It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift

 "What do you suppose I do?" Justin fretted.

"Go to school," Ari shrugged. He bought Justin a coffee at the coffee cart in the hallway at the hospital entrance. "You have no idea how to get ahead, do you?"

"Well-"

Yeah, that was always as far as it would get with Justin.

"Maybe you could ask around. See if you could be a model, of some kind." Ari was just throwing it out there. He knew Eric down at the gym was making a bit of a career out of it.

"But he's gay," Justin screeched as if that would be so painful.

"I don't think the modeling is gay," Ari squinted. "You should check it out." Ari sipped his steaming coffee while Justin sighed. "Besides it would be good for you to meet your fears. And Eric is a really a great guy." Of course, Justin fumed as if that would be a no-go.

"Ask Vada. Doesn't she have connections with the art department?" 

Justin raked his fingers through his thick head of hair. He let his hand rest at the base of his neck as he pondered this.  "I couldn't. I just couldn't." He said he was too tired to take on a second job. Especially, being a model in an art class.

"It's like that, you know." Ari agreed. "But give it a try. At least tolerate it, if for a while."

Really, Ari wasn't so sure what he'd seen in this old chum. Maybe it was the need to connect during the pandemic. They'd had such a randy friendship then, online. He was so much different in reality. It was sad and well, he wished he hadn't thought of him as some long-lost relative. He bet his parents were glad to get rid of him. He didn't seem to know how to get by. How could that be?

Justin hugged himself as he sipped his coffee. He was a sad sod now. Ari couldn't help but think of Jade's predicament. She was all by her lonesome at the yoga and dance studio. He hoped she bounced back quickly. No way could he ask her about the wedding being so down these days. Yes, he guessed he'd just have to wait.