“Who, me? Ilovehaving patience. I’ll bring my calmness crystal and be fine.”
“Can I use this hook to stab myself?” Jade muttered a day later.
“Is the crystal not working?” I asked.
“Shut up,” she hissed.
I wasn’t faring much better. I’d made one thing. I successfully cut a six-inch strand of yarn to create a worm. My brain couldn’t comprehend how to hold the work, the yarn,andkeep good tension. So a single-strand worm it was.
Marjorie, of all people, was in charge of the class. Trying to listen to her was a little like trying to track a drunk bird as it flew south for the winter. She was all over the place and fought with the yarn as much as I did.
“You have to make the yarn your bitch,” Marjorie said. “Demand respect.”
“I demanded respect and now I have a knot around my hand.” Wren held up her mess.
“I think it’s a bow. That’s your first project right there.”
Wren’s brow creased and she stared at her yarn. “Um, is your teaching method working for anyone else?”
“No idea. I forgot my glasses today. You’re all beautiful little fuzz balls.”
Shaking my head, I pulled out my phone and played a YouTube video. Jade huddled in and watched it too.
The person speaking went nice and slow. I still didn’t get it.
The door to the room opened, and Marjorie turned, ready to tell off another teen for coming into a reserved space, but instead, it was someone I knew.
“Hello? Am I too late?”
“Virginia?” I asked.
“Grace! Hi!”
“Are you here for the crochet class?”
“Yes. I just saw it on my walk to my car. I brought my own project.” She pulled out a half-finished stuffed animal. Even from a distance, I could see each stitch was done well.
“Oh, hell. You’re good at this.” Marjorie threw her hands up. “Wanna teach the class?”
Virginia laughed. “I bet you’re doing fine. I just figured I could work and listen. Maybe meet some people while I’m at it.”
“I’m Jade and I want to murder right now.” My best friend raised her hand. “And I’m guessing you met Grace at her shop?”
“I did, but I’m also Dean’s mom.”
Jade’s eyes went wide. “Oh. That’s awesome. Weloveyour son. Never had a problem with him before or anything.”
“I have a feeling he’s being an idiot right now.”
“Thank God. We can speak freely.”
“We weren’t saying anything that bad,” Mollie added. “Most of us are trying and failing to crochet.”
“All of us are failing,” Wren said flatly.
“Miserably,” I added.
“What yarn did you pick up?” Virginia asked as she came to me. In my hands was a beautiful red yarn. I didn’t know anything about it other than it was a color I wanted to make a scarf out of.