“Okay, as you very well know, no one wants to force you to do what you don’t want. Except studying.
So just try to have fun and be nice to your friends.”
Max didn’t reply, put on his helmet and dragged his kart towards the track, without even returning
Daniel’s greeting, who had again tried to patch things up with his teammate.
Steve sat next to the kids and was writing the last notes for his article when Midori Kuma suddenly closed his notebook, indicating for him to wait.
“Do you think the story I have to tell will be completely different?” the journalist asks him. And, in response, the bear scratches his belly with a relaxed expression.
In that instant, Olivia’s radiant smile appeared in front of them.
“Hi, are you ready to see a unique show this morning?” she asks them, with the mischievous expression of
someone who is about to pull off a whopper.
“I’ve got it. You had a rocket put in your kart,” Lola says.
“What was that you said, have you finally learned to say the word ‘kart’? Obviously, you are now ready to drive one!” exclaimed Bob, who is helping Olivia to position her kart on the starting grid.
“Of course, I’m ready. I also have a license!” the girl replies, showing the card she had received the day before
after the test.All the drivers are lined up on the starting grid when a very tall and thin man stands at the side of the track next to the first kart and raises a flag.
He is the race director and when he drops his arm, the cars can start.
The noise of the engines is really loud right now, as everyone is getting ready to start as fast as possible.
Lola, Peter and Midori Kuma instinctively hold each other by the hand: they are very tense and excited, after all,
it is their first race.
However, as soon as the man lowers the flag, the three first-time spectators are deeply disappointed.
They all started very slowly.
During rehearsals they had been much faster.
What is going on?
“I know. Yesterday you told us not to go too fast with our smartphones and now they have decided to adopt the same caution in the cars too,” Peter suggests.
Midori Kuma shakes his head and continues happily scratching his belly.
“Have you also noticed that those in the front are slower than those behind?” observes Lola.
In fact, Olivia and the other competitors who were fastest in the qualifying rounds now seem to have adopted a Sunday trip pace.
In the rear, however, there is a little more movement.
Taking advantage of the slow speed of his opponents is Max who, despite no longer being interested in the
competition, can’t do anything but overtake drivers who are going even slower than him.
Some seem to be trying, with little conviction, to resist his attacks, but then move over to let him pass.
Steve opens his reporter’s notebook and starts writing something.
He has a suspicion and the behavior of the drivers’ parents in the stands confirms it: instead of cheering on their children, they are all supporting Max, encouraging him to overtake the others.
“Did you see that?” Steve asks Midori Kuma, who this time nods his head, also with a very satisfied expression.
“See what?” Lola and Peter want to know.
“Just wait and see…”
After four laps of the track Max had gone from last to 10th: now he is in the middle of the group and the thought of being able to catch up with the others awakens in him emotions that were gone, but which are now giving him a lot of pleasure again.
Max tries to drive as he used to, pushing the accelerator pedal to the maximum.
The drivers immediately ahead of him notice what’s happening and this time, instead of going slowly on purpose, try to increase the speed of the race and create real duels.
Except that Max has rediscovered the sensation of when he was an unbeatable champion and manages a series of spectacular and, at times, very close overtakings.
Like one with Daniel, who tried to resist the attacks as long as possible, but then he is overtaken on the straight. After eight laps, Max is in third place and Olivia too can now see him in her mirror.
The brunette understands that her plan has worked and, speaking inside the helmet, she congratulates herself. “You really are a genius, but now don’t give in without a fight!”
After another two laps Max is behind her and tries in every way to overtake her.
She resists doing a little zigzag with her kart to confuse him.
Lola’s heart is beating very fast, and she’s getting very excited. Especially seeing her friend engaged in such a gripping duel.
“Come on Olivia, hold on!” she shouts, with all the breath she can muster.
Unfortunately, however, the encouragement is of little use because it was exactly at the fastest corner of the circuit that Max managed to overtake Olivia and take the lead.
At the end of the last lap, along the straight where the race director waves a chequered flag, Max celebrates as he did in the old days.
He is happy to have won again, this time he really enjoyed himself and suddenly rediscovered the pleasure of racing karts.
In fact, after getting out of the car, he no longer wants to go home to play video games but wants to stay and enjoy the podium ceremony with the award, the applause and the cup.
As Max is receiving congratulations from the other drivers, visibly moved, his mother thanks everyone.
Of course, she too understood what had happened.
As Olivia explains to Lola and Peter. “My brilliant plan was this: I suggest to everyone else to go slowly on
purpose and let Max overtake us, so as to make him gain position, and encourage him to want to win again.
Knowing his passion for driving, I had no doubt that he would remember how great it can feel to be in a good
position.
In fact, in the second part of the race nobody pretended anymore, and Max really won thanks to his skill!”
Max also suspected that the other drivers had set a trap for him. But what a beautiful trap!
He is delighted to see that, despite his appalling behavior, his real friends did not give up on him.
And he also realizes that it’s hard to feel such intense emotions in the virtual world.
“I preferred you when you were going slowly,” Olivia tells him with a wink. “That way, once in a while, I could win too!”
“Put your medal away, you deserve the cup today. You’re the champion of friends,” Max replies, handing her his trophy.
“How come these two kids got a license yesterday but are still without a kart?” Bob asks, pointing to Lola
and Peter.
“It’s actually a serious oversight that needs to be put right immediately,” Steve replies.
“Then follow me everyone,” orders Bob, walking towards the track where three karts are parked.
“Can we really have a go?” Lola shouts excitedly.
“Wow, this is really something,” exclaims Peter incredulously.
“When you’ve put on your helmet and suit, however, leave me your super-fast smartphone. Otherwise, who will take your pictures while you drive like a champion?” says Bob.
“Give you my smartphone?! But we’ve only known each other for three days, I’m not sure that’s long enough to trust you with my phone!” Peter answers, pretending to be serious and worried.
“Good boy, I see you’ve learned your lesson!” Bob exclaims, bursting out laughing.
But then he is immediately interrupted by Lola. “I don’t understand; why are there three karts on the track?”
“Did you want to leave him on foot? He wouldn’t want to miss all the fun,” Steve replies.
“Who?” the children insist, looking towards the track.
On the kart, with his helmet already fastened, it’s him: Midori Kuma, ready to set off, full speed ahead!