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

fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If anyone dares

trained hard every day, but was no match for her brother. But after getting into a fight with someone else today, she realized that she wasn't weak. Jasper was just too

Stella asked, "Rosie, what did you get

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

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

Stella, did we lose out on brother's fish? Cody and Lukas said we only got useless

you think

needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't short of

two packs of salt, dried vegetables, sanitary pads, and a lighter. Angela passed her a pack of sanitary pads, "Even in the apocalypse, we still have to

"I have plenty. You keep

hooked. They want to go again tomorrow. Do

home for a few days. You go have

laughed gleefully at the

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

Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail.

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

had just come out of a

was blunt,

mistake and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with innocent

suit: 'Get this

Cooper is the most handsome dog in the

tried to make amends, "Cooper isn't ugly. He's even more

at Stella,

"I'm not lying, my dog is the most handsome on the

into her arms: 'If I'm

she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to make a suit for Smoky and Snowy. It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't about looking good. As long as it kept

him and handed

"Keep it."

surprised. This was a life-saving tool, and he was