Going to college had always been a dream of mine, growing up in a working class neighborhood had been all the inspiration that I needed to study hard and get good grades throughout school. I will never forget the day that I received my first acceptance letter; it was like a dream come true. Four more followed, in total five of the eight that I had applied to accepted me.
My parents had never had the opportunity to further their education and as a result had always been stuck in lower paying jobs. Still they had tried to save, and if I could obtain a scholarship, things might work out. I chose a school close to home, as it was the cheapest, plus being an in-state student I qualified for a couple of grants. Things looked promising as I started my freshman year, my father had recently received a nice raise, I had a good paying part time job, and I was still able to live at home.
At the end of my first semester, over the holiday break, my world seemed to fall apart. My father's company announced a shutdown, and he and my mother were faced with the choice of either my day losing his job or transferring to another of the companies plants and taking a significant pay cut. Within weeks my parent's house was up for sale, they had moved, and I was staying temporary with a friend of the family trying to figure out how I could continue with school.
My parents were very upset about this, as they expected that I would leave school and come join them within a couple of weeks. I did not want to move several states away and move into a small apartment, which was all that my parents could afford at the time. I was desperate, and the family friend made it clear that they did not want me there for very long. I had taken up the offer, which I soon found out was made more to try and consol my parents, then an actual invitation for me to stay.
I was trying to figure out what to do, I could transfer to a community college, and try to work several jobs and maybe find a room to rent or try to find several roommates and get an apartment. Unfortunately I could find neither within my means at that moment, so I just started looking through the want ads for anything.
One day while coming back from an interview from the nearest city, I was reading a newspaper that I found on the train. I was almost out of money and options, trying not to breakdown in tears at the realization that I would have to drop out and move away. Somehow even at 18 I knew that if I left college then, I would most likely never have the opportunity to return again.
The paper which had been left on the train was a local paper, more of an alternative lifestyle newspaper. Since no one was near me on the train, I started flipping through the paper, seeing advertisements for clubs and bars, as well as articles about things that did not interest me. Then near the back of the paper I saw a wanted section, and one advertisement caught my eye. It was for young male models who wanted to make $ 1,000 plus a week. I never knew that people paid for males to model, especially that type of money. The ad was vague, but I ripped it out of the paper and put it in my pocket.
I thought nothing more of it as I returned back to the place I was staying only to be meant by my parent's friend who asked when I was leaving. I had just hit bottom I thought, so I started reading the evening paper trying to find a last minute place to live, no luck. Out of curiosity, I took out the modeling ad and tried to call the number several times, yet each time I chickened out. Finally the owner of the home ran out for a while, and I thought what the hell, I am alone no one would know if I called, what can it hurt.
The gentleman who answered the call was very pleasant, his name was Kevin, and I told him that I was answering the ad for young male models. Kevin asked me where I saw that ad and I told him which paper, and how I came across it. Kevin took his time and did not get right to the details; I could tell that he was trying to put me at ease. He asked me my age, 18, my body type, slim and if I had any tattoos or piercing's, which I answered no too. This seemed to please Kevin as he asked me if I could come by for an interview, he told me over the phone that I sounded like an ideal candidate. He gave me the directions to his office, and we agreed that I would drop by the next morning for an interview.
This could not have come at a better time as when my parent's friend returned home that night, I was told that he had reconsidered and that he wanted me out by the end of the week. With nothing to lose and only one option besides dropping out and moving to my parents, I got the train the next morning early than I needed. I dressed that morning in a nice button up quasi-dress shirt and a pair of nice blue jeans. I found Kevin's office, but was about two hours early, I just had to get out of that house that morning.