Chapter 1
"Mom!" I shout as I enter the house. "Mom! Where are you?" I ask.
"I'm in the basement!" My mother shouts back.
"Ugh, please don't tell me she's working in the lab again." I tell myself. I walk over to the steps and ask, "What are you doing?"
"Working in the lab! What else do you think the basement is for?" My mom chuckles.
I walk down the stairs, and go over by my mother. "My area?" My mother looks at me. "Mom, you said when I turn 17, the whole basement is mine. Not just the bedroom I'll be moving into. And let me remind you, that's in a few days. I would appreciate if this all wasn't here when I start to decorate."
"Decorate?" My mother asks.
"Yeah, that's what you do to make yourself comfortable." I chuckle.
"Yeah, but in a year you're moving out. Why worry about decorating it if you're going to be gone so soon?"
"Mom, I don't want to move right away. You have nobody else here. Things may be different if my father would have stayed around."
My mom looks down, and mumbles, "Yeah."
"Look, I don't want to upset you. How about this. I have two rooms upstairs, why don't we take the wall down in between, and give that to you as the lab?" I suggest.
My mother looks as if she's thinking. "Yeah, that would work. But who are we going to get to take the wall down?" my mother asks me.
"Well, Grandpa is good at building things, I'm sure he can take things down as well. And uncle Tim and uncle Tony can help too. Aaaand…." I give my mother a hint to let me help.
"I don't know."
"Mom, you know I love working in construction. This would be good for me!" I explain.
"Ok, listen; only if they are going to work on it. If we need professionals, then no." my mom answers.
"Thank you!" I give my mom a hug. "I have food waiting up stairs. Let's go eat supper."