Come What Mea

Here’s the story:

My family is broke as shit. My family has always been broke as shit. So when I decided to try the whole college thing, I got a pell grant. Or at least that’s what I was told.

I mean, I was 17 when I started filing all these papers. (I didn’t turn 18 until the week before my high school graduation, so school stuff was being sorted while I was still 17.) I had no idea what I was looking at or what anything meant. I depended on my mother and step-father to tell me what to do and how to fill things out. I went through applications, financial aid, everything. And I was told I didn’t have to worry about paying for school because I got a pell grant from the government because we were poor as shit.

I went to school for one semester and dropped out because I realised I had no idea what I wanted to do. I also decided to start working towards a new goal—saving up to move to England to be with my girlfriend. I’d do that first and get a degree over there, where it was going to be cheaper anyway. Almost three years have passed since this whole process started.

About one year ago, I got a letter in the mail about money I apparently owed on student loans. I was confused by this, since I was under the impression everything was paid for. And why would it take two years anyway? After that, I got contacted on Facebook and deviantART by them. Very short, poorly worded messages, and I was positive it was a hoax or spam. It didn’t seem very professional to me, and I got advice from other people, and they said they wouldn’t worry about it, because if it was legit, I’d get a better notice than my fucking Facebook wall. It seemed like spam to them, and it seemed like spam to me. And so I ignored it. I didn’t hear from anyone again.

Until today.

I didn’t even get a letter. I didn’t even get a phone call on my personal phone. They tracked me down by my social security number and found out where I was working, so they called my PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT and demanded to speak with me. The call was parked on the phone in PCs, and I answered it, thinking maybe it was a customer with a question, but it wasn’t. It was someone telling me I had to have $3600 by Monday.

I tried explaining the situation, everything up to that point, but she didn’t seem to care. She just kept asking me if I had $3600. I told her I didn’t. I work a retail job, and I have to fully support myself because my mother kicked me out for being a lesbian. Eventually, I asked her if I could do a payment plan. She asked if I could do $50/month. Easy. Done. I can do that. But she said she still needed a $1500 down payment by Monday.

If I don’t have this money by Monday, they are going to garnish my wages, and I won’t be able to make rent or bills.

Tomorrow morning, I’m going to contact a law agency and the university I went to. I’m going to figure out if a pell grant or a student loan paid for my school. If it was a pell grant, I need to figure out where the money from the student loan went. If it was a student loan, I need to figure out why I was lied to. And considering it is ILLEGAL in the state of Alabama to apply for a loan under the age of 19, I find it kind of funny that I apparently had a loan at 17 or 18? Especially when I don’t remember signing for a loan in the first place.

Everyone I have talked to has suspected identity theft.

So I’m planning on filing a lawsuit.

Whether I pay the $1500 on Monday or get away with skipping by it because I have a case on my hands, I am opening up commissions to get some extra income to pay the costs. I do have additional jobs now, but those haven’t truly launched yet. I’m not making profit yet. (For those of you who don’t know, I’m a photographer and I’ve recently started some graphic design commission work for a company.) Right now, my only true income is from Best Buy, which is about $1000/month, and most of that is going to bills. $350 for rent, $200 for bills, $100 for gas, $200 for groceries, and $40 to pay off an engagement ring. Which leaves me a whopping $110, so I can make those $50 payments every month, but the down payment is impossible for me. I have $200 in my name right now. I get paid on Friday, but it’s going towards rent.

To help me come up with as much money as possible, I’m re-opening art commissions. I draw people more than anything, but I will draw animals if they are requested. I can do sketches or digital colouring.

Sketches range from $5 to $10, depending on how many characters are featured.

Digital works range from $20 to $30, also depending on number of characters.

Examples:

Of course, don’t feel obligated to help or anything. I understand everyone’s tight on money, but if you do get anything—even if it’s just a simple sketch—it will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, guys.