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.

his ear, "Don't encourage Rosie to

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

someone else today, she realized that she wasn't weak. Jasper was just too strong. The boy who tried to steal her candy couldn't

the subject, Stella asked, "Rosie, what did you get for the

tools, textbooks, a

she was currently wearing on her head, made her look even more

we lose out on brother's fish? Cody

as you think

needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't

dried vegetables, sanitary pads, and a lighter. Angela passed

refused, "I have

"Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want to go

home for a few days. You go have fun."

at the idea of a day

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

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

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

out of a coal mine with this

blunt,

mistake and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with innocent eye. 'I didn't mean

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

Cooper is the most handsome

tried to make amends, "Cooper isn't ugly. He's even more handsome than my brother, and the suit Stella

looked at Stella,

his head, "I'm not lying, my dog is the

that and nuzzled into her arms: 'If

temperature now, so he didn't react to the suit. When she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It wasn't pretty,

and handed him a nail gun, "I almost forgot to return this to

"Keep it."

This was a life-saving tool, and