It gets better.

This is a continuation of yesterday's story.

Paul brought me his phone! I mean, he showed up well before the late bell and handed me his phone without protest. I told him hat if he could enter the room without disrupting my class, he could have his phone during lunch. He smiled broadly, waved and headed off to class.

It isn't that I didn't believe he wanted to follow through on the deal we made. I just wasn't 100% certain he would follow through.

I visited the office a bit later in the morning and showed the phone to the administrative assistant who had scanned the contract Paul signed into the computer the day before. She smiled.

"I told him this morning that I heard he made a deal and hoped he was going to honor it."

She said "He said 'I'm going to give it to her right now!'"

It gets better.

Paul did stop by during fourth period on his way to lunch. He entered my room so quietly and waited until I had a moment so respectfully, I didn't know he was there until I happened to glance towards the door.

This is not Paul's M.O. I gave him his phone and he took off.

It gets better.

He came back to class the next hour and gave me back his phone without complaint or reminder. During class, he sat in his assigned seat and paid attention and worked on the assignment and didn't bother anyone.

It was like having back the Paul I knew first semester on his very best days. It was awesome.

He asked me to charge his phone and I agreed to do so. Another student also asked me to charge a phone. I told Paul I would charge his phone after class since he would be leaving it with me until the end of the day. He was gracious about it, and that is also not Paul's M.O.

At the end of the day, I started to leave my room just before the final bell to make some copies and then remembered that Paul would be returning to get his phone.

I got it and stood in the door and waited, and waited, and waited for more than 5 minutes. The buses were pulling away, when suddenly Paul came sprinting down the hall in his track clothes wearing a loopy and slightly chagrined smile.

He said "I almost forgot!"

I laughed, handed over his phone and said "See you in the morning" to Paul's retreating back. He acknowledged my reminder with a wave and was gone.

So far, it seems to be working and that is a good thing!