My stomach clenched. “Understand what, honey?”
He gave a small, uneasy smile. “Wait and see.”
Finally, graduation day arrived. I got to the auditorium early, my heart overflowing with pride. Then I saw him.
Liam stepped forward wearing a flowing red dress that shimmered under the stage lights.
The reaction was immediate.
Snickers and whispers filled the air, followed by laughter.
“LOOK AT HIM! HE’S WEARING A DRESS!” a student shouted.
“IS THIS A JOKE?” another muttered.
“WHY IS HE WEARING THAT?” someone sneered.
My hands began to shake. Every instinct in me screamed to run to him, but he kept walking—head high, calm, and unflinching.
The taunts continued. “HE’S LIKE A GIRL!” “SOMEONE TELL HIM THAT’S NOT APPROPRIATE!” “OMG, THIS IS INSANE!”
Even a few teachers exchanged uneasy looks.
Then Liam reached the microphone.
The room went silent. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.
“I know why you’re laughing,” he said, his voice soft but steady...
The heavy, metallic hum of the auditorium's speaker system vibrated through the floorboards, a low current that seemed to pass directly into the soles of my shoes. I stood squeezed between two parents in the middle row of the packed balcony, my fingers digging so hard into the vinyl padding of the seat in front of me that my nails were turning white.