3 members like this


Views: 925 Created: 2022.02.08 Updated: 2022.02.08

Becoming Models

Becoming Models Chapter 1

Becoming Models, Chapter – 1

Changing Course

Although I always thought being a male model would be an exciting lifestyle, it was never my plan. I knew I was good looking by the time I entered the twelfth grade, if only because my friends told me so. But even when I was in the eleventh and twelfth grade I knew good looking boys were a dime a dozen in the fashion industry, and so I also knew the vast majority of those desiring to pursue a modeling career would end up being tossed to the streets of New York. I felt the same was true for those who set out for Hollywood in effort to break into the acting profession. So even though I wasn’t particularly getting along with my father, my plan was to follow in his footsteps by getting a degree in business administration, and then applying for management positions in large companies. Yet while attending a small private high school that was located in one of Denver’s more affluent suburbs, I chose to join my high school’s drama club.

As it turned out, I was one of only nine boys in the club. The other twelve members were girls whom I paid little attention to. We put on two plays in our senior year. The first was “Our Town”, and the second was “The Wizard of Oz”. If I say so myself, both were well done considering our small crew. Of the nine boys in our thespian group four of us were seniors, and so we began to hang together. First there was Lance Pelton and Dylan Jenner. To me they always seemed as straight as most of the boys in our school, but they were not only gay, they were gay for each other and seemingly proud of that fact. They were both quite handsome, athletic, and what I would call, masculine looking. They were also the first in the drama club to befriend me.

Then there was Gabriel Stewart. All of the rest of the kids in the club were eighteen or younger, but Gabriel was nineteen, almost twenty, and yet he looked like a fifteen year old who acted and talked like a ten year old. It probably won’t surprise you, but he was also a special ed. student who attended remedial reading and math classes. To other students he was the kind of kid they might take advantage of or pick on. But to me Gabriel was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. And he was not only beautiful to look at, but he had a loving personality that made him seem gentle, bighearted, and caring, all while also being quite gullible.

Even though I wasn’t “out” like Lance and Dylan, befriending Gabriel was what caused me to know that deep down inside I was as gay as Lance and Dylan because I secretly loved Gabriel to the core of his body. In fact, I loved everything about him even though I had not yet developed the courage to tell him.

My name is Skyler West, and my main goal all through high school was simply to blend in with the straight boys. That wasn’t hard for me as it seemed as if half the girls in my school were constantly vying for my attention. I even dated a few in effort to appear straight, while knowing all along it was all an act. In fact, I was still trying to fit in after graduating, and after school had let out for the summer break before I was to begin college.

All seemed to be going according to my plan until a week after our summer break began. It all started with a call from Lance Pelton. He wanted me to come to his house so we could talk. He was very secretive about what he wanted to talk about, still I went as I was used to his dramatic flair, and because I had nothing better to do.

Upon my arrival Lance’s mother directed me up to his room where I was surprised to not only find Lance, but also Dylan. At first they wouldn’t even give me a hint as to what they wanted to talk about until after Lance had made sure his mother was well out of earshot. That immediately made me feel that Lance may have been out to his friends at school, but not yet to his parents. So it was only after Lance was assured of our privacy that he finally said, “The thing is, Dylan and I want to talk to you about our futures.”

I smiled as I had no idea as to what they thought I had to do with their futures, so I asked flat out for Lance to make his point.”

Lance just looked at me for a few seconds before finally saying, “What do you think we all have in common?”

I looked around Lance’s room, and then at Lance before saying, “I don’t know. I guess we all come from upper middle class families.”

“Yea, but besides that.”

Fearing he might be onto the fact that I was gay, I said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Well, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re all good looking and we’re all in great shape. In fact, I think we are all what could be considered, “model fine.”

“Yea so?” I asked.

“So I think we could all make it as male models, especially if we all go to New York and stick together. The three of us could throw in and rent an apartment together to keep the costs down while we are breaking into the business. I’ve been looking through fashion magazines, and I feel all three of us are at least, if not better looking than most of the models I’ve seen, so I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think that we could all become high demand models who are typically paid in the six figure range.”

“Yea, but I don’t know if it’s worth the risk.” I said, “It could work, but it could also be a waste of time. Besides, I’ve already been accepted by the University of Colorado, and my father has already agreed to cover my expenses.”

Then with a very serious look on his face, Lance went on to say, “Yea, well if you want to work at some mundane job, then I guess you should follow your parent’s dreams. But I think you’d be a lot happier living the life of a model. Dylan and I both feel you’d be a shoe in. I mean we both think you have what it takes, and so we want you on our team.”

Then Dylan spoke up and said, “You already have a Tick Tock following, so that has to be a plus in a modeling résumé, where it would be of little value to you at college.”

“Yea, well the Tick Tock thing is something I do with Gabriel.” And before I could go on, Lance broke in to say, “About Gabriel. I know he’s your friend, but we have to be smart about this if we want the New York thing to work. And the truth is we both think he would be a drag. I know you like him, but the guy acts like a seven year old, so I think we’d all be better off if we don’t include him in this.”

