Winning Skylinn

47

"Hey, guess what?" Jonny asked the next night. We were talking on the phone and it was almost midnight, but I couldn't sleep.

"What?"

"You know how I got Mistletoe from a friend?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the guy who sold her to me just found out he's moving in a couple of weeks, and he needs me to take the last kitten, because he's sold all the rest."

"Really? Are you gonna take it?" I asked.

"I think I have to. He was so nice to give me your cat absolutely free; it's only right I return the favor."

"Yeah. That means Mistletoe will get to meet one of her siblings!" I reached over to pet my cat, who was sitting on the bed beside me.

"Yup. It's a boy, I think."

"Aw. I hope they'll get along. Some siblings don't."

"I think that mostly just applies to humans."

"Maybe." There was a short pause. "When are you getting him?"

"Hold on, let me ask."

I waited while he texted his friend and then returned to our call. "Okay, he says he'll need me to pick him up tomorrow."

"Wow, that's soon."

"I know. But oh well. I guess he just wants him out of the way while he's packing and stuff."

"Yeah, true. What's the cat's name?" I wondered.

"Ollie."

"Aw, that's cute."

"Do you want to come with me to pick him up tomorrow?" Jonny asked.

"What time? I'm supposed to work."

"We can go after. Maybe four o'clock-ish?"

"Okay cool. Sounds good."

"I guess since you're working, you should get some sleep."

I glanced at the clock. 12:01. "Yeah, maybe."

"Are you not tired?"

"Not really. I'm having trouble sleeping."

I didn't tell him that it was because of Denver. I was unbelievably nervous about his return. For some reason, I kept feeling like things would be different. I don't know, like he wouldn't feel the same way about me as he did when he left. But that was impossible. Hadn't he just called me last month on my birthday? And written me two letters since? It was all so confusing.

Finally, I focused my attention back on Jonny's voice. "I'll stay with you, if you want," he said.

"Yes, please."

"Okay."

I tried to think of something to talk about, but I was kind of brain-dead. So I just laid there in silence.

Then all of a sudden, I had an idea. "Hey, what if we played a game?"

"What game?"

"I don't know what it's called, but you take a book and just flip to a random page, and whatever word your eyes land on first, you have to read that sentence out loud."

"Okay... Sounds pretty simple. But I don't have any books in here."

"It's okay, we can just use mine."

"Then what will I do?"

"Hm..." I thought for a moment, looking out my bedroom window.

I had an idea.