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

up, her small fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting

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 strong. The boy who tried to steal her

"Rosie, what did you get for the fish

tools, textbooks, a dress,

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

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

as you think

had different needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't short of

Angela passed her

"I have plenty. You keep

insist, "Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want

thanks, I'm staying home for a few days.

at the

When Rosie finished her homework, Stella sat on the couch to continue her project. Finally, she had finished her first thermal suit for Cooper. She called him over, "Cooper, come here." The

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

hole. Not wanting to

just come out of a coal mine with this black

blunt, "It looks

mouth, looking at Stella with

this ugly thing off me. It's

Cooper is

He's even more handsome than

looked at

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

pleased with that and nuzzled into her arms: 'If I'm so handsome, make me

reactions. Unfortunately, his thick fur meant he didn't feel the change in 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, but it wasn't about looking good. As long as it kept them warm, it was

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

"Keep it."

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