More Than What They See

CHAPTER 5: The First Test in Class

Rhian’s POV

A few days passed and it became like a habit for them to make things difficult for me whenever they could. They would hide my pencils and erasers so I often had nothing to use during lessons. When I walked past their seats they would stretch out their feet just to make me trip. Sometimes they would step on the hem of my skirt or pull my bag down hard. But what hurt the most was how everyone else stayed silent. They saw everything but no one spoke, no one came near, and it felt like they all just accepted that this was how things should be for someone like me.

One morning we had an activity in Filipino class. We were asked to write a short essay about ourselves and our dreams. I took my notebook and wrote slowly and carefully. I shared how I grew up simply, how Mama and I worked hard for everything we had, and how I wanted to become a teacher someday so I could help others too. I chose every word with care and made sure my writing was neat because I wanted them to see that even if we had little, we still had dreams worth reaching for.

When we passed our papers the teacher read them one by one out loud. When it was my turn, Francis, Gio, and Jace started whispering and laughing softly up front.

“Look at how neat her handwriting is,” Gio said in a mocking tone. “Like anyone even cares.”

“Bet she wrote something boring,” Jace added with a snicker.

But as the teacher kept reading my work, the whole room slowly went quiet. When she finished she looked at me with kindness and said, “Rhian, your words are honest and pure. Every line shows how much hope and effort you carry in you. You should be very proud of this.”

Instead of feeling happy my heart sank when I looked their way. Their stares were no longer just angry, they were full of irritation and challenge. When the bell rang for dismissal they stood up quickly and blocked my path right outside the door. No one stopped to help, everyone just walked past with their heads down like they saw nothing at all.

Francis stepped closer and snatched the extra copy of my essay I kept with me. He held it up and looked at it with disgust before tearing it slowly right in front of my face while smirking.

“Do you think just because the teacher praised you that you are special now?” Francis said loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

“I… I did not mean to—” I tried to say but he cut me off.

“In this school, we set the rules,” he said sharply. “Never act like you are better or worth more than us.”

Gio stepped beside him and said, “You think writing nice words makes you different? You are nothing special.”

“Stay exactly where you belong,” Jace added. “Right at the bottom where no one will notice you.”

When they walked away I fell to my knees on the ground and tried to put the torn pieces back together. The tears I had held back finally fell. It hurt that he destroyed what I worked hard for, but it hurt even more that it felt like I was not allowed to dream or show what I could do. But as I gathered the scraps one small piece stayed in my palm. It was the last line I wrote: “No matter what happens, I will not stop until I reach my dream.” I held it tight in my hand. I knew it would be hard. I knew I felt alone. But in that moment I promised myself that they would never be able to change who I really am.