(SO UNORGANIZED)
TW: making fun of Vitiligo, and Michael Vapes in this mainly so he won't hurt Jeremy when driving because if he were stoned bad things could have happened in that car and I don't wanna car crash chapter

(oh yeah. There are a lot of references okay, I should've warned you guys)

Michael drove up to the mall in which the show was, noticing how nervous Jeremy was.

"Hey you okay?"

"Y-Yeah it's just...All the other models a-are girls which means t-that I'm wearing g-girl clothes tonight..." Jeremy said, his head hanging down. Michael put his hand on Jeremy's chin and raised his head up.

"Hey, you know you don't have to do this if you aren't comfortable with it. You can quit." Michael said, locking eyes with Jeremy.

"I k-know but I need money..." Jeremy said and Michael hugged him.

"Okay...How much is it to watch the show?"

"I-I can get you in f-for free." Jeremy tried to sound enthusiastic but the thought of his new friend seeing him in a dress filled him with dread.

When they walked in, Jeremy spotted a man with sort of messy but neat black hair, stubble, and a jacket and sighed.

"That your boss?" Michael asked, and Jeremy let out a meek mumble to confirm Michael that it was indeed his boss. "He looks like a jerk."

"H-He is..." Jeremy said, holding Michael's hand as he walked over there. The girls all waved at Jeremy, happy to see him(they're all pretty good friends.

"Heere, there you are. You're almost late. I see you're slouching." Jeremy felt an aggressive hand on his shoulder push him up. "Stand up straight. And go change, your outfit's with Brooke." He said and Jeremy nodded, letting go of Michael's hand and walking off.

Michael went to go with him but was held back.

"Who are you?" The man asked and Michael put his hands in his pocket and lowered his vision.

"I'm Jeremy's friend." He replied, still giving a not so friendly glare to Jeremy's boss, who he seen was named Eric from the name tag.

"Do you have... Vitilgo?" Eric asked, a bit of annoyance and confusion mixed into the question.

"Yes I do. Why?"

"Okay. I'm going to need you to leave, Jeremy doesn't associate with imperfect losers."

"Umm excuse me. He seemed really happy when he was with me but seems depressed around you." Michael said, and Eric rolled his eyes.

"He is a model. He doesn't need friends because he's going to be famous. He has to realize the life he's chosen is going to be stressful." Eric said, poking Michael's chest as if jabbing him with the words.

"I-I'm... I'm r-ready." Jeremy's voice said and Eric faked happiness and put his hands together.

"You look perfect. Well except for a bit of acne. , Chandler, can you go fix his face please?" Eric said and Chandler, her last name, presumably, walked over to Jeremy and took him to another room.

"See? He didn't even look happy! He sounded scared. He probably only has this job for money." Michael said, acting oblivious when in reality Jeremy had told him that was the only reason.

"Nobody is in it just for the money. Plus, my models don't talk to people like you so if you would, please leave."

"Make. Me." Michael said and Eric rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. A really tall boy in a red designer jacket ended up carrying(more like dragging)Michael out of the mall and to his car.

"O-Okay I'm back...Hey w-where's Michael?" Jeremy asked, looking around for his friend but to no avail.

"He went to his car to get something. You need to go get on stage with the others. Now." Eric said and Jeremy sighed. He hopes Michael would make it to the show, the parking lot was big and they had walked a while to get into the mall so he might not make it.

Jeremy felt the presence of all the people outside, even though the curtains were closed. He looked down at his clothes and sighed, he hated dresses but he was replacing a female model tonight, not that he knew which one.

He gulped as he watched the others go out, saying their names in his head.

Chloe Valentine. She'd been there for a while, he'd gotten to know her fairly well, not too well but well enough to where he knew her personality.

Zoe Murphy. Jeremy knew her brother and his boyfriends. Only poly relationship he'd ever seen before. Of course, Jeremy only knew their names. Connor, Evan, and Jared if he remembered correctly. This was probably because he'd be related to one of them soon.

Heather Chandler. Jeremy couldn't stand her, especially the way she acted towards these two girls in specific. She was the one who did Jeremy's make-up.

Alana Beck. Zoe's girlfriend. Jeremy thought she was nice. Not much else to say.

Christine Canigula. Jeremy had been close friends with her but he slowly started distancing himself.

Veronica Sawyer. One of the girls Heather C was a jerk to. Jeremy felt like he kind of related to her, taking the job only for money.

Heather McNamara. She wasn't a model, she worked for the other Heather. She was Veronica's girlfriend and seemed very nice but it was always hidden by the scared looks on her fact.

Finally. Brooke Lohst. The only person who went through the same torment Jeremy did. She wasn't "skinny enough", she wasn't "pretty enough", she always needed "more make-up". They were close if Jeremy could even call it that.

Finally it was his turn. He sighed and walked out on to the stage, his face red as he looked out at the crowd. Where was Michael? Was all he could think as he posted a few times, cursing himself for thinking anybody would genuinely come to see him.

He should've known Michael wouldn't come. Nobody ever did. Not even his own father.

       -------------------***-------------------

Jeremy looked through the parking lot and finally found Michael, a bit upset that he hadn't showed up.

"Hey, W-Where were you?" Jeremy asked and Michael looked at him, pulling a vape out of his mouth and let the smoke surround his head.

"I was gonna come but your boss had one of the dumb security guards or something kick me out." Michael said and Jeremy looked down.

"T-That's what everybody says..."

"Look Jeremy. I promise I wanted to come. Your boss said you shouldn't associate with me all because I have a dang skin disease...I'm so sorry. But I'll let you know you looked quite pretty when I seen you. Even without the make-up." Michael said and Jeremy turned red.

"... You really mean it...Don't you?" He smiled, somehow knowing he could trust Michael.

"Yes I did. Now c'mon, our game is back home and you're officially on vacation. Let's go chill and just be ourselves." Michael said, wrapping an arm around Jeremy's shoulder and smiling wide.

"O-Okay Michael." Jeremy said, his face instantly lighting up at the mention of being himself.

(I really love the references. So obvious)