My parents started charging me rent because I decorated my room, so I got back at them.
When my parents made me pay rent for the basement I’d turned into a safe place, they had no idea it would help me escape and make them feel bad about it in the end.
I’ve always felt like the bad kid in my family. That wasn’t all it was, though. If you looked at how my parents treated me and my younger brother Daniel, it was pretty clear.
My parents gave Daniel his own room when we moved into a two-bedroom house when I was 17. They didn’t share like normal siblings would; instead, they pushed me into our unfinished basement.
At the same time, he got this huge, bright room upstairs that had all new furniture, decorations, and even a gaming system. Me? They got me any junk they could find in the garage.
I remember when they showed me my new “room.”
The mother pointed to the cold, hard surface as if it were a prize. “Do you think this is exciting, Elena?” There’s a lot of room down here!”
I looked up at the empty bulb hanging from the ceiling, the spider webs in the corners, and the musty smell that was everywhere. “Yes, Mom. “Very exciting.”
My dad gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Dude, that’s the spirit! Hey, let’s see if we can fix it later, shall we?”
Of course, later never came. A dungeon wasn’t going to hold me for life, though.
I got a job at the nearby grocery store after school to bag groceries and push carts. It wasn’t fun, but each paycheck got me closer to fixing up my prison in the basement.
During everything, my Aunt Teresa saved me. She was the only person who knew about my home life.
When she found out what I was doing in the basement, she started coming over on the weekends with paintbrushes and a vibe that made everyone else happy.
She’d tie back her wild curls and say, “Okay, Ellie-girl.” “Let’s make this place shine!”
The first thing we did was paint the walls a soft lavender color. Then there were curtains to hide the small windows, area rugs to warm up the cold floor, and string lights to light up the room.
Because my job didn’t pay very well, it took months, but the basement slowly became mine. I used up-cycled shelves to organize my books and hung up posters of my favorite bands. I even found a used desk for my homework.
I felt proud the day I put the finishing touch on my room: a string of LED lights around my bed. It was something I hadn’t felt in a long time, or maybe ever.
I was looking at what I had done when I heard someone walking down the stairs. When Mom and Dad came in, they looked around with eyebrows raised.
“Well, well,” Dad said, his eyes getting narrow. “Looks like someone’s been busy.”
I was hoping for praise or at least notice of how hard I had worked. Mom instead pursed her lips.
She waved her hand at my carefully put-together space and said, “Elena, if you have money for all this, then you can start helping out around the house.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“That’s right,” told Dad. “We think it’s time you started paying rent.”
What I heard made no sense to me. “Rent? I’m 17 years old! “I’m still in high school!”
“And clearly making enough to paint the walls again,” Mom replied, crossing her arms. “It’s time you learned some financial responsibility.”
I was ready to scream. Daniel’s room was three times bigger than mine, and they paid for all of the furniture and decorations. He had never worked in his life. Even though he was younger, they were still being unfair.
It was too bad I knew I couldn’t argue with them, so I kept quiet. “Fine,” I finally said. “How much?”
I felt sick when they named a figure. It was possible, but I would no longer be able to save for college, which was my plan now that the basement was finished.
To make things even worse, Daniel chose that moment to slam down the stairs. He looked around quickly and whistled softly.
“Wow, sis. “Nice cave.” His eyes went to my LED lights. “Hey, are these strong?”
He grabbed the strip and pulled it out before I could stop him. With a sad flicker, the lights went out, leaving a path of peeling paint in their wake.
“Daniel!” I cried. They ran over to him and asked if something was wrong, but I just shrugged.
“Boys will be boys,” Dad said with a laugh, as if his golden boy hadn’t just lost months of work for me.
So, there I was, standing in my dark room again, trying not to cry out of anger. Daniel had only broken my lights, which I could fix. Things were fine after that. But it was really more than that.
It was a metaphor for my whole life: I was always second best and last on the list. People say that karma will even things out in the end.
After a few weeks, my parents had Aunt Teresa and some friends over for dinner. At her book club, she brought along Ava, a woman who designs rooms.
