18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 65

The first time Rosie got into a fight, it left a deep impression on her young mind. She clung to Jasper's neck, "When I grow up, I'll protect you too." "Alright."

"I'll protect Stella too, and Cooper."

"Alright."

Next, they sold fish, with Jasper showing her the ropes.

Stella listened silently. Jasper's teaching methods were rough, but in a world where order had collapsed, maybe Rosie would have been worse off if they'd stuck to the old ways of kindness and gentleness. "Yes, what your brother taught you isn't wrong."

Curious, Stella asked Rosie, "Have you ever been hungry or been beaten up?"

Rosie lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her clothes.

"That's okay. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"When Jasper didn't come home, I was so hungry. My cousin bullied me, and my aunt scolded me."

"Do you want to go through that again?"

"No!" Rosie shook her head vehemently, her voice tinged with a sob. "I don't want to."

"Well, remember that feeling. If anyone ever treats you like that again, you fight back. Don't be afraid. They can't beat you."

"But my aunt said the police would take me away."

"As long as you're not the one starting trouble, the police won't take you away." Stella comforted the little girl, "Today, when you fought, the police didn't come to get you, did they?"

Relieved, Rosie said, "I'll listen to Stella and Jasper. No one will bully me anymore."

Cooper growled his agreement from the side.

tugged at his ear, "Don't encourage Rosie

was already riled up, her small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If anyone dares to bully me, I'll

after getting into a fight with someone else today,

did you get

responded quickly, "We got some tools, textbooks, a dress, and a

fluffy hairband, which she was currently wearing on her head, made her

we lose out on brother's fish? Cody and Lukas said we only got

as you think it's worth it, it's

different needs, and anyway, Jasper

and a lighter. Angela passed her a pack of sanitary pads,

have plenty. You keep

didn't insist, "Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want to go again tomorrow.

days. You go have fun." No

gleefully at the

finished her homework, Stella sat on the couch to continue her project. Finally, she had finished her first thermal

a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail. There was another hole

hole. Not wanting to put diapers on Cooper, she cut another

out of a coal mine with this black

blunt,

and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with innocent eye. 'I

bit at the suit: 'Get this ugly thing off me. It's

"No way, Cooper is

isn't ugly. He's even more handsome

at

lying, my dog is the most handsome

her arms: 'If I'm so handsome, make me

fur meant he didn't feel the change in temperature now, so he didn't react to the suit. When she

Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a

"Keep it."

was a life-saving tool, and he