Binding Off, page 7
It was Saturday morning and I was currently packing up the suitcase Grammy had bought me to put all my new clothes in.
In went my five pairs of jeans and my eight shirts, plus all my socks and underwear. I only had three pairs of shoes. I’d be wearing the Chucks, and the ballet flats and sandals would definitely fit in the suitcase.
I sat on the bed and closed my eyes, feeling a little wistful about leaving Mateo without saying goodbye. I mean, he really defined my time here. I still missed him like crazy, even though he’d turned out to be such a jerk. I wondered if Melody played video games with him. Probably.
But it had still made me come to a realization. I would never let myself get that into a boy again, because that’s what made it hurt so much. If I had another boyfriend—and that was a big if—I’d just keep it surface.
I opened my eyes and spotted the various little monsters I’d knitted on the desk in my room, as well as the Little Monsters book. And the vegetables and fruit. I was so excited about YouTube and couldn’t wait to make another video.
“You about ready, Sarah?” asked Mom from the door.
I stood up. “Almost.”
My suitcase was about two-thirds full and I still had to squeeze in the many skeins of yarn Grammy had bought me. My knitting bag would stay with me in the car, because I had to keep myself entertained on the drive to Montana. It was supposedly a nineteen-hour drive there, so it was another of our cross-country journeys. Though Google was always overly optimistic, so I was guessing more like twenty-one hours. Hopefully we could make it in two days.
After getting all the skeins in, there was just enough room left for the monsters. I put them all in a plastic bag and placed it in the top corner of the suitcase so they wouldn’t get too smooshed. I didn’t want bent antennae.
Grammy came in after Mom left. I turned around to hug her.
“I’m going to miss having you around, sweetie,” she said.
“I know, Grammy. It was great to see you again. Maybe one day Mom will be settled enough that we can come out for a visit.”
“Hmm,” she said, letting go to look at me with a sad smile. “Maybe.”
I turned and listened to the rip of the zipper as I shut the suitcase. We both knew that wasn’t happening. This was like binding off a row in knitting. Something had ended. I was not the same as when we’d first gotten to San Diego.
THE END
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Thank you for reading Binding Off. If you are willing to leave an honest review, I’d really appreciate it. Reviews help authors out a lot.
Acknowledgements
I want to first thank Scott Driscoll, my writing teacher who helped bring “Binding Off” into being simply by suggesting I write some more stories about Sarah after the first one in the novel, “Now Would Be Good.”
Allison Amend and Kerry Cohen both helped me tremendously as my faculty mentors in the Oklahoma City University Red Earth MFA program. Binding Off was the first part of my MFA thesis, and it grew stronger because of both of them.
And of course I want to thank all my various critique partners who read bits and pieces of this book and helped shape it. Thanks to the members of my oldest critique group: Shari Duffin, Stacia Leigh, and Karrie Zylstra Myton. Thanks to the whole Twisted Plotters group, even though only Staci Roberts, Roxanne Beaver, and Sarah wanted to be named. And finally thanks go to my other critique partners: Anne Shaw, MC Austin, and Debra W. You all are the greatest.
Finally, thanks to my family and especially my mom for always believing in me.
Thank You and More
Thanks for reading Binding Off! I hope you enjoyed seeing where Sarah got her start.
If you haven’t already read it, you might enjoy reading the full-length novel about Sarah’s later high school years, Always the New Girl.
And if you’re interested in what Kirkus Reviews called “an offbeat spin on the YA suspense genre” in a starred review, check out my first book, Finding Frances.
My book Ugly is about a gender nonconforming teen girl trying to navigate her challenging world. Kirkus Reviews said “the compelling story will resonate with young adults going on their own difficult journeys and should help them feel less alone.”
To find out more about me and all my books, check out my website at kellyvincent.net.
Kelly Vincent, Binding Off
