Levi loved his parents deeply, even though they didn’t have much. When Halloween rolled around, he was heartbroken that they couldn’t afford a store-bought costume for his school’s costume contest. His dad, Darren, did his best and built Levi a robot costume out of cardboard and duct tape. Though it was made with love, Levi felt ashamed, especially knowing his classmates would be dressed as superheroes with polished, expensive outfits.
On the day of the event, Levi’s worst fear came true his classmates mocked his handmade costume. They called it cheap and laughed at him, even insulting his father. Levi couldn’t take it. He broke down in tears and refused to go on stage. He felt like he had failed his dad, who had spent so much time crafting the outfit. Backstage, Levi wept, too embarrassed to show his face.
Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, the school principal, Mr. Frederick, stepped onto the stage wearing a robot costume nearly identical to Levi’s, only in red. He called for “Agent Blue,” and when Levi joined him, the principal praised the costume, saying how much he admired the effort and love that had gone into making it. Mr. Frederick’s bold move turned the situation around, showing the kids that love and creativity mattered more than money.
