"I'm not sitting there while people laugh at my son."
Aaron answered quietly, "Then don't come."
Dean's face changed.
For one terrible moment, I hoped he would apologize.
Instead, he grabbed his keys.
"Fine."
He did not come to graduation.
Aaron's closest friend, Ben, did not handle it much better.
At first, Ben thought Aaron was joking.
Then, Aaron showed him the dress.
By the following day, Ben had stopped answering his messages.
When I asked Aaron about it, he shrugged.
"He doesn't want to be part of it."
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"Of course it hurts."
He looked away.
"But it doesn't change what I'm doing."
The school found out the morning of graduation.
I still don't know who told them.
At 9:10 a.m., my phone rang.
The assistant principal introduced herself and spoke carefully.
"We understand Aaron intends to wear something unconventional to today's ceremony."
"He does."
"We're not trying to interfere with his personal expression."
I already disliked where the conversation was going.
