulia; this time, the girl didn't avert her eyes; they needed to clear things up once and for all.
"Giulia, Alberto has something to tell you, and I think Giulia also wants to tell you something, Alberto."
"That's right," Giulia and Alberto said in unison.
They both opened their eyes and mouths, then laughed; Luca smiled; it was a good start; it seemed things were getting better. The two stopped laughing and turned their attention back to each other.
But the good vibes that appeared a few moments ago faded again; both avoided the other's gaze and began to rub parts of their bodies with grimaces on their faces; Luca let out a defeated sigh; he loved them both, but boy, they were hard.
"I wanted to tell you guys a few things before the race," Giulia finally said, looking around to make sure no one else was hearing, "first, do any of you have an umbrella?"
Alberto smiled as he nodded his head.
"Yes, I do; I brought it with me, I left it in your-" He stopped mid-sentence.
Luca and Giulia looked at him expectantly.
"I left it in your wagon," he finished; the Marcovaldos always left it outside the backyard, so he had no difficulty putting it there.
Giulia narrowed an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Alberto shrugged.
"It was the easiest place I found."
Giulia nodded.
"Second, wait for me here in the square, not on the beach."
"But that will slow us!" Albert protested.
"It doesn't seem very tactical," Luca admitted.
"Not for the race, but for your safety it is; I want you as far from the water as possible."
Alberto could hear Giulia's scream again; he quickly looked away sadly, Giulia saw it, and she didn't feel so good.
"Alberto… believe me or not, I care for both of you," she approached him and grabbed him by the hand.
The boy was about to look at her when Mrs. Marsigliese's spoke:
"All contenders, come down to the beach; the Portorosso Cup is about to start!"
"I think you should go ahead," Alberto said, releasing Giulia and looking away.
Giulia opened her mouth, wanting to protest, but realized she had nothing to add, so she just looked out at the ocean.
"Fine."
Before Luca could protest, Giulia was already walking towards the coast; she didn't turn to see them at any time; Luca looked at Alberto.
"What was that?" He asked, pointing both hands in the direction Giulia left.
Alberto sighed.
"I told you; I can't talk to her."
Luca shook his head in disappointment; it seemed that the relationship between those two was over.
"Let's get ready."
If Alberto and Giulia couldn't make peace, it would be better to just race; at least that still drove them.
Alberto nodded; the two went to the stairs when someone called them:
"Hey, Ragazzi."
The two stopped when they recognized the voice; they slowly turned around to meet Massimo; the fisherman looked as intimidating as always, his body covered the sun, so the two were in the shade. Luca gritted his teeth and looked away; he already knew Massimo wasn't dangerous, at least not as long as he didn't see them with scales, but last night they had left his house without explanation, and now the sailor would surely want one.
Alberto scratched the back of his head as he laughed nervously.
"Oh- hello, Mr. Marcovaldo." Alberto greeted nervously, having the same concerns as Luca.
Luckily for the two, the fisherman had already resigned himself to just supporting them.
"It's good to see you're both safe," he said, smiling as he looked from one boy to the other.
Luca was surprised by Massimo's calm; he didn't sound angry, just relieved and happy for seeing them again.
"Oh…thank you, Mr. Marcovaldo," Luca said.
"We missed you at supper."
That made both feel ashamed.
"Oh... We're very sorry; it's just that..." He looked at Alberto for help.
"Something came up that we had to attend to," Alberto finished.
Luca nodded as he looked at Massimo again.
"Next time, don't leave without saying goodbye, please."
They both nodded their heads; Massimo smiled as he saw the banner he was carrying in his hand.
"I…did this to encourage Giulietta, thinking that she would race alone again; "Massimo sounded embarrassed, which surprised the boys; they looked at the banner and saw what it said. "If I knew you would come, I would have added your names."
But the boys weren't mad; a part of them was surprised that they decided to come back.
"Don't worry, Mr. Marcovaldo," Luca said quickly, "we understand."
"Yes, absolutely," Alberto added.
Massimo nodded slightly.
"I don't have to use it now you're here."
"No, no, no," the boys said quickly, shaking their hands.
"It took you so long to make it; it would be a waste not to use it," Alberto said.
"Yes, besides. I think Giulia would appreciate it very much." Luca added, seeing how the relatives of the contenders had gathered at the edge of the square to cheer them on, with batons and flags, then he had an idea.
Maybe if Giulia saw Alberto holding the banner, she would comprehend that Alberto was no longer mad at her; or at least cheer her up.
"I say we go cheered for her; what do you think?
Alberto looked at him; Luca only glanced pleadingly at the beach; Alberto rolled his eyes; he didn't feel in a position to argue after what he had done.
"I think it's a good idea."
Massimo nodded again; then he saw there wasn't more room in the square.
"I think we better go to the beach."
Luca and Alberto looked nervously at the stairs; Giulia had told them not to go near the seaside, but they just had to be far enough from the water to be out of danger, right?
"Silenzio Bruno," Luca whispered.
Alberto nodded.
"Alright, let's go."
...
Giulia adjusted a strand of her hair inside the cap; her eyes focused on the front.
