The Graduation

Billy feels ashamed of his clothes.

The ill-fitting suit hung on Billy’s slender frame. Standing in front of his bedroom mirror, he shifted his stance uncomfortably.
‘I look stupid. It's too big.’
'I’ll take up the sleeves and the trouser hems. It’ll be fine, you’ll see,’ his mother promised.
Billy knew she felt bad about not being able to afford new clothes for his graduation and attempted a smile. ‘Yeah, it’ll be okay, Ma. Thanks for the suit.’
He knew only too well where it had come from. His mother cleaned for rich families. She would have asked if one of their sons had anything she could borrow, and he could almost hear her saying ‘It’s just for his graduation, he won’t need it for long.’
He pushed down the feelings of shame which he could feel welling up inside him. He knew how hard his mother worked to give him and his brothers everything she could and yet his feelings sometimes got the better of him.

On the night of the graduation, Billy felt everyone could see his suit didn’t fit. He’d already heard some other boys laughing about his shoes. He was wearing his black sneakers—the hem of the trousers was still a little too long, so he’d hoped no one would notice. His face flushed with embarrassment, tears sprung from nowhere and he left the hall unable to face being ridiculed.
Outside, sitting on the steps leading to the school, Billy breathed in the cold night air. Suddenly his mother’s arms were wrapped around him.
‘They were laughing at me, Mum,’ he cried.
‘Billy,’ his mother’s tone turned serious. 'That doesn't make any difference, child.’ It’s not the clothes, it’s who’s wearing them. You are as good as them, remember that. You have earned that diploma. Now go and get it.'

300 words