In Search Of The Neon City

7 - Jonna

"I'm tired of sitting on my ass and waiting for Lo."  Amanda muttered, trying to sit more comfortably on the sand-filled sack.

"Are you done in the kitchen?"  I asked without taking any notice of her whining.

Without answering, she turned the pages of one of all the old newspapers that covered the floor together with old fabrics and pieces of cardboard.  All to get as stable a floor as possible in the gloomy tent.

I shook my head, the young girls were sweet as sugar but both were always equally annoying, demanded all my attention and appreciation and then treated me like shit, but this one was the worst.
"Is Sofia done with the blocker yet?"

The black-painted eyes looked up at me for a few seconds before she shrugged "the boys came home."

I sighed and got up "so she decided to not finish it?"

"Think so?"

"Where is she?"  I asked and I knew my voice sounded harsh, that was the point.

"I don't know."

"It's bad habit to lie, girl" I hissed and placed my hands on my waist "you two are inseparable."

She shrugged again "she took Hannes shift in the tower."

I sighed even heavier at her constant uncommitted attitude before turning my heel, left the tent and started to walk towards the tower, which guarded the entrance to our home.

The sun was not as scorching today which stressed me out, we should all take the opportunity to work outdoors, fix the roof on the shed, mount the blocker on the Jeep and gather firewood for the kitchen.

I looked around the camp frustrated, not a single bastard in sight.

"Jonna, did you see where I put the tool belt?"
I turned my head and met Carl's tired face where he lay under our old van and tried to fix the brakes that had been a headache for the last few weeks.

"Not since you last had it" I replied with a grin.

"And when the hell was that?"  he muttered and scratched his head so that the white hair became black-stained by engine oil.

"I can help you search in a while, if you'll have a chat with Amanda."

With a sour muttering, he moved so that he could sit up and lean against the car plate "What has the brat done now?"

I threw a water bottle at him, which he caught in the air and gratefully unscrewed the cork.

"Nothing, that's the problem." I took two steps forward before sinking down next to him and tilted my head back so that the shadow cooled my face.
"Lo is trapped in the caravan and works around the clock, and therefore Hannes has to take double shifts in the tower" I dusted off some sand from his worn blue jeans "Sofia takes turns with him so now she's behind in the workshop."

He nodded briefly and got up slowly with stiff joints, it looked like he had aged several years during his last trip in the Wilderness. "Your order?"

"She can swap with Fia or fix the shed."

"Maybe I'll
Let the brat chop wood," he muttered, glancing towards the tower where Hannes was leaning against the railing. "Looks like Sofia isn't there, and he may need to rest a little longer."

I followed his gaze and nodded "But the princess's in a shitty mood, and she listens to you."

"I don't think so," he sighed, shaking his head, "but I have an ace up my sleeve."

"Your mom is looking down on you from heaven speech feels a little old now" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Maybe, but it still works," he replied, throwing the wrench in my direction so that it landed with a dull thump next to me. "Fix the brakes for me?."

With a sigh, I reached for the tool and lay down on my back before I began to move under the car. Annoyed by the hot sand that invaded my top.

The brake pads were literally non-existent, but Fia had made a new one that was sparkling beside me in the sunshine.

Working like this with my hands made me relax, and soon the tension in my head had released.
It might be a good day anyway, I thought, and smiled as I heard the cheerful melody that Hannes whistled from the tower.

The pleasant atmosphere was soon overwhelmed by the noise from outside the tent, Carl and Amanda's loud, irritated voices echoed all over the yard.
He had surprisingly good patience with his niece, I thought, turning the wrench a little harder on the bolt.

Amanda was fifteen years old and tired of life like any teenager.  Lazy and totally unmotivated.
Sofia was two years older and had certain qualities, she liked tinkering and was good at it.  In addition, she showed evidence of perfectly okay work ethic.
But the girls together were pure hell, especially since they obviously were more than just friends and constantly snuck away to be alone.

The boys were a little older, Hannes was obviously  an adult with his twenty-five summers behind him and I would have thought the same thing about Lo, if he had not been so insecure about himself.  Twenty-one but looked like a sixteen year old.

It was not a family I had chosen, it was just the way things had turned out, but after five years together I would not be able to imagine a life without them.
But, on days like today, I could not help but wonder what the hell I was doing in this fucking kindergarten.

"Do you want help?" I glanced at Sofia's boots, she was clearly leaning against the car.

"The jeep you where supposed to fix a long time ago or the roof of the shed, you choose cutie."

"I'll take the Jeep if you tell me what they're arguing about."

"The usual," I muttered, "hurry up with the blocker and you can comfort her later."

"Certainly."

I lay my cheek against the sand and watched her feet disappeared towards the workshop, and when she had gone far enough I saw Carl's tool belt glitter around her waist.
But I decided not to say anything, he could look for it a while longer, I grinned to myself.

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A / N

Lo has his own room, the whole caravan which is full of things you need as a hacker, he is very pedantic so he does not like visits in there ;)

Upstairs in a wooden / metal shed where Carl and Hannes are sleeping, and in the big tent that spreads out from the caravan is where Amanda, Sofia and Jonna sleep.  It is also a bit of a living room.