18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 42

The snub from the dog didn't discourage Jasper He leaned over to Cooper, "You're smart, and you've got a good fight in you. But the world out there is pretty rough right now. You're going to have to get stronger to protect yourself, and the people you care about."

"Yeah, yeah," Stella said, scratching Cooper's head to lighten the mood. "You're going to protect me, right, Cooper?"

The dog glanced back and forth between them, visibly torn. He liked his current owner, and he liked the people on this floor. He had just enjoyed a bowl of their pork stew. If he didn't become stronger, would he be kicked out?

After giving it some thought, he finally gave in.

Cooper nuzzled into Stella's embrace, as if to swear allegiance to her. She couldn't abandon him now!

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "We're just separated by a wall. We can see each other anytime."

Back in the apartment, she found half a bag of dog treats and handed it to Jasper. "Cooper's smart and holds grudges. He's also stubborn. If he misbehaves, don't hit him or scold him. Just tell me, okay?"

Jasper chuckled, "What do you take me for?"

He handed over Rosie, while Stella handed over the dog. Rosie was thrilled, while Cooper seemed a bit downcast.

Once they were back inside, Stella opened Rosie's backpack. It was filled with a variety of children's books and art supplies, which looked hastily gathered.

"Rosie, have you ever been to preschool?" Stella asked.

Rosie shook her head, fiddling with her fingers. "No."

A nearly five-year-old child who had never been to preschool. The mention of preschool seemed to deflate Rosie. "Am I dumb, Stella?" Rosie hung her head low. "All the other kids go to preschool, but not me."

"You're not dumb, Rosie. You're the smartest," Stella reassured her.

Stella wasn't a teacher, but she had been tutoring since middle school. Those high school subjects, she knew them like the back of her hand.

She had never taught elementary school students, but it didn't seem difficult. After flipping through the books, she started planning lessons, starting with counting in English, 1234567. From 1 to 10, then 11 to 20, she taught not only how to write the numbers but also the patterns in numbers.

Rosie, who had never been to school, but had watched TV and interacted with people, caught on quickly. She sat down diligently to do her homework.

Jasper had thought of everything; he even prepared a pencil case with pencils and erasers.

Within half an hour, Rosie had learned to count to 100. Stella rewarded her with a piece of candy, "You're doing great, Rosie."

Next, they moved on to English alphabet.

Rosie was a quick learner. After the lesson, Stella assigned homework and then sat on the couch, leafing through information about hydroponic vegetables, hoping to figure it out soon.

Rosie didn't leave after finishing her homework but continued practicing her English songs while petting Smoky and Snowy.

When Jasper didn't show up at the usual time, Stella made some instant noodles with ham for lunch, which delighted the little girl.

After their nap, they heard the sound of a dog running around. Opening the door, they saw Cooper sprinting from the hallway to the rooftop stairs, back and forth, as fast as lightning.

Jasper stood at the doorway, giving hand signals to Cooper with a serious expression. Even though Cooper wanted to snuggle up to his owner, as long as Jasper kept signaling, he kept running.

Stella frowned, afraid of tiring the dog.

After about 50 rounds, Jasper finally let Cooper rest. Cooper kept panting and huffing, but he looked excited.