I waited until Lance stopped talking before I said, “Well I’ll think about it, but I’m not sure modeling is for me.”

Lance quickly followed with “Well you better think fast, because Dylan and I are going to head for New York, and we feel that the sooner we get started the better it will be for us.”

Lance had barely finished his sentence when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glanced at its screen, and saw it was Gabriel. As soon as I answered I could tell Gabriel had been crying. I could hardly understand his whispered words, but I knew he was in trouble as Gabriel may have been immature and childlike, but he wasn’t a crier. So as soon as I understood he was at his home, I told him to stay put, and I’d be right over. Gabriel only lived about six blocks from Lance’s parent’s home, so I told Lance and Dylan that I had an emergency and so had to go, but that I would get back to them about the New York thing.

It was only a matter of minutes before I arrived at Gabriel’s house. All of our parents were what the general public would consider upper middle class professionals, but I have to tell you that Gabriel’s parents were by far the most well off. His father was kind of a gruff ‘no nonsense’ guy who owned and controlled a national chain of auto parts stores. To be more detailed, I’d have to describe him as being the exact opposite of Gabriel’s sweet, kind, and vulnerable personality. Gabriel’s mother was a very elegant woman who was much younger than his father, yet I need to mention here that she looked awful that morning as she directed me up to Gabriel’s room. Gabriel was drawn up in a fetal position in an upholstered chair in a dark corner of his room. His folded body was wrapped in a blanket when I entered and approached him. I knelt before him and moved in close before I asked, “What’s wrong, Buddy?”

Without looking to my eyes, Gabriel said, “My parents had a big fight last night, and I think they’re going to get a divorce, and I think it’s because of me.”

“You?” I asked, “What makes you say that?”

“They’re always fighting over me, and last night I told my father I was gay, and he told me to get out of his sight. And when my mother tried to defend me, he told her that my gayness was her fault. And then he stormed out of the house after telling my mom he wanted a divorce. We haven’t seen him since, so now I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I fear that whatever it is, it’ll be my fault.”

I was stunned while trying to picture Gabriel’s fetal form under his blanket, as I asked, “Why did you tell your father you’re gay?”

“I don’t know. I just thought it was time. You know that I’ve been pretty sure for a long time, so I just thought it was time for him to know.”

I stood as Gabriel turned away from me and covered his face with his blanket. He was crying full out by that point, but he managed to ask in halting words, “Do you hate me?”

I knelt back down and hugged Gabriel through his blanket while asking, “How can you even think that? You know I’ve been wondering about my own sexuality. I don’t want to be gay, but I still think I’m probably just as gay as you think you are.”

While pulling more of the blanket up to cover his face, the blanket parted over Gabriel’s thigh and butt cheek, allowing me to see that he was naked under the blanket, as he said, “Yea, but you’re nothing like me. You’re smart, and you could make it on your own. You could even be President of the United states if you wanted.”

I pulled back so I could focus on what little I could see of Gabriel’s thigh and buttocks while wondering what it was about him that drew me to him in the most undeniable way. He had a flawless complexion, beautiful brown eyes, and dark brown hair with strong jaw and cheek lines. But that probably described half the boys in my high school, so I knew there was much more about Gabriel that drew me to him, because I felt that if anyone in my school was “model fine” it was Gabriel. It seemed as if his common features came together in such a way as to make him the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. And the truth was, I loved him more than I’ve ever loved anyone else in my life.

I reached out and hugged Gabriel through his blanket while letting my hand glide over the smooth naked flesh of his thigh and butt cheek while saying, “No matter how different you think I am, I still think I’m gay because I love you more than any girl I’ve ever known.”

Gabriel brought his gaze back to my eyes, and while peeking over his blanket, he asked, “So what does that mean?”

“It means that I love you, not like a friend or a buddy, but like the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. It means that I have to get this gay thing figured out so I can be the person I want to be, and the person I need to be for you.”

Gabriel covered his face again with his blanket, so I moved in so I could whisper in his ear, “Lance and Dylan want to move to New York so they can take a stab at breaking into the male modeling business, and they want me to go with them.”

Gabriel uncovered his face, and asked, “So are you going?”

“Well I wasn’t, but now I’m thinking that it just might be good for all of us to get away from our parents for a while. The one thing I know, is that I won’t go unless you come with me.”

...

To make a long story short, even though Lance and Dylan didn’t want to include Gabriel in their New York modeling adventure, I invited him to come along with me, and so Lance and Dylan just seemed to reluctantly accept his participation. As it turned out, Lance and Dylan had a few thousand buck to live on while we were getting on our feet in New York, where Gabriel and I had the blessings of our mothers, and so we both had all but limitless credit card funds to help pay our way until we could get on our feet. So five days later all four of us were on a Jet Blue 737 hurling down the runway of Denver’s International Airport on our way to the rest of our lives.