Driving is fun (Top Cat)

After school has done Nagisa decided to relief her stress by going shopping at the mall. However despite her eagerness to purchase several clothes she only ended up getting one party dress, apparently the new collection of clothes hasn't arrived yet in Azores making Nagisa disappointed. Since she had nothing else to do and with an upcoming exam of her way she decided to call it a day and return to the dorm. She texted her mother and asked her to send the driver to pick her up, after she received a notification of the message being send Nagisa sat at a bench outside waiting for the driver to arrive. She hasn't heard of Top Cat since the day he gave her a lift but she was hopping that he had accepted the job offer she offered him.

She placed her purse next to her and wrapped her coat around her. Spring has just began but it was still too cold to wear light clothes. Nagisa didn't like Winder nor Summer but on the other hand she enjoyed Spring. She looked up at the cloudy sky wondering how long it would take for the weather to improve. She couldn't wait to try on the clothes her mother had designed but she couldn't do so if it was so cold outside.

Top-Cat decided to take the job Nagisa's parents offered him. Top-Cat's lit cigarette limply hanging on his lips. Top-Cat was now driving his own personal car A sky blue 1963 Corvette as he drove stopping in front of Nagisa.  "Yo young lady need a lift?" Top-Cat questioned jokingly. Top-Cat put out his cigarette. Double was curled up sleeping on his shoulder. Top-Cat smiled waiting in his two seated car.  Top-Cat flashed Nagisa a peace sign. Top-Cat waited for the young lady to get in his car today would be another interesting one.

Nagisa waved at Top Cat before she went inside the vintage car. As soon as she got in she fastened her seat belt and placed her purse and shopping bag between her legs. She was pleased since she didn't have to use public transportation to go back to the dorm. She leaned back to her seat and turned her head to Top Cat's direction. "I didn't realize you liked vintage cars. Though I guess it fits your style somehow. At any rate I'm heading back at Zela Academy so you know the way." Nagisa turned her head one more time facing the window of the car as she gazed outside. "So how was your day? Did anything interested happened since the last time we talked?"

"Oh my curious aren't you that's cute, anways just had to get the car out of storage and find a way to get it to penecia from Lunapa that was fun" Top-Cat stated. Top-cat turned on the cars radio but no music came out Top-Cat sighed the radio was broken again. Double woke up and saw Nagisa and jumped into her lap and purred rubbing up against her. Top-Cat stared at the dark road as he turned nobody was on the road which was pretty strange.  Top-Cat stopped at the stop sign. Top-Cat continued driving it was quite annoying he wish he could listen to music. Top-Cat wondered what Nagisa would say.

"Sometimes I really wish a day was bigger than twenty four hours. There are just so many responsibilities in school that I barely have enough time to enjoy myself and the situation isn't going to improve when I become an adult either. It's such a pain." She said as she gazed out of the window. Her routine wasn't particularly harsh but Nagisa couldn't help it but feel stressed about it.

"Though I guess there's no reason to complain about it. I'm not made of class so I can deal with some pressure. Plus if I want to be honest with myself I wouldn't abandon my current lifestyle for a more peaceful one even if someone paid me for it." She added with a smile.

Top-Cat stared at the road, and continued to drive. "Well Nagisa have you learned how to drive yet?" Top-Cat was generally curious  the cute young lady looked old enough to drive. Top-Cat continued to drive  he saw his cat Double was on Nagisa's lap curled up in sleeping and he smirked.  Top-Cat continued to stare at the road and drive. Top-Cat sighed it was dangerous at night especially for a young lady. "It's dangerous out at night you need to be more careful Nagisa" Top-Cat was worried about the young lady. Top-Cat continued driving stopping at a stop light. Top-Cat looked at Nagisa. Top-Cat then looked at the stop light it turned green he started driving again. Top-Cat would stay silent until Nagisa answered him.

Nagisa have never pictured herself behind the driving wheel. Surely it could be a useful skill and there were some kids of her class who knew how to drive but even if she wanted she didn't have the time to learn. "Nah... driving is a skill which requires both time and money. I do have plenty of the latter but my hands are already filled with other responsibilities already so learning how to drive is not in my to-do list." Nagisa replied as she petted Top Cat's cat which had sat on her lap.

"As about dangerous strolls at night I have to repeat myself. I'm not made of class, I realize my body is weak and fragile but I'm not an idiot I know how to avoid danger or protect myself. After all with everything going on with Azores the police is on edge if I scream loud enough someone will show up in no time." She added. With the rifts, the strange broadcasts and the weird mist covering the stadium the Azores region was forced to double the number of police officers to make the people feel safer. Unfortunately it didn't work too well.

