Almost Easy (Janxx)

*Jake's POV*
We were having the worst of car troubles. About six hours into our trip, the engine totally broke down. It wouldn't even start. I cursed and twisted the key again, feeling absolutely frustrated.
"Ash, can you check the engine?" I asked. He was the mechanic basically. He could fix almost anything. What he couldn't fix was always recycled into another product or experiment. He would tinker with the parts and build something strange, like a compass or clock. Sometimes, he'd trade them for supplies we needed.
"Sure," he replied. He gently rested Scythia's head on the seat (she had fallen asleep a few hours back) and hopped out of the car. He arrived at the hood and lifted it. After a few minutes, he slammed it back down and gave me an uneasy look.As he opened the door, he said, "Yeah, the whole things wrecked. It's moltimg hot and isn't going to do much. We might be able to make it a few more miles, but it won't do any good if we can't fix it."
"Can you fix it?"
"About that," Ashley replied. He twiddled his thumbs. "I'd have to replace it, you see, and we don't have all of the tools or another engine. If I dismantled it, I could possibly blow up the car and kill us all. Or the parts would be unuseable scraps of metal."
"Damn, what happened to the truck, Jinxx?" CC asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "It hasn't been used by anyone until now. Maybe because it's so old..."
"Some of the parts are coated in rust," Ashley added. "Jinxx, where exactly are we?"
Jinxx checked his map and compass. After a few seconds, he replied, "A small town in Washington called Russet. A half mile from here, there's a mall. Maybe the Sears has the parts needed."
"Dammit, every single time," I cursed. "Fine, okay." I slipped out of my seat and stretched. "Everybody out."
Jinxx opened the back door and carried Scythia, who was still sleeping as though nothing were happening. He grabbed her drawstring backpack and tossed it over one shoulder. CC poked Andy, who had fallen asleep. Andy gave him an annoyed glare, which made Juliet laugh.
The walk wasn't at all dangerous as I thought it would have been. There were few cars on the roads and no signs of the dead whatsoever. Of course, I still kept my guard up. Letting your guard down for one second could result in ambushes and injuries.
When we arrived at the mall, it surprisingly looked perfectly fine. There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot and a few people just sitting on the benches outside. I rose an eyebrow. Raider meeting place?
Raider meeting places were common. They would take over a ruined place in attempts to create a safe haven. Of course, they were very much indeed dangerous. Crimes went unchecked unless against an official or someone else of high power.
We went inside, absolutely ignoring the people. We weren't trying to be rude, but being too kind often left room for dangers, possibly deaths. Inside, people were moving in and out of stores as if the apocalypse had never happened. They looked somewhat joyful so I doubted that it was the New World Order, aka Raiders.
Ashley looked at the mall's map and traced his finger to the automobile shop. "Okay, third floor," he said. "I'll be back. If I'm in trouble, I send a text."
"I'm going with him," CC announced.
"I gotta pee," Scythia mumbled as she woke from her nap. "Where's the bathroom?" SShe rubbed her eye and glanced around, confused about her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"We're at a mall," Jinxx replied. He smoothed down her unruly brown hair. "We'll find a bathroom."
"I got it," Juliet declared. She took Scythia's hand and led her in a different direction. Andy followed, a bored expression on his face.
This left me with Jinxx. I didn't mind it, honestly.
*Juliet's POV*
"Okay, kid, you've been staring at me sith a weird face for the past few days or so," I noted. "What's the deal? Is there something on my face?"
Scythia turned bright red and looked down. "N-no," she stammered. "You're just pretty and it scares me."
I chuckled a bit and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Oh, trust me, I can go from this" -I pointed at my face- "to this"-I made the stupidest face I could muster-"in less than five seconds."
She giggled and hid her smile with her hand. "Why should you be afraid of beautiful people when you're also pretty?" Andy asked, smiling at her.
Scythia shrugged. "Are you both married?" she asked.
Andy made a face of 'oh shit' and glanced at me. I made a face as well and said, "No. Not yet. There's not enough time for that right now."
"Oh. That sucks. Who's the genius who created this virus?" Scythia asked. She placed her hands on her hips and made a face of anger.
"Scientists who were attempting to cure cancer," Andy replied.
"It didn't work, did it?" I asked her.
"Haven't seen any zombies with cancer yet," he retorted. I smirked and kissed his forehead. Scythia giggled again. Her laugh was the most adorable thing ever. I absolutely loved it.
"You are the best kid ever," I told her.
"I know," she replied.
"Sass levels are off the charts," Andy noted in the most serious voice ever.

Notes