Adopted by R5 - My story

Chapter 52- Connor's favourite

As I predicted, I locked myself inside the house for about a week, until the colored dye started to fade away a bit. The rare times I was forced to go out (go and take driving lessons) I wore hats or stuff like that.
The others didn't make fun of my hair anymore, maybe occasionally calling me Hulkie but I laughed with them.

It was almost dinner time, and we were ordering pizza, since no one wanted to cook.
I was writing down what everyone wanted so that then we could phone the pizza place.
"Riker, which pizza do you want?" I asked entering his room.
"Uhhh... I'd say pepperoni" he responded.
Connor's favourite, I automatically thought, not noticing I had said that out loud.
"Hailie" he sighed, turning around to face me, "you will have to get over him one day. You can't go on suffering like this"
I already knew a fight was going to come.
"But I don't want to get over him. I have too many good memories, I can't let go"
"I know, but-"
"No, Riker, you don't know, so please stop"
"I'm saying that for your own good, you shouldn't be this attached to someone that is gone"
"You talk as if Connor is dead. I still want to find him" I said raising my voice.
"Do you think he wants to be found?".
A stab would have hurt less. I was left speechless. He continued,
"In three years he never showed up, he never wrote, you never heard from him. Do you really think he hasn't given up already?"
"You don't know him Riker, what we had was special, he wouldn't give up" I said through tears. How could Riker be so cruel to me?
"Well apparently he did, so you might as well do the same. It will hurt less" he said sharply.
"What really hurts is your fucķing attitude, Riker" I said slamming his door storming out of his room and then into mine. I locked my door and sat on the bed.
Riker was so mean! I understood he might have had a tough day, but that didn't give him the right to say hurtful things to me.
The worst part is that I was starting to believe his words... maybe Connor really didn't care anymore.
I needed a confirm, something that could remind me how caring and nice was my big brother, not a jerk like Riker was describing him.
I decided to do a stupid yet reassuring thing. For my twelth birthday, Connor had given me a small USB key I now carried everywhere. I never got a chance to look at what there was inside, since he said I should use it when I felt lonely or homesick.
Connor had tied it to a small necklace that I always left at home, scared of losing it. I did a pretty good job keeping it safe for three years, and now the moment of discovering what there was in it had come.
I put the key in my laptop and opened the files that popped out on the screen.
There were dozens of videos of Connor and I, and I decided to watch the first one.
As soon as it started playing, I recognised what it was.
It was a wintery early morning and Connor had decided to bring me to the ice rink to teach me how to ice skate. I was something like eight.
"So we are here at the ice rink. Scared Hailie?" Said Connor in a professional tone. I stuck out my tongue and finished tying up my skates.
"Ok, now all you have to do is make little steps" he said as we started skating. More like me hanging onto his arm doing as told.
After a few minutes I had improved a bit and started skating properly.
"Look! You're doing it!" He exclaimed. Despite him being 13, he looked beyond proud.
I spent the rest of the evening watching the videos, which made me feel a bit better.
I was now sure Connor would never give up on me.
I even skipped dinner to 'stay' a bit with my brother.
That tiny USB was the best gift of my life.