Days in Genova, Nights in Portorosso

Chapter 11

At Giulia's house

I sigh, taking several deep breaths as Rosa puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry," she says. "They'll love me as much as I love you. Prometto."

I smile, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Grazie mille, Rosa," I say.

"No problem," Rosa says as I put my hand on the doorknob to open it.

"Silenzio Bruno," I whisper to myself, softly enough that I'm certain nobody can hear.

I then open the door.

"Zio? Cousin?" I call. "Luca? Alberto?"

When all I can see is Machiavelli, my suspicions rise. Where could they be? They've definitely gotta be here somewhere, right?

"Zio? Cousin? Luca? Alberto?" I call again. "Where are you? I wanna introduce you to my ragazza!"

Turns out they were here all along, I think as I watch them pop up one by one.

"Una ragazza!?" Giulia exclaims. "Oh my gosh, Max! I'm so happy for you! And she's pretty, too! You chose a good girl, Max!"

I blush, but not in that way. "Grazie, cousin," I say. "She really is bella, isn't she?"

After saying that, I lose myself in Rosa's eyes, but to my content, she doesn't mind.

"Actually, way more than beautiful," I say, taking her hands. "You're bellissima."

Rosa grabs my hands as well, making me blush. As we cuddle, Rosa introduces herself.

"Ciao, my name is Rosa Attinia," she says, sticking out her hand. "Piacere."

Alberto looks at Rosa.

"That last name," he says. "Are you a sea monster?"

"Me?" Rosa chuckles nervously. "Now why would you think that?"

"It's obvious," Alberto says. "I'm a sea monster and so is my boyfriend, Luca."

Luca nervously waves to my girlfriend. "Ciao, Rosa. Luca Paguro."

Rosa smiles. "The Pride Festival is going on," she says. "We should go."

We all look at Rosa, smiling as I take her hand.

"Cousin, I don't have any flags," I tell Giulia, knowing she obviously has more than one pride flag, although she's a lesbian.

Giulia smiles, rummaging through a box of all the pride flags you can imagine.

"Here you go, Max," Giulia says, throwing me demigirl and lesbian flags.

"Thank you, Giulia,"  I say.

"Of course," Giulia says. "Luca and Alberto, are you all set?"

"Yeah," he says. "We should be good."

Alberto holds up two MLM flags, giving one to Luca.

So we go to the Pride Festival, where we get caught up by fliers advertising the Portorosso Cup. Although it's my first ever race, I'm still gonna win my cousin. I just know it.

"You seem confident, amore mio," Rosa says. "What's on your mind?"

I cross my arms. "I'm definitely gonna beat Giulia this year. I can feel it," I say. "And if anyone dares get in my way, they'll answer to my fist."

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Rosa asks.

"All of you are so fragile!" I shout. "Just one mention of violence, and you all go mad trying to stop it. Ugh! It's so ridiculous!"

Rosa can't help but admire me and what I just said. It's like we're inseperable, and by my standards, we are.

Just then, someone with an overconfident demeanour crosses our path. Something about him just grinds my gears. The way he thinks he's so damn great and bello. That stare and face that thinks he can get all the girls with a Vespa. Patetico.

"Ciao, ciao," he says, riding through Portorosso on his shiny red Vespa.

How he keeps that thing in tact, I really wanna know. I mean, you can't not say it looks cool.

"Looks like we have an admirer here, eh?" he says, walking up to us. "What's your name, piccoletta?"

I look at him with game-face eyes. "Max. Max Marcovaldo. And I'm gonna break your winning streak!"

All around Portorosso, I hear people murmur about how I already know about that if I'm new.

"New girl wants to play hotshot, eh?"the boy says. "Ciccio and Guido, take care of her for me."

I smirk. "You're litearlly a bunch of pansies!" I say. "You say you fight dirty? Come on. Take me on. I dare you."

"Amore mio----," Rosa begins to say.

"Silenzio Bruno!" I shout.

"No, Max. You don't know who you're messing with!" Giulia says.

"And you do, I suppose?" I ask.

"Sì," Giulia replies. "His name is Ercole nd he makes my life miserable every summer I come here."

"Nobody I can't handle," I say.

I face Ercole. "Hey, Ercole!"

"Santa mozzarella," Giulia whispers to herself.

He turns around. "Look, piccoletta. I don't have all day to waste time with you," Ercole says. "Max, is it? Where are you from?"

"Genova," I say.

Ercole laughs. "You hear that? Ragazza says she's from School Town!"

I grit my teeth, ready as I'll ever be to strike.

Ercole laughs. "What's this? Trying to be all tough again? Everyone knows girls can't punch."

I smirk, aiming at his so-called "perfect" face. "I'm not a girl," I say. "I mean, I am, but not fully."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ercole asks.

"My girlfriend uses she/they pronouns," Rosa says. "That makes her a demigirl. They told me themselves."

"And just because that's true still doesn't mean I can't beat your butt right here, right now," I say.

"Ha! Hit me with your best shot, piccoletta! Nothing can break this beautiful face!"

I scoff. "Shut up, Ercole," I say.

I punch him really hard in the jaw, making him hold the bleeding spot.

"Max! I know Ercole's a jerk, but you can't just walk up to someone and beat them up!" Giulia cries.

"Heh," I say. "You can't even stop complaining about him, my cousin. Sure, you're strong. But it seems you're not strong enough."

I hear the whole town murmuring about it in fear. They also are talking about how unbelievable it is that someone stood up to Ercole like that. I knew the people in Portorosso will never see me the same, but something had to be done about that jerk.

"And Ercole, take that as a lesson that I'm better than you," I say.

"Max, stop!" Rosa says. "You've hurt him enough!"

"You too, Rosa?" I say. "I thought you loved me."

Rosa cuddles me close. "What you did was brave," she says. "Bravo, amore mio."

I go up to Ercole, holding out my hand. "Now pay up," I say.

"Let's go, Max. We don't need his Vespa," Luca says. "You've done more than enough."

I show Ercole I'm watching him. "I'll get what I want in the end,"  I say. "I always find a way to do so. Segna le mie parole."