"Yeah the last few months have been strange even Pops thinks so" Top-Cat had a slip of tongue he didn't mean to say that.  Top-Cat looked nervously at the road hopefully she wouldn't ask about Pops. Top-Cat would be required to answer about Pops if Nagisa asked. Top-Cat hadn't talked to Pop's in the last six months that is something he needed to get done in the next few days. Top-Cat continued to drive wondering when Nagisa would ask him about Pops.  Top-Cat usually didn't let something like that slip, was he already getting comfortable around Nagisa.? Top-Cat stopped at the Stop Sign, then looked both ways and continued driving. Top-Cat saw some punks smoking pointing at the car when one came up and knocked on his window he looked liked he was around 17 years old. The teen punk made a motion that looked like he wanted Top-Cat to roll down the window. "Your Top-Cat right here this is yours and its a pleasure to meet you Sir!!!" The teen who looked like a thug but he was just returning the wallet to Top-Cat. Top-Cat looked at it, it was his wallet that kid that bumped into him earlier today must of pickpocketed him. Top-Cat smiled at the lad. Top-Cat was then surprised when the teen bowed to him. "That's enough of that lad what is your name?" Top-Cat asked the boy. "Umm Tracer Sir" Top-Cat looked at Tracer. "Well tracer it's dangerous to be out at night you should go home If you see me on the street during the day we can talk later" Top-Cat said the thug known as Tracer  smiled and left to wherever his home was. Top-Cat smiled rolled up the window and continued driving.

Nagisa wondered who that "Pops" was. At first she thought that he was talking about his father but as soon as he spoke of him Top Cat's expression changed. He seemed nervous and stressed. Could it be that this "Pops" was connected to the scars she saw on his hand during their last ride or was it something completely different. She decided to ask about it once they stopped at a red light. However, when that happened, a teen approached the car. He looked like a delinquent and asked Top Cat to roll down his window. Nagisa guessed that he was going to beg for money but much to her surprise he returned Top Cat's wallet. She wondered how such an item came to the teen's possession but she didn't say anything instead she waited or Top Cat to finish his conversation with the guy named Tracer.

"This guy... he seemed to know you. Pardon my surprise but I didn't know you were this popular on the streets. To be honest I didn't expect anyone to know you, after all you are usually quiet." Nagisa had a hard time imagining Top Cat hanging out with young delinquents, though he had a rather intimidating face and he could be scary to someone who didn't know him too well. After all even she thought that he was some kind of ex-criminal when she first met him. "By the way, that "Pops" you mentioned. Is he your father or it's just his nickname?" She added.

"Only quiet when I don't have anything to say, strange thing I didn't know anything "   Top-Cat stated quite frankly. "Pops is more like a grandfather if anything he's 75 years old and owns his own diner called Pops' Saloon hes been on the islands a very long time apparently strange things have been going around the islands for a long time, dunno what he means by that though" Top-Cat answered Nagisa's questions about Pops. Top-Cat then continued to drive quietly. Top-Cat smiled as he continued to Drive and said nothing. "You should go there sometime it is in Lunapa" Top-Cat said to Nagisa. Top-Cat sighed as a care swerved by then was pulled over by a cop. "Damn drunk drivers"Top-Cat cursed he wouldn't be so pissed if he wasn't driving Nagisa around.

Nagisa didn't reply instead she stared at the car which had been pulled over from her window. She wondered if the driver was really drunk as Top Cat said or if something else was going on. "Do you see many weird things while you drive, TC? I have never seen a driver getting pulled by an officer before, expect from the movies but the real thing is far more...intimidating" Nagisa said as she turned her gaze back to Top Cat. Maybe he could be her eyes and ears for any weird phenomenons happening outside her reach and since Top Cat was clearly famous among the common folk of the street then he could gather information from sources Nagisa couldn't even get close to.

Spoiler:

"Oh that's just my Extreme Luck I've always  had either extremely good luck, or extremely bad luck at random intervals" Top-Cat explained. "So yes I see people getting pulled over, or getting arrested all the time" Top-Cat answered Nagisa's question. Top-Cat continued driving down the road. Top-Cat didn't care if Nagisa didn't believe him or not because it was true. Top-Cat smiled at the young lady sitting besides him. "So why Zela Academy everybody goes there, I mean you could go to a Private School so why there?"   Top-Cat was curious. Top-Cat smiled at the young lady in his passenger his seat.

"I could but Zela Academy is just as good as any private school, even though it's just a public school they made sure that it provided the best kind of education to it's student. Plus my dad says that public schools build character." Nagisa replied without looking at Top Cat. She realized that they have already reached their destination, time seemed to pass a lot faster when she was with Top Cat. "Oh here we are. Thanks for driving me home TC, I'm sure I'll call you again sometime. It was nice talking with you." She said once the car stopped. She made sure to pet Double one last time before she left the car and waved Top Cat goodbye

[Nagia leaves the scene]