JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Thin Air

Chapter Nineteen: 3005

"Well, damn, we actually made it here." Monica said.

"Why is that surprising?" Clapton asked the girl as Josuke whipped their car down I-30, approaching Dallas.

"Because you and JoJo left us for an hour and you managed to almost die, that's why."

"It was really unprecedented. I never expected to come across an enemy as early as Nashville. Isn't that right, Shizuka?" he said, asking his other companion for affirmation.

"Yep. And Monica, you need to stop talking to Clapton like that all the time. He's really smart. He saved us from getting burnt out like a cigarette."

"Th-thank you..." Clapton mumbled with humility.

"I can't say you're an idiot," Monica said. "I guess I'll cut you some slack."

"Hey, guys," Josuke said amongst the voices of the chatting teens. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by somewhere before we get to the Speedwagon Foundation."

"Where on Earth is possibly more important than the Foundation at this moment, Josuke?"  Shizuka inquired.

"It's this... American store... what do you call it again...? Oh, yeah! Staples!" he said.

"Staples?" the three youths all said simultaneously.

"Yeah, Staples." he confirmed.

"Why the hell do you need to go to Staples at a time like this?" Shizuka exclaimed, frustrated at her brother.

"I need to print out some important documents that I need to submit to the Foundation."

"Can't you do that at the Foundation itself?" Shizuka groaned.

"They won't let me do that. I can't send them digital information because they want to safeguard themselves from potential security breaches."

"They can do all that..." Shizuka grumbled under her breath. "But they couldn't stop one of their own from letting Papa die."

Josuke began to maneuver the car onto a deceleration lane and gradually exited the interstate, following the directions given by the GPS app on his phone.

"Looks like we're already here." Josuke said. 

"Finally! We've been driving all day, mamma mia!" Monica complained. "My damn legs have been aching."

Josuke pulled into a parking lot that lay in front of a huge storefront featuring the name of the popular American office supplies store.

"I'll only be inside for probably half an hour at the most. Anyone wanna come with me?" Josuke asked the youths after he had parked the vehicle and exited it.

"I'll come." Shizuka offered.

"Great. Anyone else?"

Monica and Clapton opted to stay behind. With that, the Joestar siblings left their side.

"I think I'm just gonna take a little nap in the car. The jet lag hasn't been very kind to me," Clapton said. "What about you, Monica?"

"I'll walk around the block, just stretch my legs."

"Alright. Just don't go too far, yeah?" Clapton suggested to the young Italian girl.

"Of course, I'm not a child, dude."

"Well... you are just 17. The rest of us are adults."

"Oh, fuck off, Clapton." she giggled halfheartedly, walking away from the British boy.

She took to a sidewalk and continued strolling with no particular destination in mind.

She sighed happily, enjoying the quiet atmosphere of a city which she hadn't visited before.