I'm woken up for another day by another one of Giulia's wake up calls. "Rise and shine!" Giulia greeted.

I trained with Alberto in the kitchen. He still struggles to eat pasta with a fork, but he is a sea monster, so I don't expect him to. "Try this." I suggested, twisting my fork into the pasta. Alberto tried that and it worked better for him. "You know, my birthday is actually the day before the race." I explained. "I'll be 13, the same age as Giulia." "Oh, that's cool." Alberto commented.

I decided to take one day for each event for my training. While Massimo took Alberto to the ocean, I biked a few laps around town after I ate. The next day, I would swim, and the next, I would eat. Every once in a while, I'd see Alberto looking at Giulia and Luca suspiciously. I'd ask him about it, but he'd just pretend nothing was wrong.

It was already two days before the race, and one before my 13th birthday. That morning, I wasn't the only one who couldn't stay awake. "Espresso!" Giulia announced, pouring each of us our own cup. As soon as I took the first sip, I felt like I could do anything. Alberto and Luca thought the same thing. After his experience with the espresso, Luca was riding up the hills and other kids were cheering him on. At dinner, I trained with Alberto and saw him get some improvement. "You're getting good at this, Alberto." I complimented. "Thanks." Alberto replied. Giulia and Luca were looking at an astronomy book she gave to him, but then I clearly saw that Alberto was getting jealous.

When I woke up the next morning, it was quiet. I didn't hear Giulia's music playing, but what surprised me the most was that she wasn't even in the bedroom. "Wait, did they start training without me?!" I asked myself as I looked outside to see the treehouse was empty. "Uncle Massimo, Giulia, Luca, Alberto?" As I turned on the lights, I saw them with a cake and a present in the kitchen. "Surprise!" They shouted. "Buon Compleanno, Chiara!" "Grazie, everyone." I laughed. "I wasn't expecting my birthday to be a big deal." "Seriously?" Giulia asked. "You're famiglia." "Open your gift, nipote di zii." Massimo said. I opened the gift, which was revealed to be a shell bracelet, unlike anything I've seen before. "Luca and Alberto picked it out." Giulia explains. "Grazie, boys." I said. "Now, should we get back to our training?" As soon as I got back into the bedroom to get ready, my whole body started to itch for some reason. "What the heck is that all about?" I asked myself.

Later that day, Luca took all of us for a ride on Giulia's bike. He took us through a shortcut. "Whoa, Luca, where are you taking us?" I asked. "A shortcut." Luca replied. "Steeper, rough terrain, I like it." Giulia commented, turning to Alberto. "Why aren't you training?" "I'm always training!" Alberto complained with is mouth full. I continued getting itchy, mostly on my legs. "You alright?" Alberto asked. "Oh, yeah, I just started getting really itchy for some reason." I explained. Giulia stopped timing Luca once he got to the hill. "Bravo, Luca, that was your fastest yet!" Giulia cheered as we heard a familiar sound. "Ooh, guys, look! That's the train to Genova." "That goes to your school?" Luca asked. "I was wondering actually, is your school open to everyone?" "Well, it costs a little money, but I guess." Giulia replied. "Great, thank you, Giulia for showing us the boring thing that takes us to the terrible place, now, can we focus on what matters?" Alberto asked. "If we lose this race, we're not going anywhere." "Santa Mozzarella, the downhill." Luca gasped. "I know it looks scary." Giulia explains. "But here's what you need to do." "Would you stop bossing him around?!" Alberto snapped. "What is your problem?" Giulia argued. "I'm his friend, I know what he needs." Alberto explains. "Oh, yeah, well, what does he need?" Giulia asked. "Me, we'll just ride it like we did on the island, together." Alberto replied. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked. "I fell off my bike a few times while training over here." "Andiamo." He said, pushing off the bike. "This is bad, we gotta find  them!" I panicked as we ran over to the place where Giulia's bike was found. "Alberto, Luca?!" "Where could they be?" Giulia asked. I looked over to the beach where I talked to Alberto a few days ago. "I found them, they're on the beach." I replied, walking over to them with Giulia. "You're alive!" Giulia exclaimed as we hugged them. "And you're never allowed on my bike again." "I thought we'd lose you forever." I whispered. Alberto and Luca looked like they just had a fight. "What's going on?" "Nothing, let's just get back to training." Alberto scoffed. "Actually, we have something to ask you." Luca grunted. "We were wondering if we could come with you to your school then all of us could be together?" "Santo pecorino, that's the best idea ever!" Giulia cheered. "Yes, of course!" "Actually, I have to stay here in Portorosso." I explained. "But, I'd be really happy for you guys." Alberto was still upset, sure I know he's a sea monster, but I know he's still hiding something from me. "Uh, Giulia, you're school, does it take all kinds of people?" Alberto asked. "I mean, what if some of them weren't human?" "Alberto." Luca grunted. "What if some of them were, I don't know, sea monsters?" Alberto continued. "Sea monsters?" Giulia asked. "What are you talking about?" I asked nervously. "I doubt your school would even accept sea monsters, right?" Alberto asked. "That's a weird joke, Alberto." Luca mumbled. I think I know what he's trying to do. "Yeah, I know, it's kinda hard to imagine." Alberto said. "So, let me just show you!" "What are you doing?" I asked as Alberto dove into the ocean. "Come on, we don't have time to goof around." Giulia said. "Giulia wait!" Luca warned. Giulia walked over to Alberto and grabbed his arm, but when she saw his true form, she freaked out. "Don't hurt us!" Giulia screamed. "See?!" Alberto asked. "I knew this would..." "Sea monster!" Luca shouted. I saw a mixture of sadness, fear, confusion, and anger in his face. "Luca?" Alberto whimpered. "Wait!" I warned. "That's still Alberto, he's just upset." Giulia dragged us away as Ercole and his followers found Alberto and began to throw their harpoons at him. "No!" Luca and I gasped as Alberto escaped into the ocean, luckily missing all of Ercole's attacks. "Ah, idioti, you let it get away!" Ercole complained. "To the boat, we're going to kill a sea monster!" "Chiara?" Luca asked. "Why don't you guys head back home, I think I'm gonna stay here for a while." I explained. "I wanna be left alone."