junk?

and as she sorted through her belongings in her room, clearing out things in order to make space for her new bookshelves, she stumbled upon little things that brought her back to different times, places, and memories that had been stashed away for so long. a plastic bracelet she had gotten from her neighborhood best friend when she was ten. a watch she had begged her parents to get her that she quickly lost interest in. a spelling test paper from the 4th grade that she got 100% on. and other seemingly meaningless objects to a stranger on the street.

but although these things would be of no use to her now (seeing as the bracelet doesn't fit her anymore, the watch doesn't work, and her spelling skills have greatly exceeded those of a fourth grader), she can't bear to throw anything out. she has a closet shelf full of old elementary school work that she has no point in keeping, but she does anyway. her mother questions why she can't throw away those papers, but she can't explain it. she needs it, but at the same time she doesn't. haven't you ever had things you couldn't part with before simply because you felt you would regret discarding it later? even after her neighborhood friend moved away, there may come a day when a surprise visit appears and her friend wonders where that bracelet is, hoping she still has it. and although those chances are just about slim to none, she keeps it anyway because of the memories it holds. which basically applies to every other object she hoards for "absolutely no reason".

and some people would call the things she keeps stashed up in her closet and under her bed junk. but shes like to think of it more as a collection of important times. well, important to her at least. and she may not even give these objects a second glance until the next time she rearranges her room, but nevertheless, they mean something to her. and in her book, that's the best reason she could give as to why she keeps all of this "junk".