We all sat at the table and ate Mom’s overcooked pot roast while she went on and on about Daniel and his football team.
Aunt Teresa spoke up all of a sudden. “Ava, check out what my niece has done with the basement. What a great thing!”
As everyone looked at me, my cheeks got hot. As I mumbled, “It’s not that big of a deal,”
Ava was interested, though. “I wish I could see it.” Would you mind?”
As I led Ava downstairs, I ignored my parents’ tight smiles. Her eyes got bigger as she looked around.
“This is great, Elena. “You did everything yourself?”
I suddenly felt shy and nodded. “Most of it. Some of the bigger things were helped with by my aunt.
Ava ran her hand along the bookshelf I had taken from a neighbor’s curb and used for something else. “You have a great sense of style.” The space wasn’t very useful, but the way you made the most of it and the colors you chose are really impressive.
I felt hope for the first time in a long time. “Really?”
She said yes and smiled. “In fact, my company is looking for someone to do an internship. It’s usually only for college students, but I think we could make an exception for a high school senior who is about to start college. Are you interested in becoming a designer?”
My jaw was about to fall off when I tried to talk. “Certainly!” I love it, but I’ve never really thought about making it my job.”
Ava gave a smile. “Okay, think about it now. You’ll get paid for the internship, and if you do a good job, the company might give you money for college if you want to study design. What do you say?”
What I heard made no sense to me. “Yes!” Yes, a thousand times! “Thanks!”
“Great job!” You can start right away. Ava said, “I’ll call you later with more information.” I nodded, and she walked past my parents on her way upstairs.
I had forgotten that they had followed us downstairs. Their faces were shocked, and my brother looked like he didn’t understand why the attention was now on someone else.
Everything changed because of that internship. All of a sudden, I had a goal, a direction, and most importantly, people who cared about me and wanted me to succeed.
To learn as much as I could about design, I stayed late at work and soaked up information like a sponge.
I worked at the grocery store part-time, went to school, and did my internship over the next few months. It was both tiring and exciting.
Things were… different at home. It looked like my parents didn’t know how to treat me now. No longer were rent demands made. They instead asked me about my “little job.”
“So, uh, how’s that design thing going?” Dad would look around during dinner, but he never looked at me.
I’d say, “It’s great,” trying to act like nothing was going on. Their happiness wasn’t mine. “I’m learning so much.”
Daniel, on the other hand, looked confused. He said, “I don’t get it,” one day. “Why does Elena get an internship and not me?”
His mom rubbed his hand. “That’s because you’re still young, honey.” Soon you’ll get an even better one.”
I made a face. They had to make the favorite happy, of course.
I started putting together my portfolio for college applications as the school year went on. Ava was a great mentor who helped me pick out my best work and walked me through the process.
She told me one afternoon in her office after work, “You’re really good at what you do.” She was kind and stayed behind so I could finish my plans. “These schools would be lucky to have you.”
What she said made me want to reach for the stars. I sent my resume to many of the best design schools in the country, including Ava’s old school.
After that, it was terrible to wait, but finally it happened. When I heard Mom’s voice, I was in the basement painting my bookshelf one last time.
“Elena? “This is a big envelope for you.”
I went up two steps at a time and grabbed the envelope from her. “Dear Elena, We are pleased to offer you admission to our School of Design…” It made my knees weak, but it got better!
It made no sense to me. I not only got in, but the school, the same one Ava went to, gave me a full scholarship as well.
“Well?” Mom smiled and asked. “What does it say?”
“I got in.” I looked up as my eyes watered and said, “Full ride.”
There was silence for a short time. After that, she went back up. She couldn’t even find the words to say “good job.”
Daniel was mad that my dad didn’t say anything at dinner.
I could feel their anger. I didn’t care, though. I got what I wanted in the end. Aunt Teresa threw a big party for me, and Ava held a small party at work. It met all my needs.
My dorm was the next room I decorated… Then I redecorated my whole life with colors that shined like my soul, patterns that made the world special, and the family I met along the way, who were as helpful as a nice, sturdy bed frame that lasts for years.