Once again, she was here, her every year torment, her torture of every summer; the buoy always looked far away, five competitors. But now things were different, now she had a team, she wouldn't have to do it alone, nor endure the pasta, nor the stomach ache that gave her when she had to pedal.
She should be happy, but she wasn't.
Because now there was another issue, if anyone saw Luca and Alberto as sea monsters, no one would hesitate to kill them. She didn't know if it was sensible to let them compete; no cup or money was worth their lives.
They were the best thing that had ever happened to her.
"Forza, Giuletta!" She heard her father's voice, turned to the right, and saw him, along with Alberto, holding a banner that read:
Vai Giulia!
Written with purple paint, and the dots on the 'i' were the paws of Machiavelli, who was next to Massimo, standing on a barrel, smiling at the girl, on Alberto's side was Luca giving her two thumbs up.
Giulia wanted to yell at the boys for disobeying her plan; they were risking themselves too much, but - another part of her felt touched.
Except for her mother, her loved ones were all gathered there.
And not only that, everyone seemed happy to be there, even Alberto; he didn't seem to be holding the banner out of obligation; he appeared genuinely optimistic about doing it.
He smiled at her as he did so, although every time Giulia turned her attention to him, Alberto looked away, not in anger, more in -awkwardness.
"Well, it's better than nothing," she thought.
With her energies renewed, Giulia looked towards her target.
"You can do this; you can do this! You're no longer alone!"
Giulia took her leg and began to stretch, then she went with her arms, in that she noticed that Ciccio was by her side and that he was looking at her with a face; Giulia was not going to be intimidated, so she also hardened her features.
"Ciccio!" And now Ercole had arrived.
"Perfect," Giulia thought hatefully.
Ercole was carrying a large green bottle; the blonde looked away from the girl to see his boss.
"Hold still." Ercole continued as he uncorked the bottle; the Underdogs watched with doubt what their opponent was doing. "Olio d'oliva."
Then Ercole showered all the oil on top of Ciccio; at first, the boy seemed uncomfortable, but he quickly switched; it seemed like he was even enjoying it.
"Oh! Ah," Ciccio exclaimed.
"He will cut through the water like a knife," then Ercole looked at Giulia; he went closer to her and added: "An oily knife."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Luca said sincerity; everyone turned to see him.
"Of course not! Because you don't have a winning mentality, vagrant!" Ercole shut him off quickly.
Luca was about to add something else when Alberto shook his head; they didn't deserve his advice. Luca sighed and backed away again; things wouldn't end well for the blond.
Guido had watched the scene from the stairs; he narrowed an eyebrow at hearing Luca.
"Why would he tell Ciccio that?" He thought, "Because they don't want you to win!"
He quickly scolded himself; they had done nothing but bullied those three for the entire summer, especially Luca and Alberto; they had no reason to help them, right?
"Signore e signori," Mrs. Marsigliese announced from a megaphone, "The Portorosso Cup is about to begin!"
There was a lot of applause; the organizer waited for them to finish before continuing:
"We know there's been a few sightings lately, but fear not! If any sea monsters show up today, we are ready for them."
She pointed to the water; several boats gathered near the buoy, and in all, the fishermen carried harpoons and nets.
Alberto swallowed hard; while Luca gasped and shrunk; even an elderly woman had a spear; Giulia gritted her teeth.
"They are not gonna get wet! They are not gonna get wet!" Giulia repeated in her head.
She looked back at the boys, and with her head, she pointed to the square; the boys understood and nodded their heads.
"Mr. Marcovaldo, can we better wait on the steps?" Lucas asked.
The fisherman looked at him with doubt; wasn't it better to wait on the beach for the relief?
"We want a better view for the competition; the high ground seems ideal," Alberto improvised.
Massimo didn't believe it was the most reasonable, but he had to trust the boys; they had to know what they were doing.
"Fine, if you think is the best."
The boys sighed in relief seeing each other, they put away the banner, and Massimo walked towards the square, with the boys following behind.
As they walked away, Luca looked at her; one last time, he smiled, giving her a thumbs-up. Giulia smiled back at him. Alberto was going to look at her too, but in the end, he only saw the rocks; he kept walking with his head lowered.
"Santa Gorgonzola! Is he mad at me or not?!" She thought, frustrated.
Alberto held the banner but looked awkward, she tried to be friendly, and he backed away.
"He's only here for Luca and the Vespa," she thought, "he doesn't care about me."
"Swimmers, take your mark!" Mrs. Marsigliese yelled.
"Well, I won't give him another reason to hate me" Giulia adjusted her visor; if Alberto wanted that Vespa so much, she was gonna get it.
Marsigliese raised a bell and kept it in the air for a few seconds to generate suspense; Ciccio put on his goggles; he looked confident, like every year.
"Not this time," she thought.
Because despite everything, she was happy that she would not compete alone, even though Alberto no longer liked her.
"Maybe he never liked you," she thought, remembering the faces Alberto gave her; and how he growled at her after meeting on the beach.
DIN, DON, DAND!
Her thoughts had distracted her; the other competitors were already in the water and ahead of her.
"Santa Gorgonzola! It already started!" She thought.
And she was last.