Fines for traffic violations in New York City are not particularly heavy.
But there's one difference from East Country.
Here, traffic violations are grouped with minor crimes. Simply put, if you illegally park in East Country, you might just pay a fine and get points deducted, but here, you need to spend time going to traffic court.
So…
As she restarted her car and drove towards LaGuardia Airport, Gwen was still relieved that she had left in time, otherwise she would have had to take time off to go to traffic court.
At the same time, she was a little puzzled.
"Strange, I can park outside the Manhattan courthouse, but why not the Queens one?"
"…"
Hawk, sitting in the passenger seat, listened to Gwen's monologue, thought for a moment, and asked curiously, "It wouldn't have mattered even if you'd driven out, right? Talking to George Stacey should solve it."
Gwen snapped back to reality, glanced at Hawk, then shook her head.
"No."
"Uh…"
Hawk recalled the family card Gwen had shown the traffic Police earlier.
Gwen seemed to see through Hawk's thoughts and explained with a smile, "Using the family card is fine because everyone uses it, and it's a benefit the Police Department gives to Police families. But getting a summons is different. My father definitely wouldn't call his friends at the courthouse for an illegal parking summons. He would tell me very sternly, 'Gwen, you should stand in court and bravely admit your mistake.'"
As Gwen explained, she imitated the tone and expression of George Stacey of the 19th Precinct of the New York Police Department.
Hawk listened to Gwen's explanation and nodded in understanding.
He had always thought George Stacey was a rigid and stereotypical George Stacey who wouldn't tolerate any nonsense.
But hearing Gwen say this…
It seemed he wasn't.
Indeed.
Movies are always stereotypical.
Forty-five minutes later.
Gwen drove to LaGuardia Airport.
After unbuckling his seatbelt, Hawk thanked Gwen again as she stopped the car.
Gwen spoke up as Hawk was about to open the door and get out, "I'm curious about something, Hawk."
Hawk, who had already pushed open the car door and was about to get out, turned his head to look at Gwen when he heard her words.
"What?"
"If I don't accept your thanks, what will you do? Keep thanking me?"
"…"
Hawk was silenced by Gwen's question.
After a while.
He looked at Gwen, who was smiling and seemed genuinely curious about the answer, and thought for a moment.
"Sorry?"
"…"
This time, Gwen was silent.
I don't accept your thanks, so you apologize?
…Well, that works.
Gwen's smile widened, and she looked at Hawk, saying with a laugh, "You've thanked me too many times. We're friends; friends don't need to say thank you."
Friends?
Hawk was stunned again.
Although his relationship with Gwen was slightly better than with his other classmates, that was mainly because his physics class overlapped with Gwen's, and they were deskmates in physics class.
But it was limited to that.
After all, aside from physics class, he didn't have much contact with Gwen at school.
To be precise, he didn't have much contact with any students.
However…
Hawk didn't refute Gwen. He couldn't have Gwen drive him back and then say they weren't friends.
He still had that much emotional intelligence.
Soon.
Hawk watched as the car made a U-turn after he got out, stepped on the accelerator, and disappeared from his sight. He then retracted his gaze and walked towards the temporary shelter.
In the evening.
Manhattan.
Goring Apartment.
Helen, dressed in loungewear, was sitting on the sofa watching a new episode of "Desperate Housewives" when she heard the door open and turned to look towards the door.
In her sight.
George Stacey of the 19th Precinct, wearing a White shirt, a tie, a black suit, and a Police badge on his waist, was walking in from outside.
"You're back?"
"Yes."
George answered, closed the door behind him, and looked at Helen sitting on the sofa: "Where's Gwen?"
Helen glanced at the stairs leading to the second floor.
"She went back to her room."
"Oh."
George nodded, then walked towards the second floor. Upon reaching his daughter's room, he knocked on the door: "Gwen."
Gwen's voice came from inside the room: "The door's unlocked, Dad."
George then pushed open the door.
Inside the room.
Gwen, who had already changed into cute pajamas, with her soft golden hair draped over her shoulders, was sitting cross-legged on a chair and looked at George as he entered: "Dad, what's wrong?"
George stood at the doorway and did not enter his daughter's bedroom. Instead, he looked at Gwen sitting at the desk, crossed his arms, leaned against the door, and said with a slight smile, "You didn't have class this afternoon, did you?"
Gwen was stunned at first, then realized.
She put her smooth legs down from the chair and stood up.
"Did someone contact you?"
"What do you think?"
George said with a smile, "They always have to call me to verify, in case someone is impersonating my family card."
Although such a thing was highly unlikely to happen.
But…
There's a saying in the federation: you can not live, but you can't not have fun.
There were indeed people who used fake family cards to cause trouble, just very few.
However, because it involved external law enforcement, it was not appropriate to call for confirmation on the spot. Therefore, they would note down the license plate number and report it back to the precinct for confirmation.
If the family card was real, then it was fine.
But if the family card was fake, that was also fine. Anyway, the license plate number was noted, and that guy would just wait to receive dozens of summonses in one day.
The New York Police Department would let that guy know that daring to mess with them came at a price.
Gwen was a little speechless when she heard George say this: "Dad, I really didn't mean to park illegally. Manhattan courthouses allow parking everywhere."
George shrugged: "I'm not interested in your illegal parking. After all, that's what the family card is for."
He wasn't that rigid yet.
The family card could be used, just don't misuse it.
Gwen blinked, listening to George's words.
"Then you…"
"But I'm interested in why you went to the Queens courthouse this afternoon."
"Oh."
Gwen heard this, sat back down in her chair, and picked up the book she had been reading: "It was nothing, just taking a classmate to the courthouse for something."
George smiled.
"A male classmate?"
"…"
Gwen put down her book, looked at George standing at the doorway, and said with a serious expression: "Dad, Hawk and I are just friends."
No.
That guy seemed quite resistant to her being his friend.
Gwen thought to herself.
She remembered the fleeting stiff expression on Hawk's face after she said they were friends when she drove him back that afternoon.
…
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