The message was from Lisa.
Lisa.
He shot upright so fast, his head smacked against the headboard. "Ow! What the—" he hissed, rubbing the back of his skull. But the pain didn't matter because his eyes were glued to the words on the screen:
[Babe! I'm back in town. You up for the bike race tonight?]
Hugo blinked. Once. Twice. He leaned back, holding the phone at arm's length like it was about to explode.
Then he leaned forward again, squinting, as if the words might change if he looked at them differently.
For a full ten seconds, Hugo just stared at the message. His mouth hung open. His brain short circuited.
"WHAT?!" he yelled, his voice cracking.
He read the message again, and then once more, as if it might magically change. But no—it was real. Lisa was back. She wanted the race. Tonight.
"Tonight?!" he shrieked, his voice going even higher. "She wants to race tonight?!"
