The Scarlet Dress
Graduation day arrived thick with summer heat.
The kind that makes emotions feel closer to the surface.
I arrived early.
Sat alone in the fourth row.
Hands clasped to keep them from shaking.
The doors opened.
Graduates filed in.
Applause erupted.
Caps bobbed.
Gowns swayed.
And then I saw him.
Ethan.
But he wasn’t wearing a graduation gown.
He was wearing a large, flowing scarlet dress.
Shimmering fabric.
Billowing skirt.
Unapologetic.
Steady.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
The room reacted before I could.
Gasps.
Whispers.
Laughter.
Phones raised.
Judgment spread faster than understanding ever does.
Every instinct screamed at me to run to him.
To shield him.
But Ethan didn’t falter.
He walked straight to the stage.
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