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

small fists clenched as she declared,

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 candy couldn't even beat her with one

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

responded quickly, "We got some tools, textbooks, a dress,

which she was currently wearing on her head, made her

brother's fish?

as you think it's worth

and anyway, Jasper wasn't short

Angela passed her a pack of sanitary

have

insist, "Lukas and Cody are hooked. They want to go again tomorrow. Do

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

gleefully at the idea of a day

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."

cold was brutal, so Stella had made a onesie thermal suit, with a hole for Cooper's tail. There was another hole at the

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

just come out of a coal

was blunt,

mouth, looking at Stella with innocent

this ugly thing off me.

him, "No way, Cooper is the most handsome dog

He's even more handsome than my brother, and

at

petted his head, "I'm not lying, my

that and nuzzled into her

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

to pick up Rosie. Stella stopped him and handed

"Keep it."

life-saving tool, and he was just giving