Underdogs Forever.

Part 3

Luca pedaled with all his strength; despite being the lead, he didn't want to be overconfident and ruin everything at the last moment. Now everything depended on him.

"Silenzio Bruno," Luca thought. "This is like the other times; just reach the top and then downhill, you got this, although that one time you tried and fell, and that last time you and Alberto crashed into the sea - No! Shut up, Bruno!"

There wasn't time to be afraid anymore; he had to do this for Alberto. Even if his friend had already forgiven him, Luca still wanted to win the Vespa for him; he wanted his apology to have weight.

And he also wanted to win for Giulia; after today, no one would remember her as "Spewlia" anymore. No, she would instead be the brave warrior who never gave up until she defeated Ercole's reign of terror.

This would be the day of triumph for the Underdogs, and no one would stand in their way.

Or so he thought until he heard his mother's voice:

"That's him. That's him!"

Luca opened his eyes and mouth, in front of him were his parents, next to them was a table with glasses of water.

"Luca, stop!" Daniela yelled as she tossed the glasses and stood in the middle of the road; Lorenzo joined her.

Luca groaned; what were they doing here? Well, he already knew they were in town, but how did they know he'd be competing? Anyway, he didn't have time for that; he snuck out under his dad's arm, then pedaled harder.

"Sorry, Mom! Sorry, Dad! I have to do this!" He told them as he looked at them over his shoulder.

His parents chased after him, but Luca was too fast for them; he would be impossible to catch.

"Get back here right now!" said Lorenzo while pointing his finger at the ground.

Luca had to ignore him; he would deal with the consequences later.

"Now they'll surely send me to the deep," he thought.

However, Daniela had a different reaction from what Luca would have expected.

"Wow," she said between sighing, and then added with great pride:

"He's fast."

...

Alberto ran to Giulia's cart and grabbed his blue umbrella, then he ran to the descent, he was going at his fastest, but it wouldn't be enough.

Giulia looked at the clouds; it would rain at any moment.

"If only I had my..." she stopped realizing she still had a bike.

She grabbed the spare one Luca brought and quickly ran off to see the Cup organizer.

"Ms. Marsigliese! Would it be a disqualification if we go up to give Luca an umbrella?" She asked, pointing down the slope.

Marsigliese saw downhill and then at the girl.

"Luca's allergic to rain," she didn't even think it for a second; she just said it.

"Santo Pecorino, I don't know how to lie," Giulia told herself.

Marsigliese winced; could someone be allergic to rain? If it could, poor Luca, he must have had many restrictions, and it would be unfair for them to lose just because of that. And as she had said, she was tired of Ercole taking the cup.

"Go downhill; it doesn't count if you make the trip backward."

Giulia smiled as she got on the bike.