Winning Skylinn

30

Dear Jonny,
It's funny how part of your name is 'Jon.' Because people write "Dear John" letters to the person they're breaking up with. I just thought of that.
Anyways, this is Skylinn. I'm your best friend. We've known each other since we were six, which is when you moved in next door.
You don't have any siblings, but you do have two parents. They really love you, ya know. They want you to wake up just as much as I do.
Right now you're in a coma but we're all hoping you'll wake up. Please do.
Love,
Skylinn

P.S. You usually call my Leonard.

I smiled as I finished reading the letter. I'd managed to make it through without crying. Probably because that one wasn't very sad.

As I stood up to leave, I reached out to touch his hand. "Get better, okay? Someday. Just get better." Then I leaned down and smoothed his hair back so I could kiss his forehead. "See you soon, Jonathan." I knew he would either laugh or scoff if he heard me now.

- - -

About a week later, I got a letter from Denver. It dawned on me that he'd already been gone for almost two months, and that he only had three left til his leave. He'd be back in May, I knew that much.

Dear Skylinn,
I'm very sorry to hear about your leg. I hope it's healing and that you're getting better. I wish there was something I could do to help, besides pray. Which I have been. Praying, I mean. I just wish there was something else, and that I could be there with you in this time.
I was also devastated to hear about Jonny. I know how much he means to you, with you guys being best friends and neighbors. You know, it's crazy but, sometimes I get a little jealous... That's stupid, though, right? I know that your heart is mine.
As I was saying, I hope he gets better too. I know this is really tough on you.
This boot camp stuff is actually really fun. Our troop leader is really strict, but other than that, it's been great. And the weather here isn't too shabby, either.
I love you, Skylinn. Remember that.
-Denver

No "forever yours"? He always said that. I wondered if something was bothering him.

I skimmed the letter again and my eyes focused on the part about Jonny. He was...jealous. But what was there to be jealous of?

I thought about my relationship with Jonny. Sure, we hung out a lot, hugged, got each other presents. But that was just us. It had always been us. And there was never anything romantic between us.

Well... I take that back.

There was something. Once. But it only lasted a couple of days, and it was years ago. Before I even met Denver. He had nothing to worry about. I knew I'd have to make that clear in my next letter.

Which got me thinking about my letters to Jonny. Should I really be doing that? Writing letters to two guys, that both meant a lot to me? Sure, they meant something entirely different, but they were still both very important.

No. Jonny needed this. He needed to get better. And I would continue to write letters to him, and read them to him at the hospital. It's not like Denver even had to know...

Ugh, I hated keeping secrets from him. But if he was going to get jealous, then why bother telling him? He didn't need something to worry about. Not that there was anything in the first place.

~~

When I was twelve, there was this moment. It only lasted a second, but that second felt like an eternity.

It was cold outside, for Orlando. And it was fall, about mid-October. Jonny and I had just went to a Halloween carnival that came here every year the week before Halloween. He didn't show any signs of liking me when we were there, unless you counted him buying my ticket-which I didn't. It was what happened after that made me think, for the first time, that there was something more than friendship there.

We were walking home-the carnival was only two blocks from our houses-and it was really cold outside. The stars were out and it was dark.

"Cold?" Jonny asked me.

"Mm, maybe a little," I said.

"Here." He took off his dark green jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Now you'll be nice and warm."

We had stopped walking and he was staring into my eyes. I couldn't breathe. His eyes seemed bluer than usual, his lips more full. I looked down at them for a split second before looking away and clearing my throat.

"We'd better get inside," I said.

"Yeah," he agreed, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

So we said our goodbyes and went to our separate houses. I thought about that moment for the next two days, finally deciding that it was just a moment in time and it didn't mean anything. Jonny and I were meant to be friends, and nothing more.