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.

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

a fight with someone else today, she realized that

what did you get

"We got some tools, textbooks, a

wearing

fish? Cody and

long as you think it's

had different needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't

lighter. Angela passed her a pack

have

hooked. They want to go again tomorrow. Do

staying home for a few days. You go have

at the idea of a

rest of the day teaching Rosie math and language. 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

was brutal, so Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for

another hole. Not wanting to put diapers

out

blunt,

mistake and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella

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

"No way, Cooper is

He's even more handsome than my brother, and the suit Stella

looked at Stella,

lying, my dog is the most handsome on

her arms:

so he didn't react to the suit. When she finished the second suit, she used the leftover fabric to

Jasper came to pick up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed him a nail gun, "I almost forgot to

"Keep it."

This was a life-saving tool, and he was just