The next day went by so slowly, it felt like it took three weeks.
Finally, at six o’clock, it was time to go. I got my guitar and amp and headed out to the car. My mom was halfway down our road when I yelled, “Stop!” and told her to go back.
She drove back to the house, and I ran inside to get the bag of phones.
* * *
When I got to the school, I was nervous to go inside. Part of me was wondering if Jackie and Sammie would actually show up. But there they were, hanging out in the orchestra room with Becca, warming up with everyone else.
When they saw me coming, they looked a little nervous, too.
“Are you okay?” Sammie said.
“We were worried about you,” Jackie said.
“I’m fine,” I told them. “I’m great.”
Awkward minute-long silence.
“We didn’t know how to tell you,” Jackie said. “Becca said you would be so upset, and none of us wanted to make you upset.”
Sammie nodded. “It’s just that we’re not as good musicians as you are.”
I shook my head. “I don’t blame you guys,” I said. “Becca called me ‘bossy’ the other day, and she was right. I wanted to turn CHICKMATE into my band, instead of our band. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Jackie whispered.
Becca touched my shoulder. “We’re really proud of you for writing a song.”
“When you become a famous musician some day,” Jackie said, “I want front-row seats.”
“Wow, I’m glad that’s over with,” I said. “Now we can get back to the business of being incredibly nervous about the show.”
We laughed, and felt better, and started to relax.
Meanwhile, Sammie was nodding her head. “Okay, now I get it.”
We looked at her. “Get what?” I said.
“Now I get what life is like without a cell phone.”
The rest of us looked at each other, confused.
“This conversation!” Sammie went on. “If you guys had your phones, we would have had this conversation last night on text, and it would have been so different. This is so much cooler! This is real connection!” She took out her phone and handed it to me. “I want to give up my phone, too!”
I laughed. “Well, you’re a little too late,” I said. Then I held out the bag of phones to Becca and Jackie. “Congratulations. You made it.”
They hesitated, then peered wide-eyed into the bag, almost as though they were looking at buried treasure.
“Wow,” Becca said. “There they are.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight,” Jackie said.
Then they laughed, grabbed their phones, and stared at them like they were long-lost friends.
“This may be the greatest day of my life,” Becca said.
Frowning, Sammie watched them excitedly turn on their phones. “I don’t get it, you guys,” she said. “Didn’t you love not having your phones? Weren’t you incredibly proud of being Cavemen?”
“I did love being a Caveman,” Becca said, turning on her phone. “But I love being a Phonie more.”
Then she quickly took a picture of Sammie’s shocked face.