The next morning I went to find Jake and apologize. I looked all over the school, then found him and Hannah standing by my locker.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi,” they said.
They waited. I had a whole speech prepared in my head, but I forgot every word.
“I’m really, really sorry for screaming at you,” I stammered finally.
Jake said, “It’s okay,” and I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders.
We stood there kind of awkwardly for a second, then I said, “Um, what are you guys doing here? By my locker, I mean?”
Jake held out his phone. “I wanted to give this back to you.”
I stared down at it. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Jake said.
I still didn’t understand. “Really?”
“You were totally a jerk yesterday,” Hannah said to me. “But you know what? Jake kind of deserved it in a way. If he wanted his phone back, he could have just asked for it. But he was scared and ashamed and so he didn’t. He went into your locker without asking, which is definitely not cool.”
“You’re not the only one who’s sorry,” Jake told me. “I owe you an apology, too. And I want to stick to the deal. One for all and all for one, right?” He smiled.
I took the phone. “Okay!”
I’m ashamed to admit that the next thing I thought about was somehow getting word to Jane that our deal was back on.
But I’m proud to admit that that thought only lasted a second—maybe three—and then I banished it from my head.
Forever.