“Can you please keep your hands off of me” Justin asked the photographer who was adjusting his clothes for the second round of photographs and wasn’t quite successful in keeping his hands to himself.

“It’s my job” the man, Jacob, stated simply.

“No it isn’t” Justin countered mumbling.

“Are you going to tell me how I should do my job?” the man asked dangerously low.

Justin swallowed hard, not so brave anymore.

“Thought so, don’t interfere in my business, you don’t know what you’re talking about hun” he told the boy, patronizingly once again. Justin bit his lip and stayed quiet, allowing the man to keep tugging at him till he was satisfied.

“Can you stop that?” Justin asked politely but angry about an hour and three rounds later. He’d been tugged out of his chair for this round, standing in front of a white screen, heavy lights hung above him and stood in front of him to his right and left.

“Stop what sweetie?” Jacob asked innocently as he stepped back a little.

“I’m just doing my job, don’t you worry about it” he said patronizingly, going back to what he was doing, tugging at the pants and the shirt to make sure the pants were low on his hips and the shirt fell open.

Justin bit the inside of his cheek, the man’s hands brushing over his crotch and chest as if he had a right to. A stray hand was suddenly felt on his ass, rubbing the buttock before pinching it. Justin yelped in surprise, looking up at the man who was smirking at him, challenging him to say something about it.

“Will you stop touching me?!” he demanded in a low tone of voice, just loud enough for the man to hear it. The man just shrugged.

“Deal with it”

“No I won’t, you have no right to molest me” Justin gritted out. Jacob smirked even more.

“Oh but I have, it’s your job so suck it up” he told him, swatting at his ass once more before going back to his spot behind the heavy lighting.

Justin stood perfectly still, glaring at the man’s back. He didn’t have to take this. Despite what this man believed he was not a piece of meat on display. This man didn’t have a right to touch him, that was not apart of his job!

“Focus on the camera” Jacob instructed as soon as he got the camera back in his hand and the young man he was supposed to photograph was staring out in front of him.

“Kid” the man addressed him, a pet name that would be endearing if it came from someone else but was meant to patronize him in this situation.

“Focus!” the man demanded angrily. Justin finally came out of his stare and focussed on the man. Justin shook his head. He’d made up his mind.

“No” he told him. Jacob knit his eyebrows in confusion.

“What?”

“I won’t focus on the camera”

“Oh yes you will”

“No I won’t. I quit you asshole!” he said determined, ducking out of the photographing booth and walking away quickly but satisfied as he saw the stunned expression on the molesting photographer.

He suddenly knew Josh was right; he had to at least try. If he wasn’t smart enough and he would have to crawl back to them so be it but at least he’d tried it. Josh would stand by him, he’d already done so much for him and if Josh believed in him so strongly why couldn’t he believe in himself? Why would the person he cared about so dearly be wrong about him and the people he couldn’t stand, who he hated actually would be right about him. They didn’t know him. Josh did. Maybe Josh was right, maybe he should just give it a shot, what did he have to lose? This job maybe but he could do without it, he knew Josh would stand by him even if he failed so what was holding him back? Nothing!

Justin quickly walked to the exit, running into his agent on the way out who’d heard the commotion.

“Justin where the fuck are you going? Apologize right now and get the fuck back to work!” he demanded, grabbing Justin harshly. Justin turned to him with flaring eyes.

“Let. Go of me” he demanded, pulling his arm away as soon as Mr. Hemming let go.

“I quit” he told him. Mr. Hemming laughed.

“You can’t quit” the man stated simply, incredulous that Justin thought he could actually quit.

“Do you think you can quit? Do you think you’ll get a job? You can’t do anything else” Mr. Hemming told him as he grabbed his employee’s arm again and Justin suddenly realized Mr. Hemming had told him this so many times that he’d started to believe it. People like Mr. Hemming and that photographer had convinced him that he was dumb, that he couldn’t do anything else but this and Justin suddenly realized that they were wrong. Justin looked down at the hand on his arm but ignored it this time.

“Yes. I can” he said determined.

“I can, you can’t that’s why you wanted me to stay, that’s why you kept telling me I’m stupid but I’m not and I can do something else. I’m gonna go to college and there’s nothing you can do about it so leave me the hell alone and fucking let go of me!” he told him straightforward.

Mr. Hemming was stunned and for the first time he didn’t have a comeback, his grip on Justin’s arm loosened and Justin pulled his arm free. He continued down the hall towards the exit, feeling freer than he’d had in a long time and he actually caught himself whistling as he skipped down the street, leaving work in good spirits for the first time in months.

“I’m gonna do it” Justin greeted, showing up at Josh’s apartment. He’d went over to him right after work, needing to share it with him, the man who’d got him here.

Josh knew instantly what he was talking about although it had been almost three weeks since Josh had suggested that he should go to college. Josh had given him some time to make up his own mind and apparently he had. Josh smiled broadly, happy Justin had finally decided to do it.

“That’s great honey” he said as he hugged him.

“Thanks” Justin told him, hugging him tightly before pulling back and passionately kissing his boyfriend on the lips.

“Thank you” he thanked him in a soft tone of voice, looking Josh in the eye.

“Thank you for convincing me that I can do this”

“I’m positive that you can” Josh said without blinking an eye. He honestly believed Justin could do this but he’d been told he was pretty too many times and had thought that that was all there was to him but Josh had seen more. He’d seen Justin was far more than a pretty face, far more than a gorgeous body, he’d seen Justin was smart too and it had seemed Justin had forgotten. Josh had wanted him to remember and it had worked apparently and he was happy that it had. Justin smiled at him, kissing him once again.

“I love you Josh” he admitted softly. Josh lightly grasped his hands, causing Justin to look up. Josh smiled fully.

“I love you too” Justin smiled with him. His spirits suddenly high again, he was almost bouncing in front of Josh.

“I’m gonna enrol right now” he said enthusiastically. Josh just smiled.

“Would you mind coming along?” he asked Josh, it would mean so much to him if his love, the person who’d convinced him that he could do this, would be there to witness this. Josh knew this too and just smiled.

“I’d love to” Justin cupped his face in his hands and drew him closer, kissing him quickly.

“Thank you” he said once again, thankful Josh understood and was willing to come along. Justin took Josh’s hand in his, caressing the back of his hand sweetly as they went out the door with a shared smile, ready to enrol.

He was going to try and Josh knew without a doubt that he would succeed...