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.

ear, "Don't encourage

fists clenched as she declared, "Fighting is easy. If anyone dares to bully me, I'll beat

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 candy couldn't even beat her with

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

tools, textbooks, a dress,

she was currently wearing on her head, made

out on brother's fish? Cody and

as you think it's

needs, and anyway, Jasper wasn't short

lighter. Angela passed her a pack of sanitary pads, "Even in the apocalypse,

refused, "I have plenty. You keep

"Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want

few days.

laughed gleefully at the idea of

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

for

another hole. Not wanting to put diapers on

he had just come out of a coal mine with this black

was blunt,

and immediately covered her mouth, looking at Stella with innocent

at the suit: 'Get this

way, Cooper is the most handsome dog in

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

at Stella,

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

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

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.

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

"Keep it."

life-saving tool, and he was just