Justin doesn't remember the first time he was mistaken for a girl. He asks his momma, but instead of answering him, she purses his lips tight and says "Have the kids been teasing you at school again?" His uncle tells stories, though, about how his momma used to get stopped by strangers when he was still young enough to get pushed around in a stroller. "What a beautiful baby girl you have!" his uncle says in a mimicking tone.

Justin thinks that maybe it's the hair. That's why, the first time one of the kids at schools calls him a girl, he takes a pair of craft scissors and stands in the corner, cutting off each curl one by one. His momma cries when he comes home looking like that after school, but that doesn't stop him from asking for shorter and shorter haircuts every time they go to the barber. He begs her to let him shave his head, but she shakes her head and says "Your hair is a gift from God and besides, do you want to run around looking like some GI Joe?"

Justin is nine the first time he sees a beauty queen. Miss Memphis Blues Festival and Justin has a hard time separating how old someone is from how tall they are but he thinks shešs about sixteen. She's cutting the ribbon at the new shopping mall in her tiara and a dress the color of rose petals and Justin thinks she looks like a princess. He asks his momma what the girl did to get a crown and she explains about pageants for girls.

"You mean they get prizes just for being pretty?" he asks, voice hushed like a set up that great must be a secret.

"No, honey," she answers, "Not just for being pretty. There's a talent competition usually and interviews and other stuff, too."

Justin doesn't ask about the other stuff, he knows he could do it, he always been told he's a very talented boy. And he knows he's pretty.

Justin wins his first pageant when he's ten. He gets a trophy and a sash and roses and a tiara, although they're embarrassed to give him the tiara. He gets his picture in the paper and for the first time he sees that there might be some things about being pretty that aren't so bad.

He also gets a bruise on his shin, a black eye and the nickname Princess Justin at school. It hurts, but he tries not to care.

The Star Search audition is in Orlando and it's there that he sees the MMC cast member photos, in the hallway of the sound stage, outside the makeup room. Kids just like him, bright pageant smiles and the boys as pretty as the girls.

He loses on Star Search, but he doesn't care. He'll be back. He'll come back to Orlando, because at least if no one likes you in Orlando, it's only because you aren't pretty enough.